Shin had been gone barely a day and she was already bored. Akeno had no one to bother. Rias no longer gave her satisfying reactions, that innocent nun Asia wasn't here to give her those reactions, and the pub, the place where she worked, was closed. She still had her Shrine to run but she had to face it. In contemporary Japan, who still visited a shrine regularly to pray.
She sighed as she moved her broom back and forth. The weeks that followed after the Three Factions Summit was rather normal. From a certain point of view. From her point of view, it was the most tense week and a half since then. Issei, Irina, and Shin had gotten into some sort of fight after the whole debacle with Khaos Brigade.
Their arguments got blown into the open when Shin and Irina had a shouting match in the middle of the house which ended in her storming out and Issei following after her.
She sighed. "And now, Shin's in Serikawa, Irina-san returned to the Vatican, and Issei is… brooding. I wonder what Shin's doing," Akeno mumbled.
"MASTER! MASTER!" Ran yelled, shaking him.
Shin lay on the ground, seizing and frothing at the mouth as a Baku hovered around them, assailing Shin with epileptic illusions and dreams.
And now, she had to deal with that all summer. This was the summer that Rias had awaited her entire life. An opportunity to prove herself to Devil society. Akeno smiled. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"Ah, Rias said that you'd be here," a voice said.
Akeno looked up and saw Sophia walking towards her. The white-haired daughter of Lucifer stopped a few feet from the stairs of Akeno's house.
"Sophia? I thought you left already," Akeno said.
Sophia was leaving the day before they did. She said it was about training with her family to gain her next pair of wings. For Angels, Fallen and not, wings were a measure of strength and each pair given was an exponential increase of 2, meaning that compared to her, Sophia was four times stronger than she was and Azazel was 4096 times stronger than her. Having not seen a hair nor hide of her all day, she assumed that Sophia had already left for Hell. That didn't seem to be the case.
"Oh, well, I was waiting for you," Sophia said.
"Me?"
"Yeah, I asked Rias if I could kidnap you. She said yes so long as I let you go back to Lilith in time for the Rating Game," Sophia replied.
"Wait… what?" Akeno was confused. Why did Rias ask her to go with Sophia ahead of them? She believed that this was supposed to be group training for the upcoming Young Devils Gala and the subsequent Rating Game debuts.
"This is for training. Come on. Let's go," Sophia said.
"Wait, wait, hold on. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Akeno said.
The white-haired girl sighed. "Look, this was a last minute change. I was about to leave when Dad contacted me and said to bring you. I told Rias and she said yes, only because the one asking was my dad."
"Lord Lucifer wants to see me?" Akeno asked.
"Yes. I think you have an idea why he wants to see you," Sophia said.
Akeno bit her lip and stiffened. She tightened her grip on her broom. The Queen of Conquest. One of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the one known as the White Horseman. The revelation of what she was was a punch to the liver. Her very existence was malignant according to Yaldabaoth and one destined to kill everyone she loved.
"Look, I know how shocking it must have been to learn that you're a walking apocalypse in human skin-"
"Not helping," Akeno said dryly.
"Right but the reason why Dad wants you down in the Underworld is to help you control whatever power you have. You don't want to accidentally lose control of yourself and do something you'll regret, right?" Sophia asked.
"How is your father going to help me control… this?" Akeno said, gesturing to all of herself.
"Dad has his ways. So are you in or not? If not, I can just leave you to Rias to figure out and then wait until you level Lilith with an accidental thunderstorm," Sophia said.
Akeno bristled at her statement. She could control her own power. Who was she to say that she couldn't? It's not like she'd lost control before.
"How sure are you that I'll lose control?" Akeno bit back.
"Because you did. Once. When you were a kid, I think. Uncle Azazel estimated the time of the Megastorm over Japan and your mother's death. He thinks you lost control around the time and caused the disappearance of the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu," she replied.
Akeno felt some of the blood drain from her face. She had vague memories of her mother's death. All she remembered was her mother being murdered in front of her and after that, her relatives coming to pick her up amongst a mess of wet wood, mud, and the charred corpses of different people.
