The Seraphic System

The Seraphic System

Chapter: 110

(A Bad Day To Be Greek)

-{Kai}-

I sat on the Heavenly Throne, fingers drumming against the armrest as the System's interface blazed to life before my eyes.

A day later, I was going through a long but necessary task.

Sacred Gear assignments.

The sheer number of Sacred gears suspended was staggering. Those which had not been assigned with the large amount retrieved from the Devils were awaiting assignment.

I didn’t want to let them go to waste, especially since most of them had been put in stasis for the first time since their creation.

The humans were important… but Heaven right now didn’t have the sheer power of God at its disposal. Even if my Angels were happy to let the natural cycle continue if I willed it, Heaven was still far more important.

Azrael stood beside the throne, her silver eyes watching me with that intense focus she'd developed lately.

Since the Mahoraga incident, a day had passed, and she had found herself staying close by. Not that I minded her presence. It was comfortable and something I was coming to enjoy.

I ran another compatibility test and reviewed the results for good matches.

Thousands of names, Angels and humans alike, each with their own resonance patterns, were on the tips of my fingers

I had already spent an hour on this.

"Nothing?" Azrael leaned closer to look.

"Not a single match." I shrugged.

“What about the Demi-God?” She questioned, leaning into my personal space.

"It’s not like he needs it, considering his prodigal growth, which is second only to mine; he would have no use for this,” I commented idly.

I scrolled through the Angel section instead, genuinely curious about what I'd find. Several names lit up with compatibility ratings, making me grin.

"Now this is more like it."

With Azrael’s help, we found numerous Angels showing strong affinities with various Sacred Gears. Nothing legendary tier, but solid common and uncommon variants. Each one would make them more effective in their roles.

"A high match with a Twilight Healing variant." I made the assignment with a thought in mind. "Approved. Suriel gets Twice Critical. Also approved. Lumiel with Night Reflection."

Azrael listed their rank in tone with my calling of their names curiously, revealing them to be mostly Cherubs and some higher-ranking Angels. Hearing so many names listed off made me smile.

I even found Raivel, the Angel who guarded the tree of life so diligently, with a minor Sacred Gear of her own.

Unnoticed by me, massive amounts of power swirled as Sacred Gears were handed out like candy. Such powerful items moving around through reality were becoming easier to sense… perhaps even outside of Heaven.

The list continued. Each Sacred Gear finding its home, each Angel gaining new capabilities. Hopefully, it didn’t make too much of a display.

Azrael watched with quiet amusement.

It was through this sporadic trial-and-error with random names that I found an unexpected match.

Annabeth Chase.

Compatibility rating: 93%

I sat up straighter. "This is interesting."

"What did you find?" Azrael asked immediately.

"Annabeth, the girl who is joining me with Percy in the quest, seems to have an affinity for…" I clarified and pulled up the details. "A relatively decent Sacred Gear.”

My Angels had come to learn of my time with the Greek faction; to say they weren’t happy was an understatement.

Mirage. Allows for the Creation of small-scale illusions and mirages. Can confuse enemies, create false images and manipulate perception within a limited radius. Grows stronger with the user's tactical intelligence and strategic thinking.

It wasn’t the most powerful or flashy Sacred Gears. Not all of them were, I had come to learn. Many were basic in nature and helpful in smaller ways, but could still be considered unique abilities.

The fact that they had been made, especially on such a scale, was crazy.

Daughter of Athena, Goddess of wisdom and Strategy. A Sacred Gear that literally rewarded clever thinking and tactical application. The synergy was too perfect to be merely a coincidence.

I know Annabeth must feel inadequate, especially after the incident that happened not too long ago. This would be the perfect solution to help her.

I read the description twice, a smile spreading across my face. "This is literally perfect for her."

Annabeth was my friend, and I had left her out in the cold a bit. This would be a good apology present.

"Will you assign it to her?" Azrael asked curiously.

My finger hovered over the confirmation button.

A Greek Demi-God with a Sacred Gear… who just happens to be friends with an Angel. That's going to raise questions.

"Possibly. Athena especially wouldn't be happy." I considered the implications. "Sacred Gears are my domain, but if she's been monitoring her daughter..."

“I doubt it’ll matter. You’re already poaching multiple Gods.” Azrael pointed out with a small smile. “If they cause a fuss, I’d be happy to deal with them in any case.”

