Disclaimer: All characters in this story are consenting adults over the age of 18.
Celestial Ascendancy
Chapter 83: The Morning of Peace.
Elias Black
Kuoh, Japan.
Saturday.
I woke up before the sun came out, the only light in the room coming from Amaterasu's medallion. I still wasn't sure why, but she had decided to leave it with me for the time being. Honestly, I'd expected the thing to self-destruct after the meeting. Yet, I continued to feel the warmth of her sun radiating inside it. And like I've said before… it felt nice.
I wasn't complaining. The girls also loved the cozy feeling it gave the room.
It was quiet. Too quiet, compared to the usual laughter echoing in these walls, and a comfortable heaviness settled in my chest. Something warm pressed against me. Too heavy to be Iris, who usually stole that spot. And too clean to be Rias, I thought with amusement, especially after feeling a bit of wetness on my chest. This only left one candidate.
Letting out a soft sigh, I opened my eyes and smiled when I saw Akeno in all her glory, snuggled against me. Her dark hair draped over us like a curtain since it wasn't tied in her usual ponytail. Pale skin glowing under the last shine of the moonlight before it retreated. She looked otherworldly… if you ignored the drool slipping from her mouth.
I laughed quietly, not wanting to wake her, and glanced around the room. Warmth seeped into me, different from the medallion's light... and from two different directions, one I tried very hard to ignore. No one would fault me. Not if they could see this. And no one but me was blessed enough to.
Iris and Hermione were snuggled together at my right. At the same time, Rias buried her face in Fleur's perfect chest, snoring softly and enjoying something I really needed to claim for myself.
All my girls, in one place. All whole and safe. Even knowing what kind of day was coming, I couldn't be happier.
With everything happening, we still hadn't completed our union, not with any of my three other lovers. Something Iris and Mione did their best to gloat about, even if they'd been just as itchy as the rest of us.
Not for lack of trying, I assure you. They'd been restless for the same reason, just like me, but too much kept piling on, and we never found the time.
First, there was Fleur. My Flower. She was the first one to join our strange relationship, the third in the group, and because of that, I'd decided to take things slow. To make sure she was certain that she wouldn't regret it.
I didn't fear that anymore, but then the war heated up, and both of us, especially me, weren't in the mood. Not after seeing so many of our people die in droves.
Then came my death and resurrection. I didn't admit how much it affected me, but it did, and they knew it. They didn't push, nor did I initiate anything for that matter.
Then we came to Kuoh, reuniting with my other two lovers and making things official, and then shit hit the fan. Akeno, my Akeno, almost died if it wasn't for some miracle I didn't know how to replicate, and believe me, not for the lack of trying.
I simply couldn't bless someone like I did to Asia, and it was a blessing; I couldn't deny it anymore. She was stronger than before by a large margin, pure like my light. A Saint, a living Saint.
Hermione thought it was because of her faith in me. And as bashful as it made me feel, it made sense. I still didn't understand many things that had changed during my rebirth. It's not like I could ask anyone.
Really, probably even the Angels would be as confused as Metatron was, including the Archangel Michael, who currently sat on the throne of Heaven.
But no one, absolutely no one, believed in me as much as Asia did. If I were to compare the belief that trickled by at every single moment, Asia alone dwarfed the feeling from every single wizard and witch combined back in Britain.
I didn't want to think of the other source of belief I had from Xenovia. That girl had to be dropped on the head when she was younger. And it was troublesome because, unlike Asia, who even before my blessing revered me, at least she was always shy about it.
She was honestly so cute in how she thought I couldn't see her looking at me from the corner of her eye and blushing every time.
No, Xenovia was a menace. Openly kneeling when I passed by, which I had to seat her down and tell her to just bow, if she had to do anything.
Which turns out, she did. There had been enough friction thanks to her open prayers in front of the devils. It reached the point that even Asia noticed and took her to pray in the church whenever they wanted to pray to God, despite knowing that Michael was the one receiving those prayers.
But now, she always knelt in front of our room to pray to me. Even now, I could feel her praying, just behind the door.
Obviously, Hermione asked quite interestedly if I could replicate my blessing with the wielder of Durandal, something I vehemently denied.
