The Seraphic System The Heavenly Conference

The Seraphic System

Chapter: 71

Disclair: 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 so content in advance.

(The Heavenly Conference)

-A Few Minutes Prior-

I stared at the hovering translucent screen with a grin. My first God-class download or in this case it may be more appropriate to use the Devils terms of ranking.

My first Satan-class download.

I was glad he seed to be on the low side of the God-class skills or I fear the download could have taken multiple tis longer. I’m sure if I had tried this download before I had reached the level of strength I was at now, it could have possibly taken a year or more.

Though, I had still thought it would take a few more months… the fact it had downloaded so quickly made think there would be so sort of downside. Considering how powerful the skill was.

It made only slightly wary, as the ti required to download a character depended on several factors. Their overall strength, the potential of their skills, and any inherent drawbacks those abilities carried.

{Template - Lucifero - Age Unknown}

{Perks} - [King of Devils]

[Gravity Affinity]

[Demonic Physique]

[Devil King's Mana]

{Skills} - [Gravity Magic]

[Devil Possession]

{Sub-Skills} - [Gravity Pressure Crush]

[Gravity Magic Field]

[Gravity Singularity]

[Heavy Infighting]

The character I had chosen…While not quite what I should be looking at due to my new position, he still had an incredibly powerful skill that I wanted.

Despite that, my eyes briefly gazed over the perks curiously.

[King of Devils] (Passive)

[Lucifero is recognized as the most powerful devil, wielding imnse magical power and authority over other devils. The King of Devil is at the bottom of the Tree of Qliphoth in the Seventh Underworld and Supre Devil.]

[Gravity Affinity] (Passive)

[His Gravity Magic passively affects the surrounding area, making movent difficult for weaker beings. This affinity makes Gravity usage and control more natural.]

[Demonic Physique] (Passive)

[Possesses superhuman durability, speed, and strength, making him nearly invincible in battle. Devils’ heart is their source of power, mana and soul which has to be destroyed to kill them, making them nigh-invincible as they can move it internally and is the most resilient part as long as it survives even if the rest of the body is destroyed, they can reform. Highest-ranking devils' hearts survive even Ultimate Magic attacks and offensive Spatial Magic and require Anti-Magic, Arcane or Saint Stage magic to destroy it.]

[Devil King's Mana] (Passive)

[Just like so humans and elves are blessed with mana, Devils have unnaturally high mana pools. Devil King gets higher mana pools than other Devils. Because devils co from the underworld, their mana is known to be malicious and sinister in nature.]

All power, yet none were useful to . Besides the Gravity Affinity, they were all suited towards a Demon. A Demon King at that. So they wouldn’t sh well with my angelic physique.

Download had shown it wasn’t purely positive, I could be hard and its skills weren’t tailored towards my body.

So I had to be a bit selective.

The other skills seed self-explanatory so I didn’t waste any more ti.

[Gravity Magic] (LVL: 1/25) {Novice}

[Gravity Magic or Gravity bending, a lower form of gravity manipulation that allows the user to influence gravitational forces within a limited range. This ability can be used to increase or decrease gravity’s pull, affecting movent, weight, and even projectiles.]

[Passive effect: Reduces the weight of the user by 5%]

I selected the skill without further preamble, clenching my fist. I felt a shift as the powerful new elent beca accessible to . I opened my palm experintally and with a flex of magic, the space bent inwards around it.

I grinned, only to pause as large amounts of angelic magic started getting absorbed.

A dark purple aura spread out, catching by surprise.

A sudden, violent shockwave erupted, shattering the stone beneath my feet. The mountain scread. I staggered, gritting my teeth as the very air thickened with crushing intensity.

My body was pushed down as the gravity around was pushed by multiple folds.

The sky tore apart, purple-black tendrils of distorted space writhing as if the world itself was being rewritten. Rocks snapped into dust, entire boulders flattening instantly under the relentless pressure.

Then, the entire mountain collapsed.

A storm of gravity raged outward in all directions, swallowing everything within sight. Trees caved in on themselves, their trunks warping before exploding into splinters.

The ground cracked open, jagged scars forming in the land as the sheer weight of my unleashed power crushed it all into oblivion.

I wrestled for control at the sudden drain on my angelic mana via the Gravity Magic. This lasted for a re dozen seconds before I regained control, cutting the flow of angelic magic and the gravity magic that had covered a large area sputtered out.

I released a heavy breath.

What the hell?