“There’ll be no need. While I’d rather not start another war, I doubt it would come to that. Worst case, we say it manifested naturally. Some Sacred Gears activate later in life, and what are they going to do? Complain about one of them gaining new powers?”

Azrael laughed lightly, her silver eyes gleaming with delight.

“I’m sure the Greeks would find a way to be upset about this, though they seem to believe Heaven is still at its full might, even if they have suspicions. So they’ll probably refrain from crying too much.” Azrael said, her arm coming to lean into me.

“Either way, Annabeth just became significantly more useful and safe. That's worth the political headache."

Somewhere in Camp Half-Blood, the daughter of Athena had just gained the powers of Mirage. I wondered how long it would take her to figure it out.

“I think I’m finished now.” I sighed, getting up.

“What do you intend to do next?” Azrael questioned, with an undertone of anxiety.

“I plan on checking up on the resident war God I’ve imprisoned for some… tests. I imagine a God has quite a bit to offer with all those powerful abilities they love boasting about.” I commented, thinking about the mirror dimension's front gates.

Her expression shifted slightly. She knew exactly what I meant.

I held out my hand knowingly, and she grabbed it immediately, with a satisfied look. Pulling her slightly closer, close enough that our breaths touched each other, we teleported in a zap of light.

The wooden prison materialised before us; the fortified place made with Mokuton glowed with veins of divine power.

Our feet touched the soft grass, the small house that used to be God's study room just a bit off in the distance.

Azrael looked around with a wistful smile.

The prison I had made was naturally reinforced by Raphael.

My smile vanished, and Azrael looked at me closely from the corner of my eye.

Unfortunately, making a prison worthy of holding back the might of a God-Class entity was no easy task. An especially hard task, considering that we were trying to hold in Ares, the God of War.

I opened the door, watching Ares' head shake up and glare at us with undiluted fury. I resisted the urge to put a spear of light through his leg, with a slight amount of difficulty.

While deserved, it wasn’t needed for now.

"Back already?" His voice dripped with annoyance. "Come to admire your handiwork?"

"Actually, yes." I approached the bound God.

Ares merely huffed and looked away, bored.

“Why have you sought me? I have no more information, and I doubt you’ve let my family pressure you into releasing me.” Ares said, seemingly serious.

"I'm here to put you to use."

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

I chuckled. “You didn’t think that you were done?”

Ares stared into my eyes. “What? Afraid I’ll get out, if left unchecked?”

“No, not quite,” I said easily.

I pulled a device from my inventory. Angelic runes covered its surface, interwoven with mechanical components

I'd designed it specifically for this purpose.

A divine energy redirector. Hopefully, linking this up to Ares would help empower the runes of his own prison.

That was merely one of the uses I had planned for him.

"You're going to be a battery," I announced.

Ares stared. Then he laughed, harsh and mocking. "A battery. That's your grand plan? I'm the God of war, not some-“

"You're going to provide divine energy for my plans," I continued, ignoring his outburst. "Starting with my sword, and then I’m going to use you to power your own cell until we can find a way to link you up to the barriers you so ruthlessly helped disable.”

I drew Vesper. The blade hummed, responding to the divine presence nearby.

Ares's laughter died. "You can't force a God to-“

"I can." I opened the cell with a thought. "And I will. Unless you'd rather rot here for a few centuries while I decide what else to do with you."

Silence stretched between us.

"Or," I held up the device, "you can cooperate, channel your energy willingly. Make this quick and painless. Know what? I will give you some benefits as well."

"And if I refuse?"

“Do it.” I challenged him.

“What…?” Ares asked slowly. He didn’t look intimidated, but definitely unnerved.

“Give me a reason.” I shrugged, though I carefully observed Azrael.

I didn’t want her to get unnerved. But to my surprise, she was staring at me intensely, her lip slightly bitten.

At least she wasn’t bothered.

“Do your worst.” Ares sneered.

“Good.” I nodded, plunging my sword directly into his leg and was careful not to hit anything important.

He grit his teeth, but took the pain in silence.

“Is that all?”

“No,” I said, allowing my sword to bathe in the God's Ichor.

The front gate in the mirror dimension had shown me that a god's blood was special. It could be used for more than just a coloured liquid that determined how close your opponent was to hitting the bucket.