Not because she didn't deserve it, but because I didn't know how she would act if I did that. I didn't fail to see the sheer jealousy inside her heart when she understood what I had done to my little blond Saintness.
Something that Asia all but crumbled after their second meeting. Even that human part of Xenovia couldn't fight against Asia's cuteness.
Shaking my head, I decided to ignore her really loud prayers and go back to less uncomfortable things, like Asia's sacred gear and our miracle, which saved my loved one.
An absurd Balance breaker. The denial of death made form.
No one marked by her cross could die at all while her Balance Breaker was active. No one, nothing.
The drawback, because it obviously needed one, was that first, if she wavered in her belief in me, it would stop working. As soon as its duration finished, all injuries would hit at once. All of them.
And that it took a shit lot of magical power to sustain when multiple people were covered. We inspected it really hard the following days, for obvious reasons, because even Serafall was screaming at the injustice of it all, even inviting her to join her peerage.
Something she said jokingly because she already knew the answer, but seriously because I wouldn't be surprised if she prayed at that moment for Asia to accept her invitation.
Which she did not. Hilariously enough. Seeing the devil pouting warmed my heart because she used every opportunity to tease me and I wanted vengeance.
But going back to my cute saint and her absurd power. It stopped death, completely. My Mione, being the scary, intelligent, and reckless lover, had the bright idea herself to cut her throat and let her blood flow for over an hour, because she was the only one marked by Asia's cross, she continued acting as if it was nothing more than a paper wound until Asia's magic depleted.
We obviously healed her when Asia began to show strain, but still. The idiot.
The only reason I knew about it and allowed her to go through that was because they didn't tell me until after she started. And believe me, that shouting match was legendary. I was still a bit pissed at her, but she swore to never risk herself like that.
… Throwing stones at glass houses and all that, because the first thing she did was throw away my idiocy of burning myself to increase the power of power through pain all those months ago. But I wasn't as intelligent as her, and I had thought she was at least wiser to avoid these kinds of risks.
Feeling some movement in the bed, I smiled seeing Iris's eyes open slowly before she yawned and stretched on top of Mione.
I had to try really hard to reel in what her beautiful body did to me. She smiled in my direction before laughing sheepishly when Mione pinched Iris's chest with a huff for being woken up.
Iris squealed and shivered, waking everyone else, and I deadpanned at my green-eyed lover.
"Nice work, love," I droned out, caressing Akeno's shoulder as she moved her head, smiling at me before peppering my chest with kisses.
"My bad," she rolled her eyes with a huff as she sat down in all her nude glory, stretching even more, "Didn't expect a bit of nail in there."
"That's what you get for waking me up, idiot," Mione huffed as she sat too, giving the red mark in Iris's body a quick kiss, "At least I didn't burn anyone here, like someone."
Fleur at my side giggled as she helped Rias to stand, then turned towards the window, seeing the moon retreating.
"Tonight's the night, then," she murmured softly, "Are you all ready?"
Everyone nodded firmly, and she smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"I'm happy," she said perkily, "I love you all, you have no idea how glad my decision to follow you makes me."
Rias smiled at the otherworldly beauty as she kissed her lips too fast for Fleur to react, making her pout, "And we love you, Flower. Never forget that."
That destroyed Fleur's pout, making me grin as I sat with my back against the bedrest, pulling Akeno into my lap.
Looking down, I saw Akeno grinning at me as she showed me all her glory, and I gulped like a virgin. She knew what she was doing to me, even sitting harder against my lap for a second before she put her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.
Shaking my head and feeling the grins out of my girls, I sighed, "So, what's the plan? We have the whole day before everyone arrives."
"Nothing much," Rias replied softly, tapping her lips with her fingers and tilting her head, "Sona wanted a meeting to go through everything, and you need to send someone with Ash to Britain to bring that pensive. But after that, we should be free. Seekvaira sent the dresses and your new toga last night."
"I still don't understand why they have that kind of attire in hell," Iris deadpanned, looking at the redhead, "Like, you know, religion and that."
