The grand event that had unfolded couldn't be kept a secret and as such shook the supernatural world to its core, be it Tsuki's shocking master level attainment in Formations, or his strength that had most likely reached the Ultimate Class; all of these caused an uproar of astonishment.
Yet, these achievements were far overshadowed by the main event.
Doku versus Michael! The fight that shook the earth, the fight of the strongest, there were many names that the fight was called. But everyone knew the importance of this fight, it showed the strengths of the two rival factions.
Essentially the face and prestige of the two sides were entrusted in their hands, their loss was the loss of their entire race. One could see the importance of the outcome of the fight, yet much to everyone's shock, it was a draw.
Of course, those that stood at the Satan Class were aware that this wasn't the case, if the two truly showed their capabilities, the entirety of Heaven and the Underworld would shake and crumble beneath their might.
But for those that stood below them, which was the vast majority of the Supernatural World, two of the strongest beings of each faction just clashed and it was a stalemate. Naturally, the Devils cheered and prided themselves in the outcome.
Celebrations were held for Doku and his reputation among the devils soared, with his newfound fame Doku easily suppressed the other Houses of Lucifer -excluding Lucifurge- and began to spread his influence.
Of course, since everyone was 'aware' of the contents of the battle, much attention was placed on the young heir of the Satanachia household. Rumors and legends spread of his deeds and strength.
Females squealed in delight, the fanclubs and fangirls of Tsuki nearly quadrupled that day; some of these fans weren't even Devils, some were Youkai and some were from other minor factions. That night, many dreamt of the Dream Prince, his peerless beauty and strength caused certain reactions during this time as well.
While the males could only sigh in reverence, he was too powerful! Too talented! Judging by his extremely young age, his future prospects were incomparably bright. Devils were prideful and never bowed but they easily admitted towards Tsuki's supremacy.
He was simply too fierce, some people even said he fought Michael himself to buy time for Doku to escape with Tsuki's group, which led to the success in the mission. Such a conspiracy was doubtful to the ears of the Devils' yet there were many who believed this.
To say the least, the state of the Underworld was in chaos. Both Doku and Tsuki weren't anywhere to be seen to the public eye, the former was trying to expand as much as possible while the latter was absorbing his gains and using this chance to go to Heaven.
If he were to come back to the Underworld, he wouldn't be let go or given any privacy, as such, he stayed in the Dungeon and waited as a few days passed by; in the meantime he handled matters in said Dungeon.
Naturally, Tsuki's strength began to grow under the constant use of his new skill, in a single day all of his stats had grown by over a dozen; the strength and prospect of the skill was unable to be described with mere words.
Even if Tsuki's stats reached an absurd level, he would be able to increase them continuously with just Sexual intercourse, his advantage was so absurd he couldn't help but laugh out loud to himself.
Suffice to say, with Tsuki's enthusiasm of obtaining more strength, his race's flaw became absolutely negligible; it wasn't even worth considering. And with it, his Insatiable perk also began to curve and lessen its influence on his mind.
These few days, Tsuki experienced a startling burst of growth, his appetite for strength was unappeasable; yet he had too little time in his hands and could only reach a certain point until he was forced to stop.
Yet, a smile blossomed on his face.
'Seems like it's time'
000
Michael
While the Underworld was raging, Heaven itself was in no small commotion, with Angels cheering and praising Michael and praying to God in a sign of gratitude; Heaven was more lively than it has ever been since the disastrous Great War.
It was a sight Michael took heavy joy in seeing. It made him feel as if the sacrifices of the humans were far more than worth it, yet as this thought appeared it was soon squished down. He took deep breaths as he gave a smile, such thoughts weren't meant to ever exist and it wasn't going to start now.
Standing inside the grand bell of England, the oh so familiar Magic Circle of the devils appeared in front of him, the surroundings were illuminated by a faint scarlet glow as a figure materialized above it.
Garbed in a black robe with seemingly silky silver cloths hanging from the forearms, the male's aura engulfed in the tower with his terrifying might yet this aura quickly retracted as soon as it appeared; the male's expression flickered into a slight apologetic one.
Michael was inwardly shocked, he could clearly feel the power that the male gave off. It was even higher than in the battle, but it has just been a few days, such growth was simply unheard of.
Either the Devil hid even further strength or he had recently exploded in his strength; either answer was a cause for wariness. Truthfully Michael was right, due to his immense growth in strength, Tsuki has been trying to gain his bearings.
He often found himself displaying more power than he intended to, Tsuki didn't know whether to laugh or cry, he often yearned for such increases in his power and now that he had obtained it, it was proving difficult to handle and grasp it with such a small amount of time.
"Sorry that took some time, after the little… scruffle we had, I've been quite busy and before this I had to clear a certain matter regarding my departure."
Tsuki gave an apologetic tone as he smiled, bowing slightly to show his sincerity; Michael reciprocated his action, even if he was a bit annoyed at Tsuki's tardiness, due to the contract he could do nothing but accept it. Either way, it was best to keep a friendly relation to the Devil.
"It's of no bother, we each have important matters to attend to at times, I just hope you can help with my own. Regarding the formation, while Heaven had many Formation Masters and even had a few Grandmasters, they were specialized in combat Formations and those that concerned healing.
Formation users usually had a single aspect they were talented in and solely studied in, Tsuki was of course the sole exception; he was able to produce Formations that covered all categories, it was monstrous.
"Of course, I myself am excited to visit Heaven, even if it's only a small section. I also hope you could give me the skill you had promised me"
At Tsuki's subtle yet excited words, Michael nodded as he raised his palm, at this instant a golden book was formed on his hand; he simply summoned it straight from Heaven. This technique was clearly far superior to even Tsuki's Dream Storage, only losing out to the Gamer System's Inventory.
