"...And that is the situation in the Roman Empire, Father." Raphael finished delivering his report.
"The west side had completely collapsed at this point. Should we expect the Greek Pantheon to start a move on Romania to regain their influence?" Asked Gabriel.
"Regardless of the baselessness of it, Zeus is bound to blame us, given the spread of Father's believers in the Eastern region." Uriel commented.
"The Devils are likely to see this as a strong point that can't allow to persist unopposed." Sandalphon stated.
"So Narona, Ravenna and Constantinople, those will be main locations of conflict soon." Michael stated. "Should we also be worried about a focused attack from our Fallen?"
"They kinda have to, given what our brother did to them." Remiel pointed out, giving Raguel a side glance. A chuckle rang out in the meeting area of the Archangels and YHWH were in.
...I'm so fucking lost! Raguel quietly kept a placating smile.
"Raphael, Gabriel, both of you head to Constantinople, and keep the peace there. Sariel, Sandalphon, Remiel, Metatron head to Narona, but keep an eye on the whole of Dalmatia, keep your guard up at all times." The Creator decreed. "Finally Michael, head to Ravenna and offer aid to those who need it, and retrieve an object I will tell you about later."
""Yes, Father!""
While Raguel couldn't keep up with the discussion, he could notice everyone's emotional state. Something he did, mostly because he had nothing to do, and nothing to contribute. His Archangel siblings were all engaged, resolved and elated when give a tasked by Father. The odd thing though, was that Father wasn't worried about sending four of His sons to Narona, but was so on sending the lone Michael to Italy.
If there is something worrying in Ravenna, then why is he sending so many to a different place? Raguel wondered.
"And I, Father, what duty shall I carry on?" Uriel asked with enthusiasm.
"You will head with Raguel to Britianna to continue the search for the mythical blacksmith. I fear your brother may have inadvertently invited many enemies with his victory over the Sitri devil." God said with a small smile. Another round of laughter ensued.
"Let them come, let's see how many are humbled by our brother's words." Remiel joked.
"I'm starting to think I should just learn to smite them, because even if I win I cause problems later on down the line." Raguel looked aside blushing, while scratching his head.
"Nay, brother." Uriel slapped Raguel's back in support, causing the small Archangel to stumble. "We all fight in Father's name in our own methods. And your words did nothing but deliver a truth, that struck at the black hearts of those demons with how blinding it was." He said with a grin.
""Hear, hear."" The other Archangels said in warm support of their youngest sibling.
"Now then, those of you heading to Narona, make your preparations, gather as many of your brothers as you think you need and fly by My will. The rest of you stay behind for a moment." God said, a little sad to break up the moment of comradery, but smiling in contentment at His children getting along.
""Yes, Father!""
The four Archangels left, and then there were six.
"Go ahead, Raziel. Ask what's on your mind."
"Uuuh..." The usually composed Raziel found herself hesitating, as she glanced at Raguel.
"Uriel," Michael spoke. "Why don't you take Raguel and teach him some of your fighting moves, to prepare for your mission."
"Haha! A fine idea, Michael." Uriel despite his usual demeanor easily caught on, and was about to take the youngest Archangel out of the meeting area, due to the sensitive topic Raziel wanted to bring up.
"Children," only for them all to halt, from a word of their understanding Father. "Raguel knows about the Beast."
"Wha..." Raziel found herself lost for words. She began to recontextualize all her time with Raguel, and see if he had shown a sign of distress that she had missed.
So were all Archangels that were left wide-eyed from his news, looking at Raguel now with concern.
"He knows about..." Michael was the first to regain his voice. "Father, Raguel is less then a month old. When could you have possibly..." An odd memory sparked to mind. A connection that seem innocuous, till his divine mind linked the events. Raguel didn't have a scarf when Michael first met him. He only had it when he first met all the Archangels. Father must have a reason. Michael firmly decided. "It was right after he was born, before you introduced him to us."
The Creator nodded confirming Michael's statement to the horror of the other Great Seraphs.
They had all remembered the first time they learned of their Father's Great Task. They remembered seeing the Caged Apocalypse.
Raziel wasn't even supposed to know, but figured it out from reading the energies and emotions of her strongest siblings. Seeing the Beast itself had halted her analytical mind, bringing her to the only logical conclusion that it can not be beaten. Only her faith in Father gave her hope that it could be stopped.
