I feel like I did a terrible mistake… This will either be an eye-opening experience, or a catastrophe.
Micaela carefully landed close to the entrance of the Forest of Spirits, her eyes darting around for any possible traps. Granted, Tamamo herself was supposedly already here, but she was still wary of the games Hiruko could want to play with her.
I must keep my emotions in check… Why did I bring her again? If I get a little too familiar or drop my facade ever so slightly, she will see it as a sign that I'm not a fitting leader.
The next instant, Ariel landed by her side. The archangel sneered, not hiding her disdain at the monster-inhabited forest in front of her.
"Figure… They're infesting the place. They could only dream of building something as grand as the temples of Heaven."
Inwardly, Micaela sighed. "Keep steady. We came here to see if the prisoners are doing fine and see by ourselves the identity of the leader of the ones who attacked the Monster Lord's Castle. We do not want to be seen as the attackers."
If only because there are going to be three Ancestors and we'd get stomped in under a minute.
Micaela could tell that Ariel was unhappy with the order, even if she nodded in agreement. As they progressed through the forest on foot, Ariel occasionally scoffed at the elves and fairies that were watching them from afar. Micaela could only be thankful that the little pranksters held back and didn't do anything that her partner could see as an attack. After a few minutes, they arrived in sight of the large manor that made for the cover of the Biolabs, and Micaela noticed a small committee at the entrance waiting for them. Even from afar, her keen eyes recognized Lucia, who was flanked by Hiruko and Tamamo. The First Seraph had to focus to prevent herself from shivering when her eyes laid on the disguised scylla. The latter noticed, and made an exaggerated curtsy in greeting.
"Welcome to our humble laboratory. I hope my hosting will be to your taste."
Ariel did no effort to hide her disgust while Micaela bowed back respectfully.
"I thank you for your welcome, and as such I won't make you lose any time. You already know why we're here, so I wish to get started as soon as possible."
"Certainly. If you would please follow me…"
Hiruko led the way into the lab, followed by Lucia and Tamamo. The kitsune did a grimace for the sole benefit of the seraph, making it clear that she herself was questioning Micaela's decision to bring Ariel along. When they reached the central room, the seraph could see Mariel discussing with -she swore inwardly- Lilith. However, she was surprised by the apparent tone of the conversation. The succubus wasn't quite all over the small archangel as Micaela expected her to be. She could even catch a few strands of conversation here and there about design and decoration. The two of them bowed and joined the group as they progressed toward the laboratory itself. Eventually, they arrived into the crux of the Biolab: a large white room with several tables that included restraints, and which walls were covered with various operating tools as well as strange devices that seemed to be powered by energy. On the central one was the figure Micaela had seen again and again, apparently restrained by an energy field. She steadied herself as she saw Saja glaring at the imprisoned angel with a power that could burn through a table. Hiruko pointed at the victim like a guide would point at an art piece he was disgusted with.
"I'll try keeping it simple: Kagetsumugi transformed monsters by altering their motor nervous system and linking body parts with strengthened mechanical ones to increase their power. The process is quite delicate, but so far I managed to restore all monsters to their old state before sending them to their lord or any related stakeholder for punishment. This…" Hiruko grimaced in a human measure. "This is an impossible mess. Her sensitive nervous system was removed entirely, probably to make her resistant to pleasure attacks, and instead of altering the motor one to graft mechanical parts on her body, Kagetsumugi directly integrated strings to be able to control them at a distance. I guess she used holy magic to meld everything together, except that since she had no experience with it, the result was probably below what she expected and then... I suppose miss angel here used her own magic to fuse everything together again because she came to the conclusion that what Kagetsumugi did could benefit her… And when I say everything, it's everything, her robe is now literally part of her skin, I can't say where her nervous system really is, her flesh and the mechanical parts are mixed to a molecular level with holy energy... luckily, her mask didn't quite fuse with her face, but that's the only good news in the mix. However, since she's an angel and therefore made of holy energy herself, you could restore her with a large amount coming from a mastered source."
"…So you need me to somehow rearrange the holy energy through her and to sort everything."
Hiruko grimaced. "I don't doubt your skills in anatomy, but unless you're able to differentiate the hypoglossal nerve from the trochlear one, it'd be better if I was the one operating. I worked a way to channel your energy through me by using an absorption organ which would allow me a perfect control on the process. You'd just have to remain still for a few hours.