A look told that Gravity Magic had gone up by over eleven levels.

I grimaced at the damage. Whoops. I hadn’t expected that sudden drain. I had overestimated my control. This was the first ti besides wind manipulation having such a high-tier power besides light and holy power.

The once-large mountain?

Gone. Reduced to a flattened wasteland of compressed stone and dust.

While it was annoying, I couldn’t help the glance of excitent. It was exactly what I needed at the mont.

Light, holy power and wind were powerful but I needed more.

That’s why I had planned to download a skill that hadn’t taken absurdly long like downloading soone with more powerful skills would. Once again, I thanked my foresight. Instead of downloading an even stronger skill for a much longer ti.

An explosion of power in the distance made turn to see Tiamat approaching quickly.

Tiamat silently observed the surroundings with a slight frown, her eyes flickering to .

“Are you okay?” She finally questioned.

I sighed. “I’m fine.”

“What happened?” Tiamat asked.

“Just a mistake with my power, I’ve got it under control,” I replied reassuringly.

“Are you sure?” She asked, sending a glance to the wasteland around us. “This is… a lot of damage, we all felt the huge explosion of power back at the house.”

I frowned, pressing my hands together as a surge of chakra flooded outward.

In an instant, trees erupted across the landscape, their roots burrowing deep into the shattered earth. A large forest blood over the wasteland I had accidentally created, stretching for miles, its dense canopy veiling the devastation beneath a sea of green.

It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. Given ti, it should heal.

“Yeah, an accident with a new power I’ve gained. I didn’t realise it would be so… strong.” I explained after finishing using Mokuton.

“What did you gain? Sothing from Inheritance?” Tiamat asked, more excited than concerned.

“Gravity Magic,” I answered.

She stopped for a mont. “The higher form of Gravity Bending?”

I knew it was a strange choice.

“Kai, that’s a big deal.” Tiamat flatly responded.

“What?” I blinked.

“Gravity bending is basically nonexistent. Besides using special Ores to make Artefacts, a select few in history have been able to use Gravity bending.” Tiamat explained, an amused smile on her face. “You’re saying you have a higher-tiered version of that in actual Magic?”

My hand stretched out, and I once again channelled Gravity to warp around my fists. It was limited as I was only at the novice rank and I had literally just gained it.

I was prepared for the strange pull on my angelic mana and I pushed back against it.

I hadn’t known that.

Tiamat watched as I flexed my fingers, testing the faint gravitational pull that rippled around my palm. The weight of the air itself felt oddly malleable, bending to my will.

A violent rip of my angelic mana revealed why the skill had been easy to download. It was going to be extrely hard to control, which counted as a drawback and the drain on my angelic reserves was substantial. A large amount of my angelic mana had been drained in that initial, and I ant a lot.

I imagine that Gravity Magic had a higher tier like light embodint was to light manipulation. Which was probably what I should have gone for.

Then again, I imagine it could possibly take years at my current level of power anyway.

“You still have no idea what you just got your hands on, do you?” she said, amusent dancing in her voice.

“I gained a powerful new power,” I replied excitedly.

She gave a deadpan stare before shaking her head in fond exasperation.

“I would ask how since I doubt this was from his inheritance. But in my ti watching you, I’ve learned that you are a freak of nature.” She sighed.

“Thank you?” I replied slowly.

She smirked, before pausing.

“Kai, you’ve just gained an extrely powerful ability. One that hasn’t been seen often. I’m not even sure if any Gods possess that ability. Excluding Sacred Gears and the select few reclusive Gods in history.” She took a breath. “They were all exceptionally powerful, even the Sacred Gears that could only use limited Gravity bending.”

I absorbed the information carefully. It was interesting to learn that so Sacred Gears had the ability to bend gravity, albeit to a limited degree.

Given the vast array of materials God had at His disposal, it wasn’t all that surprising.

Especially that elent, Graviary. Which specialised in manipulating gravity to make objects lighter.

I was interested in the fact that people had Gravity bending in the past.

Tiamat crossed her arms, watching closely. “I don’t think you appreciate the situation, Kai, you’re going to need to keep this a secret.”

“A secret?” I asked, that wasn’t what I had in mind.

“It’ll draw a lot of attention. As all people who have higher-tiered magic do. Even Sacred Gears that have that type of effect are snagged up greedily.” She explained, sending a look. “You aren’t ready for that attention.”