Azrael moved beside me, and I placed the device at the location where his energy was most intensely imprisoned.

Ares scowled, jogging his body and trying to move in his bindings.

His divine energy was gathered in a certain area with Mokuton and Raphael’s runes. Mokuton had proven good at channelling energies and, as such, was extremely good for imprisoning beings who would normally be too powerful.

Ares glared but began channelling his divinity nonetheless. Crimson energy flowed from him into the device, mixing with the golden light. The converter hummed as it processed the raw divine essence.

Vesper drank this god's blood and energy with an unmatched greed. A sound that almost matched a heartbeat could be heard, and I felt the blade shift, its dimensions expanding a bit and the metal taking on a new hue, if only for a second.

The Angelic energy within the blade luckily didn’t deny the changes being made.

The Mithril that served as its core was able to mediate between darkness, light, and divine energies. It was definitely a small fix for a big problem, but it should be doable for the metal. I will look into some upgrades with Raphael later.

After several minutes, I pulled the blade back.

A singular new marking covered the metal.

The sword felt different. Sharper.. and more bloodthirsty.

I activated Artefact Appraisal.

Durability: 76%

Sharpness: 330%

Divine Affinity: 45%

War God's Aura (Passive): Stored divine energy can be released as an empowering aura for allies within range. Allows for extra defence and a slight empowerment.

My eyebrows rose. The sword had developed a new skill that I can only associate with war, and its sharpness had increased notably as well.

An actual passive ability, not just improved stats.

"Interesting," I murmured. Divine power, mixed with divine blood, had created something unstable yet powerful.

I wondered if this would affect the unique skill orb I'd embedded in the blade months ago. That reward from defending Heaven. The sword had been slowly developing something. Would the divine energy accelerate or interfere with that process?

"Are we done?" Ares demanded with gritted teeth.

Azrael was looking down at him with disdain.

“Well, you never cooperated with me. I believe that does deserve some sort of punishment. I shall let my beautiful assistant decide what you deserve.”

Azrael looked surprised at my words, but they caused a rather emotionless, if not slightly sadistic, smile to form on her face. “Until later, Ares~”

“Wait- How's that fair?! I did-”

I turned around and left the room. I had offered him some respite.

Not my fault, he decided to test my patience and refuse my generosity. I really couldn’t find it within me to hold any such emotion for him. He was evil, straight up and worse was his attempts on Heaven.

Though I do have to say, this revealed that Azrael sure knows some scary techniques. I don't think I have ever heard that octave, didn't even know that was humanly possible.

That apathetic mask she wore as well… was kind of endearing strangely.

Well, Ares is a God, I suppose.

-{Aphrodite}-

Aphrodite stood in the empty chamber that had been hers for thousands of years, staring at the half-packed belongings scattered across varying surfaces.

They weren’t really of much importance besides some blessed items and relics she had made in the past. It was her throne and Palace that were more important, along with her connection to the conceptual Olympus that existed.

Leaving Olympus.

The thought still felt unreal, even as she made it a reality piece by piece. She was actually doing this. Switching pantheons for the first time in her existence, switching allegiances for… Love.

It was perhaps the best reason for someone like her, someone who hadn’t had much of it despite being the Goddess of Love. Already, she could feel it, more power coming to her. New abilities manifesting, a deeper connection to her primary domain.

She had really tried to fall in love and had nearly succeeded with Adonis.

Multiple times, one time she even tried to twist her familial love into something obscene, yet it never worked. She was never able to experience the fall. That changed when she met an unknown but special Angel.

Kai.

The name sent a flood of warmth through her chest, mixing with the cold knot of anxiety that had taken residence there.

She picked up a mirror, one of her oldest possessions, and carefully wrapped it in silk. The action felt final, making her hands tremble slightly.

The Greeks were vast.

Powerful.

They had their own version of the Three Great Factions that outsiders tried desperately not to provoke, lest they draw the wrath of the three brothers.

The Big 3, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades.

Their combined might had shaped part of the supernatural world.

Despite Ares' actions, there was safety in that power.

With Ares and Artemis both missing, Olympus was tense. Not catastrophically so, but enough that the cracks were showing. It would probably escalate into a real problem in a decade or two. Maybe sooner if someone decided to capitalise on God's absence during the war.

