Celestial Ascendancy
Chapter 84: The Messiah's Silence.
Elias Black
Kuoh, Japan.
Saturday.
I watched as the breathtaking Angel was pulled up to a standing position by her brothers, who were doing so, embarrassed by how she acted, but also looking at me in shock and confusion.
It was funny, but I didn't focus too long on that. I was looking at the pouting Gabriel, her eyes so clear and filled with tears.
Without meaning to, my third eye opened as I observed the four great Seraphs in front of me.
And I was left breathless.
They were so… perfect. I wasn't talking about looks; instead, their souls were so pure that I had never seen anything like that.
I had thought that Asia was like that, and that I would never see anything like her, but even she wasn't comparable to the four beings in front of me.
That was ignoring that Asia was a mortal girl, not a being handcrafted by the God of the Bible, but still. It was simply too beautiful.
"Metatron, I hope you are in good health? Was there any complication?" I asked the twelve-winged Angel, "It was… obviously the first time I did something like that," I added a bit sheepishly.
"Apart from the obvious changes?" Metatron's lips quirked upwards, moving his wings up and down. I observed with curiosity the gold tint on its edges, looking remarkably similar to the color of the one I supposed Archangel Michael was.
Then, Metatron smiled softly, "I will not be able to thank you for this grace, Lord Elias."
I waved my hand a bit embarrassed, "Don't sweat it. I wasn't about to leave you suffering like that. I… I had enough experience with that blasted spear."
The Archangel Michael smiled, putting a hand on Metatron's shoulder.
"Brother," He said after a second, "Why don't we greet everyone else?"
I could see in his eyes that he had thousands of questions as he looked at me dead in the eyes, but he clamped his curiosity with a force of will that honestly surprised me.
His brothers were the same, if you ignored the bit of anger and confusion in Uriel and Raphael eyes.
"Lady Leviathan," Michael smiled that polite smile of his at the diminutive devil who was still glaring at Gabriel, who, hilariously enough, was ignoring everything and just looking at my third eye in fascination.
"Archangel Michael," Serafall replied with clenched teeth as she noticed that the root of her anger wasn't paying attention to her, "How gracious of you for coming with time to spare."
"Our sister was… giddy about this meeting," Michael replied with twitching lips, "I do not fault her, however. I have many questions."
"Not only about this young man," He said, looking at me, "But I believe that can wait."
Sirzechs nodded at him with an easy smile, "We'll be glad to answer most questions, Michael. But perhaps…"
He was interrupted by a golden, almost white flame from the ceiling of the room. The room heated up significantly, but instead of being overbearing heat one would expect, it was gentle, warm, and absolutely pure.
A loud thrill sounded from the crack in space, and from it, Ash appeared with Asia, Iris, and Hermione on her back.
My beautiful Ash looked so different than before. Instead of her normal aura, she was releasing something akin to the Aetherius. Hermione had theorized that I could do something similar to what I did with Asia, since Ash was… simpler than a human being. She loved me, she believed in me without a single doubt in her gentle heart, and as a Phoenix, she was particularly perfect vessel to receive a blessing from me.
I had been hesitant, for obvious reasons. Still, Ash kept sending probing messages through our bond when she heard Mione's musings.
She, along with the rest of the girls, managed to convince me, and I blessed her. The light of the Aetherius changed her essence in a way no one had imagined. She was bigger than before, by a large margin.
Before, she was the same size as Fawkes, an adult-sized Phoenix. But now? Now she had a wingspan of over 7 meters and was as big as a horse.
And considering how strong Phoenixes were, it was not that surprising that she could carry all my girls if she wanted. As an added bonus, she was capable of changing size whenever she wanted.
It had been hilarious and sad on the same side when she finished morphing into what she was now. She tried to perch on Mione's shoulder and almost flattened her into the ground.
I felt Ash's panic through our bond when she realized she could not be pampered now, and with a firm squeak, she returned to her previous size.
Apart from that, her magic, her fire, the source of her power, changed into something similar to my light. It just… burned everything. Cleansed it.