Gabriel was the Strongest Angel. It was not a contested point. Sure, Michael can win against her due to skill and wit, but in terms of pure power, she was Father's Strongest Warrior. Yet for all her strength, all her might, she couldn't envision the monster's death. She couldn't envision victory.
Same for the others. They felt the same thing upon seeing the Beast, the Trihexa. Clear simple despair. The oceans would be corrupted by a drop of its blood, and no power of Raphael could purify it. If Uriel could change the fires of the sun into Holy Flames, it would not erase it. And Michael...
More than anyone else, Michael understood the magnitude of the task Father had. The urgency and danger of it. It's why he took on as many tasks as he did. Why he was the most dutiful son, completely any mission, anything his Father ordered him to, all to alleviate the burden on God.
Because even if he never voiced the thought. Even if he never dared think it. The possibility of the worst case scenario was not one he would never want to be even a thought in a dream.
Father will succeed in sealing the Beast. The rest of them have to ensure their Creator isn't overwhelmed and overtake by the Great War afterwards.
Seeing the Trihexa was an enormity of a profound experience that left a mark on each Archangel.
It's why their searching eyes continued to look at Raguel and were confused to find...nothing. The mention of the Beast did not startle the Youngest Archangel. It did not make him pale, go into shock from memories of dread.
In fact, he looked more uncomfortable from their stares than the discussion about the Beast.
"Raguel, you...saw the Beast before you met us." Gabriel floated till she was in Raguel's space, holding his face in her hands staring intently at him.
"Um, yeah?" He looked toward her in confusion.
"And you're not afraid?" She asked with razor sharp focus on her eyes.
"Of course, I'm afraid!" Raguel quick response surprised the Strongest Angel, enough for him to get out of her grip. "I mean, it is pretty scary, but," he rubbed his cheeks with his scarf. "It's something we'll have to beat later on. So being scared of the inevitable is pointless." Silence greeted him, so Raguel continued. "I mean, we still have to deal with the Great War, so we should focus on that, and later on think on way to defeat the Beast for good. It's still a long time, so I figured we'll come up with something by then, you know."
The response to Raguel's answer were mixed. For a while his siblings stayed silence, before each coming to their own conclusion.
"Haha, yeah, you're absolutely right, little brother. I have to say, I wish I reacted the same as you when I was in your place." Uriel clapped a hand on Raguel's shoulder, his voice filled with pride. Before it though, he felt pity for the young Archangel thinking he was likely repressing and distancing the memory of the Beast.
"You're right, Raguel. We should do what we have always done and have faith that Father will guide us." Raphael praised Raguel, while feeling guilty for not being as assured as his little brother had been, that their Father would have a solution.
"I see," Gabriel nodded, closing her eyes for a moment, before opening them and truly smiling again for the first time in a long time since this war started. "I suppose if our youngest were to hold that sentiment, we should do any less." I really had been resigned before, hadn't I? A greater fire burned in ever more, in what was once Gabriel's cold resolve. "Father, could you please aid my training with a Chronotic Room, before I leave for my mission?"
"Of course, my child." God nodded. It would take a bit of His time and power to make that short-lived time altered dimension, but it was worth it to see live shine brighter in his daughter's eyes.
Michael wanted to protest God making the Chronotic Room, but if He in His wisdom didn't deem it a problem, then so would Michael. In his view, he began to see that Raguel wasn't as innocent and unworldly as he thought. He began to form an idea of what Raguel's duty was after the war. Is that why he was gifted with great insight and speech? To point out flaws in others, and give paths to redemption?
Finally, as for Raziel, her curiosity about Raguel was ignited. At first he appeared as a simple straightforward picture of one of God's Angels. Now, he was a surprise mystery that she couldn't wait to dig into. It couldn't be just a simple Anti-Fear immunity. Father wouldn't bother with something like that, no. Something else is at play.
Raziel cleared her throat, getting everyone attention again.
"Very well, if Raguel already knows and isn't bothered by the discussion, then I shall continue." Raziel spoke. "First, Father how is your health, are you feeling well, you don't need to rest, do you? Also, are there any other philosophies you need us to research to aid in your seal creations?"
God sighed before smiling fondly, as with that question His children began to fret over Him.