But that wasn't her concern anymore.

Or it wouldn't be, once she finally left.

She couldn’t say it had all been bad. But all her chances for a semblance of a happy life were destroyed by those she called ‘family’. Adonis, her only friend, was dead, permanently. In a way that all Gods feared, yet were all too happy to inflict on others.

It had been that brief happiness that had been corrupted to an ugly despair with his passing.

She sighed.

It was truly surprising how much a single year could change, how a random encounter with an older teen had led to something that would no doubt become widespread.

This was a big deal.

She was a Major God. It wasn’t common for a Major God to leave any pantheon. By the Gods, it wasn't even rare! It was almost unprecedented, by historical standards.

She supposed it didn’t matter.

Aphrodite left her room and, furthermore, her Palace, and the private streets reserved for the Olympians gave her time to think.

"Aphrodite."

Or so she had thought.

The cold voice made her pause.

A Domain coming to press against her senses, divine power coming to settle in the air as if it had been suppressed solely for the intention of catching her off guard.

She turned slowly to find Hera.

The Queen of Olympus looked... decidedly less friendly than usual.

There was no other word for it. Hera had always carried herself with regal bearing, but now she seemed like something carved from the concept of authority itself.

Mature in a way that transcended age.

"Hera." Aphrodite kept her voice level, chin raised. She could not afford to show a hint of hesitation. It helped that she didn't feel an ounce of it. "I wasn't expecting you."

She wouldn’t be attacked; at the very least, the Olympians were family. Any grievances were normally inflicted on those they cared about, in a mortal sense.

"Clearly, or I imagined you would have prepared a better state of attire." Hera's gaze swept over her, taking in her attire, knowing this was what she normally wore. "Sad indeed.”

“Why have you sought me out?” Aphrodite asked, trying to ignore her words.

“I hear you’ve made a rather interesting claim as of late, an intention to abdicate your seat in Olympus.”

It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Aphrodite met her eyes. Be brave for him. "However, it's not just an intention anymore. I've made my decision."

"Have you? Athena did say you seemed rather insistent.” Hera stepped forward casually, and Aphrodite had to fight the urge to step back. “Dear, don’t make me say what everyone is thinking, I do hate beating down an already beaten Goddess.”

Aphrodite stared blankly.

“You should know by now that no one wants anything to do with you, besides what your body can do for them and even that is limited.” Hera casually commented, looking over her. “Let’s not make a rash decision; we will end up regretting it.”

Doubt filled her heart unbidden, and she subtly grit her teeth against the verbal assault.

The Queen's presence filled the space like a storm barely contained. "Though I am curious about this decision. What drives the Goddess of Love to abandon her pantheon? Abandon her family, who have dealt with the burden of a weak Olympian for so long?”

Family.

The word carried implications, subtle threats woven into its syllables.

"I'm not abandoning anyone," Aphrodite said carefully. "I'm simply... choosing a different path, and I have given much more notice than is needed for that sake."

"A path that leads where, exactly?" Hera's lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. "You've filed requests to leave. Formal procedures, tampering with your throne of power... But I notice you haven't specified a destination. Are you waiting for someone to care? Perhaps you can get one of those Dragon Kings to breed you? Keep you around for a few years until they get bored with your bland personality.”

Aphrodite kept her eyes clear, despite that slight tingle that heralded the tears she wanted to shed.

Leave it to Hera to know just what buttons to push.

Even knowing this was purely to hurt her and lower her self-esteem didn’t make it any easier.

Because if I tell you, you'll find a way to stop it.

"I'm exploring my options," Aphrodite said instead. “I feel like it’s for the best.”

"Options," Hera repeated the word slowly, tasting it. "How diplomatic of you, I never knew you began attempting to be subtle, perhaps Ares would have stopped chasing your hand had you been less slutty in your choice of clothing. And what’s made you… Feel like leaving the family you’ve been with for so long is for the best? You’ve lived a decent enough life, haven’t you? Worshipped widely by the populace, know more than some of your fellow Olympians. Married to Hephaestus.”

A brief presence made itself known, only to wither away as if wanting nothing to do with this conversation.

Aphrodite couldn’t help the annoyance flash on her features. “Constantly subjected to your son's attempt to enslave me, a marriage I begged you not to force, worshipped as nothing more than a patron of lust.”