Grabbing the book in the hands' of the Archangel, his eyes glimmered as he tossed it into his Dream Storage; he was of course going to absorb it later, if he directly did it in front of Michael it would raise more than just his immense suspicion and questioning.
Seeing the manual vanish into the Devil's storage, Michael simply grasped Tsuki's shoulder. Instantly his vision was covered by pure white, he could hear his own organs, he could feel his own blood flow throughout his body.
Before he knew it, he had immediately appeared in a garden. Tsuki made a funny expression; the sensation of teleporting a large distance rocked his entire body, he even felt a bit queasy, as if wanting to throw up.
Obviously, this unpleasant feeling wasn't intentional, Michael's face paled as a surge of blood exuded from his mouth, threatening to spill onto the white and pristine glossy floor of the Garden.
Tsuki's eyes widened, with just a glance he could infer most of the details behind Michael's condition. Once an Angel fell, they were naturally banished from Heaven, it was impossible to force their way back. It was like a defense mechanism from Heaven itself, and it was the reason why they could so easily suppress the Fallen Angels despite their low numbers.
If even God's oldest children were banished and were met with repulsion from Heaven, then it didn't need to be said for Devils; their entire beings would clash with the immense Holy energy in the area and would die a pitiful death.
But, due to Michael's interference he himself sustained the backlash and received a serious wound, this was all so Tsuki could enter Heaven. With time, Heaven would adapt to Tsuki's presence but for the time being Michael would have to suffer with transporting Tsuki to Heaven himself.
Michael slowly regained his bearings, one could still notice a distinct trembling in his form as he suppressed his wounds; taking a deep breath, he spoke with calmness. Tsuki was rather surprised by such control, just a moment ago he seemed to be wanting to throw up.
"Currently, we're in the fourth heaven, this is where I want you to create a Formation; specifically for managing the garden, surveillance, and healing the area if need be. That's just a small part of course, here's a list."
Michael finished as he tossed Tsuki a piece of paper, his eyes quickly scanned the contents of the sheet of paper; he couldn't help but express shock, and the more he continued to read the further it increased.
Management and Surveillance of the garden were the easiest parts of this formation Michael wanted; he desired a Isolated Space Formation, Time Dilation formation, Vast healing formation, Soul Suppression Formation, and a Transportation Formation. In simplistic terms, it was a multilayered formation of the Grandmaster level.
Tsuki immediately understood Michael's intentions, by asking for such a set-up, he was probing just how far the heir's attainment in Formations went. Yet, he couldn't care less about such a thing, such an experience as placing a Formation of such a level without costing him was extremely rare.
He would be using this moment to increase his growth in Formations even further.
"With such a heavy order, you would be providing all the needed materials as per the regulations of the contract." Tsuki smoothly spoke, writing down his own list at the back of the paper before handing it to Michael. "Here, A list of which specific materials I'll require."
The amount of Magical Beasts and materials needed surpassed the hundreds; a human would get dizzy just by looking at it and memorizing the names. If it were any other power under heaven, their vaults would be exhausted by trying to acquire even a tenth of the costs of this formation. But for Heaven? They had wealth beyond anyone's imagination.
Of course, Michael was no human as he glanced at the piece of paper and nodded, but Tsuki wasn't yet finished.
"Also, please do state that this area of Heaven will be off limits for a period of time."
Hours quickly passed as Tsuki stayed in the Fourth Heaven, after a mere few minutes he had obtained the identity of this majestic and beautiful garden. Numerous wildlife roamed through the garden freely without disturbance.
No, it would be wrong to call it a garden.
It was simply an entire world in of itself, millions upon millions of creatures of various kinds lived in this grand planet, plants Tsuki has simply never seen or even heard of were commonplace in the Fourth Heaven.
It would take Tsuki years to even begin listing all the species that lived in this place. It didn't take long for the heir to find the identity of the place as he waited for Michael, there was after all only one place in human history that could host so many animals.
One place that could contain all such life in perfect harmony without fault or fail for eons, it was the grandest Garden derived from human history, the first paradise Humans first both lived in and got banished from: the Garden of Eden.
Initially, Tsuki was shocked to be in such a place, for the Garden of Eden was the dream of every human, it was told to be true paradise, a place without conflict, violence, starvation. Simply a place without danger, it represented the glory of humans.
Even as he constructed the formations, using materials there were only seen perhaps every few dozen years, materials that were beyond the word of priceless, his gaze focused on the scenery of this garden.
Beautiful couldn't begin to describe the vast and incomprehensible Fourth Heaven. Inwardly, Tsuki's heart was moved, his mind completely enraptured at the view. Time flowed endlessly during this period.
Even when Michael watched him, he completely understood, the Fourth Heaven completely captured what God's ideal perfection was; any being would obviously be emotional and dazed at this garden.
As such, when Tsuki had finally finished the formation after a dozen hours of nonstop work, Michael simply left without a word. He could give Tsuki his payment at a later date, for now he could simply count Tsuki's enjoyment of the Garden of Eden as a bonus.
Said male stood at the peak of the hill, his gaze mysterious and emotionless as he watched the wildlife live out their lives, he watched as flowers withered and he continued to watch even said life was restored.
His thoughts were unknown to everyone, yet in the depth of his bottomless onyx eyes, a small glimmer illuminated inside.
000
Underworld
Naturally, even with the Satanachia heir's mysterious departure, time still flowed in the underworld; the hot topic of this realm was of course the contents of the mission, what sort of mission was important enough for Tsuki Satanachia to take action himself? For his own father, arguably the strongest Devil, to partake in the fight against Michael?
