The Seraphic System
Chapter: 79
Disclaimer: I don't own High School Dxd or any other universe used in this story.
Pa/ t reon details below the chapter if you're interested in seeing some content in advance.
(Theio)
I stared at the large container appraisingly.
It was the unopened Vault I had stolen so long ago from the Goblin encampment. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I smiled lightly. I had come so far from that crazy angel running around the woods. I had grown explosively in both personality and power.
I hadn't thought about it much since then, assuming the wealth to be meagre when I thought about the state of the village.
That had changed now I had downloaded the skill from Celebrimbor.
Mithril…
That would be what would make my weapon work, a powerful God-class-worthy material.
Naturally, my thoughts had gone to this vault…
[Mithril Vault]
[A vault made from the extremely rare ore Mithril. Mithril stands out not only for being
tough, flexible, light, and with a high resistance to physical force but also for its magical
conductivity properties for weapons. Making it the perfect material for artefacts, weapons,
and armour.]
This wasn't the same Mithril I needed…
It was bound to happen. After all, it was just a title given to the Ore, an oddly common one among worlds.
Still, It could be used.
"So what do you think?" I questioned, turning to Uriel who watched me silently.
He took a step forward and inspected the shining metal.
"Mithril?" He questioned, more to himself which was why I didn't answer. "It's a valuable metal. Quite rare nowadays but hard to use in smithing so I tend to shy away from it."
I nodded.
"Where did you get it?" He questioned curiously. "In fact, where have you been keeping this? In that little pocket space, you use?"
I wasn't surprised as he casually mentioned my inventory, I wasn't being subtle about it.
"Yes, I got it a while ago when I was attacked by a Goblin Tribute," I replied, staring at the vault.
The response was instant.
"Shall I mobilise a force to eradicate them?" He replied, his arms crossed and his tone neutral.
"They are already dead," I replied, equally as neutral.
He smiled slightly, his shoulders relaxing minutely and his stance becoming more open. "That's good to hear."
This was a surprisingly normal occurrence for my otherwise overly naive Angels. Me being dead for so long made them what I liked to call 'Hyper-defensive.'
I swung my arm and a blast of light made the vault's door fall apart.
There was a time when I wouldn't have been able to put a dent in this door, funny.
A pile of strange Ore, along with some weapons that I paid no mind to, sat within the vault. What caught my immediate attention though was the single unsmelted Ore that lay atop.
Honestly, I was half-expecting Gold but then again, that was mostly a human thing.
I picked up the Ore, turning it over in my hand before using appraisal.
Infernite - Magically conductive alloy found commonly in Hell, capable of assisting in channeling demonic power. Special attribute: stores demonic energy.
The name was relatively basic.
"Infernite?" I murmured, I recalled it in my many lessons taken in smithing under Uriel. "Not exactly rare, but useful."
Uriel glanced at it, unimpressed. "It's relatively common in Hell, not particularly noteworthy in Heaven. Still, its conductive properties can be useful if utilized properly."
My eyes wandered back to the vault, and something else caught my attention, a stone hidden slightly beneath some mundane-looking metals.
Carefully, I removed it and examined it closely.
"Dracionianite?" I mused, feeling Uriel's gaze land on the large stone that barely fit in my hand in an instant.
Dracionianite - An extremely rare Ore formed when the blood of a high-class Dragon saturates stone upon death. Grants heat immunity, immense durability, and traces of draconic blood, and allows channeling dragon fire when properly harnessed. Dragon fire from a mid-class dragon can easily kill a high-class being. Highly sought after due to its unique and potent abilities.
My eyes widened as I read through its description.
"Uriel," I spoke quietly, holding the stone tightly,
"Dracionianite?" He questioned a hint of excitement in his voice. Uriel's expression shifted immediately, his eyes widening slightly. He stepped closer, studying the stone carefully. "Now that is noteworthy."
"That's extremely rare, even Heaven possesses only small fragments. It can't be reliably replicated; Dragon Blood is chaotic and incredibly resistant to manipulation. Attempting transmutation with your energy alone would be immensely costly, rarely worth the price." He explained, examining the large stone. "By the looks of it, you have a good amount too."