I clenched my fists in annoyance before relaxing. I had known Gravity Magic would be a good choice, both for its power and the multiple uses I could form. I didn’t realise it would be such a big deal.

Even with my ti in the supernatural world, I realised I truly didn’t know a lot of the happenings. I had mostly wandered around and got myself into trouble.

The Hindu Pantheon I had mostly stayed in Shimla, and the Greeks had roped up into a Divine Quest within days.

“It’s a high-tier magic.”

“You keep ntioning the term ‘High-tier’ . Does magic have so sort of tier system like the power system?” I asked curiously.

Tiamat folded her arms, tilting her head slightly as she considered my question. "Yes and no," she said after a mont.

"The supernatural world doesn’t have a single, universally accepted tier system for magic as it does for power rankings, but that hasn’t stopped scholars, gods, and long-lived beings from categorizing it based on complexity and power."

I listened intently as she continued.

This was important knowledge that I hadn’t gotten to find in the Heavenly Library yet.

"At the base level, there are what you’d call common elents like fire, water, earth, wind. These are more widespread and accessible to most supernatural beings, whether through innate talent, racial abilities, or training." She raised a hand, a flicker of blue fire dancing in her palm before vanishing. “Of course, all of these elents have their own higher version.”

She added that with a smirk, that brief flicker of flas had already ward up the entire area. Giving a clue of just how strong she was.

"Then there are what you could call the interdiate elents. Ice, magma, tal, and storm-type magics, which are combinations or evolutions of the base elents. They require greater understanding and control while also being a lot harder to find among magicians who could actually use them; they're rare and highly sought after by most Factions." She paused, her slitted eyes gleaming.

“And I’m guessing the last rank is the High-tier?”

“Yes, next are the high-tier magic elents, a few examples being Space, Ti, and a few others that go beyond manipulating natural phenona and start influencing fundantal aspects of reality. They are extrely powerful and potent.” Tiamat explained seriously. “So, be careful.”

“I will.” I replied seriously.

For a mont, she closed the distance and stared into my eyes seriously before stepping back. Her face morphing into her usual non-serious one.

“Good.” She said, turning around. “I think we ought to go back, Hestia and the others are worried.”

I winced.

This didn’t look too good.

Before either of us could move, a burst of flas erupted a few feet away. Hestia stepped out, her flaming eyes imdiately locking onto .

"Kai!" Her voice carried equal parts worry and frustration as she quickly stepped forward, her hands reaching out before stopping just short. "Are you okay? That was a massive explosion. You don’t normally perform such massive attacks while training so we got worried.”

I sighed, rolling my shoulders. "I'm fine. Just… a little mishap with a new power.

Hestia's gaze flickered to the noticeable remnants of the wasteland, though the newly grown trees had covered most of it. Her brows furrowed. "This was a mishap?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "I underestimated how strong it was and how… violent it would be.”

Tiamat snorted from beside us. "That’s an understatent."

Hestia turned back to , her concern still obvious. "What kind of power? Is it sothing from your inheritance?”

I hesitated for a second before deciding to just tell her. "Gravity bending."

She blinked. "Wait—what?"

"Gravity bending," I repeated. "I just… learned I could use it, but it's… a lot more destructive and uncontrollable than I realized."

Hestia crossed her arms, her expression tightening. "That's not sothing you can afford to be reckless with.“

I exhaled, already aware of that fact but still appreciating the warning. "I know. Tiamat already inford about how rare and unknown Gravity bending is. I’ll be careful."

She studied for a mont before smiling. "Good, even relics that have been found that use Gravity Bending have been known to be rather uncontrollable.”

I wondered if I could learn sothing by using my Gravity Bands. I still had those.

Tiamat clapped her hands together, amused. "Well, now that we've had our little heart-to-heart, can we go back? I’m sure everyone is eager to see that Kai isn’t being attacked and rather just being himself.”

I gave a nod. "Yeah, let's go."

Hestia reached out, lightly grabbing my wrist before teleporting us back in another burst of fla.

As we landed back in the familiar clearing, the lingering warmth of Hestia’s flas fading. I took a seat.

A sudden movent in the distance caught my attention. From the two massive trees in the very far distance, a sleek form shot downward, moving in a blur of silver and green.

My snake familiar, Galadriel, slithered at high-speeds, her long body weaving through the air before shrinking. By the ti she reached , she was no bigger than my arm, wrapping herself snugly around my wrist before shifting again, curling up onto my lap.