Micaela froze up. She didn't quite trust Hiruko enough to let the scylla use her like one of those batteries needed to power chimeras, even if the people surrounding her would likely stop the Ancestor from acting up. Judging by everyone's expression, most of them had learned it at the same time as her: Lucia looked grimly resigned, Mariel and Tamamo were both shocked, while Saja and Lilith were both looking at her with an eyebrow raised. And of course, Ariel had her mouth hung half-open, completely aghast at the idea of letting their savior be used by a monster. So far, this was the closest she herself came to approve the archangel's reaction. Her mind focused on finding an alternative as soon as possible to avoid any chance of being molested.
"…Instead of me, wouldn't this work too? Ilias had a hand in crafting that as well." Micaela summoned the Sword of Heaven. While separating herself from her weapon for a predictable amount of time was still something she wished to avoid, she preferred that option over the alternative that was presenting itself. Hiruko's eyes were shining like a child who had been gifted a large cake while she shook up excitedly before recovering a dignified composure just as fast.
The small scylla bowed elegantly as she carefully yook the sword of the seraph's hands.
"I will show myself worthy of such a sign of trust."
"…You should hurry up, your hands are burning."
Everyone looked at Hiruko's hands, and indeed, her fingertips were emitting smoke. The scylla herself shrugged and started wrapping the sword in a large organ that made Ariel audibly groan in disgust. Simultaneously, she started surrounding the prisoner's mask with another tentacle itself connected to a machine. After an instant, she grimaced.
"Ok… So this is going to take quiiite a lot of time, like, in the hours. You might want to take a look around and make yourself comfortable."
"I did came here to check on the other prisoners. Where are they?"
Hiruko shrugged. "In the old cells, since it was the closest spot available, and I can keep an eye on them that way."
When she saw Ariel tense and foam at the mouth while electrical arcs started racing through her arms, Micaela's eyes glowed briefly and the archangel somehow froze completely. When she returned her attention to the group, she was surprised that, somehow, nobody had noticed their scuffle.
"You won't mind if we're going to check them by ourselves then?"
The scylla Ancestor distractedly nodded while Tamamo and Mariel excused themselves from the remainder of the group as well.
"We will accompany you if you don't mind, we also need to check by ourselves to further report on the situation."
When Micaela looked at the remainder of the group, she could see Lucia worrily looking at Hiruko's work, ready to step in to assist the Ancestor while Saja and Lilith were discussing while unsubtly glancing at the angels. The first seraph couldn't tell if they were looking maliciously while preparing a trap or simply discussing another matter entirely while not so unjustly keeping an eye on them. Eventually, she decided to move on with the other trio while hoping that Tamamo would support her if one of her sister snapped.
Even if there shouldn't be any fighting, I have the feeling that this will be a long day, the kind that cannot be over soon enough…
A few minutes later, the quartet was examining the cells containing the imprisoned angels: the rooms themselves were surprisingly tidier than what Micaela expected, while their walls were covered with power-draining seals. However, the first seraph felt a sudden sense of discomfort when what she thought to be gems decorating corners were instead eyes guarding the prisoners. Her magical senses were only able to detect the nature of Hiruko inside them, making her shiver.
When she said that she was keeping an eye on them, I didn't imagine she would go that far. Then again, they wounded the precious daughter of the Dark Goddess, so the Ancestors are definitively on the edge about them and will do the extra effort to make sure they're punished.
…Being able to keep that level of watchfulness would have been Ilias' wet dream.
The angels themselves were mostly looking pathetic, either because they were fruitlessly throwing themselves at the padded walls in an attempt to break free or because they were all looking down like battered dog. Micaela herself didn't feel or see anything that could tell her that they were badly treated. Most of them recoiled in fear or glared at her when they saw her, so they were all at least responsive to a certain degree.
More fanatics to take care of... Great… Fortunately, I still have quite a lot of supporters. I should still check on them occasionally. I really don't want to lose their support in the slightest.
When she saw Mariel trail behind the group, she took the opportunity to approach her.
"I saw you discuss with Lilith, is there something I should be aware of?"
The small archangel jumped in surprise before frenetically scratching the back of her head. "It's… a bit awkward… Nothing you should concern yourself with."
Micaela tilted her head on the side with a neutral expression, clearly unconvinced. "If you say so… I don't want to push you, but I want you to know that you can still ask for my help on any matter."