Hera looked genuinely surprised for a second, before that became a mask of amusement.

“Oh, come now, dear, my son is hardly a threat to anyone besides the mortals’ sense of fashion. And Hephaestus is hardly a problem to deal with. A marriage you weren’t even forced to consummate, and I even allowed to annul it despite it going against my domain of marriage.” Hera sounded genuinely amused.

“Is this truly why you’re leaving? I had assumed my husband had tried to foolishly force himself on you or some other such thing.”

“I’m sure it’s easy to overlook such matters for the Queen of Olympus, but I do not find it amusing. I have decided that I no longer wish to maintain such a life. I know I deserve better.” Aphrodite replied.

“And yet, I can't help but wonder what pantheon would be willing to accept you. What God would risk Zeus's displeasure by offering you sanctuary?"

The temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees at the words of the Queen, images of her insecurity at never giving birth, her lack of a marriage due to a lack of anyone to love.

Aphrodite tried to keep her expression neutral, even if some hostility must have escaped her attempts. "I've fulfilled my duties here for a great amount of time. I am sure I can do well for myself, even if other Pantheons don't look forward to my requests. A destitute life would still be better for a Goddess of Love than this lie I have been living."

Hera laughed lightly; it wasn’t cruel or mocking. Just a rather harsh sound filled with genuine amusement.

"Are you?" Hera moved closer, stroking a strand of blonde hair out of the way. "The Greeks are not a pantheon one simply leaves, Aphrodite. We are bound by blood, by history, by power that predates most of creation. These bonds don't break easily."

"I'm aware it’s not something that can be done lightly," Aphrodite said, keeping her voice steady through sheer will. "That's why I'm following the proper procedures. The process takes time. I'm not trying to insult anyone.”

"The process." Hera's laugh was cold. "Yes, I've heard about your 'process.' Requests filed. Your chat with Athena. The permissions you seek. All very proper and polite, well done." She paused, and her next words carried a hint of pity. "All very lonely."

Aphrodite tried to suppress the twinge of hurt.

“Look, dear, I understand you’re upset. I do wish you had come to me. After all, as bad as you make it out to be, we are a family. Ares never deliberately or physically hurt you. I believe you’re blowing things out of proportion.” Hera said with a sigh. “A Goddess, even as powerful as you, leaving wouldn’t be good. Especially if many more… lustful Gods saw that true form of yours you hide.”

Aphrodite suppressed a shiver at the reminder. But Hera’s words fell on deaf ears.

Ares had seen that form.

“Why won’t you allow me to leave in peace? I have made a decision, and there are better options for me as a Goddess.” Aphrodite replied.

"You think you'll find acceptance elsewhere?" Hera continued softly. Dangerously so. Her words became less conversational and more manipulative. She could almost picture the image Hera was trying to paint. "You think another pantheon will welcome you with open arms? They'll see you for what you will be: an outsider. A refugee. Someone who abandoned her own kin."

Aphrodite's jaw tightened. "That's not-"

"Isn't it?" Hera interrupted. "You'll be alone, Aphrodite. No family. No allies who've known you for millennia. Just you and whatever foolish hope drove you to this decision."

The words hit harder than Aphrodite wanted to admit. Because Hera was right about one thing, leaving Olympus meant leaving everything she'd ever known.

Yet, she was wrong. Multiple faces flashed in her mind. White feathery wings. Kind smiles brightened by his halos. A young woman sitting at a fire. A silver-haired elf asking about Divinity. A Dragon grumbling about a certain big serpent.

With each thought, the image Hera was painting, a life of loneliness, crumbled.

The final blow came in the form of a young Angel who had the kindest eyes she had seen. His smile was warm enough to melt glaciers that had frozen her hopes.

"I'll manage," Aphrodite said, with much more confidence than before. Hera raised an eyebrow at her new-found confidence, and her authority seemed to recede after a moment’s thought.

“We will speak on this further. For now I will allow you to sit and think about whether the person who had obviously captured your heart is worth it.” Hera said. “The fates know you would be so susceptible the moment a man shows you any attention above your appearance.”

The words cut into her despite knowing that was their intended purpose.

Aphrodite sighed. Of course, the Goddess of Family and Marriage would know about her budding feelings.