===x===
What do you call a world made of all colors combined, but not white? The bubble color, what's it called?
Iridescence? ...Yesss? Kinda?
No, now it's white. Wait, it's iridescence white! Okay no, that doesn't make sense.
At least the place is warm.
No, it's not warm, it's yellow.
...Did I just think, it's feels yellow?
Raguel could still sense an odd warmth in his being, while his mind told him that place he floated in had no temperature.
Finally the Archangel threw his hands in the air.
"Okay, I give up. Father, where in the...stuff! are we!?"
God laughed, his mirth and happiness resonating with the odd wholesome realm, and reflecting back to them.
"Relax, son. We've only just entered."
"What!?" Raguel shouted in alarm. "We've here like ten...maybe thirty minutes if we're stretching it."
"You were simply too absorbed in experiencing this realm, that you didn't notice not much time had passed." God had a mysterious knowing smile.
"...Okay, I'm pretty sure it's suppose to be the opposite. Time move fast when you're having fun." Raguel was full of skepticism as he made a finger-gun gesture.
"Not in this realm." The Creator continued to be coy as they floated in the homey every...thing...ness...ness? If that was a way to describe it.
"Okay, Father." Raguel said patiently feeling his Father was having fun at his cost. "Where is this?"
"In the deepest part of the spiritual world. The place were dreams and stardust meet. I suppose for simplicity's sake you could call it the Astral Sphere." God explained, again the knowing smile was there.
...I'm going to regret asking this-No, I know I'm going to regret asking this, but I wanna know.
"And for not simplicity's sake?" Raguel said with great hesitancy.
"We are within the Aqua Doctrinae, I suppose another name for it would be the Sea of Souls." God spoke with all the flair of a teaching enjoying his subject.
Raguel was now much more alert, looking at everything with focus, before quickly turning back to his Father least he losses himself in the allure of this place.
"Is this...Paradise? Like the actual place, not just the fields in the Fourth Heaven?"
"Hmm," God shook His head in that way that said 'good guess but not quite'. "Everyone is always worried about what happens after they die." He continued by way of carrying on his explanation and answering His son at once. "However, most don't consider where they were before they were born."
"Here," Raguel began to smile as he looked around again in excitement.
Suddenly the world was divide between a _ _ than _ and █████ ███████ than █████.
Why don't I remember words for the colors? No, I remember them, but those aren't black or white!
Raguel look around only to find his Father a million miles away.
The halves crashed.
The Archangel covered his his head and screamed.
Only to feel the familiar arms of warmth and joy engulf him, and the world returned to it's iridescence homey state.
"While this place is a wonder, it is as dangerous as it is safe."
"W-W-What does that mean?"
"It means don't worry, I have you my son."
Raguel nodded and latched tightly onto God's arm. The feeling of danger was already long gone from Father's presence, but Raguel didn't want to let go.
"Do...do you make souls here?" Raguel asked wanting to think about anything else. He felt it was odd how the luminescence of this place could be, so beautiful in its ever changing shapes...yet somehow there were no boundaries to make shapes.
"Yes...and no." God said with mirth.
"Are you gonna keep giving me 'mysterious' answers." Raguel deadpanned.
"I am giving you the full answer, Raguel." God said with a smile of a parent who understood something, their child wasn't old enough to get yet. He then shook His head and looked forward, as He and Raguel continued to fly. "While yes, Human Souls are born here, so are every other living being. For the most part I give them a push to allow themselves to realize that they are."
"That sentence doesn't..." Raguel stayed quiet thinking about it some more. "Okay, so this place is like one giant soul, but it has no...definition." He looked to his Father to see the approval in His eyes, pushing him to continue. "Because they don't have an ego, and you help them see that they do."
"Sort of. An 'ego' is for living beings that can self-introspect and realize they can think about themselves. This is more like making the empty will that it is 'conscious' thus slapping into shape, a soul is then form from the want to exist." God said. "Of course doing so makes the soul its own independent entity, free to float in this sea till it makes it's way, and is pulled into, the physical world."
God then extended His hand to a...bundle of space? that seem...heavier? thicker? than the rest.
I'm gonna have a migraine trying to understand this place before I leave.
The Creator simply touched the bundle of soul water, before placing His hand in front of it, like a sailor extending his hand to someone on at sea with life jacket.