"I'll go," Akeno replied after a few seconds of silence. Sophia was not going to leave if she didn't give her an answer. And judging from her statements, Akeno had no other choice.
"Cool! I'll wait here while you pack," Sophia said.
Akeno nodded and went inside her house.
Akeno came out, dragging a trolley bag full of clothing and necessities she would need. She was sure that Lucifer Castle had enough amenities to supply her over the course of the Summer but she had a certain shampoo brand in the human world that she liked and a few mementos she brought everywhere with her.
"Ready?" Sophia asked.
"Where's your stuff?" she said.
"In a magic circle. Besides, I have everything I need at home."
"How are we going to get there? Rias takes a train to her territory or keys into her estate's magic circle," Akeno said.
"Come on now. No need to complain. I got that covered," Sophia said. She held her hand out and a scythe manifested in her grip. She swung the scythe, tearing open the air before them and creating a black misty portal.
Akeno stared in slight awe at Sophia's abilities. Even after knowing the girl for a while, she and Shin never ceased to amaze her with the applications they used for their powers. It made her wonder how she would fare having her own Contract. After all, she had human blood.
"This portal is connected to my family's cabin located deep within our territory. It's by a lake and it's only known to a few people, namely Rias's brother," Sophia said. "Come on." she gestured for her to follow.
Akeno nodded and followed Sophia into the portal.
The moment she stepped through, Akeno found herself standing in the middle of a clearing with a large clear lake at the dead center. There were mountains to the north of their location, towering over the woods that seemed to surround them on all ends. She inhaled the familiar smell of the Underworld, taking it in. This place was more natural than Gremory Territory and Lilith.
Her violet eyes spotted a woman with rustic red hair and golden eyes staring at her. Next to her, was Lord Lucifer standing in his unholy glory. The man looked like an adult male version of her friend. She wondered why Sophia had no traces of Lady Lilith on her.
"You managed to get her to come? I didn't think that she'd come at all," Lucifer said.
"I had a hard time convincing her Father, Mother," Sophia said.
Akeno snorted.
"Alright, I don't know how you did it but you did. The two of you are here to train. Sophia's here to train to better her control over her God's Authority and gain her next pair of wings and Akeno, you're here to learn how to control your power. That means your Law and your Fallen Angel powers," Lucifer said.
"Wait? What? Sophia! You never told me I had to work on that as well!" Akeno said.
"Did I? I swore I said I said this was training," Sophia said.
Lilith sighed. "Sophia, next time, make sure to tell Akeno the full scope of the training."
"Yes, Ma'am," Sophia said.
"To do that, I called someone over here to help you with it. I'll help you from time to time but this man can help you since he has the most experience with it," Lucifer said.
As soon as he said those words, Akeno's body stiffened when she heard a voice behind her.
"Oh? She actually came? I was beginning to think that I transported all this training material here for no reason," the voice said.
Akeno turned her head mechanically and laid eyes upon a person she hadn't seen since that incident. The man before her was a middle-aged man with a gruff and robust appearance. He had black hair, a beard, and an extremely muscular body. He wore black combat gear beneath his flowing brown cloak.
"Hello, Akeno," Baraqiel said.
Akeno ignored the man and lunged at Sophia, grabbing a fistful of her collar. Sophia remained unfazed as Akeno leveled the fiercest glare she could muster at her.
"Is this your idea of a practical joke, Lucifer!?" her anger was through the roof. Sparks of white lightning began to radiate off her body and the smell of ozone permeated the entire area. Storm clouds manifested and swirled above them.
"You see what's happening right now, right?" Sophia asked.
"You bitch! Why the hell is he here!?" Akeno roared, sending spittle in Sophia's face and bouts of lightning crashing around them.
"Because, Akeno. Between my parents and your father, he has the most experience regarding you and lightning-based abilities," she replied evenly. "Besides, I said to take a look." Sophia ripped Akeno's grip away with a surprising amount of strength that Akeno felt pain despite her Rook Durability.
