It had gotten late and with the night shadows, the changing landscape had crept upon the last hunter bases all around earth.
The few who had seen it coming grabbed what they could carry and hurried out of the buildings.
Mostly they took ammo, weaponry and even one or two radio sets.
The humans in Karakura were confused and scared because of the strange phenomenon.
Unsure how they should continue their hunt after the hated vampires, the shelterless people were almost magically drawn toward the center of the city.
There the V.A.S.T. Tower still stood unscathed, like an unseen force was keeping nature from taking over.
From all around, small groups of hunters assembled and looked toward the big entrance doors.
Jugram came through them.
He looked upon his small army, that was dusty, injured and confused.
He cleared his throat and made a wide, welcoming gesture.
"My fellows, come in to this safe haven, were the cursed doings of those beasts can't harm us. From here we will prepare for the final clash against them. They think they are in advantage now, but we will prove them wrong and eliminate them once and for all."
The mass cheered and slowly followed after their leader, inside of the ruin.
-/-
Back to these enemies
Everyone was fast asleep in their beds.
Everyone but Ichigo who had jolted awake as he felt a presence lurking nearby.
He chose to quickly investigate on his own.
Just behind the small stream there stood a figure, that seemed to be waiting for him.
"Master, I finished my task."
Ichigo huffed.
"Can't you appear normally for once?"
Then he thought it over and breathed deep, combed through his hair with his fingers and added.
"Lucifer, listen...Actually I, want to apologize for last time and what I did to you. I just got so pissed from your depressive attitude. Anyway, thanks for your hard work."
"It's ok, Ichigo."
That was the first time since Ichigo had bound Lucifer in this world, that he had called him by name.
"Can I help you with anything else?"
The young god thought about it for a moment, then grabbed the necklace with the crystal.
"Actually, there would be one thing. Can you help me to make this thing able to open up a path to heaven? I seem to lack the knowledge and, or ability."
Lucifer sighed and looked apologizingly at Ichigo.
"You ask quite difficult things of me, Ichigo. With my current power I would need the help of a gatekeeper."
That disenchanted Ichigo, but his hopes got heightened just after.
"But mine might still work, so we could exchange the keys. I guess this one is Sataniel's. If so then it is enough for me to use earths paths."
Ichigo agreed to it and so they switched the keys.
"Can you make those keys maybe? We would need some of them for later."
"I can try to. But there is no guaranty it works"
Ichigo wanted to immediately try out his new key and bust heaven if he coud get over there, but got interrupted by his Shiro who slowly walked over to them.
"Are you doing things by yourself again, Ichigo?"
He asked his mate, a bit grumpy.
The pale had picked up their talk about the key, the rest he got by taking a quick look into Ichigo's mind.
Mentioned looked determined into golden eyes.
Shiro just shook his head and sighed.
He knew Ichigo wouldn't ever change, no matter how much he promised to try to.
"Just come back in one piece, will you?"
The orangette nodded and with Lucifers instruction, to let his energy flow into the crystal and create a portal with it, he eventually managed to open a path to heaven.
He stepped inside and immediately found himself in a new world.
It was different than he knew it from Lucifer.
The place was dead earth and the big metropolis ahead of him seemed uninhabited and devastated.
He wasn't so far from it, so he quickly paced into the huge medival - gothic styled city.
Everywhere he looked seemed destroyed and empty, there really was no one to be found.
Heaven was already dead, but who was responsible for it?
Ichigo looked around and he felt more and more uneasy with each step.
All the more when he heard whispering voices from all around.
"It's Lucifer. He came back."
"Our rightful king is back."
"He will avenge us."
"He will safe ***** "
Ichigo couldn't understand the word but he guessed it was the native name for the planet.
There were hundreds of voices and they continued to whisper.
"Lucifer came back."
"Lucifer is back."
"The king."
"Metathron's prodigy."
One voice though, halted the others as it opposed.
"Wait. No, that's not Lucifer."
The others asked further questions then.
"He's not?"
"Who is he then?"
From ther a rich discussion rose between them.
"He's a child of his."
"No, a child of Gabriel."
"Did he eat Lucifer?"
"He killed Lucifer!"
"He's here to kill us."
"But we're already dead."
"He wants to kill ***** "
"Gabriel!"
"Get Gabriel!"
"Where is she?"
"In the palace."
"Call her."
"Call Gabriel."
Ichigo was growing frustrated from all those voices talking in a mess.
But they had given him a lead.
The one responsible seemed to still be alive and hide in the big tower, they called palace.
So he would go there and confront, her.
As he just caught sight of it, a tall, slender woman descended from the sky right in front of him.
He stepped back, one hand at his sword.
"Don't be afraid my child."
Ichigo scoffed.
"I am not your child, Gabriel."
The female angel had long black hair, blue eyes and a scar just below her throat.
