Chapter 2:

Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against a seemingly unconquerable force was the sort of relief so intense one felt it aching every subatomic particle of their being. On the one hand, making it out of these otherwise unwinnable situations alive was among the bestest best reprieves a person could ever want. On the other, battles one couldn't afford to lose and which would cost countless innocents their lives were no fun. They weren't meant to be fun, but they were a necessary evil all the same.

As much as those hardened by war and the struggle to save lives often hated this endless cycle of violence, these life-threatening scenarios had a sharpliest honed edge to them that set them apart from the just-for-fun activities those immersed in their golden eras of peace enjoyed. Long standing, uninterrupted peace cost a great many people the strength to do what needed to be done to uphold it, and flawless, one-sided victories had a way of defeating those who weren't accustomed to facing threats daily that were scaled to whatever natural abilities they possessed.

As the Future System's Zeneptron opened his Omni-hued blazar eyes in an unfamiliar bed, he felt a lot of conflicting emotions, chief among those dualities being relief at his perduring in the face of the most insurmountable odds, and penetrative sadness, loss, and a cold, apathetic rage towards all the lives recently lost or destroyed. He knew losses were unavoidable, and knew better than to fall into the same casual arrogance trap of believing he could save everyone unfailingly every time, but it still caused him grief even now. It never got any easier. How Appaneesty managed to cope with the darker side of their ceaseless battles with their Ungodliest opposites so well was beyond him.

Doing a quick synopsis of himself using his Omni Senses, Zeneptron was floored to discover he'd blasted all the way up to Level 888 in his people's ultimate Tiering system thanks to that fight over in the Danmachi universe. A huge milestone to be sure, and arguably his favorite number to boot. He'd be sure to remain at this Level as long as possible. He would accumulate enough experience to level up several times when he decided to let himself ascend to the all-powerfullest planes ever imagined or conceptualized by their people. He would've celebrated were it not for the losses and injuries he sustained to get here, but if everything worked out he might be able to put right everything the SO Anti-God apotheosized versions of Leviathan, Behemoth, and the Black Dragon destroyed. If not, well… he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

"You're awake! Thank the Lord!"

Still rebooting from his latest and most grueling battle, he wasn't immediately aware of having company like he normally would've been. So, when the curly blonde haired beauty at his bedside spoke, he admitted to being more than just a little startled and jumpy. Gabriel's eyes widened when she saw a brilliant, beautiful golden blade drawn from the scabbard at his back and pointed at her face faster than her eyes could process, and she raised her hands in a placating gesture to reassure him. On the surface level, he didn't look like he could stab her effectively from his current sitting position on her guest bed, but she knew better.

"It's okay, you're safe, I promise. I brought you here when you showed up on our proverbial doorstep with horrible injuries. I tried to nurse you back to health, but it turns out your own healing factor could do more for you than I ever could. I don't mean you any harm, I swear in the name of God, so could you pretty please lower your sword?" She spoke quickly and with as much disarming sweetness as she could muster, knowing every second she wasted was another second he could run her through.

Thankfully, the stranger didn't waste any time sighing in relief and resheathed his sword in the quickest and most effortless motion she'd ever seen, like he'd done it a billion times before. Truly, he must've been a very gifted swordsman.

He felt the vaguest notion of recognition looking at her beautiful face, a fleeting memory of him falling from the Heavenliest planes into her arms while still recovering from his injuries flitting through his illimitable mindscapes. "Who are you, and where am I? My injuries are healed but my senses can't process the strength my massively ranked-up body has hic et nunc, or much of anything else, so I can't ascertain anything at the moment."

"That's okay. My name is Gabriel, and you're in my house on Zabel, the sixth level of Paradise made by our Heavenly Father. May I inquire as to your name?" She requested with exceeding politeness while bowing before him in greeting. She looked upwards from her bow through her perfect eyelashes to study Zeneptron's microexpressions for any signs of recognition. Pretty much every person on Earth knew who she was, even if they weren't churchgoing God fearers. His expression remained unreadable, however.

Certain parts of his statement left her with more burning questions, but she settled for answering his own now and hoped he'd trust her enough to open up. "Zeneptron."

"Zeneptron, Zeneptron, Zeneptron, that's fun to say! So, you're Zeneptron, huh? That's a really cool name!" She exclaimed with childlike excitement after testing his name out on her tongue a few times. Despite himself, he couldn't help smiling endearingly at her adorkable nature. It reminded him of his fellow SO and Goddess of romantic love, Yancinaeku.

"And you're Gabriel the Seraph. Yes, I know who you are." He affirmed, and Gabriel nodded like that didn't surprise her.