She looked around and was shocked when she saw white lightning arcing off her hand and across the sky.
"Do you see what an uncontrolled version of what you have can do with a small tantrum?" Sophia said, dusting herself off. She ignored the shock that coursed through her when she touched her clothes. "Uncle Baraqiel is here to help you find your center and control your powers. I'm not asking you to be friends with him. I'm asking you to work with him."
"Fat chance. I'm heading home," Akeno said, stalking off.
"How? This area is spatially locked to people with the blood of Lucifer and Lilith. You're trapped here," Sophia said.
"So? I'll just call Rias and have Sirzechs come pick me up," she replied.
"And do what? To lose control over there?" Sophia said.
Akeno halted in her tracks. "I'm not going to lose control," she said through gritted teeth.
"Because you did such a good job at that during the Rating Games. We reviewed the footage. You don't need to be emotionally unstable. Having your life in danger or perceived danger triggers your power too. If Rias implements live training, are you going to come crawling back after you vaporized your King?" Sophia argued.
Akeno clenched her fist. White lightning crackled around her hand. She closed her eyes and breathed.
In and out. In and out. Just like Mom taught you. In and out…
She was right. Her sperm donor was the best person to help her out. There was no one on either side more equipped nor knew her better than he did. As much as she loathed to admit such a fact, at some point, this man was her father.
"Don't expect me to act cordially with you, Baraqiel," Akeno said, spitting the name out as if it were poison on her tongue.
"No one's asking you two to be a family again. Just get along well enough for you to get a handle on your powers," Lucifer said. "The faster you do it, the faster you can leave. Yeshua will also be helping since we have more experience with Laws than your father here. At least, once that lazy carpenter gets off his ass and stops getting drunk."
Akeno ground her teeth in frustration. White lightning crackled around her fists. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and the lightning faded.
"Did my King have anything to say about this?" Akeno said.
Sophia nodded. "She protested at first but the more Lord Yeshua and I explained it, the more she understood and she signed off on the training."
Akeno let out a sharp breath through clenched teeth. Rias too? Well, if Rias believed their words, she would at least place her trust in her. "How long?"
"A month. You have a month to train with Uncle Baraqiel," Sophia said.
"What about you?" Akeno asked.
"I'm training with my parents and Sponsor to refine my control over my Contract. We'll be seeing each other every now and then. Your training will be isolated to prevent casualties," Sophia said.
"Fine. Let's get this over with. The fast we can get this done, the better," Akeno said.
Baraqiel nodded and created a golden magic circle underneath the two.
"See you in a month, Thunder Thighs," Sophia said in a lame attempt at lightening the mood.
Akeno said nothing and flipped her the bird before disappearing in a flash of golden light.
Sophia sat in the middle of the grass across from her father.
"As a Lucifer, you are blessed with great, well in your case, divine power with the potential to become as great as the Four Great Seraphs of Heaven. As my daughter, you have the ability to manipulate Light like other Angels but you also have an additional ability unique to develop a unique ability similar to the Clan Powers of the other Devil Clans," Lucifer explained.
"Unique ability?" Sophia asked.
"Like the Power of Destruction or your Brother's Sacred Gear Canceller," Lucifer said.
"Like how Lord Ajuka developed the Kankara Formula?"
"No, Sophia. The Kankara Formula is a technique, not an ability. An ability would be similar to the Power of Destruction or the Immortality of the Phenex Clan," Lucifer clarified.
"So… a power that no one else has and that can be passed down to my kids?" Sophia asked.
"If you want," Lucifer said.
"How do I go about doing this?" Sophia asked.
"Practice, introspection, learning. You can develop something completely new or use what you already know," he said. "Your mother has the power to warp her environment. I have the power to create, though it's inferior to Mom or Yeshua's Law of Genesis."
"And Big Brother has the power to invalidate all Sacred Gears," Sophia finished.
