The Seraphic System-Chapter 75: The Voice Of God

The Seraphic System

Chapter: 75

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.

(The Voice Of God)

I perked up as the prayer reached my ears.

Well, isn't that interesting?

A prayer. From a devil, of all beings.

I usually filtered out prayers to avoid being overwhelmed, but the system had flagged this as an anomaly and brought it to my attention. The Heavenly System seemed to have its limited autonomy so I wasn't that surprised.

I considered it for a moment.

A devil, praying to me? The timing couldn't be a coincidence. I'd just removed the Boosted Gear from Issei a few days ago with the Sacred Gear System, so it made sense that they'd finally figured it out.

I thought about it deeply. Perhaps I had been a bit bold in my actions, but I couldn't say it wasn't warranted. Issei was technically the main character and a future player in this entire universe's fate so to speak.

The reason I had instantly targeted him was partially anxiousness. Fate had shown itself to have a flow. That flow was with the Devils. In truth ideally, I would have started with the Hero Faction. Reclaiming the Sacred Gears that they had used against me. Which I had my sights on.

Though the Boosted Gear was an incredibly powerful weapon that would now serve Heaven. I couldn't say that this action hadn't been risky and downright bold.

I had thought about immediately going for Vali to get my hands back on the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear immediately. After all, it would be useful, but I decided that it could be delayed.

One, to not immediately give the Fallen and the Devils a reason to gang up on Heaven, and more importantly, Vali won't want to lose his Sacred Gear.

That'd put me in a position of power over him, and if my mind is remembering correctly. He was a part of a certain organisation that was currently working against Heaven. He could be easily put into my debt to work off the substantial debt of being able to use the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear.

If he didn't play ball then that would be a different matter entirely, but I had to play things cleverly for now, especially after my somewhat rash action with Issei.

As much as I wanted to reclaim all the Sacred Gears that were being used against Heaven. That would outright draw everyone's attention. From Devils, and Fallen to even Pantheon's outside of that.

But the fact Rias Gremory was praying to me of all beings was both confusing and confirmation. They didn't know it was Heaven who had taken back its Sacred Gears.

That was good. Very good.

As for the prayer, my eyes narrowed. It certainly presented an opportunity. Was this desperation coming from the fact that she had just lost her trump card? That meant she knew Issei had the Boosted Gear.

Thoughts to consider later.

I glanced back at Michael, who stood before me.

"So, it's done?" I asked.

"Yes, Father. The purge has been completed," he said, a trace of excitement threading through his voice.

Purge?

Oh, dear...

"The purge?" I raised an eyebrow. "What exactly have you done with the corrupt officials you told me about?"

Michael's face hardened, just a fraction, but it was enough. "I've sent them into your hands."

Right....

I paused. "They are dead?"

"Yes." He confirmed easily as if it was a mere afterthought. "I think that I got all of them, there were a few who ran upon noticing their sinner in arms were vanishing at an alarming rate but I believe I got all of them."

I nodded slowly.

I took this time to remind myself that despite his outward appearance, I needed to remember that Michael had lived through countless wars, likely ending the lives of thousands.

He wasn't as innocent as he seemed.

"Good work," I said. "With this, we can trust the church a bit more."

Michael's demeanour shifted back to his usual self, the brief intensity tucked away. "Thank you, Father."

"So, what did you find?" I asked curiously.

A lot of damage must have been done at having so much corruption in the church. I don't imagine they left the Church's resources alone.

His face turned serious.

Michael's expression mirrored his. "The corruption ran deeper than expected. We uncovered hidden caches containing fragments of shattered holy swords, relics that have seemed to be... corrupted in some sort of strange way, and notes on mass-manufacturing low-grade holy weapons."

My eyes narrowed. "They corrupted relics?"

"Yes." Michael nodded somberly.

"Why would they do that? Surely they would be more powerful as they are." I asked seriously.

"Yes, but the relics in question were thankfully not any of the major ones. Corrupting a relic can give it a certain property that is incredibly powerful in a damaging way. Doing this could make the object be considered cursed."

A bit like the cursed light I had used back when I was in the forest.

"How did they achieve this?" I finally asked after a moment of silence.

"A mix of alchemy and smithing. They've forced demonic and dark qualities into the holy relics to force a reaction. This in turn makes the holy relics weaken over time." Michael formed me.