The bundle jump/shined and before God and His Archangel was the brightest orb any had ever seen, held in the Creator's palm.
"Is..." Raguel moved closer to the sphere, in awe of it's majestic wonder. "Is that a Soul?" He looked back at his Father.
"It is, my son." God said, smiling at his son's jubilant exuberance.
"It's beautiful." Raguel said as he turned back wanting to watch his wondrous thing for as long as he could. "Is this someone important?" He asked excitedly. "I mean, it has to be, right? Look at how bright it is!" Raguel looked back only to see his Father's smile turn wistful.
"Everyone is important, Raguel." The Archangel was stunted back at the melancholic tone in his Father's voice. "This is how all Souls look before they begin their journey. In all my existence, there wasn't a single one that wasn't a joy to see in its inception."
God gave the soul a small push, and then it was everywhere.
Flying slow, fast. It journey along the entirety of the Sea of Soul and remained in place, before vanishing in seemingly resigned stubbornness that turned snarky joy.
"...But I've...seen people, Father." Raguel looked back at God feeling pensive all of a sudden. "That shine, their...I may not have seen their souls, but their emotions, they aren't anything like that. Yes, there is goodness and light, but it doesn't shine nearly as that."
"They forget, Raguel." The Creator said with patience, knowing His son was coming to a heavy realization. "The journey of life in a sense, is them rediscovering that Light once again."
"Are..." There were near tears in Raguel's eyes. He didn't know why. "Are Devils' souls also like that at the start?" He didn't know what answer he wished for. A part of him hope his Father just wouldn't answer, or give him the answer that would ease his mind.
"Yes." Of course, reality was seldom a wishful comfort.
"All souls?...All races or beings?"
"Yes."
"Any..." The realization crystalized into understanding. "Any soul lost, any of them...is a tragedy."
"It is."
"I wish you had never told me." Raguel slapped a hand over his mouth, the moment the words left. Of course it was already. "F-Father, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"It's okay." God hugged Raguel. "It's okay, Raguel. What you're feeling isn't wrong."
Raguel hugged back his Father with all his strength. He clenched his hand around His clothes, till his knuckles were white.
The Archangel wailed out loud, tears falling without end from his face. He didn't feel he lost anything but the veil of ignorance.
In its place Raguel felt what he was given an understanding on responsibility so heavy it would crush him.
For the first time, even in his Father's arms, he felt worry for the future.
Uriel had not expected Raguel to have made so many enemies this quickly.
"No where to run now, Raguel of the Barbed Tongue!" One of the thousands of devils shouted, as they surrounding Uriel and Raguel and their small company of angels.
Less than a week upon landing in Britanna, the group had been found and chased through Wales, till they were surrounded near the Black Mountain.
"You think you will slay us so easily, you demonic wench!" Uriel cried out, the glow of his holy blazing sword keeping away even the most encouraged of devils. For now.
Uriel's other concern was his brother. While Raguel learned how to use the Holy Flames in surprising speed, and could wield it with expert proficiency. It had neither the strength nor weight of Uriel's own. Raguel also couldn't use the Holy Flames for long, his stamina easily running out with them.
More than that though, was Raguel's pacifist behavior in battle. In the beginning he would simply dodge and push away the attacking devils. When that became too much, and they began threatening the other angels, Raguel would take those rushing devils down, with swift debilitating strikes, taking them completely off battle and off being a threat.
Never killing them though.
Uriel didn't know where this pacifist stance came from, as he knew from Raziel that his brother had killed the Devils that cornered him last time. More so, these were the enemies of Father, he should show no mercy to any of them. I'll have to talk to him later.
"We might fail, you are a difficult opponent, Archangel Uriel." The leader of the devil army spoke. An army made of devils from the Sitri, Gremory and Bael households. A leader by the name of Venelana Gremory née Bael. "But what of your friends?" She said with a vicious smile. "Would they also prove difficult, or would you be able to protect them all?"
Venelana smile was terrifying, as was her spikeful armor, colored as like rusted blood. Spheres of Destruction circled around her, and a giant mock halo floated behind her back and wings, acting as a firing station for her Power of Destruction.