"That's right. Whatever power you create will be completely unique amongst all Devils," Lucifer said.
"But what if I can't? Can't I just rely on my Contract to fight?" Sophia asked, summoning the rotting black mist to her fingertips.
"In the event that your Contract is invalidated either by having your Stigmata sealed or you're placed into a situation where your Contract can't be activated, having an ace up your sleeve is really handy to have," Lucifer said.
"An Ace up my sleeve huh? Alright. I think I'm ready to spar, Dad," Sophia said, getting up.
"Really? Alright then," Lucifer said.
Sophia grinned and summoned her light scythe. She spun it a few times before dropping into a stance against her father.
Lucifer summoned a basic light sword and placed a single hand behind his back. He raised the sword and performed a few experimental swings before leveling it at his daughter.
Sophia gulped and steeled herself. Her foot shifted and she darted at her father in a burst of speed. She performed a half spin and brought down the scythe onto her father, pouring and focusing the speed vectors onto the heaviest part of the scythe.
Lucifer swung his light sword, deflecting the blade with little to no effort. He took advantage of his daughter's momentary disorientation and kicked her away.
Sophia slid back, using her scythe to ground herself. She took to the air, wings spread. She beat her wings, firing a volley of steel feathers at her father.
Lucifer swung his blade, meticulously moving his feet in a circular pattern and moving his arms in a fluid motion to deflect the feathers. He tightened his grip on his sword and widened his stance before firing a wave of light at Sophia.
Sophia moved out of the way, watching as the light wave traveled into the sky and cutting the clouds in half. She clenched her jaw and raised her hand into the air, creating several dozen light spears. The spears glowed and became bathed in a black aura.
She threw her hand forward and hurled the volley of spheres at her father.
Lucifer moved out of the way, weaving his path through the rain of blades.
Sophia snapped her fingers and the spears all shattered, becoming a countless barrage of light needles.
Lucifer's eyes widened and he concentrated all his divine power into a mass at his midsection. In one burst of power, he let it all out. A flash of light momentarily blinded Sophia and shook the entire region violently. In the end, there lay a massive smoldering crater amidst a scorched barren landscape.
She watched in awe as her father stood at the center of this crater which was about the size of Kuoh's entire market district.
"Woah, I think I took it a little too far," Lucifer said, scratching his cheek at the devastation he caused. He looked up to the sky, which was now further from where he stood in the center of the 100-foot-deep crater.
"You think, Dad? What's Mom going to say when she finds out you burned a crater the size of an entire district in the backyard?" Sophia said.
"Well, don't tell your Mom then! And don't let your guard down. No one ever said the fight is over!" Lucifer unfurled his twelve midnight-black wings and took off.
Sophia's eyes widened at the sheer speed her father displayed. To him, it might have been a few seconds but to her, it was a literal instant. Her father had all but teleported to her location. It took her years of training to barely block her father's attack. However, the sheer difference in physical strength between the two showed when she was sent hurtling like a meteor to the ground.
She impacted the earth below her violently, sending debris and dirt everywhere. Sophia shakily pulled herself to her feet, using her scythe as support. Her father hovered above her, still as cocky and prideful as ever.
Sophia bared her teeth. Her frustration was now beginning to grow. With a roar of determination, she beat her wings with a mighty flap and shot towards her father like a rocket. Black aura and mist gathered around her as she held her scythe back. The scythe drastically expanded in size until Sophia looked like a lego figure as she stood next to it. She swung the blade with all her might at her father.
Lucifer blocked the blade with a multilayered barrier. The collision created a shockwave that reverberated through several thousand meters and created gale force winds. He smiled. Sophia's power had grown. But… she was still as hot-headed as ever. He wondered if she got it from him or Lilith. Even though he mellowed out, he still had no right to talk. His pride was still there.
"You're getting better but you're still too cocky," Lucifer said. He shattered the scythe with his own sword. He slammed the butt of the light sword into Sophia, knocking the air out of her before finishing her by spiking her like a volleyball.