She no longer needed to cry to heal anyone; she could just spit a golden flame from her beak, and fire as potent, if not stronger than her tears, would cure any ailments.
She was beautiful, and Gabriel was looking at her with stars in her eyes as my girls walked into me.
"Eli," Iris breathed out with a beautiful smile, "They came early, no?"
Hermione first walked towards the table and set Dumbledore's Pensieve before hugging me tightly as Asia squeaked at the angels, specifically Michael, as she knelt on the ground and did a prayer.
The Archangel, for his part, was looking at her open-mouthed, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.
But surprisingly enough, after her prayer, Asia stood up and walked behind me, her head held high.
"Yeah, it turns out someone wanted to meet me," I said hesitantly, cocking my head in Gabriel's direction.
Ash fell from the ceiling and made herself small as she flew towards the Angel, perching in her bosom.
I did my best to avoid looking in that direction. Gabriel was… well, I didn't have words for it. One would think I would be used to beauty by this point, considering my relationships, but hell… just wow.
And I didn't want Uriel glaring at me through the meeting. I knew that I didn't fit the shoes of what he expected from what I was, it was better to avoid prodding him.
The beautiful Angel squealed as she pampered Ash, and I almost snorted when Asia, being a cutie, walked towards her and gave her a bag of berries as the two blondes began feeding my Phoenix.
"Allow me to introduce everyone from my side," I sighed when I looked at the Angels, "And myself for that matter. My name is Elias Black, and I know you can sense what I am without needing me to explain. Believe me, I also have questions about it, but I hope that we can be honest with each other and hopefully get some answers that all of us need."
Michael smiled softly at me; everything about him screamed politeness as well as hopefulness. I could see the roots of it forming inside his soul as he nodded.
"This here is Iris, my lover," I smiled at the dark Goddess at my right. I didn't know why she decided to dress a bit gothic lately, but I for sure wasn't complaining.
"This one here is Hermione, also my lover," I put my hand on her back as she straightened, "She is part, along with Fleur, of Rias Gremory's peerage."
I could see the tightening of Uriel's eyes at that. It was clear that I didn't exactly meet his requirements for my nature. Not that I cared, because I didn't choose this.
Raphael didn't show any expression for me to read his feelings, and my sight only showed me complete apathy toward my relationship.
Gabriel was curious, and Michael was a bit unsure about it, but open to ignoring it.
"You must already know about Asia, she is… my saint," I said plainly, openly trying to get them to say anything against it. But they kept silent.
The angels nodded at everyone and greeted us politely as they took their seats. I saw Gabriel sending me a look of longing, which I did my best to ignore, but she was placated by my fussy Phoenix in her arms.
It was nothing sexual or anything like that; that was clear to me. Not that said thing was needed to make me uncomfortable. Her curiosity was enough for that.
"Did you have any trouble?" I asked Iris, who sat next to me. Rias and her peerage took a seat next to her brother, and I exchanged smiles with the rest.
"Not anything important. It worked, by the way," She smiled brightly.
"Really?!" I smiled and laughed, "I'm glad. Did you see him?"
"Yeah. Neville is reunited with his parents. Asia managed to heal them after Augusta took them to Hogwarts infirmary. Most families are already living on the outskirts of the school, and the Goblins are working alongside Amelia and Sirius to move the facilities inside your ward."
"That's good to hear," I grinned, "Anything else of note?"
Iris tapped her lip with her finger, her matte black lipstick giving me some ideas I did my best to show. Not that it worked, seeing the teasing shine in them.
"Ah. Only one thing. Amelia asked some of the Slytherins on our side if they were interested in… helping the Ministry. Greengrass is here in Japan alongside Tonks as a political dignitary."
I huffed out a laugh. Leave it to Greengrass to get such a fascinating job before finishing school. But thinking about it, she was perfect for it. She was probably the best Slytherin for it.
"That's nice, I guess," I mused, "What about her studies with the Grauzauberer?"