Normally, I could learn that Heaven had a massive amount of magical Ores. More than any other Pantheon as God went on an alien overlord spree and got everything he could get his hands on.
The result?
Sacred Gears, and many other powerful holy artefacts.
I nodded thoughtfully.
"What do you recommend?" I asked, wondering how I should go about using it.
By the sounds of it, we did have a bit but not a lot of it.
"Firstly? Smelt it, and secondly. You don't have to use a lot of it. Its main worth is within its Dragon Fire ability. While it's not outright manipulation, it produces a stream of fire if built correctly. You don't need a large amount for it." He mused, thinking about how it can be used. "A cylinder to contain the heat from melting your sword and a small pipe for it to be released will do. The exit could be minuscule, as long as it has a way to exit, it'll be usable."
That did sound appealing, I knew what he was talking about as well. It wouldn't take on much room if what he was saying was correct.
"How would I activate it?" I further questioned, thinking about whether this would work with my current sword design.
"A thin thread of Arcsteel connecting into it would work," Uriel said, thinking about it. "The special property of Dracionianite is in its ability to produce Dragon Fire with any sort of energy channelled into it."
What would happen if Dragon Fire was mixed with Holy energy or cursed energy, perhaps even both at the same time? I was warming up to the idea, no pun intended.
"People would kill over this stone. Its dragon fire capability alone makes it invaluable." Uriel mused. "Raphael had a project involving Dracionianite when she was dedicated to adding to Heaven's front defences."
"Oh?"
"She wished to make Dragon Fire Canons to add to the two large holy canons at the front," Uriel replied casually.
I found myself feeling thoughtful.
With this amount surely she could continue her project.
I knew about Heaven's front defences, I had been looking into them ever since learning of the planned attack on Heaven.
Heaven's front gates mainly relied on warding and magical formations, but they did possess two large holy canons. Along with a special surprise if they actually further managed to start damaging the gate.
The holy cannons had only seen action twice according to Michael, and that was when Lucifer had led the demonic armies for an invasion of Heaven.
Both times had failed.
Something curious Michael had shared was me that he felt like Lucifer had a backing. Since he wielded many strange demonic artefacts and had a lot more powerful siege weapons than he felt Lucifer couldn't acquire alone.
It was a worrying thought but since it happened so long ago and there hadn't been any more sign of this mysterious backer, I had decided to let it go.
Getting back to the point.
Apparently, the Holy Cannons were massive and had smaller turrets on them to keep any smaller threats at bay. Michael said that when focused the main turrets had some serious power behind them.
Which made sense.
God's creations were considered invaluable treasures in the supernatural world, the Sacred Gear system wasn't his only creation. Just one of the more noteworthy ones.
"I'll have to give her some of this then, having more defences would be invaluable," I replied thoughtfully.
The only reason I suspected there wasn't more was due to God's confidence in his power and the wards he had set up.
"Yes, especially in times like this. The wards have weakened without your presence, despite your genius. I don't think you ever suspected that you would have… died." He grimaced, the usual hint of shame that entered his voice upon this topic evident. "The main Canons are very strong, but they can only focus so much and they were made to fight the stronger opponents. With the Dracionianite providing at least what we can assume is high-class Dragon firepower or even above, that'll make even Ultimate-class beings attempt to avoid being hit."
Uriel frowned. "Father, I have other duties to attend to. If you wish I can cancel them and have someone else fill in favour of spending more time helping you. I'm sure many would be eager to fill my space in."
Despite the words that would normally seem like he was doing me a favour, I could sense the excitement and eagerness.
I smirked. "There's no need, I'm done here anyway."
He nodded, hiding his disappointment with ease.
Once alone, I turned my attention inward. I needed Mithril, true Mithril from the world I had downloaded Celebrimbor from,
Mithril from Lord Of The Rings was at a guess probably God-class worthy. I placed my hand forward, absorbing everything remaining in the vault.
A notification flashed:
[Energy: 56,201]
It was the highest amount I'd ever had, thanks to absorbing all the Arcsteel.
Confident, I attempted to create the true Mithril.
Blue motes formed and a large amount of energy was used. My excitement quickly faded as the shock hit me. All that energy condensed barely formed a tiny dot, smaller even than a pebble.