"Ow… fuck, that hurts…" Sophia coughed and spat out a glob of blood. Her everything hurt. "Damn Dad. You hit me hard enough for Mom to call CPS…"
Lucifer hovered and landed next to her. He scratched his cheek and laughed a little. "I'd be more worried about what we did to the backyard."
Sophia sat up and looked around. Her face blanched when she saw the state of their surroundings. "I think we went too far…"
"I think you did."
The two looked up and saw Lilith walking to the edge of the crater with another woman. Lucifer smiled. She had arrived just in time to help with the training. The woman in question was a tall, mature, and elegant woman. She had long flowing light pink hair that was almost white if the light hit it at just the right angle. She had an enticing, voluptuous figure not unlike that of Lilith. Her red eyes were enchanting and also intimidating. But the most striking part about this woman was the fact that she looked like an older version of the Biblical God from the images Sophia had seen.
Sophia stood up and ran to the edge of the crater in a burst of speed. She jumped and tackled the woman in a tight hug.
"Lady Mot! You're here! I thought you were asleep!" Sophia said.
Mot smiled gently, stroking the hair of her Contractor. She glanced over to Lilith, who had a rare smile on her face.
"I'm awake now. Well, I never planned on sleeping that long anyway," Mot said, chuckling. Her red eyes drifted over to Lucifer and she nodded in greeting.
"Aunt Mot, thank you for accepting my invitation," Lucifer said.
"It's nothing really. I haven't seen Sophia in a long time and it's good to be back in the Underworld after so many millennia. I see that you haven't run it into the ground yet nor have the other Gods," Mot said.
Lucifer nodded.
The war he had against this God was a bloody and costly one. Hundreds of Gods were slain and thousands of his own children perished at the swing of her scythe. But now, here he was, inviting her into his own home.
"Aunt Mot, we've prepared a cabin for you. As you requested, we stocked it with wine as per your request." Lilith bowed her head graciously.
"Come, let's take a walk, Sophia," Mot said, beckoning for her to follow.
Sophia looked over to her parents, who nodded. Lilith nodded far more reluctantly than her husband. It was one of the rare times Sophia had seen her mother display worry so openly.
"What is it, Lady Mot?" Sophia asked, running after her.
"We're going to continue where we left off regarding the training. I've taught you basic stuff on my Authority such as how to corrode and degrade magic and physical objects. Now, I'll teach you the reverse. The power to rejuvenate and heal," Mot said. Her eyebrows furrowed when she sensed someone at her old haunting grounds. "Is someone at Sheol?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, Baraqiel and his daughter are over there training," Sophia said.
"That's right. Baraqiel's daughter is the White Queen of Conquest. Hmm, I didn't think that your father of all people would be harboring one of the Four Horsemen," Mot said.
"According to Lord Brahma, she hasn't turned yet and if we can stop her from turning, then that's all the better. Especially since the Red King is awake and it's only a matter of time until Famine awakens too," Sophia said.
Mot said nothing as they continued to walk. The two fell into a comfortable silence for all but 3 minutes until Mot spoke up.
"I've been so rude. How are you?" Mot asked.
"Eh?" Sophia was slightly surprised. She knew that her Sponsor would ask eventually but still… "Well, I met up with another Contractor in Kuoh. His Sponsor is Lady Vivian of the Lake from Britain and I ended up going back to high school."
"Really? That's great. The young should be granted the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest. Tell me, are you two perhaps seeing each other?" she asked teasingly.
"N-No! I… uh… we're just friends…" Sophia failed to hide the growing blush on her cheeks.
"Then don't stay friends forever. Even if our lifespans are forever, then you should enjoy it while you have the chance. We never know when we might croak," Mot said. "You and I know better than anyone that Death waits for no one."
Sophia nodded. But… if I do, I'll get in their way.