"You damn devil." Uriel moved to cover more his younger angel siblings. Raguel stood by his side, a surprised look on his face. Uriel didn't have time to question him on why, simply too focused on the situation at hand.
"And you Raguel, today you'll pay for what you have done to my friend, Serilina Sitri!" Venelana pointed with a vile glare at the boy looking Archangel. "For your sake, I do hope you don't die just yet. I want to gift my dear Serilina with your mangled body. I hope she could get the chance to have some fun with you before you expire." Venelana made a sword with her Destruction Powers and held it in a ready stance. "So before I kill all your beloved siblings, and cut off your wings, why don't you try that sharp tongue on me. I promise, I won't run!" She finished while baring her teeth.
"Umm..." The battle seemed to halt as everyone awaited Raguel's reply, to the pre-last stand banter. This is all so overly dramatic. I shit-talked one devil and now I have three armies after me? Isn't this escalation a bit too much!? "Congratulations?"
"...Huh?" Venelana blinked at that. Everyone on the devil side, either thought the reply was funny, or were confused by it.
"I mean, on the baby." Raguel clarified. The shock of that statement had nearly all the devils, eager for battle, to pause and look at their leader.
"What baby?"
"Who has a baby?"
Some devils began to talk among themselves.
"Wha...what?" Venelana was thrown off her battle-ready mind.
"Brother, what are you talking about?" Uriel asked in a stressed voice. He was sure his brother didn't lie, because obviously his youngest sibling would never use such a sinful tactic, so he was ragging his mind to figure out what he meant. The only obvious answer, made him wonder how Raguel would know that.
"Lady Venelana is with child. By the way brother, is it possible to negotiate a ceasefire? I really don't want to fight a pregnant woman." Raguel's explanation threw the enemy army into disarray.
"Lady Gremory, we must retreat! ...And give your husband the good news!" Shouted on devil in glee.
"A child! We must celebrate it's dark bringing by making it rain the blood of angels!" Shouted another bloodthirsty yet tearfully happy devil.
"And how do you know that?" Venelana said seemingly unaffected. "Do you think such a distraction will buy you time?"
"Well, I knew because you currently look like a MILF." Raguel casually explained.
"...What?" Venelana raised an eyebrow at the new term.
"Devils are natural shapeshifters, right? So when I saw how you looked I figured you were doing it intentionally or subconsciously to show you're pregnant." He replied.
"How I looked?" Venelana gave a small look at herself, before quickly focusing on the enemy.
"You know, like a thicc mom."
"...Are you calling me 'fat'. That's such an elementary insult."
"No. 'Thicc' with two 'C's. As in voluptuous in a way that makes you very desirable and breedable." The Archangel said, in a tone in contrast to the debauchery he was explaining.
His angel siblings certainly looked at his tactics in confusion. Uriel having heard Raziel's reported, decided to float closer to the angels, and let his brother do his thing.
"...Damn him for saying what I was thinking." Said random devil, before his friend shushed him, saying the show is just getting good.
"And 'MILF'?" Venelana asked with a raised eyebrow, if she was eye-catching to the innocent Archangel, making seduction a possible tactic.
"Oh, it's an abbreviation. A shortening of a phrase, by taking the first letter of every word in the phrase, and combine them. MILF is short for for 'Mommy I'd Like to Fuck'."
""!""
Both angels and devils gasped at the words coming out of the Archangel's mouth, even Venelana found herself blushing at the unexpected vulgarity.
"Did that Archangel just say the word 'fuck'?"
"Did he just say he likes to fuck mothers? Are we sure he's an angel?"
The devils began gossiping between themselves.
"There is just something extremely delectable about something so innocent saying the word 'fuck'." A Sitri devil commented.
"I know, it's why I like seducing little virgin boys and then have gentle-sex while cuddling them." Said a Gremory devil next to said Sitri devil.
"Gasp! You slut!"
As the devils continued to talk among themselves, so did the angels.
"D-Did Lord Raguel seriously just use such language?" Said some angel.
"That's, that's naughty!" Admonished another.
"Can we talk with devils like that too?" Asked a third.
"No," Uriel answered. "Your brother can handle interacting with devils without being corrupted by them. Do not use his tactics or words without training and approval." He quickly put his wing down on the matter, and got a chorus of affirmative for it. Although, the Flame of God really was beginning to wonder where his youngest brother was going with this.