I stared at it, stunned.
Really? That was all I could make, so I inspected the item.
My chakra eyes turn on flinching back from the sheer energy within the minute crystal of Mithril.
This was the reality of trying to create God-class material.
I thought about how to overcome this, but I was still hesitant to simply start absorbing all of Heaven's treasures. An idea came to mind as I stared at the small Mithril flake.
I reabsorbed the dazzling shining flake and watched my energy counter go back up.
Frustrated but determined, I adjusted my desire, aiming for a less powerful version of Mithril. I needed more in quantity. I had an idea that was vital to make my sword work, and more importantly, upgrade my sword into something truly powerful.
I didn't know how my sword would turn out, but my training with Uriel had shown its result. Sword grading couldn't be measured by the same power system that the supernatural world typically used and one I had come to primarily use.
That being Low-class, Mid-class, High-class and Ultimate-class. Above that had Pantheon's own versions. Such as the Devil's Satan class, Heaven's own Arch-Seraph class and many others.
But the swords I had made were certainly worthy of the mid-class and even High-class worthy. I was mainly using Uriel's blueprints though, Uriel himself had an immensely powerful weapon crafted by himself.
I intended to follow that.
Blue notes of light covered my arm as I visualised my desire, making a weakened version of Mithril.
The process took multiple attempts as I continually absorbed and created a rapidly growing amount of Mithril, attempting to find the perfect balance between not going too weak and too small.
It wasn't that surprising it was so hard to make, if I remember correctly. The convergence of the fire of a Balrog with light & determination of Elven warrior Glorfindel along with electricity of Manwë Súlimo.
The meeting of two opposing matched forces in an implosion creating mithril. Mithril is the solution I am looking for: balancing and fixing Murasame while making it capable of cursed light along with holy power.
Pouring every bit of energy I had left, I finally managed to produce a diamond-sized chunk of the weakened Mithril.
Anar-Mithril (Weakened)
A magically conductive alloy known for its exceptional lightweight durability, effective at repelling magic and resisting damage and corrosion. Along with the ability to develop its limited consciousness.
This material has a rare affinity for both light and dark magic.
Special attributes include significant amplification of magical power, passive merging of elemental energies, and adaptability in gaining special traits based on the intentions and willpower poured into the crafting process.
Despite being inferior to true Mithril, it remains a truly rare and invaluable material.
I grinned.
That was more like it.
To think that this wasn't even the full version.
This is what I expected of a borderline pseudo-God-class material. Affinity to both light and dark magic? Sure, there were many more types beyond that but having an affinity to both…
I wanted more… and I wanted the prime version of it. I imagine that many of its abilities were removed due to its weakened state. I also noticed the name change, while it was still called Mithral it had the added part on the front.
I decided to visit the Holy Forge, the heat brushing against my skin as I entered.
Sparks flew in rhythmic bursts from one of the central stations.
Brias stood there, in his true form which was large and with multiple arms working, his sleeves rolled up on the clothing that had been made for him.
Turns out Heaven had a clothing-maker.
A light sheen of sweat on his brow, hammering away at a sword that glows faintly gold.
He looked… content. When compared to how he had looked when I had last met him anyway.
"How's it going?" I asked, stepping into the forge properly.
Brias looked up, surprised for a moment before smiling wide. "It's going well, Lord Kaiel." He wiped his brow with the back of his arm. "Getting back into forging took time. I was rusty, and my hands didn't remember what they used to. But now-" he gestured to the weapon, "-it's coming back fast."
The sword he was working on was strange, it had elemental energy tied to it along with holy energy due to the materials there being used.
"I'm glad," I said, and I meant it.
I left him to his work and made my way to the section I had claimed.
My sword was carefully laid out on the table I had left it.
[Fëanorian Smithing] (LVL: 3/50) {Apprentice}
My skill had improved significantly, especially with the challenge of preventing the cursed and holy energies from clashing inside my unfinished sword. I felt like the Mithril would make the process exponentially easier.
Maybe putting a curse into my sword with my status wasn't a great idea but Murasame was too powerful to be discarded, and I wanted my sword to be unique.
