(Aponia)
Being a Nun is… incredibly boring and annoying.
Far too many prayers, too many honeyed words when the person speaking them is a filthy creature deep down. Only reason she is still around these people is because she has her orders from Lord Azazel.
It was… pathetically easy to infiltrate the Vatican and the various churches while hiding her wings and real race. True, it was mostly because she was barely Middle Class in terms of power, and the majority of the people around her were all just Mortals, but it was also because she is a very good actress.
Unlike the many other spies within the Vatican, Lord Azazel had given her a different task.
To find, approach, and befriend the Nun named Ataraxia. Make sure she is protected and happy, and that she can trust her with her very life.
The reason?
Ataraxia might be the reincarnation of God.
Not only had she appeared out of nowhere, but she also literally has no DNA in her body. She is a human, yet… somehow she isn't. She isn't even an artificial being.
Her parents just don't exist, and she was born and gifted with the enigmatic Seraphic Gear named Ars. The Sacred Gear made in the image of God himself.
The power of creation itself placed into a Sacred Gear.
She didn't know why Azazel wanted to protect Ataraxia, but at that point she really didn't care.
Unlike the majority of her fellow Fallen Angels, she didn't view Humans as trash and worms. She really didn't have a view about them, they were just Humans.
So needless to say that she instantly took a liking to the girl called Ataraxia, nearly a decade younger than her, yet surprisingly mature, kind and just… sweet all around.
Plus, she is also stunningly beautiful. Perfect in a way that she just couldn't put her finger on.
Tall, long legs, a curvaceous figure that made her want to purr, already seeing it caked in sweat and writhing beneath her, large breasts, not as big as hers of course, long silver hair and stunning bright light blue sky blue eyes.
A girl with a wish to help others to the best of her abilities, yet abandoned by all due to being deemed with no worth.
Then instantly approached again when she shows a bit of utility and the fact that she can easily wield Holy Swords. Poor girl, she doesn't even notice the thinly veiled filth and corruption spread through the entire Vatican. It made her heart ache deep down.
"A-Ah, please come in!" Ataraxia's cheeks grew warm, making Aponia giggle behind her palm. Looks like the rather provocative and revealing outfit she decided to put on before meeting her had effect!
Still, for such a devout Nun such as Ataraxia, she is quite surprised that the younger girl didn't reprimand her instantly. This needs more testing.
"You don't have any luggage?" The younger girl blinks behind her, making her smile warmly at how welcoming she is, especially since it was early in the morning.
"Do not worry dear." She makes sure to purr that word, making the flush on Ataraxia's cheeks grow darker. "I have a Spatial Storage. I've stored everything in there." She nods and shuts the door behind her before pushing a strand of her long hair behind her ear, her nervous eyes still trailing to her lower body with both confusion and curiosity.
"You seem quite flustered." She hums softly as she gazes around the cozy and small home. "Not used to people?" The house is quite deep in the woods, away from the village, so that might be it. Plus her state of clothing.
"A-Ah no, that's…" The girl licks her very pretty lips, making them glisten. She couldn't help but bite her lower lip and stare at the for a few long seconds. Her target just had to be both adorable and delicious. "Uhm… My apologies if it's impertinent, but… Is such a revealing state of clothing truly alright? I did notice the two previous Nuns wear something very skintight so…" Oh dear, it turns out she is clueless about quite a few things.
"I presume you have been sheltered for quite a while?" She probes, and receives a confused look back before Ataraxia shyly nods, her eyes still nervous and glancing downward.
'I could make use of this…' She hums to herself with her usual warm smile, her tongue sliding out to lick her lips once more. She won't harm the girl or try to ruin her faith and whatnot, but… that doesn't mean she can't make her enjoy certain things.
But first she must test her boundaries, then bide her time slowly. She is a stranger after all.
"You're adorable." She giggles and cups the girls right cheek, then leaves behind a warm kiss on the left one, making the poor girls cheeks burn even more. Truly adorable. "But to answer your question: It's… slight alright. I do not wear this around grumpy high ranking members of the church, but merely to relax or around those I care a lot for." She explains to the young girl, not even a single lie in her words.
This is truly what she wears around those she cares for and when she relaxes, but she only ever wore this to… have some fun just once.
While she is very lustful and flirtatious as a Fallen Angel, she isn't as sexually active as her brothers and sisters. Mostly because she prefers to have a romantic relationship of sorts with her partner before having sex. As for foreplay, that's fair game.