“Or maybe you should think about what the man who’s captured your little crush would think about a Goddess of love abandoning her own family.” Hera said with a roll of her eyes. “No wonder your domain connection is so weak. I doubt even he would love you after seeing this display of abandonment.”

Hera didn’t linger and Aphrodite didn't bother saying something like a ‘goodbye’. A foolish thing many did was overlook Hera in favour of fearing Zeus’ wrath.

But in her opinion Zeus was a much simpler being with more power.

That was always easier to handle.

-{Kai}-

Gabriel was pouting,

I could tell because her usual bright smile had been replaced with a subtle frown, and she kept glancing at me with those expressive eyes. Though there was a stern and dissatisfied glint.

"You're going to be careful, right?" she asked for the third time in ten minutes.

"Yes, Gabriel."

"And you'll come back as soon as you can?"

"Yes." I answered truthfully.

It was a stealth mission after all and my fateless perk would truly see to that.

"And you won't do anything reckless?"

I paused. "Define reckless."

"Kaiel." Her voice carried that warning tone that meant she was actually worried.

I reached over and pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'll be fine."

She leaned into me but didn't look convinced. "Let me go with you.”

I sighed. “I want to, but depriving Heaven of its best and most powerful healer wouldn’t do any good, especially when Michael is also going with me.”

“I’m serious.” Gabriel said, leaning into me. “Just… allow me to go with you along with Michael.”

“Gabriel… it’s not like I don’t want you to come.”

I was serious.

Having Gabriel around with a was general mood booster for me and I couldn’t deny I had grown addicted to her beauty, both in soul and body. But I didn’t want to be selfish… then again I could, but I wanted her on standby.

She had certain tasks that I had entrusted her with… It would be good to have her though and just in case my plan of stealth didn’t work with whatever threat awaited us.

Two Arch-Seraphs would be a powerful force.

But I shouldn’t need it.

I truly wasn’t looking to get in any danger but I was somehow still a chaos maker even without a string of fate.

I nearly crumbled but held my resolve.

I’d only be a few days.

Anyway, Heaven may need her and I didn’t want to take away more from its might. A few of the Seraphim were already working outside of Heaven and that was starting to increase.

Gabriel frowned. “Then what? What’s the point of Heaven growing if it doesn’t serve you.”

I stared flatly. “I mean, there are many points of it growing even without me.”

Gabriel frowned deeply.

“I’ll be fine. I’m not weak, I’ve got the my new creation-“

Gabriel’s gaze turned icy. “The creation you fought alone.”

“-and I’ve got Michael. The angelic empowerment has pushed him into the super-class and with his abilities he’s probably one of the strongest beings around.”

That alone was a confidence booster.

“Maybe… there’s still a whole realm of power above that…” Gabriel trailed off.

“I doubt any Primordials are going to pop out and for the other monsters… we aren’t looking for danger…” I tried.

“But you know Luck has a way of finding its tides against you. That and your presence that draws chaos like a moth to a flame.” Gabriel sighed. “It feels like there are so many forces against you, forces I cannot yet destroy. And it makes me unhappy with what the future holds against you.”

“If there are forces, they’ve been trying for a long time. And these forces are going to have to contend against Michael..” I tried to comfort her. “If they didn’t succeed with the last attempt to destroy Heaven, they’ll hardly succeed now.”

“Kaiel… this organisation. They led a force of multiple Gods from multiple Pantheons. This seems large. I know I’ve been repeating this but I hope you see why I am so anxious.” Gabriel said softly. “Can’t you at least take the Heavenly army with you? They would be honoured and overjoyed to serve.”

See, marching an army of angels into Greek territory was not quite subtle and I’d probably find myself in more trouble doing that.

“A massive army of Angels in golden armour isn’t inconspicuous.” I replied dryly. “Look, Michael is hardly going to somehow immediately evaporate, it’ll be easy to escape if it does come to pass. And do you know why that’ll be easy?”

She leaned forward and kissed me deeply, catching me off-guard for a moment as the gorgeous woman stole my breath. Then she proceeded to pull back and look mildly annoyed. “Because you’re keeping a low profile.”

“Exactly.” I beamed, shoving down the desire to bring her.

She giggled lightly. “Just be careful?”

“Always.” I said soothingly. “It gets too much I’ll simply call you or Azrael, better yet that’s only if I can’t make a hasty escape.”