She seemed calm and friendly, which was a huge difference to Ichigo's presumpion.
Warily he asked the woman.
"Did you do this to your home? Is it you who is after the manhunt of my kin?"
"NO!"
Her yell sounded desperate.
"I would never do this to my brethren! I never wanted to do this to Lucifer's children either. I am protecting the few angels who could hide from his wraith. All of us are on your side."
Ichigo looked skeptically at her, all he could find though was the despair of a mother who was trying to protect her family.
"Why haven't you left this place then?"
Ichigo asked.
"I no longer have a key and there are no gatekeepers anymore."
From the small streets all around them, several little angels hesitantly came out, before they quickly ran toward Gabriel and fearfully hid behind her.
"I couldn't leave the children and trying to flee with them would have been impossible without being found by him."
Children!?
There were maybe a handful of those little angels.
The orange top felt a tight feeling rise in his chest.
He felt bad for his plans now.
"Ichigo, your opponent is much more dangerous than you might think."
Ichigo took that very serious, since she as one of the highest Seraphim said it.
"Who is it?"
"Michael. He's been it since the beginning. I was just doing as he ordered. The only one of his slayers I truly call my child is your current you."
"Why is that?"
He wanted to know, sincerely.
"Because I stole your soul from the cage where he keeps the slayer souls and brought it to earth. I intentionally connected it to a child with vampiric heritage. The prophecy of the spirits of time came from me and I took it upon me to make it finally come true. I watched you grow and awaken. I feared that all had failed when you fell into the coma, but then Lucifer came and caused this wonder. Now, to protect these children and all life on earth, I want to help you however I can to make you victorious in this war."
"Why didn't you already come to me then?"
"I was afraid to leave them alone."
Gabriel looked at the children then and they stepped away from her.
She then knelt down in front of Ichigo.
"I Gabriel, protector of the last angels, hereby pledge my loyalty to you and beg you to grant us shelter on earth. Let these children grow and become the guardians of peace on earth."
Ichigo was taken aback and was a bit embarrassed that the mighty angel knelt before him.
"Please stand up Gabriel, that is not worthy of yourself."
She did as she was told.
The orange head looked at the scared faces of the kids.
That wasn't like he imagined.
He thought there would be only high and mighty grown angels who would look down upon him and try to kill him as soon as he stepped foot on their holy grounds.
As if he could deny Gabriel her pleads now.
"Fine. You can call earth your new home. But don't show yourselves to openly. I already have enough problems as it is."
Gabriel got the hint, still smiled gently and happily.
"I thank you."
Ichigo face-palmed and sighed.
Things were going out of hand quickly.
He opened the path back to earth and told them to step through and find a place to stay at where they would be out of harms way.
The orangette stayed behind for now.
The voices who had kept silent throughout the conversation now started to whisper again.
" He's kind."
"He saved Gabriel."
"He will end ***** now."
"We can't be spared."
"We will be free."
"Thank you."
"Be good to the children."
"Avenge us."
"Judge Michael."
"Cursed Michael."
"The Traitor."
"He doomed us."
Ichigo knew what to call them now.
They were similar to souls, bound to these grounds by some curse made by the one who betrayed them.
He would let the planet vanish now and so set those poor beings free.
That was the only mercy he could give them.
With his powers he caused the core of the planet to die, and eventually the small star would implode and vanish.
Again he opened the path to earth and returned home to his beloved, not without giving the poor dead angels a last thought of farewell.
When he was back to earth, he was a bit depressed.
Lucifer was still where he left him alone, Shiro seemed to have gone back into the hideout.
"I met Gabriel. She gave me the ability to make your keys, before she left with the small ones."
The fallen one stated, as he tinkered another one of the crystals.
"I told them of a solemn place I found. They will stay there. Unless you call for Gabriel she will not take action in the fight, since it was your wish for her to stay out of it."
"Hmm."
Ichigo barely heard what the raven had said.
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain on his cheek , followed by a slapping sound echoing through the woods.
"Snap out of it, Ichigo. Whatever you saw there is in the past now. You did the best you could. I am glad that you finally got over your mania and returned back to normal."
Lucifer shook his head and huffed.
"I should have been more cautious about the aftereffects on your psyche, when I gave you my powers. Though I am relieved that you only unloaded it upon me. Now get yourself together and continue on your path. But don't forget to consider what it means for the ones on the other side. The humans who work for Michael might be under some influence, so don't simply run them over."
It was as if a knot broke in Lucifer as he ranted on and on.
But he was right.
Ichigo couldn't let himself be dragged down by this, he needed to continue with his head held high.
He was the only one who could stop that maniac.
All races where counting on him now.
Ichigo pushed his depression aside.
"You're right. Thank you Lucifer."
Chapter 27
End
In the role of Gabriel : Retsu Unohana
I hope you still like the story
See you next time
Yours
Shiro Yue