"Mostly though, it's because I can see a life in you." Raguel continued. "If you don't believe me, you should be able to check yourself."
"I'm..." Venelana placed a hand on her stomach, trying to search for any sign of life within her. "You!..." She wanted to discredit the Archangel, but all devils knew of the angel's relationship with the concept of truth. He didn't lie, nor did he show any signs of it. After some time, she did find it.
A small seed of demonic energy, connected to her, but not her own. The Lady Gremory couldn't help the smile that came to her face before clamped down on it, to keep her stern gaze.
"Well," the calm, and annoyingly not smug, but rather concern voice of the Archangel, made her look back up to him. "What do you say we continue this battle another day? No one has to die."
Venelana clenched her fist as she considered her situation. When a female devil discovers they are with child, they are usually set aside to do light duties, unlike their normal ones, as the children of devil tend to have stronger, or more refined version of, powers than their parents.
While not a big deal if they died due to Lord Lucifer making more when needed, it is viewed as a shame. A lost opportunity.
She wasn't some common devil though. She was a born a Bael with the Power of Destruction, and married into the Gremory, a family that held the Devil's Luck. Or "treasure finding" as the plebeians would call it.
Venelana Gremory was considered a genius with her demonic powers, and her child would inherit that and his father's fate favoring luck. Losing that would not be a small loss.
And yet, as she looked at the half a dozen angels and two Archangels, she assessed the situation to see that she had all the advantage.
Hmm, what is he looking at?
For a moment it seemed like Raguel was staring at something far away.
Spreading her senses wide, Venelana tried to find if there was anything noteworthy there. All she could find were the devils with her, the angels she surrounded, the humans far below on the ground, and the few unimportant magical beings in the forests running away.
Raguel then shook his head and focused on her again.
...Did he seriously daydream in the middle of this situation?
Venelana snorted. Admittedly the Archangel didn't turn out the same as Serilina's description, seeming far more...weak than her friend let on. He didn't even kill any of her forces, letting his big brother and minions carry on the bulk of the attack.
She considered, maybe, she shouldn't bother, and just tell the angels that she'll show them mercy today, and let them stew in the humiliation of them.
Unfortunately, her snort was heard by those near her, and interpreted differently.
"You hear that, glow feathers! Lady Venelana thinks your offer is shit!" Said a confident Bael devil.
"Hey! Don't use the word 'shit'." A Sitri devil hissed at the Bael devil that spoke.
Venelana sighed and she supposed she will continue the fight after all. She would change her strategy to long-range combat, but her victory was all but assured anyways.
"Apologies, little Archangel. I'll be sure to treat you gently." Venelana licked her lips in a bloodthirsty manner. "Of course, you can avoid all of this by surrendering." She threw out the proposal on a whim. "We only came to take one of you, so if we take him." She pointed her Destruction Blade at Raguel. "I'll let the rest of you leave in peace."
Argument began to break out among the devil ranks. A simple burst of Venelana's power shut them all up. Then she waited for how the Archangels will respond.
"You dare offer us such filthy disguised mercy-" Uriel began to rant, his wings and blade glowing with raging righteousness. Only for Raguel to hold his brother back with an outstretched arm.
"Lady Gremory," when Raguel spoke this time, all the friendliness was gone. The seriousness of his voice, was such a change it put all the devils on edge. "I'm giving you all the chance to leave here with your lives, on account of your joyous occasion. However if you do not..."
"If we don't?" Venelana had a small grin, wondering what the youngest Archangel will pull.
"..." Raguel sighed, losing his sharp expression. "You guys are all lucky, I'm not a Fallen."
"And why's that?" Venelana asked, raising an eyebrow at the non-sequitur.
"Because if I were, I would have done this!" Raguel raised his hand to the sky with strength and purpose. The devils tense, the angels watched with heightened nerves. A magic circle sprung around the held up hand, and gathered energy as Raguel declared with angelic might. "Summon Dragon!"
The devils' eyes widened in terror, as they burst into action. Some ran away. Some tensed as they held their weapons in front of them, and the most loyal and attentive moved to surround and over their leader.
Moments passed.
Nothing happened.
Laughter started in a small echo in the devil army. Then it rippled and grew it till overtook the devil army, and was heard around the Black Mountian.