"It's… Did you visit San Ilia or talk about it recently?"
Micaela looked down, passably ashamed. With all the troubles blowing up, she didn't have quite the time to take news through the world beyond what Tamamo told her.
"Not since the last council…" She instantly connected the dots. "Oh for the love of… It got worse?"
Mariel nodded. "I have to scold an angel daily because they bring their partners on the roof of the castle to do it there."
She heard Ariel's scoff before she saw her come join them with Tamamo. The kitsune was showing off the same grimace.
"We did further increase the construction speed of the love inn project. Everybody is eager to see it constructed, both for good and bad reasons." She muttered to herself. "This might be the first time I'm actively cooperating directly with a leader from San Ilia on any matter."
"Those lustful cupids should learn to control themselves… They always lacked the discipline proper to other angels!"
"The five last ones weren't cupids. They were valkyries. I suppose that when they learned they were free to get partners, the flood gates opened and since then, they're sometimes worse than cupids. I think some were even part of the fourth battalion."
Ariel gasped in surprise, attracting everyone's attention before stuttering for a moment and ultimately leaving in a huff while muttering under her breath all the while. Tamamo pointed in her direction with her fan.
"She was the one leading them, wasn't she?"
Mariel soberly nodded. Micaela closed her eyes and slowly breathed in and out. Ariel was certainly not reacting well to the idea that the so loyal and exemplar angels she led were now indulging themselves in carnal pleasures against her wish in ways that would make succubi blush.
Great, maybe she will understand how I feel when she acts in contradiction to my orders. I doubt it though.
"…Anyway, since the Ancestor of succubi got removed of the project, Endiel is sulking and Lilith took it upon her to lead the remainder. We were discussing how we would decorate and manage the building, since some angels that want to sate their physical needs are a bit more prude and don't want to feel like cheap courtesans. And since succubi are more used to deal with that kind of thing… She proved herself surprisingly cooperative and respectful compared to what I expected. She didn't try anything… dangerous yet."
"And even if Alma Elma is keeping an eye on her, I'm also a bit surprised… Still, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth there." Tamamo started fanning herself. "And I take it that it isn't going better with your traditionalists? If Ariel's little outburst is anything to go by, you still have a long path ahead of you."
"So you did notice her…"
"I'm sure everybody did. They just don't consider her a threat. I don't want to call your judgement into question, but I'm not sure bringing her here was a good idea."
"I'm starting to ask myself." Micaela sighed. "Sorry about that, I was hoping seeing that not every powerful monster wanted to skin her alive would mellow her perspective slightly… Clearly, I was wrong."
Tamamo shrugged. "This isn't as easy or fast as one could hope. It's taking months with my sisters. Besides, I don't mean any offense, but monsters are more adaptable than angels, and even if most of them are trying to fit in, two of them sort of relapsed in their old habits.
Micaela felt slightly concerned when Tamamo had finished. "Wait, what happened exactly? I didn't follow what happened after my fight with Saja."
Tamamo grimaced. "Kanon has decided to sulk in her own corner in Hellgondo and... I had enough of Minagi. She kept recklessly screwing things up in hope of getting you or Luka, she incidentally had a hand in the disappearance of the latter. I reduced her power to the one of a common succubus and Saja and myself agreed to the decision of banishing her from Hellgondo."
The first seraph absorbed the information. This was someone she would have to keep track of, even if Tamamo had theoretically defanged her.
"I hope she'll finally learn to calm her ardors… No news from Luka?"
Tamamo grimly looked down. "We're looking everywhere. I also came here because I hoped one of the tool developed here would help us."
Micaela sighed. If only she could spend the resources herself…
"Sorry for being unable to help, but I still have my hands full with leading Haven for now. I'll catch on Ariel before she gets herself killed, please keep me informed if you learn anything…"
"I will." Tamamo smirked. "See you tomorrow."
The first seraph smirked back and waved at Tamamo before starting to dash through the hallways while tracking her junior's signature. Instead of going back from where they came, she somehow went deeper into the labyrinthine underground of the manor. As she followed the magical trail, she recognized another all too familiar signature that was doing the same. She slightly picked up her pace, her wings flapping periodically to balance herself as she started rushing. To her lack of surprise, she heard a disgusted scream followed by a holy spell being cast.
"Get away from me you filthy succubus!"