I'd have to ask Metatron and Raguel for help when I got to the enchantment phase. I only had that sharpness scroll from my previous quest.
If I was going to make my own weapon I naturally wanted it to be fully kitted out and the best version of itself that I could make. There were so many ways of reinforcing and enchanting in this world but unfortunately, I knew nothing of them.
I needed to start looking into magic more. My knowledge was limited to my skills and this world had so much to offer. I had only touched the top of it.
Metatron with the Heavenly Domain Scribe was a master at enchantment magic, which he said could be used in a multitude of ways.
Once the Ore was melted, I prepared to test the God-class material out. It was time to push this further.
I placed the Anar-Mithril on the table beside the sword. I rolled my shoulders, grabbed my enchanted tools, and began.
My first goal wasn't to embed the mithril into the sword directly but to test it. Attempting to use such a powerful Ore into my already volatile sword wouldn't be a smart move.
I wasn't sure how to account for the fact that 'it gains attributes based on willpower poured during crafting.' But I'd try and find out.
Firstly? I needed to smelt it.
The smelting process wasn't too difficult, with the only difference being the sheer heat I needed to even start making it melt down. The sheer heat that entered the room made Brias send me a curious glance at just what I was smelting that would require such heat.
Hours passed. I burned through failures, shaping and reshaping test pieces. I made them into multiple shapes with multiple failures, forcing me to go about melting them down again.
Out of curiosity I created a small Mithril circle, connecting the end of it to the beginning and found its energy signature increased exponentially. It was like it was enhancing itself in some manner.
No wonder the rings were so powerful, perhaps I should go about making my own…
I was seeing the appeal of making things, it was fun.
I returned to my sword.
Rather than forge the mithril into the edge or core, I put it into the handle, where the grip would act as a conductor. I created a thin mithril vein, branching from the handle up through the blade, almost like a nervous system.
It would help merge the cursed and holy energy. One side was holy, and the other was cursed with Mithril ensuring opposing energies didn't negate one another. How poetic. It took precision and calm and I failed the first three times. Which was an hour per turn.
Each time, the Mithril resisted the merge, and the blade cracked slightly from the stress. Repairing it was tedious and the entire process was overall hard. The pings of levelling-up notifications that happened every few minutes assured me of that.
But I learned from it.
On the fourth attempt, the vein set in place, pulsing with an eerie, silent light.
Not finished… but progress.
Progress: 29%
The blade vibrated slightly, and the cursed energy briefly made itself known before settling. The small piece of Mithril poking out turned a weird purple-golden colour. The two colours of the types of magic were at their base.
I took a breath.
This sword certainly was taking up a lot of my time, time that was limited these days with so much happening around me.
"May I ask what you are doing?" Brias asked, having noticed my concentration.
I leaned back, sighing. "Yeah. Just taking my time with a…rare material."
That was the best way to explain that I created a very powerful material from another world.
The large man made his way over to me, his multiple eyes blinking.
Brias tilted his head and walked over. His eyes fell on the very small chunk I hadn't used. "What is that, exactly? I've never seen material like that before."
I didn't lie. But I didn't give much. "A rare material from a world not tied to this one. I'm not entirely familiar with it either."
He nodded slowly. "Doesn't matter what it's called. I can feel the power in it. What are you planning to do with the rest?"
"I'm going to put it all into this sword," I replied, examining the sword.
He inspected it too.
"You've got quite the work going here," he muttered, then tilted his head slightly. "Layered metals… more than two. I'd say at least five, probably folded a few dozen times. A bit of Arcsteel, some Mythralite, Graviaery, Celestial Wallafram and Heavenly Steel? I've only become familiar with that last metal since arriving here. The Greeks don't have access to such a diverse metal. And something else I don't recognize."
I stayed quiet, letting him talk. I was still comparatively fresh compared to him
He pointed to the grip. "Holy and cursed energy channelled in the same core? That's bold. Looks like you're forcing a stabilized pathway so they don't clash and using this material of yours as a meeting spot. Clever… risky, I can't comment on that for sure since I have no idea what this material is."
"Risky how?" I asked.