"She gave her spot to Luna," Hermione smirked from her side of the table. "It turns out that what drove her to learn was her sister's curse. Now that you fixed that, she decided to follow her dream of rising through the Ministry."
"That can only end well," Fleur snorted amusedly, "Mephisto will have his hands full with Luna and the Twins from what you've told me."
We shared a laugh filled with a bit of pity for the devil. Not that they were wrong choices, but… well, they were certainly unique.
The rest of the factions looked at us curiously, listening to every word in silence. I coughed into my fist and smiled apologetically at them.
"Where's the rest, by the way?" I asked Serafall who was smirking at me.
"Falbi is grabbing Azazel and whoever else he brings here, Ajuka will get our Godly visits," she replied in her usual easygoing way.
I took a peek at the clock in the far back of the room and nodded, seeing that there were a couple of minutes until five O'clock.
"Our Godly visits?" Iris lifted her eyebrow at the devil king, "Is Amaterasu bringing someone else?"
"Not exactly," Sirzechs smiled apologetically, making the hairs in my neck stand up.
Before I could press further, the space to our right rippled, and a bright blue teleportation circle etched itself into the floor. Out of it stepped the towering form of Falbium Asmodeus, broad-shouldered and looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but here.
His eyes were closing for fucks sake.
Behind him came Azazel, hands shoved lazily in his coat pockets, with his wings half unfurled behind him. He stopped dead when his eyes landed on me.
For a heartbeat, the room was utterly still. His gaze flicked from me to Michael and back again.
"…The fuck, Michael?"
Michael's polite smile didn't falter, "Azazel," he said mildly, "it is good to see you again, brother."
Azazel snorted, rubbing his temple, "Good to see me, huh? That's what you've got? You're sitting next to this guy," he pointed at me "who looks like he walked straight out of Father's secret diary, and you're telling me it's good to see you?"
Vali, of course, just smirked and shrugged from behind him, "Don't look at me, old man. I already told you about him."
Azazel groaned and dragged his palm down his face, "You're gonna be the death of me, kid."
Before they could bicker more, a woman followed Azazel in. A fallen with long purple hair cascading down her back, her bright eyes shining in recognition, and a killer figure that made even Iris glance away with mild envy.
She inclined her head toward the angels, "Michael, Gabriel, Raphael... and Uriel," her lips quirked as she took her seat as though she hadn't managed to rile up the red-haired angel with just his name.
The Fallen had barely settled when another magic circle bloomed, its green light searing the floor. The power that came from it was different, humming with divinity.
Out of it stepped four figures. The first, a cloaked man whose face was hidden, walked with a kind of quiet grace. The second was Ajuka Beelzebub who was already scanning me like I was a puzzle to solve. The third...
"I'm here, bitches!" Odin declared, his voice booming across the chamber as his one eye twinkled with mischief. He gave an exaggerated bow, his crooked walking stick tapping the floor, then winked at Gabriel, who blinked at him in confusion.
Uriel, once more, exhaled through his nostrils as he clenched his fists.
A sigh rose from under the cloak. The man's shoulders slumped as he grabbed Odin's arm with exasperated familiarity.
"Father," he muttered in weary resignation, "please, for once in your life, act your age."
Without waiting for permission, he dragged the All-Father toward a cluster of empty seats.
Odin just laughed, completely unbothered, and made a few crude comments under his breath about "godly peace talks" sounding like foreplay.
And finally, the Sun Goddess herself.
Amaterasu rolled her eyes so hard I felt her warmth dim for a moment. Straightening to her full height, her golden radiance swept across the table like a cleansing tide, dragging every eye back to where it belonged. "Shall we begin?" she said, her voice firm, brooking no more interruptions.
And just like that, the room quieted, the weight of divinities and leaders settling in as the true peace talks began.
Scene break.
Odin the All-Father.
Bah. Brats, the lot of them. I ignored the way my son was pushing me into the seat as I continued with my act.
It was humorous, the way people genuinely thought that just because I acted this way, I had mellowed out with the passing of the eons. They couldn't be more wrong. I just learnt to hide it.