It was a common topic of gossip that was endlessly talked about, such guesses of this Quest assigned by Descendants ranged from retrieving an old treasure buried by Lucifer himself to asserting dominance over the Angels and restarting the Great War; of course despite their guessing, the truth of the matter was covered by the Leaders of the faction.
Such a thing could not be revealed, even Tsuki's group was unaware of the true value of the child; they only knew for certain that Doku and Tsuki knew. With Tsuki's constant task acceptance and strength they were assured of his loyalty, which pleased them greatly.
As for where he was, they could only assume he suffered an injury and was recuperating safely somewhere, so they left it at that; of course if the time exceeded what they were willing to accept, then they would go and seek him.
Even if they desired to speak with him and firmly grasp control over him, they didn't have enough time or energy to do so; to them, handling the child who possessed the White Dragon was of utmost importance.
As any devil would desire, they yearned for the power he possessed but was thwarted by Doku's suggestion; ever since the battle with Michael, the Satanachia Lord's influence has expanded by many times.
Many Lords of the Six Houses of Lucifer praised him and agreed with his plan; to raise the child as their own and make him the ultimate weapon! Clearly Michael knew of the child and what he possessed so he would think that they forcefully stole his Sacred Gear.
But if they trained him and gained his loyalty, wouldn't that be a trump card against the unsuspecting factions? Even more so that their theft techniques to steal Sacred Gears were meager and heavily flawed at best, even at their peak the power of Divine Dividing would decrease heavily.
Clearly, nobody wanted to see this and as such it led to everyone's agreement to brainwash the boy.
The current Satans could only secretly gnash their teeth, Doku's influence has already reached their level and attempting to persuade the others would only lead to a drawn out political war, which would weaken them and give time for the other races to expose the secret of Divine Dividing.
With such circumstances at hand, they could only lower their heads and agree with the plan, but even if they did this they would surely try to suppress Doku later on and naturally the best tool would be his own son!
These thoughts were of course known to Doku but he simply didn't care, he knew how crafty and scheming his own son was, if they tried to use him then they would be the ones who ended up to be used instead.
Either way, as long as he guaranteed the safety of the child, nothing else mattered. As long as he could prevent the Satans from getting any stronger; then it would all be worth it. Said child was of course under strict supervision, so as to not cause friction with their relationship so early on, they suited him in a large manor with many activities to do.
Dozens of High Class devils guarded this manor, some even watched the cute silver haired child with smiles on their faces; they were devils, it didn't mean they were heartless creatures, some were even reminded of their own children.
'Thirty four… four at the front gate, two at the back entrance, another two aerial, two in each of the halls, and the rest are hidden too deeply.'
No one would expect that such an innocent looking child who held a curious expression on his face was actually already calculating the amount of guards in the house; he was using the excuse of exploring to do this.
At first they hesitated, but after seeing his teary and cute expression they helplessly relented. The adorable face of the six year old was a powerful weapon to the soft hearted adults.
{Very good, very good, you've already grown to such a degree, with time you'll be able to discover the rest of the guards.}
A voice reverberated inside his mind, it was calm and had a natural grace to it, hearing the voice the small boy known as Andreas perked up. He gave a small smile at the praise just as he spoke back.
'Really? Then how much longer until I can meet your master?'
Ever since he had woken up from his slumber, a mysterious ancient voice began to speak to him from time to time and over a course of a few days the white haired boy considered him as a friend.
It was due to this that he had found out about the supernatural and his circumstances, he was also told a crucial piece of information; not only was he chosen to be the possessor of the mighty White Dragon, who was his friend, this White Dragon had a master!
Andreas was a natural open minded kid who could accept things easily, in fact, he even accepted the Supernatural with glee and immense curiosity, he often asked the voice in his head -which was the White Dragon- about it.
Wasn't it every child's dream to hold the power over lightning? To fly with freedom of the shackles that restrained all humans? To travel at a speed that was simply incomprehensible by normal standards?
As such, Andreas was more than happy, yet there were times where his expression showed worry and concern; it was at this moment that the voice that he thought was the White Dragon spoke up.
{Don't worry about your friend, with Master's great power she's probably already safe in his hands. It's just that he's probably fighting off the bad crows at the moment so he can't return, that's all}
The voice reassured him as the child's expression relaxed and thought.
'Yeah… if he could save me, then he can definitely save her!'
After nodding inside his mind, he smiled and continued on with his task of trying to identify the rest of the guard. Ever since he had woken up in the manor, the voice had been guiding him and training him.
But unbeknown to him, the voice inside his mind wasn't White Dragon, comparing the two was like comparing an ant to a tiger! While he continued on with his 'training' that his friend had assigned him, a soul raged inside his body.
Usually, every being had a soul within them, only certain people who used certain skills or Sacred Gear users of a high level had more than a single soul inside of them; when this second soul existed, a large mindscape would be created using the mental energy of the host.
Naturally, Andreas also possessed a mindscape but due to his extremely young age this area was evidently very limited in size and not fully formed. The appearance of it wasn't beautiful nor luscious, it resembled a barren field with debris that littered the ground.
It was akin to the aftermath of a large war that was waged in a mountain, as time passed, these stones and debris began to slowly form and stick to each other; this was naturally the progress that Andreas was making, with the help of the 'White Dragon' his strength and knowledge was increasing.
As such, his foundation regarding his soul also increased which indirectly improved the landscape. Any Sacred Gear would be happy with seeing the strength of their host rising, yet, for the first time in history a certain dragon was beyond furious.
[You insolent bastard! How dare you occupy this body, this is my host!]
Standing at the highest form of debris was a large and mighty white dragon, its body pure and beautiful as it gave off of a radiant pale glow, with two golden horns protruding from its head and feathered wings; it was a beautiful sight of the Western Dragon.