"Keep an eye on the Church. We need to make sure all of the corruption has been dealt with before we can start trusting them properly again." I ordered after a moment.

The church was undoubtedly a big asset to Heaven, especially since I had elected a Saint.

Michael bowed slightly. "Of course. I'll keep you updated." His face turned guilty. "I should have dealt with this sooner. Had I dealt with this earlier, the church would have been in a much better situation."

"I understand. You were in a tough situation. I've come to understand as I've taken over Heaven this past week. You couldn't go around making big moves." I replied sympathetically.

I had come to understand Michael's position over the past week. He couldn't exactly go around making big moves, especially with the situation that Gabriel had told me about.

Having your kind in such a state had forced him to focus solely on Heaven, then when he came back he barely had any part in the play of the church. He couldn't go estranging himself from a large power base of Heaven.

Michael's face morphed into shock at my reply, breaking out of the permanent look of naivety. He stood like that for a mere moment before he nodded, regaining his composure and giving me a grateful smile.

"I'm sure there will be more corruption that tries to fester its way into the church but I'll make sure to keep it out, I'll also be on the lookout for any of those who I've missed in my initial sweep." He promised, looking eager to receive more praise.

It baffled me how they could act so separately.

By all means, I should be the one looking for his approval. He was the General Of Heaven.

How I had gotten to this point would forever baffle me.

"Thank you," I responded.

He beamed.

"On another note of importance, I've finally figured out how to use the Sacred Gear system," I informed him, moving the subject along.

He perked up, his expression turning serious once more. "That's a big deal... I tried to access the Sacred Gear system but the features of the Heavenly System had been incredibly limited without you. I'm assuming you've found something of importance?"

"Yes, with my access I found that there was a concerning amount of Devils along with other beings with Sacred Gears," I said with a frown.

He sighed with a look of knowing.

"That's to be expected, the Devils were the main Faction to benefit from our weakened presence." He replied in resignation, a hint of coldness in his tone. "What do you plan to do?"

"I don't want to make any big actions yet but I've retrieved a few sacred Gears, one of them being a Longinus," I replied, deciding to let him in a bit more.

I was getting over my untrusting nature but it was hard.

"A Longinus, which one?" Michael asked seriously. "That's a big blow to the Devil Faction. A potential God-killer class Sacred Gear is a big deal."

"It was the Boosted Gear, they had recently reincarnated a boy with it. I figured it'd be a good probe." I responded.

"Yes." He agreed, his expression turning thoughtful. "I'm assuming you asked Metatron to keep an eye out."

"I did. They don't suspect anything." I confirmed.

"They wouldn't, the current Satans have spent so long in a power position that they are more unwilling to entertain the thought," Michael replied helpfully.

I appreciated his words. Maybe I should talk to him more often, he was technically my general right?

"Hubris is in their nature, but they shouldn't be underestimated," Michael advised.

I certainly didn't plan on doing so.

"How long do you think it'll take for them to find out?" I asked.

Michael hesitated. "I'm not sure. They'll sense something's off, but they don't know yet."

"How do you know?" I asked, curiosity threading my voice.

"They'd react noticeably," Michael said, his tone thoughtful. "This is their worst-case scenario. It would shatter the 'balance' they cling to. Which is a nice term for the supremacy they currently hold among the three Factions." He paused, a hint of caution in his expression. "Then again, nothing is certain. We need to keep as much as we can to ourselves for the moment being."

I nodded, that was exactly what I was thinking.

Michael's expression was thoughtful. "The Devils will likely seek answers soon. We should remain vigilant."

"Agreed. Annoyingly enough I don't think we are ready for unnecessary conflicts. That's why I held on my hand on simply retrieving all of the Sacred Gears as much as I wanted to." I replied in agreement.

He smiled. "A good choice for now." His smile dimmed. "I apologise for Heaven's lack of power. So many have died and the empowerment we once got from you has vanished."

"Empowerment?"

That rang a bell.

"Yes, we used to be a lot stronger. When you died our power slowly dropped with it." Michael informed me.

That made a lot of sense...

I wonder how strong they used to be.

Was he referring to the empowerment system that I found in the Heavenly System? It had shown that it was offline.

I focused back on Michael.

"It couldn't be helped," I replied dismissively. "On that note, are you making preparations for the attack?"