"You don't want to know," Rias winced as she let out a breath, "Let's just say that not everyone was reincarnated with their approval, and the only reason said person was allowed to open the store is to gloat at him."
"That's horrible," Hermione gasped, "And can't your brother do anything about that?"
"It's not that easy, Mione," Akeno replied softly from her place, "The Satans had to allow many, many things for the project of the evil pieces to be approved, and as you know, every race has its bad apples."
"It's just not fair," she sighed sadly.
"Never said it was," Rias shrugged, "Any other question before we go and prepare?"
"Just one," Iris lifted her hand as if she was in class, making me snort, "What about security? Did you speak with Sona and Sera about that?"
"Would they even dare to attack after we repelled the last one?" Mione raised her eyebrow.
You could hear a pin drop with the silence that overcame the room as we all craned our necks to look at her with our most deadpan expressions.
"Did you just… Really, Mione?" Fleur sighed, "I'd better grab the bow before we go to the meeting room."
"I call dibs on the armor," Rias deadpanned, "Iris doesn't need it anymore."
"We should see if we can tailor mine for some of you, or just let Kiba use it since he is the only male that can take advantage of it," I said thoughtfully, enjoying the rising blush on Mione.
Even her chest was red this time.
Hermione pouted fiercely as she snorted, "It was a genuine question," she defended herself.
Iris cackled from my side, and even Akeno laughed lightly, "We should get ready, I want to enjoy a bit before the peace talks. Maybe we should go to the new Mexican restaurant near the church, that way Asia and Xenovia can visit before we're needed."
"You are so nice to them," I smiled and kissed her forehead, making her beam and perk up.
"I planned to wait a bit before rolling, but now that Mione tempted fate, I might as well do it. You know, just in case," I joked, winking at the brown haired woman, "Better to be prepared."
She huffed and walked to the wardrobe, grabbed six fluffy towels, and threw them into the bed before she sat down again, "Hate you all."
"No, you don't," we sang in unison as I called the Grimoire out, opening the mysterious book and smiling at what was inside.
800 Celestial Points Available.
At The Blind Spot- I'm The Grim Reaper (400 Points)
Strong emotions and stressful situations can turn innocent people unpredictable, and this is especially true for you. Your actions are completely unpredictable, at least to your opponents. You're a complete wild card, with no one able to predict your actions and thoughts. You're so unpredictable that not even precognition and other forms of seeing the future are capable of predicting your actions and influence. You're at the blind spot of any prophecy, and not even the Angel of the Future will be able to predict your actions by using his precognition.
Black- Final Fantasy XIV (400 Points)
Black materia is unique, bearing the skills of not the wielder, but rather the foes that the original item may have faced. Exposure needs to be frequent and numerous so that the materia can properly retain the skill, and it takes quite some time for a socketed item to recognize the skill. Monster's skills could be transferred this way, but you'll have to have a massive amount of live experience.
Reading through the description of the first perk, I smiled widely, earning confused looks from my girls. This was something valuable, because in truth, I was afraid of some beings Sona let us know in our supernatural world classes. Even Rosse had met some scary beings with Odin.
And future sight, while rare, was common enough in the adult's table for me to know that I would face it someday. Considering the way I was growing, it was just a matter of time until a God or someone in that ballpark decided that I was too much of a danger and tried to remove me from the world.
Because I was sure I would get dragged into a bunch of events in my rise. It was in my nature.
As for the second one, my eyes lit up with an idea when the black glass orb dropped into my palm. It was a small thing, barely 3 centimeters in diameter, but I couldn't be any happier. Literally.
The girls looked at me expectantly, and I explained the anti-scrying perk, earning nods of approval from my girls, knowing it was a good thing.
Then, their eyes went into the orb I was playing around with.
Closing my eyes and smiling, I willed my light to form on top of my hand. More and more of the Aetherius went into my palm until it was solid gold.
Taking a page from Amaterasu, my light morphed into a bright medallion with the orb inside, before light strains formed around it, creating a beautiful necklace.
Opening my eyes, I smiled in satisfaction, feeling my presence and my love inside my light, then turned and looked at my Mione.