Before the Great War and before having its soul be used as a Sacred Gear, it dominated the land and brought destruction with every movement of its body; oftentimes, millions of lifeforms had died from his battles.
During his peak, he ruled! During his peak, he was an unstoppable force that could only be rivaled by Ddraig! During his peak, countless dragons lowered their heads, submitting to him and serving him! He was like a grand pillar that radiated unfathomable light, there were no words that could describe his strength.
Yet, this pillar showed signs of erosion.
Held down with massive black ethereal chains, the white dragon gave a loud growl that shook the interior of the Landscape, yet the figure that stood before it was unmoved; in fact, a trace of pity could be seen within its eyes.
This only caused anger to burst within Albion's heart, a lower life form was showing pity to him? One of the Two Heavenly Dragons? He felt greatly insulted by this, it was as if someone had spat at his pride.
Yet it could do nothing but glare and growl, the chains weren't human chains, they were clearly of Soul Magic methods that targeted the soul; while Albion was strong enough to surpass the Faction Leaders in his prime, he was nothing but a shadow of his past glory.
Even more so, he didn't have high enough soul methods, the skills displayed by the figure before him vastly surpassed him. Said person sighed, with a helpless tone.
"It's impossible to escape, these methods were given to me by my master, his attainment in Soul Magic has far surpassed this era! Even god himself is overshadowed by him, his supremacy is not something someone like you could possibly ever hope to challenge"
Clear worship and absolute audition was in the ethereal blue figure's tone, his loyalty to Tsuki was unwavering; he had even been willingly sacrificed and with the use of the Formation his soul had been fused with Andreas' body.
His task was simple, restrain The Heavenly White Dragon and ensure Andreas' loyalty to him! Furthermore, he must train him regarding the use of magic and increase his strength drastically, with the red familiar's experience it was but a simple task.
Lady Reizoku had entrusted him with many methods, most were regarding how to raise the strength from scratch; these methods were far superior to the methods used by the Devils, they could even be called demonic.
At the words spoken by the small soul before him, Albion's anger increased even further, the humiliation he felt was unbearable and his pride had been completely crushed; releasing a loud growl, it attempted to break free once again.
Yet under the illusive looking chains, it was all for naught as the Dragon once again collapsed onto the debris, this time deep fear embedded itself in his heart; such mastery in Soul Magic was simply unheard of, it fully surpassed the realm of even dragons who specialized in it.
Although he had no foundation concerning such magic, with just a glance one could tell the intricacy of the chains that coiled around his body; filled with vast amounts of energy, they used the strength of the captured beast and surroundings to neutralize him!
To compare what the almighty dragon was feeling, it was the same as a human who had fallen onto an inescapable quicksand; the further they struggled, the more the quicksand dragged them, it was using the motions and strength of the human to pull them down even further.
The invention of the technique, while humiliating and made Albion have the urge to rip out the tendons of the creator, was far superior than anything he has ever witnessed; it was beyond ingenious, it required no use of understanding of Soul Magic or energy to use it.
The very landscape, soul, Sacred Gear, all of these and more kept it sustained and the more he struggled the more energy his soul would lose until he met complete death. As for who could create such a skill, he had no idea.
Numerous names popped up inside his head, ranging from Gods to the legendary mage Merlin but they would have no motive to suppress him; looking at the slime familiar's small shaped soul figure, a hint of fear made itself known inside the dragon's eyes.
He was defeated, defeated before he could raise a single claw.
It was really pathetic, how would his rival react? He would no doubt laugh at him, jabbing at him for all of time to come if he ever escaped from the chains. Noticing the fear in Albion's eyes, the smaller shaped soul began to assure.
"No worries, once my Master reaches his full strength, nothing under the heavens will be able to stop him. So just hang on tight, when he comes back I'm sure he can find a purpose! Even if it's being his pet or as an attack 'dog', at least you'll be serving our master. You should consider this as your greatest honor!"
It continued to usher, praising and explaining this so-called 'Master' of his; he could do nothing to stop his rambling so Albion merely lowered his head. While he may have been defeated, he would bide his time and escape.
And then he'll see this puny Master's power.
000
Sitting crossed legged, sat a teen with unparalleled beauty, glossy pink lipped and with soft black silky hairs; undoubtedly, he would be the subject and target of love of many people from both genders. As much as it annoyed him to absolute no end.
Naturally, man was none other than the heir of the Satanachia house.
Yet at this moment, his bottomless abyss eyes stared at the garden before him in a daze, as if he long since lost consciousness. His entrancing irises reflected what the Garden of Eden hosted, it was a sight that could cause anyone to sigh in admiration.
With a night and day function, allowing an extremely realistic version of what Earth was like, Tsuki truly felt like he was on Earth; except of course the eccentric animals and plants that the place occupied.
Numerous plants littered around the garden, from the simple grass that could be seen on Earth, to the Nine Rainbow Weeds; a colorful weed that has been long lost in history, due to its immense uses it has been extinct for some time. Occasionally, a few would pop up, but it went without saying that the garden had the most.
Obviously, there were millions, perhaps billions of animals in this tiny world, be it on land or the vast sea. From simple elephants to the Primordial Qi Tiger, a tiger composed of thick amber energy that could surpass the speed of light.
Truly, the Garden of Eden represented the paradise of all mankind.
The existence of hunger and violence was non-existent, by using a formation made by God himself, Michael has been able to feed the creatures without actually feeding them; since this formation, not a single drop of blood has been spilled due to the hunger for meat.
Some might cry in emotion, desiring such a world, a world that one could live in without worry; it was a beautiful dream.
"How… disgusting."
At this moment, the dazed look of Tsuki finally faded, only coldness and contempt exuded from his sharp gaze; looking at the viridescent forest below him, a small form of disgust swelled up inside of him.