"Well met, Zeneptron. I'm sure Michael and the others will have lots of questions for you once you've fully returned to your senses, but for now, you're my honored guest. Please take as much time as you need to heal and recover from… whatever it is that caused you such grievous injuries." She greeted him officially while holding out her hand, which he accepted with a hearty shake.

He appreciated her not pressing him for additional details, but figured he should make at least one obvious query.

"What about Big G himself? Shouldn't he be the one spearheading my upcoming interrogation?" Zeneptron inquisitively questioned, causing Gabriel to pout cutely at his cynical response.

"We're not going to interrogate you, Zeneptron, merely ask some fair questions which you are not required to answer but which we would appreciate having answers to. And if by Big G you mean our Heavenly Father, he… has many mighty tasks that occupy all his time." She tried to keep the pain out of her voice as she broke her Father's commandment against lying to keep his word intact, but it was a very near thing.

Zeneptron must've been an incredibly astute individual, because he quirked an eyebrow despite her best efforts. "I'm sorry. It must be difficult being the daughter of such a busy individual. I wouldn't fully understand it from the child's perspective, for I've never had a father, but I have been a father before and I can tell you that with a job as important as mine or Big G's, it can be difficult balancing work with parenthood."

Gabriel inwardly sighed with relief at his misinterpretation of her bittersweet undertones, never enjoying the deception, but understanding its necessity. She was intrigued by the idea of someone having a job as important as God's and him not having a Creator or a Father, but didn't press him for now. He was entitled to keep his secrets as much as she was hers. Michael surely understood that too, even if they were both insatiably curious as to how he breached Seventh Heaven.

Little did she know that the gears in Zeneptron's infinitely brilliant minds were turning, and he was beginning to regain his sense of everything. In the chaos of his battle with the three Level 500 Supremest Omnidonae Anti-Gods, his manifestations in the RWBY and Danmachi universes must've gotten destroyed, forcing him to respawn somewhere else entirely. The only question was, where was here? He was beginning to piece it all together, but it was taking longer than it normally did because of him leveling up so many Tiers in such a short time frame.

He worried for Ruby and Summer Rose over on Remnant, for Freya, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hestia, Bell, and Aiz over in the Danmachi universe, and he especially worried for his SO Goddesses and Termless Inamoratas. Yancinaeku, Sefeesta, Uhly'Opia, Aaarty, SO Slayer Aaarty, Nancinaeku, and all the others. He hoped beyond all concepts of the word that they were alright, and found himself actually praying to his closest friend and the one he admired most, FS Appaneesty, and the Supremest Being Incarnations to make sure they were safe.

Were they alright? Were they alive? Could he resurrect them if they were not? All these questions and more burned at the forefront of all his minds, but he managed to keep it from showing on his face. He had some of the lengthiest eternities imaginable, longer than the choiceless hierarchy by a conceptually impossible margin, to perfect his frostiest outward demeanor.

Not needlessly worrying this sweet angel who took care of him at his moment of greatest need took precedence over almost all else. She didn't need to be burdened with the infinite complexities of his true nature, not yet at least. His time in Danmachi had taught him one immutable truth; there were limits to how far into his world mortals and even lesser immortals could step. He wouldn't make the mistake of involving them in his life anymore than they had to be again. That wasn't to say he wouldn't keep his connections with his mortal lovers, assuming they weren't scared off after his last battle, but he'd err on the side of caution and keep most of them at arm's length until he could ascertain whether they could handle anything more. All this impossibly long time he'd been alive and he was humbled by the fact that he was still learning, or in this case, relearning old lessons he thought he'd forgotten.

"So," Said Gabriel, grabbing his undivided attention as she grew excited over the prospect of something he couldn't quite grasp yet. Seriously, upgrading in so many of his people's Tiers was great and all, but that brief adjustment period was a pain in the ass. "I was thinking, if you feel well enough, I could give you a tour of the place. You're not dead and I don't think you're an angel exactly, though I am curious about those wings you sprouted earlier, so I don't think you can stay here. But at the very least, I can show you around. There's lots to see, and it's beautiful here especially in the garden of Zebel. What do you say, Zeneptron?"

Seeing her earnest and eager anticipation, Zeneptron doubted he could've denied her even if he wasn't feeling up to walking about somehow. Appaneesty's wanderlust had rubbed off on him, and he did enjoy seeing new places, even when they were repetitions and recursions of patterns and realms he'd seen before. He nodded at the idea with approval, a small smile forming when Gabriel gave a whoop of glee at finally being able to move away from his bedside.