"Plus, it's not like I am completely naked." She smiles and move her black cloth to the side to reveal her sex, which is covered by a white paper with a golden cross on it, plus the golden cross tattoo above her sex. She loves using the church symbols this way. A bit of childish hate on her part, maybe. "See?" She playfully wiggles her hips left and right, making Ataraxia gulp loudly as she nervously draws her gaze away.
Shy towards the very forward and open people. That's what she can deduce so far. She'll need to tease her a bit more!
"Now then." She smiles warmly and wraps an arm around the girls shapely hips and brings her closer, making her squeak and flush up even more, the sides of their large breasts pressing against each other.
Her smile only grew bigger when steam started pouring out of Ataraxia's ears.
XxX
Aponia is… both a breath of fresh air and a curse. She is very open and forward, always speaks her mind, and well… is also quite touchy.
It's not even bad, just… weird. I've never had anything like this before, mostly because I never had friends my own age, but… it feels nice?
Her state of dress aside, which I can kind of get behind the specific spot she covered with a simple slip of paper with a cross on it is the spot used to make children and create life. It's still embarrassing to see such a thing.
But still... I'm very happy. Now that my efforts have been recognized by the church, and now that I can finally start helping others to the best of my abilities, I can finally feel like I am doing something.
And now I have a teammate. Another new constant in my life. Finally someone that might stay with me for more than just a few days or weeks. I'd be more than happy if she stays around for a few months, or even years.
"Uhm… Do you mind if I ask for your opinion on something?" I ask her as I clean the dishes, making her snap out of her dreamy look after the breakfast I prepared. Guess she liked it a lot. Though she moaned a bit too much… I think.
"We are partners now dear." She hums and leans against the table, her large behind nearly not fitting on the chair as she rests her chin on the palm of her hand. "Ask away."
I bite my lower lip, but then just decide to be upfront. "Well… I recently created a new spells that drastically increases my physical abilities." That makes her eyes blow wide open, nearly glowing with interest and surprise. "But it has a rather harsh backlash that I can't get around." Right now Mana Burst is at Level 6, and the current backlash from using it is enough to incapacitate me for a few seconds due to the intense pain.
Soothing Aura helps a lot, but… I'd rather find a way around it.
Aponia hums as she strokes her chin. "How does the spell work?" She asks as she stands and stretches her back, making her chest jiggle wildly and stand out a lot more.
"I simply turn the small trickle of Mana flowing through my body into a raging river. I call it Mana Burst." She blinks, then looks down at her hand in concentration for a few seconds before whistling as she clenches her hand into a fist a few times.
"I think I get what the problem is." I perk up with a smile on my face as I dry my hands. "Come, let's go outside for this." I nod and follow after her after tying my hair in a ponytail, then I bring her around the back and into the clearing where I always train.
"Now, first: Do you know what a Mana Core is?" She asks, and I nod, to which she smiles warmly. The Mana Core is obviously where all Mana in the body is stored, while it also helps us absorb the Mana of the outside world, plus generate it's own through time. "And do you know where it is?" I pause, then nervously shake my head.
"That is alright." I flush slightly under her warm smile. She is just so beautiful, and I'm not used to being around someone so… attractive, I guess. "The Mana Core is inside our Heart. All living beings have it, but for some it's dormant, and for others it's so minuscule that it's useless." She explains while holding out her hands in front of her large chest, my eyes widening when a bright sparkling blueish white glow came from beneath her clothing and skin.
"That Spell you created, Mana Burst, is actually quite violent. Not many use it, but those who fight in close quarters, mostly with their fists, use something called 'Mana Circulation'." A bright sky blue aura coats her whole body as she finishes her explanation, and I can feel her Mana surge through her body and outside. "I am no physical fighter myself, but I decided to learn this just in case. It took me a couple of months to carefully do it, so don't be-"
[Mana Circulation] (1/?)
Moderately enhances physical parameters as long as it's active.
Another Skill with an unknown Level Cap, just like Mana Burst. It's probably because I can constantly improve them, over and over.
I lift my gaze and smile towards Aponia, who merely blinks at me, mouth wide open in shock before she chuckles and rests her hands on her nearly naked hips.
"Looks like I have a prodigy on my hands…" She hums softly, but I don't take the praise to heart since it's all thanks to the System. "I wonder…" She cups her chin and hums softly. "There is a zone dense with Mana around here, yes?" I tilt my head, but nod nonetheless. "Let's go there then. I'll teach you something that will help you with your Mana Burst spell." Well, I just can't say no to that.