The wise old God, some called me. Praised me for that. They didn't know the actual price of what I obtained.
Offering my eye in Mimir's well gave me foresight, the ability to peer through the world to know the past, present, and future tied to Yggdrasil.
Knowledge. But in my youth, I didn't think knowledge was a curse, just strength.
I now stand corrected.
Then, I hanged myself from Yggdrasil's branches to learn how to fight against what was prophesied. Nine days and nine nights, and still… It was not enough.
Ragnarök. Our end. The end of my pantheon.
A problem, for obvious reasons. What leader decides to accept the end of their people? Perhaps only Goldilocks was selfless like that. But I wasn't like him.
And in some way, I was glad for it.
So, I did everything I could to delay our end. Offering blood, sweat, and tears, all to delay it.
But even after thousands of years, I still did not have an answer.
"What are you doing here, old man?" Elias asked me with a long-suffering sigh.
Heh. He barely knew me and was already acting like one of my sons. I needed to step up my game.
Well… perhaps he was the answer. Who better to fight against fate than a Fae? Half-fae or not, Elias Black, a wizard, a messiah, a chosen one, was perhaps the best bet.
No, he was the best bet against Ragnarök. It was unwise to put all my eggs in one basket, but I no longer had an option. Things were moving in the background, and I kept feeling the stench of death approaching.
And it wasn't coming from the lass next to him.
Amusingly enough, no one here but me knew the truth of what she was.
What she could become.
"Brat," I grinned at him, shrugging to move my son's arm from mine, "Didn't I tell you I would speak with my son about this? Baldur decided to meet you and see if we can work together."
The cloaked figure next to me lifted his hand and removed the cowl. He was bright. Like a star, his skin shone with light in a way I had only seen in the past when I met Yahweh after a spat between my borders grew out of proportion and earned his ire.
Ire that showed to this day in the form of scars across my chest.
"Elias Black," my son nodded his head with an easygoing smile, making me nod proudly, "my father spoke grand tales about you, and I have to admit I was curious."
Elias smiled in return, "Lord Baldur, thank you for giving us the chance."
Bah. Formalities. I could see the brat feeling weird, acting all respectful, and saw my Baldur's lips twitch in amusement.
With a light tap on the back of his head, I rolled my eyes at the British lad, "Call him by his name, boy. You will earn more respect that way."
Elias looked in askance at Baldur and smiled a bit more genuinely at him as my son nodded his head.
"I heard about these talks from the brat Azazel when we visited a strip club," I added with a smirk, "So here I am, killing two birds with one stone. But I'll explain later. I can feel Amaterasu glaring at me."
Elias sent a quick glance at the sun Goddess and smiled wryly, nodding at her and closing his mouth. I, on the other hand, blew her a raspberry, earning an eye roll from the isolationist Deity.
Bah. At least the brats were finally talking sense. They were not the only ones who had noticed the problems between their lot, and a bunch of them were just waiting for the other shoe to drop to set their sights on this part of the world.
The three factions of the Abrahamic faith, sitting across from each other like kids with their cards down for once. Michael, Sirzechs, Azazel. None of them lied, not here. They couldn't afford to.
Their god was dead. That much was spoken plainly.
They admitted what it meant. Without him, their miracles could only be called forced. Things were crumbling and they could not stop it.
Michael tried, I respected him for shouldering the largest faith from the whole world, but he wasn't meant to do it.
It was simply the truth. He was a band-aid, but not the answer.
If war sparked again, it wouldn't be a winner standing on top of corpses.
Even the last survivor would fall once the other pantheons scented blood. The Seraph's voice had iron in it when he said it. Sirzechs wore his easy smile, but I knew what kind of monster he was hiding behind his act. Azazel shrugged it off like a gambler who had already lost and had no other option than going all in.
They admitted their weaknesses, all three.
The devils were numerous, to an absurd extent. But even with their two nuclear sticks to wave against the other Pantheons, they couldn't stop them if someone truly decided that they needed to go.