He looked at me calmly. "The more complex a weapon is the more delicate its balance. Doesn't matter if you're the God of Heaven. If those energies fall out of sync mid-combat, you'll be holding a bomb, not a sword. And even if it works, wielding it might require more focus than you expect."
I nodded slowly. He wasn't wrong.
"It's a weapon with potential," Brias added after a pause, tapping the blade gently with the back of his knuckle. "But potential doesn't always equal power. I can see you've got a very precise and careful balance going on here. The sword will be powerful. But if it cracks? If that balance is knocked out of place when you're clashing swords with an opponent? The sheer amount of energy in this sword alone right now will make it a sword worthy of having a name. If you keep on going down this path you might even make one of legend."
I smiled, watching him get caught up in his excitement.
"So what do you think?" I questioned.
He grinned.
"You've got quite the work going on here, the sheer amount of materials being used is astounding. When you consider that most Pantheons would have to spend fortunes obtaining this. Magical alloys are in short supply these days." He said, "even back in my time… before my imprisonment. The only real metal I had access to was Celestial Bronze and a few other Ores. I can only imagine how it is now."
Heaven really was sitting atop an invaluable source, wasn't it? We had so many materials that I wasn't even really thinking about just how much I was putting into my sword.
Brias crossed his arms, thinking. "If you find more… bring it to me. I can work more than just blades. If we're expecting an attack. We're going to need real gear. Heaven's low on actual armaments rather than just individual weapons."
He was right.
That reminded me: Michael was in the process of strengthening the wall defences.
Metatron and Uriel were overseeing logistics and enchantment layering with a whole host of Seraphs.
Honestly, I still wasn't sure if this attack was happening. Perhaps the disappearance of the assassination organisation had scared them out of it.
Despite Heaven's weakened state, it was still a fortress. The amount of resources it was probably going to take to attack an unprepared weakened Faction was probably immense. I imagine that's why he was a member of the Khaos Brigade.
I needed to visit the First Heaven.
I made a mental note, adding it to my rapidly growing to-do list.
For now, I had a Goddess to meet.
I said goodbye to the giant who went back to working on his current project and left.
-Scene Break-
I stepped into my sub-dimension through the entrance that had been permanently opened within the sixth realm of Heaven.
I took a moment to enjoy the comforting warmth enveloped me. The Trees had slowed down in the exponential growth process they had seemingly gone into at the start, still growing but not at a pace where I worried for the sub-dimensions space especially since it too was growing into a realm.
I smiled as I recognized Hestia's welcoming presence. She stood waiting, a gentle smile lighting her face, eyes sparkling playfully.
My new and old Angels were currently sparring in some sort of open arena. Wards littered the area, so I'm guessing someone had made it a space to train.
Honestly, I'm not sure if they would even need it in a few months, whatever the Trees were doing was strengthening the entire realm. I meant that in a literal sense, the very rocks and terrain around us grew stronger every day.
A low-class being wouldn't even be able to dent it anymore.
"Took you long enough," she teased lightly, stepping forward.
I grinned in response, closing the distance easily. "What can I say? Godly business tends to drag on especially when you can't be at multiple places at once."
She laughed, her voice rich with amusement. "Excuses, excuses." Her gaze softened slightly, a warm affection evident. "Are you ready?"
She wrapped an arm around mine. I nodded, meeting her eyes. Her smile broadened, though I caught a flicker of something complicated deep within her gaze.
Hestia tilted her head towards Tamiel and Avael.
"We will be going for a short period, make sure to keep everyone out of trouble girls." She said, her tone warm.
"Aww, can't we come?" Avael pouted.
She went to respond, only to pause and send a questioning gaze towards me.
Why not?
I was going out in the supernatural world again and while I would be with a Goddess, it couldn't hurt to have extra guards. I'd also use it as an excuse to slip off and spend some much-needed time with them.
"Good," she said cheerfully, leaning into me "Aphrodite has been dying to see you. I'm sure she'll be excited."
I had finally decided to meet up with Aphrodite for a little while. This probably wasn't a good time but it was only for a few hours.
"Wait, really," Zakiel said, coming to stand beside them.
"Yes. You can accompany me as guards- wait where is Tiamat?" I questioned, not seeing the familiar presence of a certain Dragon King.