"Hahahaha," and Venelana laughter was the loudest and most recognizable. "You seriously had me going there for a minute-"
The space between the angels and devils rippled as if crunched into a smaller form, and when it returned to normal a large white soft edged serpentine western dragon was there.
"DDDRRRRAAAAAIIIIGGGG!"
Albion had never in his life felt as enraged as he did thus far. Except for the last time he had faced his most hated nemesis.
Victory was assuredly his. It was finally in his grasp. He was finally about to bite into Ddraig's neck, fill his body with poison while ripping out his throat and spine.
Only for that FUCKING CHEATER to pull some shit from the Hindu Pantheon, and deflect my Half Dimension Flight lunge.
Now Albion found himself on the other side of the British Isle surrounded by those bats and white birds of the Biblical Factions.
One of them had launched some spell the moment Albion appeared, causing the rest of the white birds to be teleported away in flashes of Light. That weak white bird then fell, depleted of power. The self-sacrifice almost made Albion roll his eyes, as he had no interest in fighting the angels. While Albion had no need to bother paying attention to the white bird, the Archangel used what scraps of power he had to direct his fall toward a nearby lake.
The bats however began flying about in a panic. Some fleeing, some actually attacking Albion. He didn't really notice, as simply spinning around to face Ddraig's location caused his body and tail to slam into a large number of them. Most didn't stay afloat. Albion didn't bother or care to see which survived and which didn't.
They were all equally beneath him.
The leader of the devils, had rapidly ran away, using her power to destroy space in order to place more distance between herself and Albion, before escaping into Hell.
The Vanishing Dragon supposed that was the only thing of note in this meaningless encounter.
With a flap of his wings, Albion flew ever higher. With a a flex of his will, space halved and he was gone.
"Father! Father, help!" The moment Uriel found himself back in Heaven, he flew as fast as he could to the Throne to meet God, after making sure the angels with him were safe and in one piece.
Uriel didn't know how Raguel had been able to use Raziel's Salvation Spell, or even when he could have learned it. It was a complex spell that was used as a last resort to teleport all angelic being in range to the safety of Heaven. However, the mechanics of it were so difficult to grasp due to it's multiple moving parts, that only Raziel could use it on the fly.
Second was the cost of the spell. While the number of angels Raguel used it on weren't many, Uriel wasn't sure if his youngest brother had the power to teleport six angels and an Archangel without exhausting himself. Or worse, used his life to do it.
Uriel threw the thought aside. He would only accept the worst if he had confirmation of it. For now, he simply needed to talk to Father about mounting a search and rescue of Raguel.
"Father, we need to save Raguel." Uriel quickly composed himself and gave his report. God listened with patience, and thankfully had his ever calm smile by the end. That was usually a sign that all would be well.
"Fear not, Uriel. Your brother is not lost."
"That...is such a relief." Uriel let out a long sigh, as he placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat even through his armor.
"He is in the Fairy Realm."
"WHAT!?" Uriel screamed in shock and horror.
I'M SO FUCKING LOST!
Raguel was glad that his mind stayed calm under pressure. Or if that was a trait of his angelic biology then he was glad for it all the same.
When he had used that spell he saw Raziel prepare once, he was able to decipher what it did and how it worked. He hadn't been sure if he could cast it though.
He figured he may have gotten some emergency shounen power up, from the danger of the situation he was in, but it also made him running on empty afterwards.
Raguel thanked God, or well his Father, that Albion didn't pay attention to him, or that he wasn't worth being on the Heavenly Dragon's radar. He also didn't want to think about how he knew Albion was coming.
This sudden new power to see souls after visiting the Astral Sphere with his Father, Raguel didn't want to even contemplate what it meant. Why or how did he gain it. He didn't want to think about such questions.
The last thought in his head before passing out, was of the Sea of Soul, the Aqua Doctrinae.
Head to the water. He thought to himself. And then his eyes closed.
When he woke up, Raguel flapped around in a panic thinking he was going to drown. Turns out Archangels didn't need to breath. Lucky that.
He then tried to head to the surface, which lead to the current situation. No matter how far he swam, he couldn't go up and reach the lake's surface.
Raguel tried to swim horizontally to reach the lake's land and walk out, but couldn't do that either.
After a few minutes of intense "swimming" which was just flying through water, he found something that might be a solution to his situation.