They had hundreds of thousands of devils under them, but few kings, few people that mattered in a conflict.
The Fallen were perhaps the weakest of their bunch. Low on numbers and personal strength, but it would be a mistake to think strength was all that mattered.
Azazel was an old monster, one not constrained by his morals. He was perhaps the brightest of their lot, and I included the green-haired devil in that list. The Beelzebuth had one of the brightest minds the world had to offer, but he couldn't use it the way Azazel did.
Azazel had friends everywhere. And if push comes to shove, he would not be alone.
As for the feathered brats… well. They had no path going forward. The majority of their leaders were busy taking care of the crumbling system, and their followers were zealots who caused more trouble than they were worth.
Sirzechs leaned forward then, his easygoing smile a tad brighter, "Now that peace is agreed, we should look further. Because peace may not be enough. I don't know what's happening, but we need to be prepared."
Hah. About time.
And so the circle widened. Not peace talks now, but alliances.
The reason my son and I were here.
And the wizards. Stray lambs, but lambs that bled fae-magic, which made me wary but hopeful. The fact that they had the messiah in there was just the cherry on top.
Azazel frowned deeply, "You might be right, Sirzechs."
He took a deep breath and motioned with his hand at the purple-haired beauty behind him.
Penemue stood up, putting some folders in front of every faction.
A shame she told me no all those centuries ago. She was a thing of beauty, and I wouldn't have minded trying to crack her cold exterior. Seeing them turn into puddle was a sight to behold.
"You asked before I was gathering Sacred Gears, if not for war? This is the reason. It was all for preparation against this group," he sighed, "The Khaos brigade."
Before we could get further, the Sun herself stood, her eyes burning holes through the table.
Amaterasu's heat rolled over us, the divine fire crawling across the air until even Sirzechs frowned.
"Enough games, I listened to your peace talks, I provided legitimacy, " she said, "Explain Kuoh. My land. Devils and Fallen brawling in Japan, and a Sacred Beast dead in its streets. It was only because of a miracle that we're not at war."
I arched my brow. I hadn't been paying attention to that particular mess, even if I heard some snippets.
Elias waved his hand, and the death lass pushed a shallow basin into the center of the table.
A pensieve, they called it.
It looked to me like it shouldn't even work, and when I peered into it, I saw nothing but a mess of magic that didn't make sense. I huffed.
"Weird fae magic," I muttered. "Not even I can figure out how it works by just looking at it."
Iris touched her temple, then pulled a wisp of memories free and dropped it in. Elias followed with one of his own. The silver rippled, and we bent to look.
And a memory played out from Kokabiel and Satanael, the Seiryuu, the spear of Samael.
Another absurd jump in their strength. It shouldn't be surprising considering what they were… but I was still a bit surprised.
When the memory bled away, I let out a grunt. "You've grown stronger, brat. Again."
Ajuka's eyes gleamed sharply in curiosity, "That light of yours. You call it a sun. But it isn't, is it? I had my suspicions when we sparred, but it's clear now."
The brat blinked, looking at the Satan in surprise, "You saw that from a memory?"
"Of course," Ajuka said smoothly, "patterns reveal themselves if you know how to look."
Amaterasu spoke then, her voice cool but firm, "I tried to control it during the battle. I reached for that 'sun' of his. It refused me. It fought against my control, as though it knew I was not its master."
I cocked my head at the boy.
Elias shifted embarrassedly, scratching at his jaw, "It's not a sun. Not exactly."
And so he explained, not too deeply, but enough. He called it Aetherius.
A well of pure, limitless magic. A second source besides his own reserves, always filling him back up. Not something I had ever seen before. But it went along with my suspicions from when we met.
Vali leaned forward, "So you never get tired?"
Elias shrugged, "Magically? No. Not really. I can use it whenever I want."
I narrowed my eyes. He was hiding something. The way his shoulders stiffened, the slight pause before that "not really." But I kept my mouth shut.
It wasn't my place to interrogate him, and secrets were helpful in the right hands. He didn't need to tell us his weaknesses.