I reached down to run a finger along her smooth scales. She let out a pleased hiss, her cool body pressing against like a living comfort charm. After everything, it was oddly relaxing.

Also, I didn’t realise she could shrink. That was convenient.

None of my angels had needed an explanation about the whole gravity magic failure thing after they realised it had been caused by . They had simply accepted what happened as though it were natural.

I had an hour left before I would be going back to Heaven. I was going to take my Angels with but decided I would reveal them once the eting was finished.

There were going to be so serious topics involved so I wanted to be focused.

Just as I was beginning to settle, a figure stepped out from between the trees.

My body reacted before my mind could catch up, every muscle tensing, holy energy coiling at my fingertips as I prepared to strike.

No one else seed to pay them any mind.

A mind-based attack?

Then I paused. Just as I was about to send a bombardnt of power that would have blown up half of the forest. If soone was strong enough to break in there wouldn’t have been any ti for hesitation.

“Grizella?”

The woman halted mid-step, blinking at . Then, as if rembering sothing, she lowered herself into a deep bow. “My Lord.”

I stared.

What?

It wasn’t just her attire, though the sight of her in a well-fitted maid outfit was baffling enough.

it was everything else.

The goblin I had once known was gone. Instead, before stood a striking woman with smooth, pale skin, her fra taller and more powerful than before.

A single crystalline horn jutted from her forehead, curving slightly backward, and her golden eyes shimred with sothing… more. She also possessed pointy ears that stuck out.

She had been so timid before, I had honestly sowhat left her to do her own thing.

She mostly focused on cleaning and training which she still seemingly did.

My Angels liked her so I had her spend ti with them too as to not get lonely.

My mind raced, trying to make sense of it.

Then I saw it, the golden rings in her irises.

The blessing.

It had affected her.

I took another look at her.

A lot.

My appraisal had her race listed as a…Kyroka?

What was that?

“What happened to you?” I questioned.

She looked confused, before her eyes lit up in realisation. “I evolved, Master.”

She had been a timid, quiet goblin before. Now she stood with confidence, her posture straight, her gaze holding a hint of reverence?

Sothing didn’t add up.

I studied her again, noting the way she carried herself, utterly different from the nervous servant I had left to her own devices. “Why are you acting so differently?”

She smiled, bowing her head slightly. “Because I have decided, Master. You have given this power, this strength… I wouldn’t have beco this without you.”

She lifted her gaze. “So I will serve you in mind, body, and soul. Completely. I am yours, now and forever.”

I checked her appraisal screen.

She had reached into the ultimate-class…

I had yet another ultimate-class serving …

That was valuable.

“Can I get you anything?” She questioned.

I shook my head. “No, continue with what you were doing.”

I sent her a glance before focusing back on Galadriel

-Scene Break-

I paused at the two Cherubs standing by the doors outside of the room that had been chosen to house the Heavenly Conference I had arranged.

They both paused in response, and actively started restraining themselves. By that I ant they started shaking and downright crying. The both of them refused to move an inch, simply staring at with desperation.

I had to wonder once more just how deeply they had been affected by God's death. I could get so idea of it but the sheer emotion in their eyes. I walked closer to them and with a small sigh, pulled the two Angels into a hug.

I could imagine the situation would look weird to most but they were my Angels.

That was all it took as they dropped both of their respective spears and lted into my arms like two children, despite being thousands of years old and war-hardened.

It was impressive. I was pretty sure it was due to the way Heaven was designed.

The eternal city.

I had to spend the next few minutes outside awkwardly comforting two Angels,

Gabriel, who had been leading to the eting room, rely smiled as she watched us.

As the two Cherubs gradually cald in my arms, I let out a quiet sigh. I hadn’t done anything particularly grand

I had simply held them for a little while but that was all it took for them to break.

It was annoying. I didn’t like that they had suffered so much. That wasn’t the part of absorbing God’s essence either.

I briefly wondered if this was a weakness in Heaven’s design.

Their unwavering faith and childlike nature was probably needed to make them as the innocent creatures they were ant to be, but it had also left them unable to cope with loss.

With God’s death.

It was no surprise that my existence had thrown them into turmoil.

Gabriel stood nearby, watching with that sa gentle, unreadable smile. If she had any thoughts on the matter, she didn’t voice them.

“They will be fine,” she eventually said.

“You are back. Whatever way you act or whichever person you have beco doesn’t matter. You are you.” Gabriel said from beside .