Michael nodded. "Yes, most of our efforts are focused on strengthening Heaven's defences. We're maintaining watch over the gate and reinforcing key locations around that. We are waiting for the announcement before revealing the potential attack."

That did remind me of the announcement that was happening tomorrow. It had finally been decided upon and I was admittedly nervous. I couldn't keep my Angels in the dark though.

A part of me disliked that my announcement was going to be followed by the revelation of a potential attack but it couldn't be helped.

I hummed in understanding.

A moment of quiet settled between us.

Michael's expression turned contemplative. "Father, do you have some spare time?"

I sent him a confused glance. "Yes?"

"There's something I wish to show you." He revealed.

"Oh?"

"There hasn't been much time to broach the subject due to the chaos of the last week." He replied with a laugh.

With a gesture, he led me to the Familiar entry grounds of Eden. I followed Michael through the Garden of Eden and soon found myself in a part I hadn't been to yet.

I sent a subtle glance before sighing, something that Michael picked up.

"Michael, why exactly is everyone following me so willingly?" I asked.

It had been something that was confusing me for a while but I didn't know how to bring it up.

Why were a bunch of Ancient Angels so easy and downright eager to let me lead based solely on my aura feeling the same as their Fathers?

"What do you mean?" he asked, his head tilting. His expression remained open, almost childlike in its purity.

I let out another sigh. "I've only just got here. Relatively speaking, I've been here for a few months. You've been here for thousands of years. I don't see how you so easily accepted me as God just because of my aura. You aren't as naive as you make out to be." I added that last part hesitantly, I didn't know how he would react.

Michael fell silent.

Then, he chuckled. "You are correct. It's not just because of your aura. And you're right, we are not as naive as we may appear." He turned his head slightly, a smile playing on his lips. "But do not misunderstand. We do not deceive you. This is simply how we prefer to act around you."

I arched an eyebrow. "So why do you follow me?"

"Father, we are angels. We share a connection with you that I don't think you fully realize yet. It's not just about your form or your power, it's about what you are. You are our Father. We can feel the essence of creation itself inside you. That can't be mimicked. And no matter what shape or personality you take, that truth does not change."

I stayed quiet.

I wasn't god though, not originally. I had inherited whatever was on that spear. It was interesting he could see this supposed spark of creation within me. My system certainly hadn't mentioned anything regarding that.

He continued. "We do not follow you because we seek power or status. We are not like devils, who strive to lead or become the strongest. We were happiest when we served when we had purpose under your guidance. With your return, we see a chance to reclaim that joy. To serve as we were meant to. We wish for you to take your rightful place."

There was no hesitation in his voice. No hidden meaning. Just the truth.

I was left silent.

Was it really that simple?

I had been a bit nervous about it in all honesty.

We arrived at a rocky outcrop partially hidden by thick vines and flowering trees.

A simple cave lay before us. Nothing stood out and I couldn't see anything unusual with my chakra eyes as I was led inside the cave.

That changed the moment I crossed the threshold, a powerful barrier washed over me and as I stepped through to the other side I noticed an immediate change.

There was a sudden increase in gravity. A noticeable increase. It wasn't enough to make me struggle but I knew a mid-class being would be crushed, and even a high-class being would struggle.

The cave twisted in a loop. We passed through a final turn, and the cave opened into a completely different landscape.

This definitely shouldn't be here. We would have seen such a large place when entering.

A strange blue barrier encased this hidden space.

I took a moment to look around.

The land stretched out in gentle hills. Trees with dark trunks and crystalline leaves spread over the area. Streams cut through the ground, moving slowly as if time itself was dulled here. Golden wheat covered most of the ground and shined with an almost unnoticeable light.

A path cut through all of this, one we were stood on.

"What is this place?" I asked, my voice breaking the silence.

"This is a secret place within Eden I stumbled upon. I hadn't even known it existed." Michael informed me.

"Do the others know of this place?" I questioned.

"Yes and no," Michael replied, his expression complex. "I tried to show them but for some reason the barrier rejected them.

"Why do you think that is?" I questioned once more, that didn't seem like something God would do.

"I'm not sure." He frowned. "Maybe you had forgotten to add them to the wards before your... exit."

I didn't reply, continuing to look around.

He started walking, leading me through the simple stone path.

The trees were unlike any I'd seen even in Eden.