The white dragon brat nodded thoughtfully, "That's why Divine Dividing doesn't affect you, isn't it?"
The brat's lips curled. "Worst matchup for you, Vali. You already know that."
Amaterasu's voice was steady, but it had a weight even I felt as my eye widened in surprise, "I want to hear assurances," Amaterasu interrupted, her golden fire flickering around her fists, "that such chaos will not happen again in my Japan."
Azazel leaned back, palms up, looking as if he wasn't at fault, "Kokabiel went rogue. So did Satanael, for that matter. They acted on their own, without my sanction. I sent Vali to reel them in myself."
"He's shackled in Cocytus now, frozen till the end of days. Grigori does not tolerate loose cannons," he smiled at the Goddess.
"Hmph," Serafall crossed her arms as she puffed her cheeks in irritation, "We devils, with the Wizards' help, defended the town from their machinations. If it wasn't for us, everything would have gone to hell. We did our part."
Michael folded his hands on the table, his eyes soft before they hardened, "And Heaven will increase its vigilance over the Church. There will be no more… zealots acting without guidance."
His lips thinned, "I will not allow fanatics to taint Father's name again. Not when I can see a path forward."
I snorted, loud enough that the silence cracked.
"Pretty words," I said. "But you lot know it's not so simple. The Fallen are prone to go rogue; it's in their nature," I shot a look at Azazel.
He opened his mouth to tell me otherwise before clicking it shut.
"As for the Devils, you are too divided. The Old Satan fools, the Great King faction, with more pride than reason, and your side. As for the angels…" I cocked my head at Michael, "Your fanatics have long memories. So do I. Asgard hasn't forgotten your slights, brat."
The table froze. Michael's expression faltered into sorrow, which was the worst part, because I knew he meant it. But that didn't fix their messes.
Serafall bristled, and Azazel smirked like he'd been caught red-handed. The bastard.
Then I laughed, "Bah. Every faction has rotten fruit. That's why I'm here. Someone is making moves, and they've started the old game again."
I rested my one eye on Baldur, "They're trying to start Ragnarök by killing my son."
The room shifted. Elias's gaze met mine in surprise, and I just nodded at him.
"Wizards, on the other hand," I continued, "are united now, at least in Britain. Surprisingly, for a kind that is scattered around the world. But they are too weak and small to help in a significant way."
The boy nodded thoughtfully, "We've formed an alliance with Japan's Ministry. We'll stand together. But…" he shook his head sadly, "Compared to you all, we don't have much to offer."
That wasn't exactly the truth. Elias and Iris were strong enough to speak for their faction, and while I wouldn't throw them against my sons in battle, they could match some of the weaker gods already.
And wizards as a whole? Their magic, potions, and numbers could work… with some effort.
More and more, the brats began talking about the alliance, everyone piping in ways they could help, and before long, everyone had a smile on their faces.
Which should have clued me in that something would have gone to hell sooner rather than later.
Because it always did.
And Amaterasu snapped.
"You speak of peace," Amaterasu hissed in fury, "while your kind spill blood in my land again."
Her power burst like dawn, her light searing the table until nothing but Ash remained, and her divine flames licked the room walls. Sirzechs rose with a deep frown on his face as the Power of Destruction erupted around him in a crimson storm.
"Explain yourself, Amaterasu," he demanded, his aura pushing back her fire, "We have no reason for attacking your land."
Amaterasu's eyes glowed white-hot, her pearly white teeth clenching as she replied, "At this moment, devils strike on Japanese soil. A host led by one of your royal blood."
My eyes widened, and I let out a breath. Of course, the devils would mess this up. I was one of the few who didn't hate them, but they made it hard. Even when I ignored the mess of the clone of Surtr, yet they still worked to change my idea of them.
"After Satanael's killing one, I kept an eye on the Sacred Beasts just in case. Tonight, their hosts gathered for peace… and they are under siege."
She closed her eyes, her voice lowering into something resembling nervousness, "even if they are not the main target."