I offered her a smile but didn’t respond right away, just giving the two angels a final pat before they hesitantly pulled back. They wiped their eyes and retrieved their fallen spears with shaking hands but stood a little taller.

Hundreds of thousands of Angels were in the sa position.

With a small gesture, she led to the eting hall.

The enormous room Gabriel brought to had dictated Heaven’s affairs for thousands of years.

As we entered, all eyes snapped to .

I wore a white kimono which was comfortable, and according to Gabriel, it looked good on .

She hadn’t left my side since I returned, and I didn’t mind. She only left when I slept, yet I still woke up to Angels in my room. I was pretty sure they didn’t need sleep, but I didn’t call them out.

Seated around the massive circular table were Heaven’s highest ranks.

Seraphael t my gaze with reverence and curiosity, while the Seraphs looked excited.

At the head sat the three remaining Arch-Seraphs—Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.

Everyone seed oddly eager.

As I stepped forward, they all rose.

“Father.”

“…”

What was with the formality?

“Hello,” I greeted, a small smirk playing on my lips as I took my seat at the head of the table.

How far I had co.

Younger than all of them, yet confident. That ca with fighting god-like entities and enduring so much.

Absurd. Once human, now capable of leveling a city with the energy inside . I shook my head, drawing confused glances.

Now, the ruler of a Faction that once belonged to perhaps the strongest God in existence.

I took my seat, leaning back, elbows resting on the throne-like chair. My gaze swept across the Seraphs, all waiting.

I gathered my thoughts, my expression turning serious.

Heaven was mine.

"As you all know, the last few days have been chaotic…” My voice was calm, collected. I’d never admit I practiced speaking like this. “My return has revealed many problems in Heaven. I’ll admit, I’m not well-versed in these matters, which is why I’ve called this eting to address them and find solutions.”

This was the best approach.

Despite my status, they were wise. Their insight was invaluable. Heaven couldn’t afford mistakes.

So nodded, others remained still, but all listened.

“If I may, I’d like to report my findings on the corruption within the Church,” Michael spoke first.

No objections. All eyes turned to him. Silence stretched as he gathered his thoughts. His voice was grim.

“I have failed.”

That got everyone’s attention. Even I raised an eyebrow.

Michael’s hands clenched against the table, his expression stone-cold. “The Church’s corruption runs deeper than we thought.”

“I suspected as much,” Uriel muttered, his expression sour. “Have they been dealt with?”

“Huh?”

“Yes, I’ve removed them,” Michael said coldly. “Which is why this needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, many held high-ranking positions. The revelation of this corruption will send shockwaves through the Church.”

He exhaled, irritation flickering in his gaze. “Annoyingly, a small few had the sense to run when their ranks started thinning. I suspect the Devils took them in.”

“…”

Raphael nodded. “This will certainly cause waves and unrest within the church. This is a problem.”

tatron decided to pitch in. “I doubt there will be much unrest. Our Lord is back. Once his will is revealed they will surely accept it without any trouble.”

Michael responded. “That’s not in question, this would have been a massive blow to us if Father hadn’t returned, no doubt. That’s why the sinners managed to eat the crumbs of our Fathers legacy for so long.”

What was even going on?

“I will have Dulio look out for any discontent, I’m assuming that the problem is due to the responsibilities that ca with their positions?” I deducted.

That was the only other problem I could think of.

I knew Michael’s tone had seed weird. So that’s what he ant by cleansing the church. I an, I probably should have seen it coming. Michael just seed so innocent.

Well, he seed innocent.

He certainly didn’t seem innocent at the mont.

All of them paused, before shooting bright smiles.

“A brilliant idea Father!” Uriel nodded.

“Yes, that’s exactly the problem. We will have to find replacents and these replacents will have to be trusted.” Raphael affird.

-{Raphael}-

She sent a subtle glance at her Father to see his reaction to her words, who sat on the throne-like chair with a blank face. Her sharp mind went through the many scenarios that she had thought over before the eting.

Another glance at her siblings showed all of them desperately thinking on how they could add to the conversation without sounding bad.

It was safe to say this eting was a huge deal. It had only been a few days since he had co back and claid the throne of Heaven.

Only a few days, and yet everything was starting to feel right. None of them were idiots. They knew he wasn’t the sa. But there was no doubt in their mind he was their Father.

Perhaps it was the effect of being his incarnation or maybe coming back from death had changed his mind but it didn’t matter.

It never had.