"I'm not sure." Avael frowned. "Lady Tiamat simply gave us a training schedule a day ago and vanished."
A loose Dragon King? I'd be worried if she hadn't calmed down.
"I'm sure she's fine, I don't think she's left Heaven unless one of my Arch-Angels has failed to inform me," I replied, dismissing any sort of worry.
"It'll be nice to see Aphrodite." I changed the subject.
"I can imagine so, here you are taking her out on a date when I've been here all along." She teased.
I chuckled softly. "I guess I'll have to take you out on a date to make it up to you."
Suddenly, Hestia turned serious, her grip tightening slightly on my arm. "I'll hold you to that."
Her strength was befitting of her actual status and instead of feeling intimidated I simply pulled her slightly closer to me. "Consider it a promise."
The tension melted quickly from her posture, replaced with an easy warmth.
"Are you ready?" She questioned, watching my six Angels come to stand behind me. All firmly within my personal space.
"Sure."
The world warped and we were teleported.
We came to find ourselves in some sort of garden.
A large palace entered my vision and I realised we were up on Olympus. I had seen this palace when saying my goodbye to Aphrodite. I was quickly greeted by the sight of Aphrodite, who was wearing a modest dress and looked… stunning.
Her hair was down and despite the modest dress, her curves couldn't be ignored. She was honestly very close to reaching the level of beauty that Gabriel effortlessly possessed.
She was pacing around, only stopping a moment after we appeared. Her eyes lit up immediately upon seeing me, and she crossed the distance in a moment, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"Kai," she breathed softly, voice full of affection, "it's been far too long."
"Far too long," I agreed, holding her lightly as she pressed against me.
She lingered, clearly reluctant to let go, her usually reserved demeanour completely gone in my presence.
It was crazy to think how close we had gotten in the brief time I knew her.
"I missed you," she confessed quietly as she pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, eyes glistening sincerely. "Since the quest, Olympus has been chaotic. Ares' disappearance and other such strange occurrences have thrown everyone into suspicion."
"How are you managing?" I asked, guiding her to sit beside me as we settled in a serene, comfortable area Hestia had quietly left prepared.
"It's been… hard. With Ares gone though I can relax slightly. Still, only Hestia has been in contact." She replied. Aphrodite leaned into me, visibly comfortable yet oddly vulnerable. "I'm trying to restore some of my lost domains. Love, passion."
My Angels seemingly took up posts around me, something she didn't seem to mind.
She sent them a curious glance.
"They are here to guard me."
She nodded slowly, looking slightly offended but continuing nonetheless. We spent hours talking, Aphrodite spoke openly with me, and I found myself relaxing as I caught up on everything that happened.
"There's something important I need to tell you," I began seriously, capturing her gaze fully.
I felt like we were comfortable enough to discuss the situation.
She tilted her head slightly, curiosity and concern entering her eyes. "What is it?"
I looked around, I'd prefer this to be a secret. While I didn't have to tell her, she was someone I felt I could trust.
"Is there some sort of privacy magic you can activate?" I questioned.
She looked positively curious now. "There is a passive barrier around each palace in Olympus. Gods like privacy."
I thought about it and decided to put up another barrier around us anyway.
"It's to do with Heaven." I started.
She frowned. "Are they not treating you well? Your father is meant to be one of the noblest Gods alive, along with his children. If that's not the case you can-"
"It's not that," I interjected, I could see her building herself up into a heat. "I guess there's no way easy to say this, but God is technically dead."
There was a silence as she stared at me.
"Dead…?"
"Yes."
"H-how? Such a battle would have been felt." She replied, instantly trusting my word.
"That's because it happened a long time ago. In the underworld when he fought Lucifer. He didn't make it out of that battle like everyone suspected. He's been dead for a long time."
"How? How did nobody notice?" She said, only to stop. "Are you okay?"
I chuckled nervously.
This subject was always hard to explain. Hopefully, I won't have to explain it again.
Aphrodite had helped me out though and she was one of the few I had built a connection with besides my Angels.
"That's the thing, as weird as this is going to sound. I'm technically his reincarnation or successor." I admitted.