As she turned around another corner, Micaela was suddenly met with the Ariel in a fighting stance with electrical current racing through her arms while a pouting Lilith was hovering a bit further, her arms crossed in front of her large chest.
"I simply asked if you needed any help for finding your direction. I meant no harm."
Micaela reflexively checked Ariel: there was indeed no sign of any spell from the succubus over the archangel. Given the difference in their power, if the former had wanted to harm the latter, Ariel would have been turned into a dried fish or a puppet in a heartbeat. The first seraph inquisitively looked at the archangel.
"Did she attack you?"
Ariel gritted her teeth while glaring at the succubus. "Even worse! She's insulting the grace of the Goddess with her whorish presence!"
Lilith tilted her head with a small smirk. "With all due respect, if a random traveler saw us, he would think you're the working girls. I am wearing more clothes than you two. Combined."
Micaela closed her eyes while breathing heavily. As much as Lilith was getting on her nerves, Ariel's battle bikini and her own binding ribbon were indeed making the succubus look prudish in comparison with her thigh-high kneesocks and sweater.
"And I simply wanted to offer Ariel some help, the poor girl seemed lost in that maze and I simply offered to accompany her out… And to get more intimate if she wanted…"
Ariel aggressively screamed again. "You will never defile the holy body of an angel loyal to Ilias you filthy demon!"
"Mmmh… Too bad, I can say you direly need it."
Ariel prepared another scathing repartee, but she was once again frozen in place by Micaela's gaze. The blue eyes of the First Seraph were shimmering like crystals in an icy cavern while her voice became more imperious.
"I told you not to attack anyone if it's not to defend yourself from direct harm. I do not want anyone under me to be the aggressor in any conflict with monsters, did I make myself clear?"
Ariel nodded, completely terrified by Micaela's voice. Even Lilith had backed up away slightly.
"Good." The seraph calmed her aura and turned around. It was time to send a message… She humbly bowed in front of Lilith.
"I apologize for this needless aggression. Can we make it up to you in a reasonable way?"
Lilith's smile disappeared from her face. "In that case, I want your personal guarantee that all those angels that attacked the Monster Lord and nearly killed our lord will be harshly punished. I do not want them killed. I do want them to understand that any forgiveness their goddess could have given them will not save them from their punishment."
And you certainly do want them by your bedside later down the road, don't you? You can't corrupt the dead with pleasure…
While she could hear Ariel groan in frustration, Micaela acquiesced. "I will. Anything else?"
She hoped that her frown would dissuade the succubus to try anything funny. The latter tapped her chin with a finger for what felt interminable seconds before answering.
"…You know those Themis Traps statues that used to be around Heaven? We'd be interested to purchase a few of them –without the petrifying mechanism of course. It would be for an interesting price and a small idea Astaroth recently got. You could even deliver them yourself and visit us for the occasion…"
That didn't take long…
"While we're interested in a trade agreement, I personally do not wish to be involved with you or your sisters."
Lilith's grin expanded. "Are you sure? It really looks like you could unwind in our small hamlet. We won't bite."
"She said no, Lilith, don't be pushy."
Saja flew in from the other end of the hallway, her expression a haughty smirk that was familiar to Micaela. At least, the yoma didn't look hostile for the moment…
"I simply wished to remind that she's welcome. We don't discriminate against anyone in Succubus Village. In any case, I will return to discuss our little matter at hand with Mariel. That poor little angel is clamoring for my presence…"
"Isn't it strictly for business?"
"…For now it is. I do intend to deepen our relation."
Micaela herself inwardly groaned. Well, as long as nobody got hurt, the succubi could do whatever they wanted… They were not her responsibility.
Lilith soon joined Tamamo and Mariel when the duo passed by, and Micaela decided to kill a few birds in one stone.
"Go with them Ariel, there's a few things I need to discuss with Saja."
"Are you sure my lord? I do not wish to second-guess your orders, but-"
"But you are already doing so. Go now."
Ariel bowed and left with the small group, and before they disappeared at the corner of the large hallway, Tamamo threw one last worried look at Micaela who answered with an assured nod.
"It seems you're having difficulties with those subordinates of yours."
"And I'm bound to have more with all those idiots who're currently in jail. I feel like I'm taking care of a group of overgrown children… Can you say Hiruko that she can take her time? I'm not exactly in a hurry to deal with them…"
Saja chuckled. "You don't seem to have much love for your subjects… And yet, you go above and beyond what most rulers do to protect them when you were used to see them as simple pawns. You're surprising me more and more. Has the past you completely disappeared?"