Now he was back. She couldn’t help staring at his face for a few monts. Heightening her perception just so she could stare at him for a few monts longer.

She knew he didn’t understand how big of a deal his return was, but only an Angel who had gone through that would understand. Half of the Fallen Angels had fallen purely due to his death.

“One of them was a cardinal, they all seed connected in so sort of way.” Michael inford us.

“Who is the current pope?” Father asked after a mont.

“Pope Hadrian IX.” Seraphiel quickly answered.

There was another mont of silence.

“Is he involved in supernatural affairs?” He questioned.

“Yes, but the Cardinals mostly manage that while he works on the Church Administration which is overseeing the Vatican, managing clergy, approving religious decrees, and directing Church policy.” Raphael calmly explained, “along with Sacred Gear oversight.”

“Does he have any sort of power or protection?” He further questioned.

“Yes, he has multiple artefacts to stop mind attacks and magical attacks.” tatron replied, beating her to the chase.

Her eyes squinted slightly.

“I see.” He replied with a thoughtful look.

Father leaned back, fingers tapping against the armrest of his chair as he considered the situation.

The corruption within the Church had been dealt with, but that left a gap in leadership. One that couldn't remain open for long.

“We need to fill the vacancies imdiately,” he finally said, his voice asured. “Trustworthy individuals, vetted thoroughly. We can’t allow another infestation to take root.”

Michael nodded, his expression calm. “I’ll begin the process and send a ssage to the Pope. There are still many within the Church who are faithful, though I suspect so of the Cardinals were chosen carefully for their loyalty to their own ambitions rather than Heaven.”

Father humd, gaze flicking to tatron. “What about Hadrian IX? Does he need to be replaced?”

tatron hesitated for a mont before shaking his head. “No, his faith is genuine. He has followed the will of Heaven faithfully.”

“Ok.” Father responded.

“With that settled, let’s move on.” Kai exhaled, his gaze sweeping across the gathered Seraphs. “We need to discuss the larger issues facing Heaven.”

A silence filled the room. As everyone gained a small frown.

Gabriel spoke first, staring at Father with smitten eyes.

Raphael pushed the very small slither of jealousy down.

“The world has felt your return, Father. Your manifestation above the Vatican was not subtle. Many Humans saw your return, the Vatican has seen a massive influx of true believers.” Gabriel spoke, attempting to make it positive.

“Though your presence was briefly felt around most of the world.” tatron said, “We have confird that the Grigori knows about your return, based upon the utter chaos it’s been thrown into.”

Sandalphon spoke next. “The Devils know sothing is up but they don’t know the exact details. Or I’m sure we would be seeing a bigger reaction.”

Another silence ensued.

“Tell more about the current state of the Three Factions?”

That was an important question… it was directly tied to the larger Faction we all presented, despite the hostility we all held to each other.

When soone thought about attacking any one of the Factions, they had to account for the other two Factions and what reaction that would gain. It was a strange situation to say the least.

“All trading has been shut down since your departure.” Raphael inford .

“If you’re referring to the power balance, I’m afraid to admit Heaven could be considered the weakest. Not far off the Fallen Angels, that’s not considering the Church’s power.” Uriel inford with a grimace.

“Heaven is the weakest?” He asked, his tone light.

Raphael frowned, she couldn’t gauge his true reaction.

“Yes.”

“I’m assuming the Devils could be considered the strongest?” He further questioned.

Uriel hesitantly nodded. “The creation of those vile Evil Pieces had made recruitnt downright skyrocket. The amount of Ultimate-class and High-class beings is absurd. It can be attributed to leeching off every other Faction. The amount of Sacred Gear users they’ve forcibly reincarnated is appalling.”

He looked thoughtful.

“Their power advantage has allowed them to act without fear for a long ti,” Uriel explained. “Heaven has been stagnant since your passing, and the Fallen have been fractured. The Devils took full advantage of that, pressing their influence wherever they could. Even outright stealing dozens of Sacred Gear users over the last few centuries.”

Michael’s jaw tightened. “They have been dictating the rules of engagent for centuries.”

A hint of annoyance slipped past her Father’s face for a mont before it settled once more.

“They’ve abused the Sacred Gear system?” He mused.

“Yes, it actually brings to a point I wanted to bring up.” Uriel started. “Father, I think you should access the Sacred Gear system and find a way to safely remove them from all Devils.”

The room went silent.

That was a big action.

They all looked towards Father.