Since the dawn of humankind, slaughter and war has erupted throughout time, countless innocent human lives have been lost and many more geniuses that changed the fate of the world and outcome of the future.
It was only because of war that these geniuses could appear, only through pressure and violence could humanity ever hope to evolve; only through bloodshot and death could humankind as a whole reach a qualitative change.
Why was the existence of the Atomic Bombs and nukes still present in countries since their creation? It was simple, because they feared being conquered. And it was because of this fear and vigilance that they kept and even made more nuclear weapons.
It was through the pressure of war that such a bomb could be made and through it, war and military tactics changed. It was a process of change achieved through the lives of countless people.
The Garden of Eden represented paradise, peace, and unconditional safety.
But if this place was known to the public, if such a place could be accessed by everyone, how would humans ever grow? How would they ever prosper and obtain the unattainable? How could they reach the unreachable?
Simply, Peaceful Paradise wasn't what humans needed, in fact, neither did any living creature. What they needed was…
"Chaotic Paradise."
A formless thought appeared in his mind, he couldn't help but exude out this thought with words; unbeknown to him, the energy in the air began to swirl at his words, as if they were the words of a higher being.
'Only with a Chaotic Paradise can humans show their true potential.'
Once again, the energy in the air trembled as if reacting to his subconscious thoughts; yet as he regained his focus, this action stopped, all throughout it Tsuki hadn't once noticed it, it was a great shame.
Because of his dazed state, he had failed to notice the curious pair of eyes that were trained on him. Their childlike innocence sparkled with intensity as they gazed at the demonically handsome male, his beauty was enough to enchant any being and erupt wild lust within one's heart.
Yet, to the figure that the pair of eyes belonged to, only curiosity and interest shone.
Approaching the male with hesitant steps, she soon reached the peak to where he sat just as he sensed a presence behind him; turning his head as he shook out of his thoughts, the piercing glare that was about to approach his face vanished.
Standing up from the grassy peak of the mountain, his allusive black robe was slowly carried by the wind, creating an enticing scene of pure beauty; at this moment, female and male stared at one another with different gazes.
Heaven's most beautiful and strongest female has finally met The Underworld's Greatest Talent!
If this was to be revealed to the rest of Heaven's angels or the Underworld's Fallen Angels and Devils; who knew what expression they might have? Anticipation? Trepidation? The conflict between these two beings was something that would be told through generations!
Yet, no devil would ever be able to guess what had happened next.
Giving a charming smile, Tsuki closed the distance between the two with a few steps, while holding the smile he cupped her dainty and smooth hand; the process of this was too fast for a normal human to see but to the blonde haired female it was only slightly quick.
Her eyes shone with even further curiosity as she saw this, allowing Tsuki to grasp her hand, he gave a light kiss to the back of the limb and flashed a bright smile.
"To think I would be able to meet lady Gabriel during my task, it's truly my fortune."
At the actions and comment, a small blush decorated the peachy cheeks of the Seraph; even with war and countless battles, her childlike innocence and shyness was still retained. At this moment, she felt extremely embarrassed as she felt his warm pair of lips make contact with the back of her palm.
"I-It's also m-my pleasure to be able to meet y-you."
She did her best to reciprocate Tsuki's aura of charisma and professionalism along with his manner of speech, her efforts were only turned into heavy stuttering and an increased crimson blush.
Lowering her head in humiliation, Tsuki found her increasingly adorable and pleasing in his eyes; enemies that could match him in all forms, be it through speech, charisma and combat were terrifying.
Enemies that could solely match and surpass him in strength were nothing to be intensely concerned about, simply put, Gabriel was seemingly much easier to handle than her older brother.
"What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking?"
Keeping his formal tone, Tsuki inquired directly without any roundabout comments; any other Angel or Devil with a shred of talent in politics would obviously be able to notice Tsuki's probe with the question. Yet, Gabriel's embarrassment and shyness was washed away by this question, it was akin to the excitement of when a person is asked about their favorite topic.
With sparkling eyes, she ripped her hand away from Tsuki's and gripped his as she rushed towards the very peak; Tsuki smiled wryly but didn't mind Gabriel's informal actions and allowed himself to be dragged.
In fact, he found the sudden change of personality to be rather amusing, it seemed to him that Gabriel was rather excited about why she came and decided to show Tsuki; he could only accept this while pondering deep inside.
Due to his past life, anime and the like wasn't one of his focuses and he had only watched DxD during his hormonal teenage years, it was far before he truly became an entrepreneur and earned vast amounts of wealth.
His knowledge regarding Gabriel could only be summarised in a few words 'she has the biggest breasts.' It was as far as his knowledge went, it wasn't exactly useful in discerning the capabilities of the Seraph.
In truth, the strength of all the Faction Leaders was something rarely shown in the show, he could only experience Michael's strength personally and couldn't set up any countermeasures in case he denied Tsuki's request and attacked him; it made the transaction and scheme needlessly risky.
Putting a stop to his thoughts, both he and Gabriel came to a stop at the very peak of a grassy peak; he frowned, without his notice they had traveled to a different mountain, how could this be? Tsuki's gaze at Gabriel changed.
Even when she smiled and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh and natural air, Tsuki was still vigilant without showing signs of enjoying the scenery, how could he? He was still in Heaven after all, even if he and Michael had a contract he still needed to be wary.
Gabriel glanced at him as she pouted, she could keenly sense his distant and naturally untrustful personality, she had met many kinds of people after all so it was rather easy for her to see. So to break the silence and destroy the walls around Tsuki, she spoke.
"You see… ever since the Great War, I have been heavily troubled with nightmares. Who among us could possibly bear the burden of taking a life? Even Devils would get affected eventually. So after the Great War, I often visited the Garden of Eden."