What do they all have with those questions today…?
"In a way, you can say that. I intend to move on and leave the past behind."
"Do you include all those that hurt you as well?"
"Yes, why are you asking in the first place?"
"You're telling me you would let the weakened Minagi roam free, even after everything she did and kept doing to you and your family?"
Micaela shrugged. "I am not interested in a cold-blooded murder, and even if there were no evidence connecting to me, the Lilith Sisters would try to have my head… I don't want to think about how it could further degenerate."
Saja grinned. "And what if one of your angel killed her in your name?"
"I would make everyone a service and throw her to the Lilith Sisters. I gave all of them an order, I want them to be followed."
The yoma instantly lost her grin. The First Seraph hadn't hesitated in the slightest in her answer. Confused, Saja decided to further push her questioning. She narrowed her eyes.
"…I didn't expect this answer from Ilias' first lieutenant nor from the leader of Haven. Am I hearing Tamamo's friend talk instead?"
"You're hearing the answer from all of them and from every other personalities I adopted during my long, long life." Micaela leaned back on her right leg, her arms crossed under her chest as her voice lost its energy. "I just want to be able to live without a Damocles sword over my head like the plans of a genocidal goddess, the return of devouring sex-crazed maniacs or a bunch of fanatics ready to kill themselves in hope of starting a fruitless war. I am completely done with fighting. And I want everyone to understand that this will be my VERY last resort, if only because I want this world to know true peace after so much time, with those humans first and foremost."
The yoma looked down, disappointed.
"I'll finish with one advice from the leader of Haven to the future leader of Remina, although you probably know it already: when you take lead, people have high expectancies from you, and you have the responsibility to answer to them at the best of your skills. You can't simply decide to throw your arms in the air and give up. And just between you and me, I slightly regret leaving Enrika, even if they didn't show a single issue since my departure. But I can't give up on those angels in Haven, no matter how much I resent some of them for being so loyally fanatic to a lost cause."
When the seraph had finished her speech, Saja was completely down.
"…I apologize. That was rude of me given what I put you through in the past myself…"
Micaela dismissively threw her arm backward. "I have my own share of skeletons in the closet. It's just that I've been too helpful those last decades for most people to still care. So don't worry about it, and maybe we can move on to build a future together when time comes?"
"…Maybe." Saja nodded and turned away. "Let's go check on Hiruko. She might have made some progress."
"One last thing before we find the others…" Micaela smirked. "I said I would only fight as the last resort. I didn't say I wouldn't spar against you. We wouldn't want to get rusty, do we?"
Saja smirked back. "No we don't. I'll take you on in the colosseum any time…"
Micaela gulped loudly. "Actually, we might have to train in that pocket dimension of your… I wouldn't want to wreck the city of Grand Noah by accident…"
"Or are you afraid of the gazes of the people? I didn't think you were insecure about your martial prowess…"
Micaela chuckled. Maybe she could build actually friendly relationships with the Ancestors. Well… Most of them. Kanon and Minagi were still no-go, but the others…"
"Actually… I have a question for you myself. It's not something really important though, but…"
Saja raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Between the childish candid, the mannered servant, the briliant scientist and the cruel prankster –thankfully the last of them have been completely missing so far-, which of those persona is the closest to the real Hiruko?"
Saja completely stopped herself. She remained immobile for a minute under Micaela's surprise before answering with a smirk.
"To give you an honest answer, I have no idea myself... Only the Dark Goddess would be able to explain her design."
That's reassuring to hear…
"I don't even think she's conscious about the effect she has on other people."
She's been raised well, wasn't she?
"…Let's return to her. With a little luck, she should be almost done."
And with a lot she won't have accidentally eaten her subject.
Micaela was almost surprised to see that everyone else had returned to the operating room as well, even if it made sense: they all wanted to know who had tried to rile the population to restart a war before attempting to kill the Monster Lord. The First Seraph couldn't tell for how much longer she waited as she was watching the scylla ancestor operating on her subject. Only her magical senses told her that the angel was still alive.
"I'm almost done… Aaaaaand… Voilà!"