"I know I promised a Sacred Gear, love. But this should suffice until I can get my hands on one," I smiled at her, laughing as her eyes lit up and she squealed her thanks.
"What does it do, Eli?" she asked excitedly.
I explain what the Grimoire said before letting it fade out of existence, "It might not be something that powerful, but I think you will make the best use of it from all of us."
"Hell, for the time being, we can use Asia's balance breaker to attack you until the spells are engraved into it. Think about it with your beautiful mind and let us know what spells you want, go wild. Just make sure you can cast it with your magical reserves," I winked at her.
She looked at the necklace with wide eyes, and I knew her enough to see that her mind was running a marathon. She smiled and turned around before grabbing her hair in one hand.
Taking a moment to enjoy the sight, I caressed her naked back, feeling its smoothness and her shivers.
Deciding to tease her a bit, I nipped her neck before putting the necklace on her, then willed my light to retract a bit, forming a choker.
If anyone asked, I did it for it to be tight around her neck and secure… No other reasons on my mind.
Metatron
Seventh Heaven
The light was everywhere. It always was in the Seventh, filling every hall, every chamber, every impossible arch that Father had raised before time itself was properly established. I strolled, letting it wash over me as I always did when the doubts threatened to sink their claws into my soul. He might have not been my birth Father like the rest of my brothers and sisters, but for all intents that mattered, he was my only Father.
Unsurprisingly enough, lately I have spent the majority of my free time here. Enjoying it.
It was warm. Gentle and all-encompassing. And the only source in the whole world of Yahweh's light.
Being unique in Heaven was something I took pride in, not enough to be a problem, but… I was a mortal once. And for that, I understood what I had seen better than my peers ever would.
And yet, even here, in the holiest place creation had to offer, I couldn't banish the thought that gnawed at me since Kuoh.
What if Elias hadn't been there?
I stopped, pressing my palm against the cool white marble. My fingers trembled. I never trembled, for I was Metatron, the Scribe, the Voice, the one who came closest to Yahweh's radiance. And still, that night, I had nearly fallen. Nearly. The line had been closer than I cared to admit.
I'd seen sin before. I lived through it when I was mortal. I saw it firsthand, saw it better than the other Seraphs. Then, God changed me, but I still counted it, recorded it. As it was my duty.
But never had I felt it so ready to claim me.
If Elias hadn't been there, if his light hadn't washed over me, if his golden blood hadn't spilled onto my soul like a panacea…
I closed my eyes before I could drown in that thought. Enough. No use collapsing into despair. Not when I felt it once again. The feeling of hope.
And just like that, memory pulled me back.
Flashback start. (This happens just after Kuoh's attack)
Uriel and I arrived at Heaven's gates not long after Kuoh.
His steps were sharp and impatient. His wings flared as if deciding whether he should have burned the whole battlefield away.
Mine, on the other hand, were slower. Introspective. I was still turning it all over in my mind, every word, every breath of that night.
Irina Shidou trailed behind us, Excalibur Destruction strapped against her back, while Mimic was in the form of a hair lash, her eyes rimmed red from tears.
She looked lost. Too lost, just as me. And she kept glancing around as if the splendor of Heaven might distract her from the hollow ache in her chest.
Perhaps it would have been for the best if it did. But life sometimes wasn't fair.
"Gone," she muttered once under her breath, "Xenovia's gone."
Her voice cracked.
Uriel heard her and scowled deeply. But he didn't answer.
He was furious. Not at her, but at everything. The devils, the Fallens, magicians… Elias. Everything.
I did answer.
"She is not gone," I said softly, looking at the girl from the corner of my eye. "She chose another path. I convinced her to stay with Lord Elias."
Irina's head snapped up.
Confusion, grief, hope, all tangled in her expression at the same time, "Lord Elias?" she whispered, "You mean… is it true? What he said? That he's… a Messiah? Did he really bless Asia Argento?"
Uriel stopped dead in his tracks. The air turned sharp as his holy power surged in reflex, making Irina pale and stumble under the weight.
"Metatron," he growled, "I waited enough. Explain."
"Uriel," I chided, stepping between them, and my holy power covered the cowering mortal, "Do not smother the child with your power. She has suffered enough."