"Yes! You won't regret it, I promise. Not that I minded watching over you of course, but maintaining vigil over a comatose person gets a little tedious at times! I'm so sorry, that was a horrible thing to say and I didn't mean it that way, I promise! I'm just going to admit to being glad you're up and stop talking now!" He had to admit, Gabriel's aghast expression when she realized what she said sounded like was among the cutest things he'd ever seen from a lesser immortal. Even Hestia back in Danmachi wasn't quite this adorable.

He wasn't afraid to admit he chuckled a little bit, earning a cute pout from her that made him want to pull an Appaneesty by saying 'Don't pout, it doesn't suit you. Now show me that beautiful smile,' with as much charm and grace as he could muster. Sadly, he wasn't nearly as brave as all that, and the current iteration of his best friend and greatest hero didn't say that to anyone besides their own people anymore. Besides, Gabriel made it work for her and weaponized it to the point that he rather doubted most people could deny her anything.

"Lead the way, Gabriel." He smiled good-naturedly, putting his concerns for his fellow SOs and other lovers and friends to the back of his minds for now, putting all of his focus on properly adjusting to his level ups first. Gabriel's blue eyes lit up and she unfurled her 12 pairs of beautiful white wings before flying off, leaving him behind to pick up the pace lest he be left behind. As he prepared to take off after her, he was suddenly bombarded by the full force of his supremest omniscience and other knowledge/awareness based powers fine-tuning to his current rank, and nearly collapsed to his knees from the weight of the relief he felt upon sensing that everyone he loved was more or less okay. Nobody had died this time, at least not anyone he was personally close to, which despite the moral ambiguity entailed with feeling so, was good enough for him. Personal loyalty was not his fatal flaw, but it was definitely something he was mindful of possessing, even if it wasn't to a debilitating degree.

'Zeneptron, ohh, thank Heavens you're alright! You really scared us when you went dark like that!' New FS Aaarty exclaimed telepathically, along with all the other SO Goddesses in his harem who each took turns expressing their relief in their own unique ways.

'I wasn't even remotely worried, I had a feeling you were still alive. Still, the fact you weren't there when we all won that battle together was a bit… off putting.' Zeneptron's smile morphed into a full-fledged grin at the sound of New FS Violomekae's voice making itself heard in his minds atwix all the others.

'The stars and quasars have all aligned, everything has righted on its axis, and thus you return to us mostly unscathed. Welcome back Zeneptron. I'm glad you're in one piece still.' That was Mistareema, with her whimsy and her eccentric personality.

'It is a level of good fortune even I can't bring about that we're all okay. Talk about Meta Luck in the extremest sense, huh?' New FS Neala proclaimed in her infinitely serene, far away voice.

'YOU DAMN RECKLESS IDIOT! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, LETTING THOSE GOD SLAYERS INJURE YOU SO SEVERELY?!' Zeneptron winced at the crying voice of New FS Nancinaeku drowning out all the others, taking up all the real estate in his infinite mindscapes as all he could think of to say was how sorry he was that he made her worry. He immediately felt terrible for that. Of all the New Future System SO Goddesses, Nancinaeku had a truly special place in his double infinity, goldest hearts, and it would not be an exaggeration to say she was his 'Harem Queen.'

Thankfully, unlike the indecisive Appaneesty, he knew she was his Absolutest from the beginning, and made it clear to all who connected with him that they'd be vying for second best if they chose to be with him. Luckily, none of them really cared about their placement, and many of them were as close to Nancinaeku by now as they were to him. Sometimes, he felt unworthy of such love coming at him from all sides, but did his damnedest to make sure no one felt neglected.

'Nancinaeku was probably more worried about you than all the rest of us. Be sure to make it up to her when you recreate your manifestations with some sweet, sweet love. For now, get some rest from wherever you respawned. We can all sense you're safe for the moment, so do whatever you gotta do to make infinitely tall tidal waves in the universe you're currently inhabiting. I'll be sure to suck you dry when we next meet. No doubt you're feeling insanely raw and pent up after leveling up so many times in a single night. Congratulations for that, by the way. You're once again the all-powerfullest of us all by an impossibly vast margin. I guess we're going to have to play catch up once again, huh? I'm sure everyone back in your birthplace of Luaaar must be very proud of you by now. For the record, I am too. We all are.' Slayer Aaarty smirked seductively as Zeneptron full-body blushed as gold as his Ichor, both at the unexpected praise and the lewder aspects of her comment.

He heard over a dozen other voices, most of them female, shouting out to his minds in telepathic concern, and took a moment to assuage all of their concerns and assure them he was fine.