Hiruko proudly removed the mask of her subject, showing it off to everyone who ignored her as they instead focused on the revealed face of the leader of the True Faith. The scylla soon noticed and she herself focused her attention on the unconscious angel. She examined her facial features, and frowned in concentration.
"…I have no idea who this is… I expected Ilias or Eden, I'm a bit disappointed to see a no-name angel instead."
Micaela groaned. "I should remind you that they're both dead, but the no-name angel designation is slightly insulting in her case. I'll tell you who she is: Our infamous assassin is Cherub Wormiel."
Tamamo recoiled while grimacing. "Oh, sweet Alipheese, I didn't recognize her without all her worms…"
Lilith raised her hand even as her eyes were glowing with hatred. "My most sincere apologies, but I am unable to remember more about that little ringworm…"
The First Seraph pointed at the unconscious angel like a teacher giving a lesson. "She was the angel Ilias sent to punish sinners when the lower ranks couldn't do the job when we couldn't step in ourselves. She can corrode large pangs of space to kill a large number of sinners. If we take into consideration that Ilias, Lucifina and Eden were dead while I was officially rogue, she was the highest-ranking angel since the fall of Heaven…"
"I guess that corrosion skill explain the mess I'm left dealing with." Hiruko delicately poked the angel's face with a tentacle. "And it even explains how she cleared herself and her fellows free of Kagetsumugi's influence. With enough time and energy, she could have gradually taken control of any part implemented by the small puppeteer, even up to the control system before reaching out to her fellow angels… And it looks like she's going to wake up in a few minutes, so if you want to ask her anything… I'd just ask you not to further brutalize her too much by punching her in the face again…"
Ariel sneered. "Only an impulsive monster would be so lowly as to lay her hand on a weakened angel."
Micaela ignored the innocently insensitive comment from Ariel and instead focused on what was coming next: Even moreso than her decision to rebuild Haven or her fight against Saja, this moment was the one that was going to define the place of angels in this world. A single slip-up from her would either lead to the Ancestors judging her inadequate and forcibly removing her with Tamamo barely able to slow them down in the case that she wasn't too disappointed herself, while going the other way would lead to Ariel further question her leadership while her disappearance would spark more conflict within Haven.
I wish I had the ways with words that Ilias had… If everyone comes out alive without any war declaration, it will be my greatest personal victory.
Let's hope that the Ancestors will run with my plan…
And indeed, barely a few seconds later, Cherub Wormiel's golden eyes finally opened. Several emotions succeeded one another on the face of the angel: confusion, fear, then rage as she glared at Micaela.
"Sinners… Let me free so that I can kill you!"
Micaela sighed as she looked down on the still restrained Wormiel with contempt.
"I'm getting tired of repeating myself, so I will only say this once and make it short: I ran from Heaven on Ilias' order, because she was wary of Black Alice's and Promestein's plan, and she asked me to protect as many angels on the world as I could."
The First Seraph waited for a reaction. She was more than relieved when nobody blew up her cover, and enjoyed the short reprieve to think her next words with the utmost care.
"Then we came to a mutual agreement with both monsters and humans after the defeat of the Goddess Ilias: Angels are free to live as long as they respect the rules of this world, which include not attacking anyone unless in case of self-defense."
Wormiel answered with a rage-filled scream. "Is this a joke?! We're chosen by the goddess! We have no reason to submit to those earth-crawler rules! I refuse to live with them!"
"In that case, I shall welcome you to Haven: A place I built to only welcome angels, so that we may live for Ilias and continue her work in peace."
And I hope that neither Lilith nor Saja will take what I just said as a challenge… Or take anything she says as a reason to kill her on the spot.
"You're… You're only insulting her work! Why are you even attempting to rebuild a parody of Heaven even as you let some renegades mingle with monsters?!"
"I simply want our race to have a chance to build a future they can be proud of. I won't stop anyone simply because they want to live with monsters."
Wormiel screamed again. "There's nothing to be proud of accepting those abominations! I won't let you ruin the lives of those still loyal to Ilias with your false promises!"
Micaela raised an eyebrow. "And what do you intend to do exactly? You are not exactly in a position to demand anything."
"I reject your authority! I will be the one to lead angels from now on! If you want to insult Her, you will have to fight me first!"
While Ariel gasped in shock, Micaela neither blinked nor recoiled when Wormiel spat her challenge out. Her expression didn't change in the slightest as she answered.