Tsuki's eyebrows raised, he hadn't expected such a clear and profound answer from the stuttering innocent Gabriel; in fact, when she spoke, her expression was blissful as if she was drinking in the sight of the garden.
Even with the small exchange of interactions between the two, Tsuki was able to discern most of her personality; innocent and kind, she showed the demeanor of a model Angel but it was to the point one would call it ignorance. Through her personality she showed a rather airheaded nature, simpleminded, but she was inwardly struggling with many nightmares no doubt about the War and death of her father.
While she wasn't an idiot, she wasn't a sly fox like her older brother; she was also naturally extroverted while being an introvert as well. Tsuki couldn't help but compare her to a puppy, initially the puppy would be distant and shy whenever they met new people or their owners for the first time but over time they would eventually burst out with energy and excitement every time they saw their owner; it was the same feeling Gabriel gave him.
While Gabriel wasn't an actual puppy, as long as Tsuki befriended her his control over Michael would indirectly increase; his eyes shone as thought of this. His biggest worry was Michael's strength, once Michael decided Tsuki's usefulness was depleting wouldn't he just be killed?
Tsuki has shown too much talent and strength, eliminating him would be the best course of action, but if they added Gabriel into the equation it would be completely different. If things got needlessly complicated then she could even be his way into Heaven.
Giving a smile, he returned from his thoughts as he spoke.
"It is calming, even for a devil as myself I enjoy sights like this, it's simply beautiful."
Tsuki lied through his teeth as he casually revealed his Devil identity, this was another probe, how much information did Michael share to the rest of the angels? While he was aware the normal foot soldiers knew nothing of this deal, he had no info regarding the rest of the Seraphs.
Seeing Gabriel had no reaction, no signs of repulse or contempt, he knew his probe was successful.
'So the Seraphs are aware of my presence, and see as how I'm not getting blasted into oblivion Michael managed to convince them of my worth'
Tsuki's guess was indeed the case, after returning from the battle Michael spent a lengthy amount of time trying to convince his brothers; Gabriel immediately accepted, she completely disregarded the fact she was a Devil.
There was a reason she was known as the kindest Angel in Heaven.
Only through the efforts of both, Michael and Gabriel, did they barely manage to pursue their siblings; in the agreement they had made with them, either Gabriel or Michael would have to keep a constant eye on him.
Seeing as how Tsuki was in the Fourth Heaven, Gabriel decided to be the one to keep an eye on him and even approached him.
"I'm glad you also think this way."
Gabriel's smile widened as she spoke, she had a rather nice impression of Tsuki, the fact he was building a Formation that would help the Garden of Eden only heightened Tsuki in her eyes; she truly held no hatred for Devils, even Tsuki's heart was moved.
Whether it was his own feelings or his new race affecting him, he could say without a doubt Gabriel was one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen. With a busty and plump chest that could barely be constrained by a white cloth, her golden curls formed a lovely comparison to her white clothing.
As if noticing his gaze, Gabriel glanced at him with her lovely smile.
The two spoke no further, they both sat on the mountain peak and merely enjoyed the gusts of air that blew against their skin and hair; even though it was silent, a comfortable atmosphere formed around the two.
Even if they didn't speak, the silence seemed to have spoken a thousand words, and for the two - despite varying in reasons- it was enough.
000
Michael
Sitting inside the Sixth Heaven where all seraphs usually resided in, Michael gave a simple smile as he gazed into a glowing orb in front of him; naturally even though he entrusted the task of keeping an eye on his sister, he still felt uneasiness and decided to continue watching.
Watching Tsuki set up the formation made Michael sigh in emotion, after countless years champions and geniuses of various kinds would appear and surpass their predecessors; like a tidal wave that replaced the old and allowed the young to shine.
The Devil's methods far surpassed most angels in Heaven, his control, his fluidity, his peer power made Michael increasingly wary of him. He needed something to control him, something to restrain his movements and even join the side of the Angels.
What was that, he's a devil? Laughable!
By even thinking of plotting against his own father, his group, his own race; he has long since abandoned the feeling of loyalty, friendship, and familial love. Of course, such a person would prove difficult to control, Michael was more aware of this than anybody.
Tsuki was an unscrupulous devil who didn't care about race or past grudges, he had amazing foresight and was able to discern whether to retreat or advance without caring for his reputation; he was even able to toss away his honor. Such a person with immense talent was fated to become a world shaking being.
As such, after hours of thinking he had finally been able to formulate a plan to 'capture' such a person and sway them to his side; with his power and charisma Tsuki was sure to make an impact on the growth of all Angels.
Giving permission to Gabriel clearly had significant meaning, Michael wouldn't just casually allow his sister to visit a person without having a deep motive that affected the structure of Heaven.
His intent was obvious enough for Tsuki to be able to see through it, he was sure of this, but even if he did know he would be willing to fall into Michael's scheme. How could Tsuki be able to resist his sister? Especially under the effects of the Formation Michael had set up before Tsuki's arrival.
It was only a matter of time until he fell for her.
As for the problem of him being a devil, it was something that he and his sister could look past, while his two brothers could begrudgingly accept him he couldn't say the same for the rest of the Angels who bore grudges ever since the Great War.
Heh.
But who said that he would be a devil? Wasn't God one of the mightiest beings to exist? Wasn't he the creator of all? A being that far surpassed the realm of genius and the divinity that the rest of the gods showed. They possessed a method to turn Angels into Devils and Devils into Angels.
After the war, it has never been used but if Michael was lucky…
He might be able to see another Seraph added to their ranks.
Of course, with every use, the Formation would begin to degrade slowly but surely, it was the biggest flaw with it. He would ask Tsuki but revealing it would cause a cautious person like Tsuki to make plans and theories.