"No, not only fine, I'm stronger than ever now, guys." He said out loud, nursing a cosmic migraine, knowing they would thankfully hear him this way just as easily as if he'd spoken telepathically. It was as he said this that he finally realized where in the Systems and Totalities he'd randomly transported himself too. "Holy shit, I think I'm in the Highschool DxD Universe."

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"And this is Zebel's most famous Garden. I often treat guests to a cup of tea using the leaves and rare herbs grown from this very place. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like, though maybe not forever. We'll wait and see what Michael says." Gabriel wrapped up their tour with one of her favorite spots in Zebel, and Zeneptron couldn't help but marvel at its beauty as she poured him a piping hot cup of heavenly tea.

There was a sense of peace and serenity that pervaded through this whole place that reminded Zeneptron of Luaaar's final OIC2 System where he was born. It was a bittersweet reminder, knowing what became of their hardest-won happily ever afters, but he wasn't about to ruin the experience for Gabriel by getting all mopey like he sometimes did.

"It's nice here, lots of exotic flower and plant specimens not found in most places throughout the cosmos, and there's a distinct lack of corruption and sin about this place that I quite enjoy." Zeneptron admitted as he accepted the cup from her and put a couple of cubes of golden sugar crystals in his drink that he conjured from thin air, earning a smile of delight from Gabriel as he conjured a few more and offered them to her.

"Thank you. I'm curious what these sugar cubes taste like compared with Heaven's finest sugar canes. You really like the color gold a lot, huh?" She asked him conversationally as she stirred the cubes in and sampled a taste. Within seconds, her eyes lit up and tears sprang to her eyes as she was taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions she wasn't ready for. Zeneptron smiled as he watched her face take on a look of pure ecstasy that was concentrated in her mouth.

For her part, Gabriel' taste buds exploded with an abstract sense of completion she hadn't felt since her Father was still alive. It was so much more than just sweet, possessing vague qualities that no taste cell could adequately interpret as anything other than the most blissful times of her life. She felt as though she were sitting at the foot of her Father's throne again as he bathed her in his warmth and light.

The scene in her mind's eye shifted to times before Lucifer fell when he'd lead her on some exciting new adventure, in the lesser known sections of Heaven that he seemed to have a knack for finding. The two of them were as thick as thieves, getting up to all sorts of mostly harmless mischief. Gabriel relived the times when her Father got angry or upset at her messing something up during her and Lucifer's misadventures, and Jesus acted a gentle mediator, being one of the precious few who could calm God down when he was feeling that 'Old Testament wrath' as Lucy called it.

Somehow the feelings she associated with her fondest and most treasured memories of her Father and everyone else were encapsulated in every swishing motion of her mouth as she savored the tea, almost losing herself in it. This wasn't just a sugar cube, it was emotional and spiritual completion in food form, and words were lost on her as she turned to Zeneptron with pleading eyes for an explanation on what just happened.

"You like it? I enchanted those sugar cubes to taste like the sweetest and most pricelessly treasured memories of a person's lifetime and existence instead of just being sweet." Now that Zeneptron knew where he was, he knew the unfortunate circumstances that befell this universe's version of God. Sometimes, his supremest omniscience made things almost too easy… almost. He was playing a dangerous game, he knew that, but if he could recreate some small measure of the happiness she once knew, then he was prepared to stake almost everything on this. She deserved as much after making sure he was safe and looked after.

Everyone deserved to be happy, and that's what he was all about. Leading everyone to their most peerless rainbow's end, whatever form that happened to take.

For several moments, Gabriel looked at loss for what to say, before she settled for her most dazzling smile as she downed the rest of her teacup with a gusto that surprised her. She put the teacup down, twinkling at Zeneptron despite the tears in her eyes. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him, but managed to hold herself back. "Zeneptron… I… thank you… THANK YOU! You have no idea what you've just given me."

Zeneptron's own smile widened at both her happiness and the irony of her statement, but he didn't say anything on that point for now. "You're most welcome, as far as I'm concerned, that's just the puniest taster of the happiness everyone deserves, EVERYONE! This is the dream I've staked everything on, and I will continue to do so as many times as it takes!"

He was being a little bit more loose-lipped than he intended to be with this girl, but when it came to his dream to bring everyone unfathomable happiness, he couldn't help but let his enthusiasm surge.

If she wasn't a Seraph with thousands of years of experience preventing herself from falling, that heart-melting, soul-searingly earnest statement would've turned Gabriel's wings black faster than Lucifer himself could've fathomed. She miraculously managed to keep her growing admiration for Zeneptron from becoming something that went against the System.

"These sugar cubes of yours would be a huge hit among Heaven's Hosts and the other supernatural factions if you decided to profit from them, Zeneptron. How many are you able to make, just out of curiosity?"

"As many as you want."