Akeno blinked and found herself standing in the middle of a wasteland. The place Akeno found herself in was a barren waste with only small shrubbery growing in it. There were ruins of buildings from a bygone era located in the distance. A dry, cold wind swept over the rocks. The sound of waves violently crashing into the cliffside echoed behind her. In the distance, a jagged lone mountain towered above the apocalyptic landscape. This place looked as if the Apocalypse had hit it early. Above them, dark clouds swirled and crackled with untold divine power. Whatever lived here or used to live here still had influence on the world.
"Where are…" she looked to Baraqiel for answers.
"We're in Sheol… or what used to be Sheol. This place was destroyed a long time ago. That cliff behind you. There was no ocean there. That ocean was created after the fight," Baraqiel said, taking a step forward. "Be careful. There are traces of divine power here. Since you're a devil, you'll get burned."
Akeno rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks Old Man." She followed him silently after. Her eyes took note of the way the rocks were twisted by lightning and the odd black crystal that protruded from the ground every now and then. What the hell had happened here? What kind of fight took place here to cause such devastation?
Her violet eyes caught sight of a twisted, corroded skeleton holding a broken lion-headed mace. She shivered. The way he had been killed reminded her so much of Sophia's Contract.
The two continued to walk. It was clear to Akeno where they were going now. That mountain.
"Are we going to fly or are you going to make me climb an entire mountain on foot?" Akeno asked.
"Come on. I think the storm's weak enough for us to fly," Baraqiel said, ignoring her rude tone. He spread his wings and took off with Akeno in tow. It took them a couple of minutes to scale the mountain and arrive at the summit.
"We're going to be training up here and staying in a cave a few dozen feet down. I've already set up everything down there so you don't need to worry," Baraqiel said.
Akeno ignored him and opted to look out over the landscape. At the summit, Akeno had a better view of the ocean her father mentioned. An endless, roiling expanse of black water stretched into the distance. "How big is it?" Akeno asked.
"As big as the Atlantic," Baraqiel replied. "On the other side is the Greek Underworld. To the north of it is Yomi and to the south is Helheim and Naraka."
"What made it?"
"An Ancient God," Baraqiel said. "We're in the eye of the storm so we don't need to worry about the weather here. Are you ready?" he asked.
Akeno didn't say anything and did a few stretches. Her body never forgot the training sessions with her father even after all these years. Yellow lightning crackled around her body.
"Right…" Baraqiel started, "Our first exercise is simple. All you have to do is land one hit on me."
"What?" Akeno raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"Oh, but there is one catch. You can't use magic," Baraqiel said.
"That sounds… counterintuitive," she replied.
"On the contrary, it's very intuitive. It'll help me gauge your skill level and how you do in a fight where you have to perform outside your comfort zone. I know that you're a 'wizard-type'," he said, using Rating Game Terms to explain, "but there are no such things as types in real life. A real fight is unpredictable. Take your friend, Shin, for example. He is an all-rounder. A swordsman and also a firearms user. And his Contract supplements well with his fighting style, allowing him to perform really unpredictable maneuvers if he ever wanted to. The thing holding him back is-"
"Himself. I heard the speech from Yaldabaoth," Akeno said.
"Right. You however know only one way to fight. I'm not saying that it's bad but in a situation where you cannot access your magic, how will you defend yourself? You possess speed, strength, and durability augmentations from your queen piece but you never seem to use it. Are you really going to stand there and let your King get-" He moved his head, dodging a vicious roundhouse kick from his daughter. A smile appeared on his face.
Akeno looked at him with a gaze of unbridled fury. "Don't you dare bring Rias into this."
One hit right? I'll show you. I don't need you anymore, she thought.
Her demonic power surged as she charged at Baraqiel.
But even with her enhanced speed and strength, the man toyed with her.
His feet moved intricately as he deftly evaded each and every one of her clunky blows. Her form was rudimentary at best. Even a 6-year-old child with basic combat training could see where she went wrong in what she did.
Lightning crackled around her body as her emotions reached an all-time high. She spread her wings and flew high into the sky before performing a basic drop-kick on her father.
Baraqiel blocked the strike and deflected it, causing her to spin in mid-air.