"I refuse. And before I hear anything, I want to make it clear why I refuse your challenge in case you didn't quite remember what I said and did: I was the one chosen to lead, I saved you from your death, nobody currently present in this room wants the one who tried to kill the Monster Lord to be free, and even with all those improvements made by one of those monster you despise so much, you're so far below me I could reduce you to a ash heap in a heartbeat." She brought her face closer to Wormiel's, and her eyes started glowing as she narrowed them.
"You are putting your ego before Her Word, the help I offered you, and justice. I do wish to remind you that you're here because you did attack the Monster Lord, and that you could have been killed during the attack. You have no legitimacy in any claim you make. This is only out of pure generosity that we are willing to give you a chance to amend for your mistakes, and if you're unwilling to take it, I won't have a single problem with letting you rot in the cell of this lab managed by one of the Ancestor for eternity as long as you're not tortured. I promised I would keep as many angels alive as I could, but I can only do so much for you… Now, are you accepting my conditions or do you wish to remain in this place until the end of time? And before you accept, I want to highlight that I may be harsher on you than all those monsters will ever be."
Wormiel remained silent for a moment before answering, clearly thinking out her options. Micaela herself felt harsh for imposing herself so heavily on the cherub, but the simple memory of Ilias smiting any angel that had disobeyed her was enough to tell her that she wasn't as much a dictator as she feared she was.
"…I will follow you."
"Good." Micaela turned towar Hiruko. "How long before you're done clearing Kagetsumugi's work from all the angels?"
The scylla shrugged. "A few months at best… As I said, they're a mess, and even I will need time to properly take care of them."
"Good. Please don't renege on your promise, and keep me informed." She looked again at Wormiel, her eyes a cold, murderous glare. "And once they're done with you, do not think that your punishment will be over. Does anybody have any question of remark? If not, I'm leaving her in your care for now."
When Micaela turned toward the ones that had silently assisted to the scene, she could see Tamamo looking just as relieved as she was herself, while Saja was smirking and nodding approvingly. Unsurprisingly, Ariel was horrified, and, to her surprise, she couldn't quite decipher Lilith's expression. While everyone slowly scattered around, the succubus remained silent, and the first seraph couldn't tell if she was satisfied with the judgement passed on the one that harmed her lord or not. Eventually, she decided that she should move on and bring Ariel out of there. The situation was officially solved for now, and Micaela didn't want to let the archangel take the chance of making it degenerate again.
It's only once she was outside with Ariel that the archangel finally expressed her fears.
"Why do we trust them? They have no reasons to hold up their end of the bargain…"
Micaela made sure that nobody around her was watching and looked down coldly on the archangel.
"You are entirely right. They have no reason to let those angels live. They could kill them. They could even have killed us and steamrolled Haven in a single day without anybody to stop them... And instead they're helping cleanse those angels from the work of another monster. One of them is working with humans to clean the nature. And while those succubi are still self-serving sex fiends, I can tell that they're doing the utmost to look serviceable and even work with angels, if only for the sake of sex itself. Do you start understanding why I trust them?"
Ariel gulped loudly, completely pinned in place by Micaela's aura of power.
"I trust them because they're making an effort to help us. I trust them because they're not the same monsters we faced and who betrayed Ilias. I trust them because they trust me even after the harm other angels brought them. And last but not least, I trust them because we're still here. Haven is doing fine. They're willing to openly work with us. They even punished one of their fellow Ancestors for her machinations against us. If they did want to harm us, Haven would have been wiped out as we're currently only able to barely mount a token resistance." The seraph's aura softened. "I do not fully let my guard down, but if they want to make peace, I won't be the one to turn away the hand they offer."
"….But Ilias wanted to protect her creations from the temptation of the evil of monsters… We should take it in her stead…"
Micaela closed her eyes. "Have you seen how humans, angels and monsters are happy together? Do you really think we should destroy the happiness of her creation because of a badly interpreted order? She first and foremost wanted her creations to be safe, and we already succeeded in that regard."
Ariel looked down for a moment, lost in thoughts before she humbly kneeled.
"I apologize for doubting you. You truly are the first seraph, the wisest among us all."
"I do not want your praise. I want you to better understand the world around you so that one day, you will really understand how Her Design ended up working."