She finally relaxed.

We sat together for a little while, until deciding to join the others near the mansion. We made our way down to everyone else who was within the sub-dimension.

Near the small mansion, I spotted Hestia sitting on the grass with Tiamat, who was sprawled out like a lazy cat. Azrael stood a bit apart, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed.

"Finally," Tiamat called out. "We were starting to think you two got lost."

"Or distracted," Hestia added with a sweet smile.

Gabriel rolled her eyes lightly but kept her joyful smile, even as she didn't let go of my hand as we walked over.

Azrael looked at me. Her dark eyes studied me. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good." I stretched my shoulders. “Ready to go I suppose.”

Azrael nodded quietly.

We all settled on the grass in a loose circle. It felt... normal. Like we were just hanging out, not sitting on the eve of something dangerous.

"So what's the plan?" Tiamat asked, plucking at the grass. "You go off, investigate and come back a hero with a goddess in arms?"

I smirked at her statement. "Something like that. I’m not planning on getting too involved beyond getting some information.”

"Good plan," Azrael said. “If there is danger, return to Heaven or better yet allow the Heavenly Host to show the world we still exist.”

"A bit extreme.” I said, relaxing, but my face became serious. “But I’ll take those words to heart.”

Azrael smiled.

Hestia reached over and squeezed my shoulder. "If you desire I could join? Or tell my brother. I am sure my family won’t ignore such a threat.”

Hestia was displeased, mostly since I was being secretive as to what I was doing and she wanted to help. Which unfortunately wouldn’t do much with what I was planning.

“Wouldn’t they do exactly that?” Tiamat commented with a laugh.

Hestia frowned. “I could at least get involved.”

“There’s no need and I doubt your pantheon will permit that.” I replied idly.

Hestia frowned but refrained from continuing.

A sudden commotion announced the arrival of the twelve angels before we saw them. Avael, Ariel, Zakiel, Tamiel, Aurel, Raciel, Naciel, Rashiel, Hanel, Merael, Danel, and Nerael burst into view, immediately swarming around us.

"Father!" Avael exclaimed.

"You're here!"

"We missed you!"

"Can we come on the quest?"

"No," all four women said in unison.

They all pouted but settled down around us, treating Hestia and me like we were the center of their world. An amusing sight to say the last, as powerful Angels were reduced to excitable kids.

Then again, In a way, they were just kids.

We spent the next few hours just talking. Hestia told stories about the ridiculous things the younger Angels had done. Tiamat shared what she had been doing outside of Heaven, which seemed to be mostly trips to her massive treasury.

Gabriel mostly listened, occasionally adding supportive comments while staring at my face lovingly, which admittedly did cause a small blush to appear on my cheeks.

Azrael stayed quiet but I could see the small smile on her face.

Gabriel’s hand was latched onto me and her ring glinted prettily in the light hanging above us in a wide spread canopy of golden leaves.

My mind sparked and I suddenly remembered.

"Oh yeah," I said suddenly. "I almost forgot something."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out two small boxes.

Nyxera smiled. “Oh my~”

I blinked at her.

Avael pouted… as did all of my angels assembled.

"Hestia, Tiamat, you both mentioned wanting rings."

Hestia's eyes went wide, her cheeks turning golden. "Kai, you didn't have to-“

Tiamat merely stared incomprehensibly.

"I wanted to." I handed them the boxes. “I could see you both wanted one. And leaving you out wouldn’t be fair as my technical family.”

I sighed. “I can’t boast they are as powerful as Gabriel’s or even have that many abilities, but I hope they look good enough. They all contain Mithril which should help with any power channeling.”

Hestia was speechless.

Tiamat looked at me feverishly, her emotions going wild. “Is this for me?”

I imagined for a dragon that was most definitely a hoarder this was a nice surprise.

“Of course.”

“Y-yes, thank you.” Hestia said softly, but she was already opening hers.

Inside was a ring with a warm orange stone that flickered. There was a band going around the otherwise shiny metal, like crystals that shined more beautifully than diamonds could ever hope.

I had one for Aphrodite but she was busy in Olympus. I had ordered Raphael to look out for her just in case… she was Heaven’s now.

"Put them on!" Naciel said excitedly.