“Yes, it does seem the Sacred Gear system is being abused by seemingly everyone. I even encountered a group of humans who all had Sacred Gears.” He mused, “is the sa situation happening with the Fallen?”

-{Kai}-

“It is, though to a lesser degree, since they can’t turn them into Fallen Angels,” Raguel added.

I hadn’t explored the Sacred Gear System yet.

Gabriel bit her lip, concerned flickering in her eyes. “Wouldn’t they retaliate?” she asked hesitantly. “They’d lose a lot of power.”

I exhaled, fingers tapping against the armrest.

The idea was absurd, that taking back what was rightfully Heaven’s could spark a war. But she wasn’t wrong. The Devils had grown comfortable, likely seeing the Sacred Gears as their own. Stripping them away would be seen as an attack, no matter how justified.

I was probably villainizing them more than necessary, but right now, they were the enemy.

“They would,” Uriel admitted, eyes drifting to the polished table. “And that’s the problem.”

Maybe waiting was better. Then again, it would be a huge asset for the incoming attack. I could even distribute it among those under —once I figured out how to use the Sacred Gear System.

“Not that it isn’t warranted,” tatron said calmly. “We just need to prepare for the inevitable backlash.”

Michael nodded. “It would weaken them significantly. A large portion of their power structure relies on reincarnated Sacred Gear users. If those were stripped away…” He didn’t need to finish.

“The gains are undeniable though, the Sacred Gears are a marvel of creation and the highest form of artefacts. Gaining a Sacred Gears regardless is always a boon for any Faction.” Raphael mused, her expression thoughtful.

“Heaven would regain control over the Sacred Gear System, guiding talents instead of letting them be twisted into weapons for other Factions,” Uriel said.

A good point. If I took the Sacred Gears from the Devils, I could decide where they went, handpicking wielders to ensure they were used properly. They were ant for humans, and that wouldn’t change, but this ti, I wanted to prioritize my own people. Maybe that was the difference between and my predecessor. He’d been strong enough to give such things away.

His death had been a major blow.

“We should think this through,” Michael said. “I doubt Father has even had the chance to examine the Sacred Gear System yet.”

“Yes, it’ll have to wait. I’m not even sure if the Sacred Gear System has that function.” I replied. “Has it ever been done before?”

The frowns across the rooms answered my question imdiately.

“There is another issue I would like to address.” I said, “the Angels who have allowed themselves to be lost in the Garden Of Eden, how many are estimated to be within there?”

“A few hundred, mostly Cherubs among other Angels.” Raphael replied, having made sure to note who was within the Garden Of Eden.

“I’d like for you to inform them of my… arrival and offer them the choice to leave.” I ordered.

“A great idea, letting them continue to suffer would be cruel.” Uriel gave a serious nod.

We promptly switched to another subject.

Gabriel shifted slightly in her seat before speaking. “Father, I believe it would be wise to make an announcent to all of Heaven. Since your return, your angels have been waiting for your word. They are desperate for confirmation that you are truly among us once more.”

A murmur of agreent passed through the Seraphs.

I considered her words before giving a short nod. “Very well. I was planning to do sothing about that anyway. I’ll see what I can do.”

Gabriel's eyes brightened with relief, and Michael gave a respectful nod.

With that settled, I straightened in his seat. “There is sothing else I must address.”

My face morphed into a frown. “I have discovered sothing disturbing in my brief trip away yesterday.”

Gabriel frowned the deepest at that.

“I’ve co to learn of a planned attack on Heaven, and the attackers are of an organisation I knew about before coming to Heaven.” I broached the subject. “It’s Faction that could be called more of an alliance of multiple groups. You may know one of them as the Old Satan Faction.”

That got a grim silence from everyone present.

Uriel spoke up first, his expression cold. “This… is a serious matter. How did you co to learn about such an attack?”

“I’ve got a powerful ally I’ve gained before my stay in Heaven, she wishes to help.” I replied, not directly answering the question.

He nodded. “May I ask who this ally is?”

I nodded slowly. “The Khaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat.”

They all went silent.

“Father…” Gabriel started, looking worried. “Tiamat is a part of the Devil Faction. She’s deceiving you, this could be a play from the Devils?.”

“I don’t see how that would benefit them.” Raphael muttered.

Everyone was looking at and I could see the growing worry, and I could practically see Gabriel kicking herself for letting leave.