Micaela took to the sky, soon followed by Ariel. The first seraph felt heavy as she lifted herself. On the one hand, that meeting face to face with the Ancestors couldn't have gone any better. She was feeling relieved for the safety of Haven and her fellows, and Saja had opened up enough to her to make her think that building a cordial relation was possible.
On the other hand… She felt burdened by the lies that kept piling up. If anything, her actions were spiting Ilias more than anything, as the Goddess of Light would have wanted to see this world burn by her hand instead of seeing her creations mingle with the ones of the Dark Goddess. While Ariel apparently finally understood how they were at a disadvantage in front of monsters, she doubted that the lesson that monsters were no longer enemies stuck. And once Wormiel and her fanatics would be back in Haven, she would have her hands full dealing with them too.
It was time to share her trouble with more people.
This is ridiculous, but if they wish for that show… I will follow it.
As soon as she was back in Haven, Micaela readied herself to finally promote Herja to the rank of archangel. While she wanted to make it short and sober as it just consisted in giving a part of her power that would regenerate to the valkyrie, her angels ended up making an impressive amount of preparation of the ceremony without her input, and she decided to carry through. It was the first official promotion since the fall of Heaven, and any onlooker would be able to tell that they wanted to enjoy the majesty of the moment as much as they could.
The valkyrie was wearing her full armor as a regalia and was kneeling on a small stage at the end of the plaza, while Micaela herself solemnly made her way toward her. She stopped herself when she arrived at arm's length of the valkyrie.
"Herja. You have have always been by my side when I needed you. You didn't hesitate to step in to defend my name. And you have been showing a keen intellect. For your loyalty, your tenacity, and your thinking, I wish to promote you to the rank of archangel. However, with this new rank comes new responsibility, and I offer you one last chance to refuse my offer without any repercussion. Do you accept to take on the new duties of an archangel, or do you wish to keep your rank?"
The valkyrie didn't hesitate. "I will heed up to the call and rise."
Micaela then materialized her sword and rose the weapon high in the sky while grabbing her lieutenant's shoulder with her free hand. Both her weapon and the valkyrie started glowing as she channeled energy.
"In Her Name and by my power as the Sword of Heaven, I, Micaela, raise you from the ninth circle to the eight as an archangel. May your light guide those that are stumbling through darkness. May your sword protect the weak. May you serve well until the end of time. Now rise."
When the valkyie stood up, her appearance hadn't changed much: She was only slightly taller, and her armor had gained a few more ornaments, although it remained the same pure white. Her eyes were still as blue as the sky, and were still illuminated with the same devotion that she had for her superior.
Micaela mentally blanked the acclamations of all the other angels. While she was happy that this little ceremony seemed to reignite their loyalty toward her, she was more concerned with the future. Only one new archangel wouldn't be enough to balance out with the future fanatics that would return to her. While she would keep them imprisoned for their crimes at first, she would have to socialize them afterward, and, most of all, make sure that she had enough support should it come to worse.
Herja kneeled again and started reciting an oath of loyalty. The First Seraph only distractedly listened while she thought out her next move: As tempting as it was, promoting only Valkyries that had served under her in the past would be too limiting. Even if they weren't sycophants, they were biased in her favor, and they did remain warriors at heart who weren't quite used to evolving in society. Cupids, however, were more fitting for the role of diplomats that she needed and could support Mariel in her conciliatory work as well. If she could inculcate some basic discipline into the whimsical lust-filled love angels, they would be a welcome help in smoothing out relations between everyone. Having at least one to deal with each continent would be a good start.
As the Valkyrie was finished and got up, Micaela got brutally reminded of the issue at the core of her troubles.
"In the name of Ilias, this sword will protect this world against the evil of monsters!"
"In the name of Ilias!"
Micaela felt her heart sink in front of the united cry. While she herself had fought monsters who counted more than their share numbers of detestable individuals, she had come to appreciate working with them. More importantly, it reminded her that the angels currently with her were closer-minded than the ones living abroad, as they had chosen to isolate themselves from the remainder of the world.
Promoting archangels won't be enough… In the long term, I'll have to completely substitute the lessons of Ilias with completely new ones.
This will be the only way to really be able to integrate with humans and monsters. As long as they'll stick to her lessons, they'll also stick to her hatred.
Apologies for the delay, but the chapter ended up being too long because I wanted to conclude two arcs at the same time and ended with an overly long mess that I had to cut in two.
On the bright side, my workload lightened slightly so I'll be more likely to follow my schedule.