Even then, if this wasn't a possibility, he had doubts on Tsuki's ability to be able to handle such a powerful formation. It was personally created by God after a hundred years of formulating and carefully intricate construction, Michael had reason to doubt Tsuki in regards to that formation.
Just as his eyes glimmered at the thought of Heaven once again rising, a cold voice resounded in the room.
"Still entertaining this blasphemous plan of recruiting that Devil? And going so far as to using your own sister to achieve it? Father would weep at the depths you have fallen, Michael."
Swerving his head, Michael found out it was none other than one of his siblings: Raphael. Like all archangels molded by God Himself, Raphael was beautiful beyond mortal definition, and even the sneering, hostile expression that Raphael wore did not detract from it.
Michael merely smiled could his brutish brother understand the complicated scheme taking place? The battle of wits between him and Tsuki? The fruits that would be yielded should he succeed in his endeavour? There was a reason why he became the ruler of Heaven after his father's death.
"A complete and accurate report on the Underworld." Michael began as he spoke in the only language that his hot-headed brother Raphael could understand, "Their military research projects, information on their military deployments right down to the name, rank and pay grade of who is posted where. An accurate audit of their logistics chain. If one of the underworld's watchmen were to so much as sneeze, Heaven would know of it."
Of course, his brother was no fool. Raphael knew why, it was all for the betterment of the race, for their deceased father; and there was just the hint of acknowledgement within his brother's eyes- acknowledgement that such a complete report would help Heaven immensely
Ever since the great war and Michael's ascension to the throne there had been chances, subtle, but they were more than present.
The pacifist of a brother who loathed conflict was suddenly placed in the spotlight, burdened with the load of leading their entire race and because of this Michael began to truly mature, to plot and scheme, his foresight regarding the future of their kind increased.
Michael even fought Doku Satanachia. He willingly engaged in combat and came out with a contract in his hand; one that couldn't be separated unless the other lost their life by other means. He even used his own sister to drag the devil higher into Heaven's side!
"Not just that," Michael continued, "With Tsuki's cooperation, we're able to repair every formation along with obtaining potions that will heal our veterans from the debilitating scars of millenia of war. Dealing with a devil is a small matter compared to the big picture."
Michael's warm expression never faltered even as Raphael narrowed his eyes. All of Michael's efforts were so that no more Angel lives could be lost, he would even use his sister to obtain this. In a way, Raphael admired him deeply for his resolve, but Michael knew that Raphael would not be swayed- he would not be tempted.
"Even then! What guarantees do we have that he will not betray heaven? How can we be certain that it will not be Gabriel who shall for him instead?"
Raphael continued to argue as Michael frowned, of course he considered these points. Even if he was using Gabriel, she was still his adorable younger sister, he would rather die himself than to see any harm come to her.
"The boons of cooperating with us are too much for Tsuki to discard. We have the Elemental Forging notes left by Father, and that is enough to bind Tsuki in the chains of his own self-serving nature, and eventually ensure his loyalty to us."
Michael instantly rebutted, his eyes still trained on the golden orb in front of him; if Raphael had the desire to pursue Michael then it would take a lot more than such tedious excuses. Everything that his brother could possibly say, how couldn't Michael have thought about it?
The simple fact was that benefits drove Tsuki, as long as Michael had more to offer than any other faction, then Tsuki would be willing to work for him. Of course, the worst case scenario was that if he grew to the point he demanded everything from Heaven, at that point Michael would have no choice but to fight him which would lead to disastrous consequences.
He and Doku had a tactical agreement, neither would escalate the aftermath of the fight, neither would push for war and both had to silence all voices that encouraged the next round of the Great War.
If he and Tsuki fought, Doku's bottomline would be breached and who knows what would happen then?
Even if he could alter Tsuki's emotions, nudging them towards love and desire for his sister, he would have to prepare for the worst; this was something every great leader must plan through, not what they could do in the best case but only by pondering and think of the absolute worst scenario could they properly lead.
Michael's eyes flickered as he continued to watch the tranquil view of his sibling and Tsuki; seeing no way to convince, Raphael heaved a sigh as he instantly flew out of the sixth heaven. With a glance, Michael gave a sigh of relief as he noticed his brother wasn't heading to fourth heaven.
If he truly did try and disrupt his plans then he would have no choice but try to hide information from his own family; as for killing or threatening him, even if Michael has changed he would do no such thing to his own kind.
He was still an Angel after all, he was still the Leader of Heaven… he was still the path of righteousness… he was still God's Favorite.
Glancing at a black feather in his hand, he grimaced.
...right?
000
Underworld
Days flowed like water in the Underworld, yet even the River of Time couldn't wash away the commotion that the Battle of England had brought; concerns of war were raised while the Rebels used this chance to gain benefits and shake off the foundation of the government.
Doku had no time to rest as he was immediately dragged into a heavy political struggle, the situation of the Underworld was far from peaceful; while they tried to suppress the unrest of the commoners, the Rebels added fuel onto the fire and created even more rumors which helped them suppress the Government a tad bit.
Yet Doku knew time was of the essence, how could he waste his energy and strength to deal with squabbling children concerned for their minute gains and reputation? Initially he had underestimated the strength of Michael, thinking nothing about the Archangel.
After all, such a large amount of time has passed and because of responsibility surely Michael has been weakened since the Great War? Doku was wrong, horribly so, Michael's strength and achievements in runes raised his wariness against him to a high degree.
He had been confident in dealing with both of the two other factions in case the secret of the Black Ruins were exposed but now? Doku could only show his ruthless personality to suppress both the rebels and the government.
The Heavenly White Dragon? Your freedom? Your goal of having a fair government? To stop the current Satans who wanted to restart the Great War? Ever since the beginning the Satans desired to trigger the War that shook the world.