It didn't take long to reach the area where me, Xenovia and Irina found and took on a Wall of Mist, mostly because I don't want to go in too deep and risk running into a Magical Beast.
Not that I'm afraid of them, but I'd just rather focus on learning whatever Aponia wants to teach me.
"Yes, this is good." She nods as she looks around while feeling the dense Mana in the air. "It's not incredibly dense, so it'll be perfect. Have you ever meditated before?" She turns towards me, so I stop and turn to fully face her as I nod.
"Yes. I do that to improve my Mana Core." I haven't done that often, maybe two or three hours in total, mostly because to get a feel of it. I did manage to absorb Mana, but I was never able to keep a hold of it for some reason. I realize just now it's because I didn't know where my Mana Core was, and I wasn't bringing the Mana to it.
"Excuse me?" I blink in confusion when Aponia all but gapes at me in shock. "Did you just say that you can improve your Mana Core?" Huh? Does she mean that she can't?
"I… can. By absorbing the Mana and bringing it to the Mana Core I can reinforce and expand it… Why?" I fidget nervously under her very intense stare, and she only snaps out of it when I gulp loudly.
"First of all: Never share this with anyone else." She heavily tells me with a deep frown, making me nod nervously. "Second of all: No one can do that. Every being is born with a Mana Core, and said Mana Core is at a certain class since birth. Like Low Class, or Middle Class, and so on."
"Of course that doesn't mean that the child is automatically Middle Class or something like that, but it means that the child can grow to reach that class through hard-work and training. And they can't go beyond that."
That's… a bit cruel. Why would God ever set such limitations upon Humans too? Didn't he make us in his own image? So why would he restrict us so much?
"Of course, the presence of Sacred Gears changes that." Aponia sighs. "Sacred Gear mostly depend on Stamina and not Mana, so one can train in them and reach levels capable of slaying Gods. Take Vasco Strada for example, he has a Middle Class Mana Core, yet he is strong enough even without a Sacred Gear that he can defeat a Cadre from the Fallen Angels. It's all about how you use what you have." I blink, then slowly nod. I best pray and ask God to forgive me for having doubted him. Stupid me.
Still, I guess the System is even better since I can improve my Mana Core, while others can't. I guess that's a bit unfair for others.
"Plus, we also have something else to even the odds." I blink at her, and she smiles as she activates her Mana Circulation once more, but this time I can see the bright glow of her Mana Core… and the glows from other Cores coming from all over her body, nearly twenty in number.
"These are Mana Stars, smaller versions of a Mana Core. They store Mana just like a Mana Core, but also work in tandem with Mana Circulation, keeping the flow of Mana through the body constant. They can also be ignited for an explosive burst of power in dangerous situations, but it's risky since one can lose them if they don't stop the ignition quickly enough."
There is so much stuff I don't know about. So many wonders and beauties and abilities that are just so smart and useful. I really want to discover more!
"So you think using these Mana Stars will help me handle the brunt of Mana Burst?" I ask, and she nods, making me hum softly to myself. If I do create them in my limbs and body, then I can pass the excess Mana to my Mana Stars so that it isn't released outside of my body in a violent way.
"Now, sit down and meditate. All you have to do is absorb the Mana of the outside world and mix it with the one from your Mana Core, then focus on one spot and condense it. It's a process that takes time so don't get impatient." Aponia instructs me, so I give one last look around before sitting down and closing my eyes, slowing down my breathing so to enter a calm state of mind. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." I smile softly at that and fully immerse myself in meditation.
I can feel the dense Mana in the air, and the gentle current flowing through my body from my beating heart, so I reach out to both.
Drawing in Mana is kind of like breathing in a sense. It can be easy, it can be hard. It can be fast, it can be slow. It can be heavy, it can be light.
It changes constantly, but due to how dense the Mana outside is, drawing it in is a slow process, but not useless.
As the light and warm Mana of my Core and the dense cool Mana of the outside world are drawn into my right hand, I slowly but surely feel a small building heat there.
And then a small bit of light finally burst forth. It grew brighter and warmer, and kept growing slightly bigger for what felt like minutes as I kept feeding it Mana, until finally it released a burst of heat.
I gasped softly and opened my eyes, my hand twitching and shivering from the sudden burst of high heat I just received, but I can't help but smile at the sight of the small glow coming from right beneath it.