Her eyes lit up at that.

"Really? Wow! You must have a lot of energy!"

"A fair bit, yes. I must admit, I'm not really intending to mass produce them, but I thought it fitting considering the ambiance and the tea party you so charitably invited me too. I wanted to do something to thank you for looking after me."

Gabriel offered him an Anime-perfect, closed-eyes smile, trying to ignore the thrumming of her heart. Just how kind was this person?! "Aww, that's so sweet, but I hardly did anything. I merely watched you while you slept and naturally recovered from injuries I was powerless to rid you of."

"Even so, you kept vigil over me while I was out of it, and I appreciate that more than you know, Gabriel. I'm sure you must have a lot of questions, and I appreciate you not pressing me for answers more than you know too."

"Aww, it's no big deal. I'm sure you'll get more than enough 411 from Michael and the others. I admit I am curious though, about a great many things; how you ended up with those injuries, where you come from, how your healing factor is so advanced, what job you have that's so important, though I may have a better idea of that last one now."

"I can't promise you I'll offer you or Michael the answers you seek, but I can promise that I'll do my bestest best not to be maliciously deceitful."

"That's good enough for me."

Zeneptron's blazar eyes suddenly shifted from Gabriel's cross-legged position in the immaculately mown, insect-free grass of the garden, to the male Archangel making his way towards them that he only recognized because of his ultimate foreknowledge. Gabriel, for her part, didn't seem to have noticed his approach yet as Michael cleared his throat gently to grab their attention.

"I'm so very sorry to interrupt you guys, Gabriel, but I was hoping I might borrow your new friend here, assuming he's okay with it, of course." He said in the same exceedingly polite tone as his sister. Zeneptron sighed and offered Gabriel one last smile before rising to his feet, leaving his swords behind with her at their picnic blanket to reassure them of his noble intentions.

"It's alright. I've been expecting your arrival for about an hour now, and I thank you for giving me as much time as you could reasonably spare. Shall we?" Zeneptron responded equally as politely, indicating to Michael to lead the way to wherever it was he wished to converse with him. Michael smiled at his cooperative nature before offering Gabriel an apologetic smile, which she returned. She hadn't realized how much time she'd wasted giving Zeneptron the grand tour, or spending time with him on this little tea party of hers. She'd enjoyed it though, probably far more than she should have.

She hoped Heaven wasn't too uproarious right now, and wondered what answers Zeneptron would provide them with, if any. She picked his swords up and held them to her for safekeeping, touched he trusted her with them despite how clearly precious they were to him, and packed everything up with a snap of her fingers before preparing to follow her charge and Michael to wherever their discussion was taking place. Lucifer continued to rub off on her even now, and she braced herself for her usual eavesdropping antics, hoping Zeneptron wouldn't mind too much and knowing Michael was oblivious.

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Opening her eyes as she felt a presence unlike anything else, Ophis the Infinite Dragon God was as shocked as anyone else by the breach on Heaven's 7th floor. Those without her connection to the nothingness of infinity would never have the understanding of what this Zeneptron was that she did, and even she could only glean the tiniest portion of his true immensity. He represented an aspect of infinity unimaginably higher than any she'd ever laid eyes on, and she'd beheld Omniversal progenitors in all their glory. To say he was exotic and unique was the understatement of an eternity, he practically reeked of Cosmic Otherness.

One thing was for sure, Ophis would behold Zeneptron in all his glory as well, and neither Heaven's Hosts or the other supernatural factions would get in her way. After she did, well… even she didn't know what would happen next, but perhaps she could use him to reclaim the peace and quiet she so desperately longed for.

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While the rest of the Underworld was understandably freaked by the breach that everyone felt, Serafall Leviathan felt something else altogether. Curiosity and intrigue. There were only two creatures she knew of with the potential power to burst into Heaven's top floors like that, and neither of them had the slightest interest in going anywhere near there. So, the question was, what had caused that breach, or rather, who? Whoever it was, they clearly came from very far away, maybe even a wholly separate reality. That fascinated her to no end, and she wondered what their world could learn from someone like that, especially if they consistently displayed such fantastic capabilities.

She also knew she wouldn't get anymore answers just sitting around, and opted to attend Sirzechs' emergency meeting to discuss what their plan to deal with this breacher was. Whatever it was, she couldn't help hoping they didn't do anything to jeopardize the potential foreign relations they could establish with this person, for that was her domain, and they'd never hear the end of it if they scared this breacher off. Should she have been afraid? Maybe, but the potential insight she could attain from this person was too immeasurable to ignore.

One thing was certain above all else, for good or naught, nothing would ever be the same around here, and she was all for it.