Is that a cottage?
Viviane du Lac stared at her newest creation in annoyance. She then shatter the newly forged blade again on the anvil, letting out a screech at another failure.
When she calmed down, she looked at the new blade that began to slowly repair itself by pulling on the light from the surroundings, and the element of Light, Viviane synthetized with magic.
She had been trying for years now, to make sword that would surpass Ascalon and Durandal.
In her life, she had created many wondrous and powerful magical items or weapons. She could create any magic artifact she would want. She could even make a Demonic Sword to surpass Gram, if she bother to do so.
But due to her skill, due to her knowledge and ability, victory would always be the end result, so why should she even bother?
No one can surpass the Biblical God in creating Holy Swords.
Until she heard that phrase. She had been living a life in contentment, following her duties as a Fae Lady in Avalon, creating magic items upon commission or challenge to her skills. Yet upon hearing that phrase, she couldn't help but wish to prove it false.
Phem, this should be completely easy.
It didn't take much effort to witness the two greatest Holy Swords, and examine them as they were used by the Church to combat devils.
They were beautiful. Viviane couldn't help but think. A work that surpassed any blade she had made in sheer power and craftsmanship.
A competitive fire burned in her once more, and she set about to create the Perfect Holy Sword. She had never bothered trying to reach the realm of the divine before, there was never a point. But now she will do so just to prove she could.
...Except she couldn't.
As Viviane had came to discover, working with the Holy Element was difficult. Not because it was inviolable and unstable, but quite the opposite. It was too solid. Too orderly to be changed.
For the Perfect Holy Sword, she needed something that wasn't just powerful, but versatile. The exact opposite of Holy Power once it was set in a certain path or pattern.
Demonic Energy had been much easier to work with, given how malleable it was. The challenge was beating it into concerte shape, which she was always capable of doing.
"I need something to work it. I need to study the Holy Element in action." Viviane said, thinking to herself. "No, I need to see it in a more purified form. Not the spells used by the clergy or angels, but something higher than that."
She then snorted, as if such thing would fall on her lap.
Viviane then felt vibrations reach from the lake in the Human World, all the way to her personal realm.
"Those damn Angels, Fallen and Devils, are they fighting close by again?" Viviane activated her surveillance orb, only for her jaw to drop as she saw the Vanishing Dragon appear above her home.
She immediately sighed upon seeing the dragon turn and leave, right after arriving, taking some satisfaction from seeing the disarray the Angels and Devils were in.
"Wait, is that an Archangel!?" Viviane looked at the group of angels under a holy spell of sorts, before they disappeared. It was a teleport spell. And among them was an Archangel. "Dammit!"
She grabbed the nearest tool, a hammer and threw it at the wall, where it crashed into the wood and stayed in place. In a few seconds, the wall would self-repair by magic, so she wasn't worried.
"What the hell am I suppose to do now?" She grumbled to herself, before sighing and went back to her desk.
Even if she needed to study a purer form of Holy Energy, she might as well see what she could discover from the cache she did have for now, before she went on a material resource gather trip again.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Hmm?"
A knock on her door? She didn't get many visitors. At least not to her own personal home. People usually prayed to her at the lake if they wanted to request something.
Personal visitors were usually from the desperate or the powerful.
Something powerful would have alerted her wards by now. Something desperate would be bothersome for a while, and then leave when she doesn't answer. If it's something playing a prank, or a dare however...well her wards can detect intention somewhat, and she hadn't had much entertainment for the past while now.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"No one's here. Go away." Viviane said in a bored tone and focused on her work.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
This time it came from the window next to her.
The only area where one could breath was the front door. Going to the window wasn't advisable, as the house was still underwater, and even if the visitor could breath, the water pressure should make holding their breath and swimming difficult for them.
Thus with a raised eyebrow of a bored condescending look, Viviane turned to her window.
Only for her expression to fall into one of shock.
...There's an Archangel outside my window.
And he was holding up a sign made of Light Magic.
"Will work for food and shelter. Can I come inside?"
Viviane did not move, stupefied by what she was seeing.
The staring went on for a few seconds.
Growing impatient, the little Archangel wrote something on the sign, then flipped it over.
"Also it's cold here. Can I please have a blankie? Or a hug?"