He narrowed his eyes but banked his power. Not fully, never fully, but enough.
I placed a hand on Irina's shoulder, steadying her. She looked at me as if waiting for me to deny it. I couldn't. Because what she said, what she saw, was the truth.
"All will be explained when we reach the others," I told both of them, "For now, walk."
Uriel bristled, his wings trembled showing his agitation, "Should she even be here? This is Heaven. Even a visit for one such as her is unusual."
Irina winced. I kept my expression impassive.
"She should," I said firmly, "I have a feeling, Uriel. One I dare not ignore. She is meant to hear this. Also, this will make sure the church doesn't play its games."
Uriel's frown deepened, his gaze glancing in suspicion at the mortal, but he huffed and turned away. "Fine. But she stays silent unless told otherwise. Be proud, Irina Shidou, for no mortal has stepped here since ancient times. The last one is walking next to you."
I nodded, guiding Irina forward. I did my best to ignore her gawking at me.
The Sixth Heaven greeted us with the song of thousands of unshaped beings. Their choirs filled the vaulted chamber, voices woven together into a tapestry that shook the walls with its purity. All Yahweh's creations.
Not angels, not even complete beings, but prototypes. Of what came later.
And at the center, around a vast circular table, the others waited.
Michael, who was trying to appear calm, sat in the highest seat. His twelve golden wings flapping gently on his back.
Next to him, Gabriel, whose smile trembled, but her eyes widened as she watched my wings, which I just noticed had gained a golden tint. She leaned forward in curiosity as her eyes turned to Irina, who meekly followed me.
Raphael's gaze was sharp and worried. And he should be, because out of all the Great Seraphs here, he must be the only one to feel something on the back of his head.
For it was his duty when the time came.
Uriel slipped into his place with a scowl that hadn't left his face since Kuoh.
I shook my head; his temper was the worst of all of us.
Their eyes all fell on Irina.
"Why is she here?" Raphael asked bluntly, but his eyes were soft as he looked at the troubled child.
"She will listen," I replied. "That is all. She will not disturb unless asked to. Trust me."
Michael tilted his head, studying me with that gentle melancholy that had never left him since his Father's departure, "Then tell us, Metatron. Tell us what happened in what should have been a simple mission. You almost fell, Brother. Your name blinked out of Father's book."
So I did, hiding the smile that threatened to appear on my face. Michael and Gabriel, the only Seraphs that truly saw me as part of the heavenly host, instead of an outsider.
I spoke of Kuoh. Of Satanael's spear drenched in Samael's blood. Of the corruption of Seiryuu. Of the plan that their younger brother planned to enact.
But more than that, I spoke of Elias.
Of the light that poured from him during our first meeting inside that Hollow. The feeling of such peace, such power. Such purity.
Or the feeling I got when Satanael tried to drag me down into the pit.
The way the sin, the sheer corruption, wormed into my essence changed it. Twisting it.
The way Elias's blood… his golden ichor, dripped on me and cleansed, just like Yahweh once did when one of his Seraphs almost fell during the Great War.
The only reason Heaven didn't lose a single one throughout the conflict was that.
I told them how he reached into an excommunicated nun's soul and made her a Saint in truth to save Barakiel's daughter. Not a metaphor. Nor something crass like just filling her with enough Holy Power to change her essence. A Saint who walked and breathed among us.
Their faces shifted. Gabriel's eyes widened with delight and confusion as her hands clasped under the table.
Raphael's brows furrowed in calculation, already running through implications, before his eyes widened in realization. Michael… oh, Michael looked as though a thousand memories weighed on his shoulders, sorrow and hope twisting in equal measure.
But just as I, they understood that hope was back on the table. After hundreds of years, we could be saved. No one in heaven liked to admit how bad was the state we found ourselves in.
Uriel scowled, "You speak of miracles too easily, Metatron. Do not forget… this 'Messiah' lies in the bed of devils. He flaunts sin. He surrounds himself with women. Does that sound like Father's choice to you?"
His words cut sharply, and Irina flinched. Just as the rest of the Great Seraphs looked at me in askance.