"What…?" She simply replied.
"During my time in Heaven, something happened and it ended up waking a shard of power inside me. Which belonged to Yahweh. I'm technically Yahweh."
My wording was horrible and my explanation skills needed work.
It took a long explanation later till she finally accepted it.
She looked at me, looking slightly downcast. Which wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting.
She shook her head.
"Should I even be talking to you so casually now?" She questioned, mostly to herself.
"What?"
Her expression shifted slowly from surprise to anxiety, a flicker of insecurity crossing her delicate features. "You're the Abrahamic God, the leader of Heaven itself… is it appropriate for me to even be your friend anymore? Damn it."
I raised an eyebrow. I felt like she was overreacting a little bit.
"I highly doubt anyone will object."
She frowned softly. "You don't understand. It makes sense if his memories are only slowly coming back to you. Kai, being a God alone has a weight. I feel like you've been desensitized to it, which I adore" she added as almost an afterthought.
"The Abrahamic God was a force of nature. You've inherited a lot of weight behind you." She explained.
I noticed the subtle withdrawal, the slight tremble in her fingers. Gently, I reached out, holding her hand firmly in mine. "Nothing between us changes because of this."
She hesitated, vulnerability clear in her expression. "Am I… enough for you now?"
I rolled my eyes. "Nothing has changed," I reassured her.
She gave me a deep look and slowly, warmth returned to her eyes, and she leaned closer again.
Then came the next reveal. The topic of Heaven's incoming attack.
The result?
"Let me help," she insisted firmly, gripping my hand tightly.
I shook my head. "I don't think Zeus would like that and it would reveal that God had died, further revealing my weakened state."
She frowned, looking annoyed. "I could leave. No one cares about me here anyway."
There was a slightly bitter tone in her voice.
"That'd draw a bit too much attention," I replied, wrapping an arm around her. The moment felt oddly intimate. "Maybe in the future when Heaven is restored."
She hummed. "Well, today has certainly been full of revelations. I guess I'm just happy that nothing changed between us. Though I'm a little jealous that Hestia gets access to your sub-dimension and I don't. I've missed so much."
I chuckled. "You know, I only reconnected with Hestia about two weeks ago. It's not like she's had years more time with me."
She glanced at me thoughtfully, her eyes holding something deep and complicated. "Well… If you wanted to make up for it, you could always help me reconnect my domain." Her voice was vague, a hint of teasing despite the heat travelled to her cheeks.
I tilted my head, confused by her statement. "What do you-"
My words were cut off abruptly as Aphrodite leaned in, her intentions suddenly clear.
My heartbeat quickened as our lips nearly met. I glanced down at her soft lips and noticed my Angels watching in the corner of my eye.
I'm not sure how this came around, but I honestly wasn't going to complain.
A sudden intrusion shattered the moment.
A foreign, invasive presence had entered the grounds, and Aphrodite jerked back instantly, fury blazing in her eyes.
The playful, affectionate and kind goddess vanished, replaced instantly by the true, ancient deity she was.
Pink power surged around her, radiating a god-class-worthy aura that pulsed and crackled violently.
The air grew heavy and oppressive, charged with her divine anger. Her voice echoed, resonating deeply and powerfully, commanding attention.
My Angels instantly were on guard, glaring at the intruder who I gathered wasn't invited. Even despite that, I smiled as I noticed she made sure not to make her power press down on me or any of my Angels.
"Who dares invade my sanctuary?" she demanded, her voice shaking the very fabric of the space around us.
Ah well, that confirms it.
I sighed.
It wasn't a coincidence. So I could deduce this was for me. Perhaps Ares had finally come back? My Semi-Divine form was charged so I wasn't too worried but still…
Aphrodite's drastic shift in personality didn't surprise me. She was after all, despite everything. A Goddess.
Three beings appeared.
Three women, to be more exact. Floated casually, barely passing us a glance.
'Appraisal.'
{Name: Clotho}
{Titles: The Spinner / Weaver of Beginnings}
{Race: Moirai (Fate Deity)}
{Power Level: 59,940}
{Name: Lachesis}
{Titles: The Allotter / Measurer of Fate}
{Race: Moirai (Fate Deity)}
{Power Level: 59,880}
{Name: Atropos}
{Titles: The Cutter / Ender of Fate}
{Race: Moirai (Fate Deity)}
{Power Level: 59,985}
Suddenly I was a lot more nervous.