They slipped the rings on and immediately the twelve angels crowded around to look, making excited noises.

“Mithril. You told me about it, amazing. Normal metals are good for channeling but they need a formation of sorts to actually withstand the onslaught of energies,” Tiamat commented with amazement. “This Mithril seems to genuinely just enhance it with some sort of weird conceptual enhancement.”

For some reason Hestia stared at the ring strangely, her soft glowing eyes wide as if this was some sort of gigantic occurrence.

“T-thank you, I will accept it most graciously and I promise never to lose sight of it.” Hestia decided.

She approached me and I looked at her curiously.

Gabriel giggled as Hestia sent her a look. Then I found a pair of soft lips on mine, much to my immediate shock and a little bit of horror. Hestia pulled back quickly and looked away.

What…?

I can't say I didn't know she had some feelings for me, even if I didn't want to presume as such. Then again, she had kissed me before. What I was worried about is Gabriel’s reaction to this… development.

I sent a quick glance towards her, expecting to see righteous anger and hurt, but all indicators showed that Gabriel was almost… happy?

Raphael had once mentioned something about supernatural world views being different… but I thought this was more of a Devil thing? I wasn’t idiotic enough to not realise what this meant.

How had I even managed that?

I sent Gabriel a questioning look, which was met with a reassuring acceptance and blinding happiness. I turned back to the suddenly shy Hestia, taking a moment to admire her.

Her face was beautiful with high cheekbones and a delicate nose that led down into soft lips that were mightily inviting, curved into a shy smile that made my heart race.

Her black hair cascaded down her back in loose waves and she currently seemed to be getting more embarrassed by the minute.

I took a breath, my mind racing.

With Gabriel’s strange acceptance, along with my own desire I had admittedly been suppressing, it wasn't hard to guess what happened next. I leant forward and kissed the Goddess. It was quick and brief but I accepted her. Which made her body slack with relief.

Giving her a smile, I was happy to find that my efforts were rewarded by a smile of her own. I stood next to Gabriel, who wrapped her pearly wings around my back and leant her head on my shoulders.

I was so confused by this new dynamic…

It was then that I noticed Azrael had gone very still. She was staring at the ground, her jaw tight.

She looked... hurt.

Trying not to show it, but hurt.

“Azrael.” I called, raising an eyebrow.

“Y-yes my Lord?”

“You didn’t think I left you out, did you?” I asked.

I had made one for Raphael as well. I wasn’t sure if anyone else would want one though and they were rather hard to make.

Azrael perked up.

I pulled out a third box.

“You got me one?” She took it slowly, hands actually trembling as she opened it. Inside was a ring with a black stone shot through with silver veins, like stars in a night sky.

For a moment she just stared at it.

Then she smiled. A real, genuine, excited smile that completely transformed her face. The normally cold, reserved goth girl looked almost giddy.

"I love it," she said quietly, immediately slipping it on. She held her hand up, admiring it from every angle. "It's perfect."

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Avael's voice cut through the moment. "How come they get rings and we don't?!"

"Yeah!" Ariel crossed her arms. "That's not fair!"

"We've been loyal!" Zakiel added.

"We've been with you for longer!" Tamiel protested.

I laughed. “You didn’t tell me you wanted rings.”

"So?!" Raciel said. "We still want rings!"

"This is blatant favoritism!" Naciel declared.

“I’m sure I can make you some.” I nodded.

They all perked up.

“Really?”

“Yes, after the quest.” I smiled.

Their smiles turned into pouts. Despite that, I didn’t miss Hestia looking at me intensely. We spent a few more minutes before another aura entered the sub-dimension.

Michael appeared at the edge of the clearing, but not the casual Michael I usually saw.

He was in full battle armor, gleaming silver and gold that seemed to glow with its own light. With the massive sword at his hip, he looked like a Knight straight out of a teenage girl's fantasy.

I wanted to say he looked intimidating but he looked too… Michael-ish to be intimidating to me. I wanted to pat his head, he was kind of adorable in this armour.

“My Lord, are you ready?” He asked, almost like a puppy excited to go on a walk. I really need to stop comparing him to a dog… I think my subconscious thoughts are having an effect on reality.

“I am.” I replied with a smile, getting up and trying to ignore all the downright pleading glances.

“Let’s go.”

-END-

Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter. It’s quite a long one.

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