I fixed him with a steady look even as I gulped in nervousness, "Did you not feel it, Uriel? When you stood near him? Did you not feel your own nature waver under the weight of his light?"
Uriel froze. For once, he had no answer. Nor did I expect one. Only after meeting him could one truly understand.
I pressed on, "Yes, he sins. He was mortal once. He carries their weakness, their desires, their flaws. But when he sins, for he does sin… "
I paused, my voice catching as I remembered what I saw, "... his sins do not taint his soul, his light does not allow it. Just like…" I stopped, unable to speak Yahweh's name.
The silence stretched as every Seraph looked deep in thought.
Raphael broke it first, "If this is true, then he is a danger and a blessing both. He is not one of us. A miracle, yes, but miracles are called miracles for a reason. He could change everything Father created, and we'd have no way to know if for the better."
Gabriel shook her head fiercely, her pout brought every complaint from her brothers down, "No. He saved Irina's friend. He saved you, brother. He saved Kuoh. He created a Saint… just like Father. That's not dangerous. That's the hope we longed for."
Michael sighed, the sound full of centuries of hopelessness. For he knew better than anyone that Heaven could not be the same without Yahweh. "Hope… a word I had not thought about for a long time."
Uriel growled., "And what of his ties? To devils? To Gremory? To Fae creation he walks side by side?"
I lifted my hand to stop his tirade, "They matter less than what he is. He will be at the peace talks. That is not my wish, nor probably his, but a fact. Whatever else you believe, you need to meet him yourselves. You need to speak to him. To see what he really is."
"Then we will," Michael said at last, his voice firm, "I have my doubts, brother. More after seeing what almost happened, but if you speak for him… I want to see what you see."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
But the thought still burned in me, the question I didn't dare voice.
For what reason did the System make his apotheosis possible in the first place?
Because the only one that came to mind... it scared me.
Flashback end.
The memory faded, and the light of the Seventh Heaven returned around me. I reached the doors where the Great Seraphs were already gathered.
Gabriel practically vibrated in place, her wings twitching in excitement, her whole body leaning forward like an overeager child.
She was the purest of us all. The one who only saw the good. Ever.
"Control yourself, sister," Michael chided gently, smiling at her despite the sigh in his voice.
She pouted, her lips pressed together, and her eyes glinting with impatience.
Every day was a losing battle, with all of us having to convince her to wait instead of descending to meet Lord Elias before the peace talks.
Michael shook his head and raised his hand, activating the teleportation circle. Light enveloped us, and when it cleared, we stood outside the chamber of the peace talks.
Before freezing in place.
The holy power inside rolled over us like a tidal wave. So pure and so vast. Not all of it was contained in the divine vessel Lord Elias's body was, but connected to it.
So utterly familiar it made my throat tighten, yet different enough to make it impossible to think Father was somehow alive, sitting next to some devils.
Not the same, but close enough that even we staggered.
Even I, who had felt it even closer than the rest, couldn't help but stop and revel in it.
Gabriel's eyes went wide. "He's…"
Before Michael could stop her, she launched herself forward.
The doors didn't stand a chance.
They shattered inward as Gabriel barreled through, her twelve white wings flaring behind her, and the rest of us rushed after her.
A single paper saying 'Knock before entering' comically dropped to the ground.
The scene froze before us.
The tension was thick enough to choke. Rias Gremory, with the Power of Destruction crackling in her palms. Barakiel's daughter with her holy lightning snapping at her fingertips. A girl standing with the Incinerate Anthem blazing behind her. The Satan Leviathan glaring daggers at Gabriel.
And in the middle of it all, Elias Black lay flat on his back with eyes widened in confusion. At the same time, Gabriel sobbed openly, crushing him into the floor, wings wrapped around him like a shield.
"You... You," Gabriel babbled incoherently.
Every being in the room was looking at her. Some in anger, like Serafall, some in confusion, like Lord Elias's lovers. Some in exasperation or curiosity.
Elias twisted his head toward me. His eyes were pleading, but his tone was as dry as the desert Yahweh once visited.
"…Help?"
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
God save us all.
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