She snapped her fingers. In the air between all of us, bloomed an image, an ethereal bird's-eye view. The ruins of a vast building, its walls shattered, with smoke curling upward.
The hosts of the Sacred Beats of Japan held the line so that the weaker wizards could retreat, getting help from very few of their kind.
Gasps broke the chamber. None from any of us old beings. We were accustomed to sights like this. But from the young'uns.
One group specifically. The brat's harem. The brunette with curvy hair, the non-human beauty, Barakiel's lass. Then, the death lass black aura exploded out of her body.
Surprisingly enough, it was so vile that it began corroding Amaterasu's flames, making the Goddess's eyes widen in surprise.
But all of them were minuscule compared to the cold fury coming from my side.
I knew wrath. I'd lived long enough to feel it multiple times through the eons. But this one reminded me of one that I did my best to forget.
No magic destroying the building, no storms gathering in the sky. Just Elias staring at the vision with eyes gone hollow, and the whole room felt it. Like the world itself had stopped breathing.
The image shifted. Corpses scattered across the ground, robes torn, wands broken, lifeless hands still clutching children. Hundreds of them.
Elias's voice was low… raw.
"Those are my people," he said softly, "Those are wizards."
The light in the room bent toward him. Even my son's shine seemed to dim as everyone looked at him. The start of his transformation began as he looked at the scene with blank eyes, his hands grasping nothing at his side.
His third eye opened wide as if he needed to burn the image into his subconscious.
"Serafall, explain," he said, and as soon as I felt his eyes glance through mine, I felt my shoulders tensing before I bit back an amused laugh.
Not at the massacre that was happening, obviously, even I wasn't that crass. No. I wanted to laugh… because the lad felt like Him. Just before he burnt Sodom and Gomorrah.
"We had nothing to do with it, Elias, I swear," The shortstack devil waved her hands rapidly as the temperature began to decrease even more. Enough for me to feel it.
"Then why?" He asked neutrally as he stood up.
"They must have spies between our forces!" she explained, "There is no other reason why they would attack wizards of all people!"
"Serafall is right, Elias," Sirzechs said with a sad look in his eyes, his hands coated with his power, showing his emotions.
"They will die. All of them." Elias nodded, and I had to bite back the giddy feeling from showing on my face.
"Elias… hear me out first," Serafall began, "It's not that simple… They are trying to strain our alliance. If you kill them..."
The lad just shook his face as he glanced at her, freezing her in place.
"Who will go with me?" he asked as soon as he grabbed Ash from the shocked Gabriel, ignoring the rest of us.
The fool of Baldur, bless his pure heart, tried to stand up, but I froze him with a look before he could do anything more than tense his shoulders.
"So be it," Elias declared as his wings appeared on his back and the crown finished forming. All tinted red.
Sirzechs' sister and her peerage, the wizards in the room, the little nun, Rossweisse, and, surprisingly enough, the white dragon emperor stood up.
"Vali?" Azazel asked worriedly, finally capable of moving now that Elias' eyes were away from us.
"It's a fight," he replied nonchalantly, and I barely avoided narrowing my eyes.
The brat knew something. And I knew that Elias also saw it. Yet he just nodded.
But I stayed silent. I wanted Elias to improve, and what's the best way but battle? Through treachery.
With an angry squeak, the small Phoenix increased in size until it was big enough to carry everyone, surprising me.
"Amaterasu," Elias said as the fire closed in, "their blood will flow like water across your lands. Yet the heirs will stand untouched, for they have guarded what is mine."
The last thing I saw before the fire swallowed them was his eyes. The blank, hollowed eyes. Eyes just like Him. Just before he almost gouged my heart out.
Author's note: Here's the chapter, with an evil cliffy and a twisted change that hopefully no one saw coming.
Katarea and her group would never be able to do anything against this line up, so she decided to strain the alliance before it could begin... which, obviously, she was successful. It's a lose lose situation for everyone hehe.
And Elias is feeling Biblically wrathful right now... which... well, some people will regret next chapter.
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