I can already feel the incredible changes. My Mana flows out from my Mana Core and into the Mana Star, then out of the Mana Star and to my Mana Core, without wasting it. As long as I create one in each limb I should be able to withstand the backlash from Mana Burst, but I'll need more to handle the higher Level backlashes.
"Oh? Done so fast?" I turn my head to the left to stare at Aponia, who is leaning against a tree with a book in hand, a gentle gust of wind brushing her black cloth aside and making me look away with a fierce blush at the sight. "Truly a miracle child. Though there is something we have to fix." I blink and sit up, then stretch my back and limbs when I notice how stiff they are.
I must have meditated for at least an hour or more. Time can truly fly so fast sometimes.
"You see, while you meditated…" Aponia approaches me, then pokes my breast with a large teasing grin on her face, making me jump back with a squeak. "I poked you all over, and you didn't react. That's not good." I blink, and my blush slowly dies down as I realize what she means. I have no sense of danger. If she wasn't around and a predator came by, I'd have died without even realizing.
"It's because I barely have any combat experience in truly dangerous situations." She hums softly as I recall my fight against the Mad Beast, the short one against the Orc, and then the one against that man-beast within the Wall of Mist.
"That's a sheltered life. But it can easily be fixed with some possibly painful training." I shiver at her teasing grin. "Oh worry not dear, I'll make sure to cuddle you lots to make up for it!" My flush comes back with vengeance at her words, and I take a step back from her as she wiggles her fingers towards me.
"How can I train my danger sense?" I ask her, diverting her attention from teasing me to something more important. Well, important to me. I'm pretty sure teasing me is now her new favorite hobby.
"I'll help you out for a bit, but there's a limit to how much we can train your danger sense in a safe environment." I nod as she takes a step back, then hums and tilts her head at me. "You can create weapons right? Mind making a pole for me?" I blink, then nod and create a long black pole before tossing it to her.
Only for her to freeze after catching it.
"Is something wrong?" I ask her as she inspects the pole in her arms with furrowed brows. I didn't do anything wrong, did I? I don't feel anything wrong from the weapon either.
"This is a Holy Weapon." I reel back in shock at her words. "It's… very weak, but I can feel the Holy Aura and Light coming from it." My eyes widen, then I lower my head and raise a hand before creating a small dagger in it.
I focus on the feeling Excalibur gave me, then try to place it on the small dagger I created… And indeed it's there. Weak, faint, but warm and gentle and soothing. So much so that I never felt it my whole life since I never came in contact with anything truly Holy.
But why can't I feel it from Holy Water then…?
"The Holy Aura and Light are so pure and warm… I never felt anything like this…" Aponia seemed completely awestruck as I furrowed my brows, deep in thought.
This…
Ars… The Mind of God… Creating weapons and control of the elements of Creation…
"The Mind of God…" I whisper to myself, not noticing the widening of Aponia's eyes. "I've been looking at it the wrong way this whole time…" I breathe in and close my eyes, then stretch out my hands in front of me.
A weapon akin to the Excalibur Xenovia wielded.
A spear to be precise.
One capable of turning Mana into Holy Light and release it into an explosive blast.
Long, nearly two meters tall. Sharp and long wide blade.
Tougher than steel, able to return to me with a mental call.
I gasp as my Mana just surges and flows out of my body, nearly blinding me in a burst of light as a sudden bout of weakness makes me lose my footing and fall backward.
Aponia manages to catch me before I hit the floor, and we both stare with wide eyes at the small column of platinum gold light in front of us.
The light soon fades away, and out of it falls a steaming golden and white spear. Exactly the way I imagined it.
Ataraxia
Level – 34
Fighting Class – Mortal
Sacred Gear – "The Mind Of God" Ars
Powers:
Artifact Creation – Rank F
Law Mastery (Initial):
Law of Fire – Rank E
Law of Water – Rank E
Law of Earth – Rank E
Law of Wind – Rank E
Personal Abilities:
Mana Core – Rank F
Weapon Mastery – Rank D
Oh… Oh dear me…
"This…" Aponia licks her lips, then chuckles nervously. "This is another secret you are going to keep to yourself." I gulp loudly, then slowly nod as I stare at the still steaming spear laying on the grassy ground.
This… changes everything.
A.N.; I think I'll love writing Aponia and her relationship growth with Ataraxia. Hope y'all enjoy it too. Either way, this a short chapter just because.
Also, i fixed a dumb typo i never noticed somehow. Ataraxia's weapon Mastery Rank... Am an idiot.
Lots of love and thanks to my P at re ons! Y'all the best! P at re /SamuraiCheem