Some had bark that seemed to drink in the light while others bore fruits that glowed faintly, casting soft hues on the ground.

I caught glimpses of movement in the underbrush

Small creatures with strange reflective eyes watched us enter. freēnovelkiss.com

It didn't take long before we reached a building.

The building was made of pale stone and looked... oddly normal. When compared to the rest of Heaven's grand structures anyway. It looked comfortable.

"What is this?" I asked as I peered inside.

The interior was comfortable, I could make out shelves lining the walls, filled with books and scrolls. A large desk sat in the centre, covered in parchment and tools.

He smiled wistfully.

"I believe it was your study." He said, shooting me a smile.

God's study?

"When you originally made Sacred Gears, you would disappear for multiple periods. I believe this is where you came to." Michael said, stepping inside.

I stepped inside, and the gravity lessened considerably.

Interesting.

The room felt untouched, as if time had simply halted. Michael lingered near the doorway.

"Nothing has moved," he said quietly. "So there shouldn't be anything out of place."

I sent him a confused glance.

If I was in his position this was one of the first places I would have come to.

"I... wasn't sure if I should. It felt wrong, somehow." He frowned lightly.

I arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

A soft laugh escaped him. "Honestly? I don't know. It wasn't a logical move or a smart one, just more of a feeling."

Amusement tugged at my lips. "I imagine this situation should have probably been a probable cause to use everything at your disposal. Including this room."

His lips curved in a smile, but it quickly faded into something more thoughtful. "I thought, perhaps, if you ever returned... it would be as you left it and for some reason, I could never bring myself to take the books. I did copy a few of them for Raphael so not everything was lost."

He sighed.

"I probably should have used all of the books though, Raphael has hit a dead end and would have benefited from it a lot. I'm still not sure if Raphael would have been able to recreate your work though." He smiled.

"Perhaps we will right that wrong." I idly mused. "Raphael is currently working on recreating the Golden Fleece effects. I imagine many other such things will come up in the future."

He nodded. "That was a good idea. If we could mass create even a minor healing effect to all of our forces it would be a massive boost in power. Raphael has shown her expertise in mainly creating utility artefacts, for some reason she can't seem to create proper attack or defence artefacts."

My attention drifted to the room.

The shelves brimmed with books and scrolls, their spines cracked and worn. The desk held scattered tools with small chisels, strange metal instruments, and an array of gemstones that caught the dim light.

I moved over to the shelf and selected the book nearest to the end. I picked up a book curiously

The title was simple: The Art of Creation.

I opened it.

It was a manual, detailing the crafting of artefacts. The first sections were filled with diagrams and formulas that my mind had trouble perceiving, the delicate balance of energy and matter when creating such objects.

I could barely make sense of what was written down.

My eyes traced over the symbols and despite the script. This was of no use right now. I didn't even know where to start.

I went to the other side of the bookshelf and picked up another book. This one had a title of: The Simplicity of Creation.

Was that a joke?

I opened it up and while it was still confusing I found it easier to read. I quickly found myself engrossed as I felt it align with something within me.

Michael watched me, a strange glint in his eyes. "I'll leave you to it."

I glanced up, but he was already leaving. The door closed quietly behind him.

Oops.

I may have gotten a bit too engrossed in the subject. I settled into the chair.

The text was straightforward and almost instructional.

It broke down the fundamentals of creating artefacts, from the initial infusion of energy to the shaping of physical components. What is needed to be used to contain this energy and how that could be potentially used to fuse into abilities?

Despite this being what I hoped was the beginner's guide, it was complex.

Minutes bled into hours.

I didn't notice the passage of time, my mind sinking into the words. I absorbed the instructions, the steps,

[Quest Completed!]

That caught my attention.

[Quest Completed!]

[Quest]

What am I? 

Description: You have evolved into a different and unknown race. 

Objective: Reach 10% on the Divine Shard. [Completed.]

Reward: ?, Knowledge of Race. 

Item Gained. 

[Inverted Spear of Heaven]

A legendary cursed tool capable of nullifying any Cursed Technique it pierces, making it a feared weapon among sorcerers and curses alike. It's connected with the Chain of a thousand miles increasing the reach of the spear.

The inverted spear Of Heaven?

The name was certainly fitting and it didn't take me long to realise what this weapon was.