Yeah, maybe having a Fateless perk in front of Gods that had domains firmly based on fate wasn't a great first impression.
Mentally, I prepared myself.
Jeanne was ready to come in, Hestia was made aware and would drop her in. That was thrown out the window as Hestia appeared alone, and calmly took a place at my side.
Wasn't quite the plan.
"Your fate was blurred before-"
"Unseen when not solely focused upon and difficult to direct-"
"But now you're invisible to our strings even when we focus."
"You overstep," Aphrodite said frostily. "You are uninvited. Leave."
They barely sent her a glance.
"We have not come here with the intention of hurting you Fateless one-
"Especially now we see his spark inside you-
"We come here presenting an opportunity."
This was getting old, fast.
I relaxed slightly though.
So they were here for me, and by the sounds of it, they wanted something.
"Where Pontus sealed, by Destiny's Daughter bound, Her grasp on stolen Deep-Might must be unwound. Let Fateless, Pontia, and Karma heed. Unite to stop the Queen's fateful deed."
I stared at them flatly, it was obvious they wanted me to do something but I was busy.
[Quest Generated.]
My eyebrow twitched.
-{Sirzech Lucifer}-
Sirzech looked at the scene with a displeased frown.
It wasn't that he wasn't happy that his sister had found a way to escape the marriage, no. He was overjoyed for her, but rather how she had gone about it.
"Have you got anything on his background?" He questioned.
"No, nothing," Ajuka replied. "Nothing on any of the human databases anyway."
"So he's a complete unknown?" Sirzech asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes." He replied. "If we are basing that on the fact we can't find any mention of him on the human records. Which could simply be due to using a fake name."
"So that begs the question, why did he feel the need to use a fake name?" He said, looking annoyed. "It also didn't escape my notice that he hasn't joined her peerage."
Ajuka looked thoughtful. "That part is… strange. Most people in that position would have accepted the offer without hesitation. A high-class family with a good reputation and considering how desperate she was, an offer highly beneficial to him probably would have been made.
Sirzechs didn't answer. He turned to the display beside him, pulling up every surveillance clip, field report, and magical reading taken from the incident at the Gremory estate.
He ran it again. Frame by frame.
Nothing.
No burst of demonic energy. No sacred gear signature.
"Pull up magical residue readings from the moment he arrived," he ordered.
Ajuka complied. "Already did. His energy doesn't match anything from the Biblical system or the Eastern records. There's something covering his magic footprint."
Sirzechs tapped his fingers along the edge of the desk, impatient.
Eventually, he sighed and reached for his communicator. "Grayfia."
A moment later, the silver-haired maid appeared in a shimmer of magic, bowing slightly.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"What do you know about the man Rias brought to her engagement confrontation?" he asked directly.
Grayfia hesitated. "Only what I saw when it began. I was informed at the same time as everyone else."
Sirzechs nodded. "You didn't know before that?"
"No," she replied calmly. "Rias didn't confide in me beforehand. I believe she wanted as few people involved as possible."
Sirzechs exhaled, visibly irritated. "And yet she managed to gain the support of someone powerful enough to wipe out a peerage with ease. Someone not in her peerage, not in any record, and apparently with zero ties to any major faction."
Ajuka said nothing, letting the silence stretch.
"I don't like this. I don't like not knowing what Rias did." He grimaced. "I want to find out if he's a threat to Rias, just what deal did she make and more importantly with who."
"You think that she approached an organisation?" Ajuka questioned.
"Yes, or they approached her. Rias doesn't have those types of connections."
"Good, we are on the same thought path," Ajuka said, confirming his theory. "I'll look into it," Ajuka said.
Sirzech offered a small smile to his old-time friend.
"Thank you."
"What do you intend to do if you find this so-called organisation?" He asked.
"If the price they give is reasonable I'll pay them fully."
"If not?" He replied curiously.
Sirzech didn't answer, his eyes becoming passively colder.
-END-
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