“I’m aware of the alliance she has, but she isn’t a part of the Devil Faction.” I calmly retorted. “In fact, you’ll see this for yourselves after we are done here. I plan to introduce a plan that’s important to and a few people you may like to et.”

It didn’t take a genius to guess what I was referring to.

The room was silent, all eyes on as they waited for to continue.

“The one leading this attack calls himself the Architect.” My voice was calm, but firm. “He is a high-ranking mber of the Khaos Brigade. That ans we’re not just dealing with an isolated rogue faction, he’s going to have a lot of firepower backing him.”

Michael’s expression darkened as he leaned forward slightly. “What do you know about him?”

“He’s a creator as his na suggests.” I answered. “He has shown the ability to craft powerful artifacts. He could arm an entire army with dangerous relics, giving even weak forces the ability to punch far above their weight class. And that’s exactly why he’s targeting Heaven.”

Raphael’s eyes narrowed in thought. “You’re saying he’s coming here for Heaven’s resources?”

I nodded.

“To soone like this supposed Architect, this place is a treasure trove just waiting to be plundered.” She concluded.

Michael’s expression remained unreadable but his normally bright eyes were downright frigid and his aura was subtly starting to pick up. “Then we must prepare for the worst. Heaven is not ready for a large-scale assault, not as we are now. Are you sure the wards can’t simply hold them off? They are rather powerful.”

“I’m not sure, I suspect that a creator who can create artefacts could build a weapon designed solely to pierce through but I could be wrong, I admittedly don’t know much about the attackers.” I responded.

Michael’s voice was calm but I saw a sharp focused look in his eyes that I hadn’t seen during my ti knowing him.

“Then we will increase Heaven’s defenses to the maximum. The warding formations will be reignited, Uriel will personally oversee it.” Michael ordered.

I noticed a faint smile on Uriel’s face as he nodded in agreent.

“What are your commands, Father?” Michael asked after a mont. “Should we mobilise Heaven’s armies imdiately? Or do we wait for your announcent?”

“How many angels are combat-ready?” I hesitantly asked.

“Considering many left after your death in favour of more administrative duties or simply deciding to retire.” Raphael began. “Using the power rankings for a reference. Low-class Angels: 147,223. Mid-class Angels: 19,037. High-class Angels: 1,973. In total, 168,233. Not counting the various Ultimate-class Angels.” Raphael inford .

That was both a massive amount and a small amount.

“It’s a massive drop off.” Michael sighed, his eyes becoming tired. “I failed to maintain Heaven. Our numbers used to be in the millions when you were constantly creating Angels but… so many have died or Fallen.”

Millions?!

The various Seraphs around the table lowered their heads.

“It wasn’t your fault. We all couldn’t manage the burdens of you, Father.” Seraphiel replied. “Even the effects of Father’s domain disappeared and left us weakened.”

Gabriel clutched at my Kimono under the table and I sighed.

“No one is at fault, my… Death was unexpected to say the least and thus no counterasures had been placed.” I tried to lighten the mood.

“I should have gone with you.” Michael muttered.

Sothing we all could pick up.

“No, you shouldn’t have.” I replied comfortingly. “If I wanted you to co, I would have asked. Now, I’m back, that’s all that matters for now. Let’s work on moving forward.”

Michael lowered his head in agreent.

“Do you know when this attack is ant to take place?” Uriel asked, moving on.

I frowned deeply. “No. I’m afraid the information about this is limited. For all I know, the assault could end at the wards.”

“Then we will prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” Sariel comnted.

Raguel next to Sariel paused. “Have you been picking up on human phrasing again?”

Sariel blushed. “Maybe.”

I smiled, and the mood was lifted up slightly. I could tell they were all worried.

We had no idea when this attack would co, it could be in a few days to even a year.

The eting continued from there with smaller topics, and just as we were finishing up. I decided this was the ti to show them.

“That concludes our discussion for now,” I announced, rising from my seat. “There’s still much to do, but we can only prepare so much without more information.”

The other Seraphs nodded.

“Before you all leave, however—” I glanced around the table, my lips curling into a small smile. “There’s sothing I want to show you. And a few special people who’ve been waiting to et you.”

Curiosity flickered in their eyes, so shifting forward slightly.

Gabriel’s and Uriel’s eyes lit up as they realised I was finally going to introduce them to the Angels I had created.

I raised my hand. With a re thought, a rift split open in the air before .

Golden light spilled into the chamber.

Behind the rift the image of two large otherworldly trees beca visible.

-END-

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