I remember correctly, this spear was able to cut through cursed energy. Did that mean it could cut through energy in general? Or was it only designed to cut through cursed energy?

That would need experimenting.

I looked over to my Race.

Primeval Angel

Description: An oddity among the race of angels, this Angel is unique among the Angel race, having inherited divinity through the absorption of a God's power. They are known for being stronger and quicker to learn.

So this was my race?

It made sense. It was good to know that I was still an Angel.

I brought up the divine shards' progress.

[Divine Shard] {Progress: 10%}

[The Shard of God. The resurrected shard of his essence that has merged with the user. As the shard progresses the user will receive more abilities from his merged counterpart. Yahweh.]

I had hit ten percent.

So this was another way to gain progress? That made sense.

I had a better sense of how the divine shard worked, or how to progress with it in any case.

That riddle had been about embodying the values and actions associated with Yahweh. That included his interests and acting within his ideals. The shard is a fragment of divine inheritance, and progressing it requires not just physical action but spiritual and moral alignment.

I looked over to the skill I had gained from the shard hitting ten percent in excitement.

This confirmed my theory about potentially getting a skill every five percent completed on the shard.

[Voice Of God] (Passive) (incomplete) 

[The incomplete Voice Of God allows the user voice to carry commanding power, compelling those who hear it to obey and enforce your divine might over the world around you.]

My eyes widened...

I had expected something but not this.

Both Judgement and Transmutation were groundbreaking skills that could both be considered key powers but this... God had access to this?

I seriously had to wonder how he died. To think this was just one of the first three skills I had received from the divine shard too.

This felt like a skill that I shouldn't have access to.

Naturally, I wanted to try it immediately.

"Stop," I said hesitantly and fell back over my cheer as the world boomed.

A voice, ancient and powerful enough to make me feel a hint of fear echoed through the space. Everything came to a stop, even I held my breath. Before everything reverted time continued to move.

I don't know what I had been expecting. But it wasn't that.

That spell Gabriel had shown me for making an announcement had been extremely cool, but this overshadowed it by miles. Just the sheer presence that had been given off.

A part of my Angelic mana had been used for that one command, I was assuming my commands would cost an amount based on the power needed to exert my command.

I stepped outside, looking over everything and immediately noticed I was being stared at by many strange small creatures from the underbrush.

"Kneel," I said, using the Voice of God and pushing a larger amount of angelic magic into it.

Instantly, my voice boomed out and I had to steady myself. The voice's tone had changed slightly and the amount of magic needed was considerably less than the command before.

All of the strange creatures instantly knelt as did everything around me.

The grass and even the trees bent slightly in my direction.

I looked around at the reaction.

To think this was just an incomplete version...

I wasn't sure what that meant, since this looked very complete to me.

My command soon ended after a few seconds and the world corrected itself. The creatures rose from their kneeling position and the grass settled. While the trees returned to their original state.

This was going to be highly intensive on my angelic mana reserves.

I decided to keep testing the Voice of God, despite the strain on my reserves.

This ability gained from the divine shard may be the most powerful one yet, even judgement. I could feel that it was more than just a charm voice like Aphrodite's it had an actual effect on the world around me.

I briefly decided to leave the small isolated space behind. I didn't want to damage anything. I found myself in a secluded area.

I turned my attention to a boulder at the edge of the clearing. It was large, easily the size of a small car

I took a breath, focusing on the specific effect I wanted.

"Shatter."

The Voice of God echoed, and practically made the ground quake. Angelic mana surged through me, flowing into the command.

The boulder trembled, fine cracks spreading across its surface like a spider's web before it burst into dust.

The cost was heavier this time. I felt a tug at my core, a noticeable drain on my mana. It seemed that physical effects, especially destructive ones, demanded more energy.

That confirmed I could cause an effect by merely using my words...

That was a seriously powerful ability, the only drawback was the intensive magic power it required. It wasn't something that could be used repeatedly through a battle.

I continued experimenting, each command testing a different aspect of the skill.

I tried influencing the wind, asking it to still. I commanded the water in a nearby river to rise, forming delicate spirals in the air.

It became clear that there were hard limits.

As I moved on to more complex commands, I felt my reserves dip sharply. The Voice of God wasn't just powerful; it was greedy, devouring my angelic mana with every word.

I was only ten minutes into my experimentation before I decided to stop. My angelic reserve was extremely low.