She caught herself, righting her position in mid-flight, and landed a few feet from her father. Growling fiercely, Akeno rushed back in. Her body was recalling what her father had taught her.
She tensed her muscles and dashed towards her father.
Baraqiel narrowly dodged a nasty hook from his left and casually raised his hand to catch her leg. He pushed her back again before taunting her.
Her frustration was beginning to boil over. She crouched before shooting forward. Using her forward momentum, she cocked her fist back and swung, focusing all her momentum and weight into her fist.
Seeing an overtly telegraphed haymaker aimed at his face, he decided to end it and caught her fist in his hand.
The force of Akeno's rook strength clashing with Baraqiel's own absurd physical strength generated enough force to shake the mountain top and shatter the ground beneath them. The shockwave uprooted whatever plant life dared to make its home at the top of the mountain and sent it hurtling down into the storm below.
"That's enough for now. I see that we really need a lot to work on," Baraqiel said, letting go of her hand.
Akeno growled and shook her hand. "I thought this was supposed to be training me to control my Fallen Angel abilities and my Horseman abilities. Why the hell are you teaching me how to fight hand to hand?"
"Did you not hear the reasons I gave you?" Baraqiel asked.
"I did. I just think it's useless," Akeno said.
"For you, but you'll realize that in a situation where your opponent has your magic rendered useless, even the most basic combat skill can save your skin," Baraqiel said. "I don't think I need to go over your strengths. I'm confident in your abilities to use magic."
Akeno nodded.
"You can rest for today. I need to revise the training regimen to fit your level so give me a day. Remember that we're staying in that cave-"
"A few hundred feet down. Can I go now?" Akeno asked.
"Alright," Baraqiel said, sighing.
Akeno unfurled her wings and prepared to take off when Baraqiel's voice once again stopped her in her tracks.
"Akeno, for what it's worth, I'm sorry," he said.
"Sorry won't bring her back," she replied.
With a beat of her wings, she took off into the air and left her father, standing alone within the eye of the never-ending storm.
I'll periodically switch back from Shin to Akeno. The next chapters will be focused on Shin and his training. A few things to explain. Regarding Akane, I'm not going to constantly say she's strong and then not deliver on it. Shin's been harping about how powerful his older sister was since Chapter 1. If I did that then failed to deliver on my own hype, then that's... completely underwhelming.
Now for this chapter, the next chapter regarding Akeno and Sophia, Mot is going to make more and more appearances over the course of the story and eventually help Sophia reach the height of her power. Akeno is going to receive training from her father to master her Fallen-Angel abilities and Yeshua to learn how to use the Law of Conquest. Whiiich will be for later since right now, I have to focus on Shin.
On a final note, I'm 100% sure if anyone still reads my stuff that Til Midnight is gone. Don't expect it to ever return... at least in that form. Hahaaa!
Anyway, have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours!
Review: Who is stronger between Brahma and Shiva.
If Brahma is stronger are all of the Seven and the Gods that possess laws stronger than Shiva
Reply: Brahma. Aaaaaannnnnd! Before the entirety of India comes down on my head and threatens to drown or set me on fire, this is a story. Brahma got stronger than Shiva a long time ago after he became the Law of Karma. The Seven Great Gods are in between Shiva and the Dragon Gods. The Dragon Gods also have Laws. There are Seven of them and Brahma is ranked #2 in the Seven. Great Red has the Law of Dreams and Ophis has the Law of Infinity. As for other Gods that possess Laws, only the God of the Bible is confirmed to have a Law but even with that, she's not as strong as the Seven or even Shiva for that matter. In this fic, she would be Top 10 if she was alive but not the top. Probably around the middle. Akeno has a Law but as you can see, she barely dealt any lasting damage to Kokabiel.
Right just for reference, the Seven Great Gods that have been introduced or mentioned so far are:
1. ?
2. Brahma (Karma)
3. Nuwa (Sentience)
4. Ananke (Absolute)
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?