Due to Doku's subtle suppression along with the other houses, this was naturally neutralized, the current Satans noticed this and even complained but how could Doku care for the desires of such children? A single chair in his own home was older than the three satans combined.
Their positions were entirely for show, while they did have influence and were mighty figures, they did not have the authority of the true original Satans; due to this, they couldn't accomplish their dream and wage war once more.
As such, one could say that they were the main problems concerning the Great War, while they had indeed helped repel the rebels this was only for their own benefit; how could they expect to win a battle with the two other factions while being so divided?
Naturally, this made them the worst figures to possibly help Doku subdue the rumors regarding the Great War, he even had an inkling that they were the reason it spiraled so quickly out of his control.
Yet all of these rumors were squashed down in a single moment, a shocking piece of news shook the hearts of the Devils.
Tsuki Satanachia has returned!
Immediately the underworld began to churn in excitement, males and females paraded the streets in an attempt to spot the strongest devil of the younger generation. Who among them wouldn't want to cling unto Tsuki's coattails? To receive fame and glory alongside him?
And who among the females didn't wish to be one of his mistresses? To be a part of the Satanachia family with the most handsome and beautiful Devil as their husband, it was the wish of any young female.
Yet, their dreams and hopes were crushed in a matter of seconds.
Why would Tsuki go to Lucifaad? For the feeling of glory? What use did glory have? In his eyes, absolutely nothing.
So, standing tall like an icy pillar, with a pair of smooth and imposing eight wings on his back, a sole figure stood in front of the Six Houses of Lucifer and the Three Descendants; making eye contact with the male caused most to shiver, it was as if they were submitted into the coldest pits of water.
Of course, this figure was none other than the one who shook the Underworld, Tsuki Satanachia.
The Descendants had ugly expressions when gazing at the male, while he bore no physical resemblance to Doku; in personality and blood they were far too familiar, and due to this their expression of Tsuki worsened.
Why would they have kind feelings for the son of the person one who obstructed their goal of war?
Tsuki saw his decreasing affection and reputation yet showed no outward expression, in fact, he even had the urge to laugh; he had long since made use of the Satans, their affection and kindness now had no meaning to Tsuki, why would it? He has already completed the Racial Advancement Quest.
Now, they were disposable pawns.
"Young Satanachia, do you have any excuses you want to say about your disappearance?"
Beelzebub nearly sneered, his expression darkening as Tsuki stood forthright, usually one would have to kneel when in the presence of them but now the entire situation has changed! Not only were the Six Houses of Lucifer destroying the influence of the Descendants and leaving them no opportunities to ignite a war, due to Doku's strength there was a shift of moral and acceptance.
Devils admired and adored strength above all else, so in the minds of the Devil's only Doku was worthy of leading them! Why would they follow a person who hasn't shown their strength, who didn't take effort to confront the enemy?
"Lord Beelzebub, as you may know, I had stayed behind to prevent the wounded Michael from targeting my father and group; so they could properly follow through with the mission. This came at a cost unfortunately, I received numerous wounds and was on the brink of death, dare I say"
Tsuki casually said, his words leaving no room for argument nor suspicion; who could prove what happened after Doku left? Michael? If he were to cooperate with their investigation, it would be absolutely laughable.
They could only accept this answer, but the Descendants refused to give up; they needed a weakness they could grasp!
"Your feats and contribution to the whole of the Underworld will be compensated, I will personally make sure of that. Although, there is one thing I must ask..."
Tsuki nodded in acceptance, his gaze never wavering from Beelzebub's. A faint shimmer of coldness flashed through his eyes, he could already predict the Satan's next word because Tsuki had intentionally shown a flaw.
Seeing the silent glimmer in his own son's eyes, Doku inwardly sighed, such political talent; Beelzebub had immediately fallen for Tsuki's scheme! How could Tsuki return without knowing his most fatal disadvantage?
His 'flaw' was rather simple, where was he? He clearly didn't go to the underworld, Doku's reach through Dream Magic was sure of that, so then where?
All gazes were directed at his, suspicion clear in their eyes but Tsuki simply smiled as he spoke.
"I was afraid I was being pursued by the enemy; and with my little Demonic Magic, I didn't have enough to go through the barrier and to the Underworld. As for my potions, they were all already used by Doku and my team. Thankfully, I had anticipated this and sent a message to the Youkai Faction. And while they did arrive late due to the Formation and distance, they saved my life when I escaped from Michael."
"When they rescued me, I was brought back to their base and healed. As you can tell, injuries, especially of the holy kind, took a lot of time to heal. I truly owe the Youkai my life."
Tsuki explained with a light smile on his face, Beelzebub raised an eyebrow, the feeling of triumph overcoming his heart.
"So if I were to ask the Youkai head, Yasaka, that you were bedridden and injured in her base, would she be able to vouch for you?"
Doku glanced at Tsuki's never changing smile, did he really contact the Youkai Faction? When did this happen? Was his grasp over the outcome of the Battle of England really that great? Doku had many doubts and questions.
Tsuki wasn't quite aware of Doku's thoughts, nor could he use Observe at that moment. But he responded to the probing of Beelzebub's question and threat with a simple thin lipped smile.
"Of course, why would I ever lie?"
000 000 000
AN
Tsuki is such a kind soul, isn't he? Well anyways, this chapter was extremely fun to write as it sets us up for the up and coming 'saga' I have planned. As for how much of it will remain intact after continuous changes, I don't know.
Either way, Tsuki finally goes to Heaven and meets Gabriel, will Michael's plan work? Will Tsuki succumb and marry Gabriel? Or will he be a virgin for the rest of his li- oh wait, can't say that anymore, damn.