This has been enlightening. I could see this being incredibly useful. It wasn't exactly an attack skill but it could be used in tandem with an attack for a very disastrous outcome.

It was safe to say my desire to progress the shard had gone up astronomically more than it had already been.

I wonder if telling Michael and Gabriel about this development was a good idea, they'd probably seen God use this ability before. Extensively and could have some ideas of how it worked.

With a nod of satisfaction and a massive grin, I decided to leave Eden.

I had other matters to attend to.

-Scene Break-

I stood in the middle of the room with a small pile of relatively common materials at my feet.

I reached out, feeling the familiar sensation of my Energy Transmutation skill.

I'd gotten a lot of practice with it lately, enough to notice how it worked.

Since the skill didn't have levels like normal, I didn't get the usual boost in control when ranking up.

Instead, everything relied on me. While I didn't get that big jump in control, I realized I had more control overall. It was just a matter of learning how to use it.

I focused on a chunk of stone, drawing its energy into me.

It crumbled to dust, the energy pooling in the reserve of energy that allowed me to transmute things.

I held out my hand and shaped the coiling energy,

Motes of blue energy twisted and solidified, forming a smooth stone cube.

I absorbed it and pushed out a simple pyramid.

I continued, cycling through shapes before attempting something larger. A dagger. The shape formed but the edges weren't quite sharp enough as they held a jagged edge.

It wasn't perfect, but it was progress.

I could feel the subtle difference each time. I went on to create multiple objects.

Mostly weapons and armour. I wanted to see if I could make a pair of gauntlets on both of my hands that could be of help. I stared at the large blocks of metal on my hands.

It was a work in progress. I spent the next half an hour simply cycling through different materials and shapes.

That was interrupted as the door opened.

Gabriel entered the room, smiling at me. "It's time."

I nodded, and let the energy flow back into the room, leaving nothing behind.

It was finally time.

I took a steadying breath as I moved through the quiet halls. I was in the first realm of Heaven, in the heart of the Silver City to be more specific.

My outward expression remained calm,

Gabriel waited at the end of the corridor, with a comforting smile on her lips. Her eyes brightened when she saw me, and I mirrored her warmth.

"Are you ready?" she asked,

I nodded. "Yes, I've delayed this for too long. The announcement has been long overdue even if we've had a lot to deal with."

She reached for my hand, her touch cool and grounding. "They've waited a long time for this. I'm sure they understand. We've had a lot to deal with in the past week. Heaven has suddenly gone from barely active, to fully active."

I squeezed her hand gently, offering that same calm smile. "Then I won't keep them waiting."

Inwardly, a coil of nerves twisted in my stomach.

It was easier said than done. Maybe if I had been fresh out of the void this would have been easier but this felt more anxiety-inducing than even fighting a God.

I was broadcasting myself to the entirety of Heaven and my technical children who had been desperately wishing to see me for a long time.

We stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked the grand plaza.

The sight before me didn't help my nerves.

Hundreds of thousands of Angels filled the plaza below. All of them were already staring up at me in anticipation.

The moment they registered my presence, a moment of silence entered the area. I could see a sea of unique faces staring up at me in shock.

Michael had suggested that I had some kind of connection with my Angels due to my slow absorption of God. Could they all feel this strange bond?

There were only a few moments of this silence as I stared back at them before a wave of sound crashed against the air. Cheers roared and seemingly filled every corner of Heaven.

I held my composure, offering a wave.

My allure was out in full effect, I had long realised it only had the effect of making whatever I was doing look better. So it was something I had decided to use to calm my nerves.

Light gathered in the skies and broadcasted my face close up.

It didn't take long for the Angels to start quickly trying to swarm me. Which was scarier than it seemed as hundreds of them took off every second and tried to reach me.

Luckily, Metatron and Uriel had thought of this. Thousands of Cherubs stood guard and gently calmed their siblings down. Those who got through were met with a strong barrier.

Gabriel was right, they had been affected by God's Death.

I cleared my throat, the sound carrying through the plaza.

"My Angels," I began, managing to keep any of my nervousness out of my voice. "I know you've waited a long time for this moment. I know you've felt lost and abandoned. But I need to be honest with you."

A hush fell over the crowd, and I forced myself to hold their gaze.

This may be the wrong move but I'm not going to play the role of someone I wasn't. I was me, and they needed to know that.

"I am not the same as the God you remember. I carry his soul, his power, but I am my own person. I don't have his memories, and I can't promise to be exactly what he was to you."

There was a ripple through the crowd, soft murmurs whispering through the massive crowd of Angels. I pushed on.

"But despite that, I am here and I am back."

Silence stretched out over the large crowd.

My heart pounded.

Then, like a dam breaking, the plaza erupted.

My cheeks heated, and I couldn't stop the smile from breaking through.

The barrier broke as they all charged me.

I surrendered to my fate like a general watching an incoming army charging him. I vaguely heard Gabriel's giggle as she watched me accept the fate of having so many Angels love.

-Scene Break-

I let out a tired sigh as I sat on my throne once more.

The large chamber that held the throne of Heaven felt comforting.

That had been intense. I felt drained. Multiple large announcements had been made after the massive gathering of Angels had calmed down. The announcement hadn't been long, but it had certainly been enlightening.

Gabriel said that the Silver City was abuzz even more than it had been. Some had needed to 'See me to fully accept the situation.' According to Gabriel.

Into something else I wanted to do.

Allocate the Sacred Gears I had suspended.

I casually pulled up the Sacred Gear system in front of me.

The translucent interface hovered in front of me.

I'd been poking around the system for a while, trying to figure out how to bestow Sacred Gears.

It wasn't as simple as I'd hoped, there were layers of menus and strange functions that didn't immediately make sense.

But slowly, things started to come together.

I finally found the option to assign Sacred Gears manually.

Clicking on a name brought up a new screen, showing a compatibility rate with each Sacred Gear.

I didn't hesitate to try it out.

I tested it with Gabriel first.

Her name popped up, and the system calculated her compatibility.

32%.

Not ideal.

Next was Michael.

Who showed a 51% compatibility rate.

I tried Medusa next, hers showed an even lower 21%.

I cycled through a few more names, mostly my Seraphs.

Each result was just as underwhelming as the next.

It was clear that high compatibility was important and annoyingly rare.

I'd have to be strategic with who I chose.

I wasn't sure about what the prerequisite for a high compatibility rate was, but I didn't think choosing a low one would be a good idea.

My focus narrowed, my finger hovering over the list until I landed on Grizella.

When her profile opened, a red number flashed to life.

94%.

That was surprisingly high, and I had admittedly not expected Grizella of all beings to have such a high compatibility rate.

I paused for a moment, considering it. She would work well.

An already low-ultimate class being with the Boosted Gear would have massive potential. Not as much as a God-class being would, but Grizella had the highest compatibility rate. I'm sure that meant something important.

Without further hesitation, I selected her for the Boosted Gear.

The system didn't respond instantly, only after a few seconds did a pulse of energy rippling through the room as the Sacred Gear's essence vanished, sent directly to its new host.

-{Grizella}-

Grizella sat alone.

She had finished another training session with her fellow sister-in-arms and was now back in the safety of the sub-dimension she had grown to love.

Her body ached something fierce as Asia had fallen unconscious at the end of the training sessions, thus being unable to heal her body. Asia had pushed herself these last few days. It inspired her and Medusa to both work harder.

The gain had been noticeable, the combat training in her former goblin tribe had made her realise just how small she had been. The captain-worthy combat skills she developed were nothing more than primitive monster skills that the ancient Angel Metatron ripped through with ease.

Now though, she could successfully say that she was improving.

She smiled.

Never in her life could she have imagined that being abducted would have been the best thing that could have happened to her. If she went back in time and realised this, she may have even begged Kai to take her.

Grizella stood up only to stiffen as an unseen force enveloped her, a surge of power washing over her like a tidal wave. Her body locked up, her breathing hitching as something deep within her soul seemed to ignite.

Kai had mentioned he'd be experimenting, and that something may happen to her so she didn't panic.

She would never be attacked in Heaven, surrounded by Angels. Much less the sub-dimension.

The sensation was overwhelming and utterly consuming.

She felt a presence take root inside her, a heat that burned but did not harm.

Pain erupted in her chest as she felt her being having something added to it.

And then, it stopped.

She breathed harshly.

A voice rumbled through her mind, deep and almost amused.

"Well, I can't say this has ever happened before." A deep voiced spoke.

What...

-END-

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