Chapter 39: The Fifth Kalpa - His Choice
There was only one pedestal in this room, as to be expected when there was only one candelabrum left. Naoki set the Candelabrum of Sovereignty there and lit it. This time, it felt harder to give it up. This one had specifically been his for the game and it had helped him out in unexpected ways. There was the underlying message in doing so as well. But if this worked as he and Aleph hoped, it would not happen as doing this implied. As he and Pixie were both in good shape, he continued on.
The instant he stepped into the parlor, the background radiance intensified. Shifting light tried to break through the circular door on the other side. "What's happened?" Naoki asked, going over to Lucifer's side. "Beelzebub and I noticed something big happening."
"I'm sorry, it seems I failed to keep my defenses up here," he said. "Metatron has returned; he's destroyed the Fifth Kalpa and replaced most of it with something of his own design. You can still reach the place I wanted to bring you to. However, you'll have to go through him now to get there."
"That's no issue, I'll just go defeat him," Naoki said.
"Yeah, we've got it!" Pixie said.
Lucifer smiled at that. "Good, that's what I hoped you'd say. Still, you should bring at least some of the other fiends in with you. You were able to overcome Beelzebub's true form with only Pixie at your side, but he was merely testing you. Metatron will be trying to erase you from existence like Michael tried. I do not mind providing back-up should things get dire, but I would prefer to see you overcome this foe with yourself in the lead."
Naoki nodded. He felt a bit eager to test himself against this enemy even with the steep consequences of mistakes. Still, the less left to chance, the better. "What kinds of tactics does he prefer? Or any tricks I should watch out for?"
Thankfully, Lucifer approved of his asking. "He is the Voice of God, so he battles with overwhelming power and the sheer intimidation of his position. Since you have overcome the latter, you're in a better position already. He may be an angel, but he's very much a brute as well. He will probably manifest in the same colossal form you saw before, which is slow but extremely hard-hitting."
"That shouldn't be tough," he said. Sukukaja would take care of that matter, and Matador could easily run circles around a colossal brute. "But let's make him wait. You said you'd tell me about Kagutsuchi here."
Lucifer chuckled. Naoki felt glad that he was at least keeping him entertained until when he needed to get serious. "Sure, why not? I'm sure I can keep him out of this room. And if not, well then it's his fault if I get involved in the battle from the start. Now, I was telling you about how myself and the God of Law have gotten ingrained in humanity's conscious."
"Right, so that you'll end up being called back from death," he said.
"Now Kagutsuchi is different. He is an avatar of the God of Law, a face that monitors a particular process. In his own right, Kagutsuchi is extremely powerful because he is such an avatar. But here's the thing: Kagutsuchi has almost no believers itself."
"But gods need believers or they end up weak and faded like Aradia."
Lucifer tapped his cane. "In this case, being an avatar of a greater god is enough to maintain Kagutsuchi. Not only that, but Kagutsuchi rules everything within the Vortex World. He is how time is measured, he is the one who grants the power of Creation to mortals, he is the one who judges them on their Reasons. By agreeing to his rules, the Reason bearers briefly become devoted believers in Kagutsuchi. But if the system that Creation and Conception follows now is destroyed, those believers have already forgotten about him. If Kagutsuchi is killed, that's it. Kagutsuchi is a god who cannot be revived, despite being the wheel that world rebirth currently runs on."
"So getting rid of him will end this awful Conception business for good," he said.
"By all that I've learned, yes, that is so. And by its own rules, Kagutsuchi must be present in person when the road is raised, the keys are used, and the moment of Creation has arrived." Lucifer pointed at him. "That is the time I would like you to strike Kagutsuchi down."
"I'll remember that," Naoki said.
"Then there's not much more to be said until you've reached the depths of Amala," Lucifer said. "I hope to meet you there." He then vanished like he'd never been there in the first place.
"So, who're we taking to knock down a crazy colossal angel?" Pixie asked eagerly.
"Matador," Naoki said, summoning him to arrive. "And…" who then? Buffs and healing were probably ideal. "Trumpeter, and Daisoujou."
The three fiends arrived promptly; Daisoujou even took up the empty seat there. Matador was too eager for a fight to sit. "Well then, taking on Metatron?"
Naoki nodded. "Daisoujou, you're the best of us that I know of at healing, so that's your role."
"It is what I prefer," he said, making his bell chime.
"Trumpeter, you know Debilitate; prioritize keeping him debilitated, then hit him with whatever he doesn't block out or resist."
The skeletal angel nodded. "Good, good, that's what I like too."
Naoki turned to Matador. "And you, Matador, I just want you to be as much of a pain as possible. Not necessarily through sheer damage, but whatever will keep him unfocused."
Tapping the handle of his sword, he considered that. "Hmm, I generally fight alone, but in this scenario, si, that would be quite a tactic. I will get that accomplished for you." He even bowed.
"Pixie can handle being a pest too," Naoki said, which made her giggle, "and I'll adapt to what the situation calls for. You all ready for this?"
"Of course, let's utterly humiliate him," Matador said, shuffling his cape so it was ready. The others agreed, so Naoki led them through the door.
This was like nowhere else in the labyrinth. The path under their feet had the same petrified wood material as was scattered throughout the kalpas, but that was it. They seemed to be in an expanse of nothing but bright sunlit sky. While the rest had been a maze, this had one clear path: a gentle spiral downward leading to a massive circle that had to be where Metatron intended to battle. A straight path past that lead to one of the regular kalpa doors, just sitting there on its own.
"I suppose he's kept things simple," Naoki said as they walked down.
"Usually angels go for more elaborate displays of what they claim as glory," Matador said. "Though truth be told, they make some epic battlegrounds."
When they got to the large circle, the radiance of the area grew more intense. Naoki thought about closing his eyes, but decided instead to see how long he could bear this. It became difficult to see anything visually, including the edge of this platform. However, only he and Matador were at risk for falling. Naoki could tell where the edge was mentally and Matador probably had good awareness of his surroundings as well.
"Stop right there, despicable half-breed," Metatron said in a bellowing voice that seemed to come from all directions. "If you have any concern for the state of your soul, remove yourself from here and go back into the world where you belong."
"I'll decide where I belong, thank you," Naoki said firmly.
"Every candle you light in this place represents how far you have fallen from grace. You have been complacent in the evil deeds of the fallen angel Lucifer since you stepped foot in here. If you intend to go any further, there will be no salvation for you. You will be left to the darkness of your sins and the curse of your Creator."
"That makes absolutely no sense since I've never followed the beliefs of the Mesian church," Naoki said. "How can you hold me accountable when I was never a believer in the first place?"
"Touche," Matador said.
"Such trifles do not matter!" Metatron roared. "If you're going to be that way, then I will smite thee myself!"
"Good luck, you'll need it," Naoki said, signaling to his team to get started. He had set Sukukaja with his skills for this so he could get that enchantment on his group, although Matador started right up with Red Capote to accomplish the same on himself.
Once Trumpeter had gotten a pair of debilitates off, Matador ignored the blinding light and darted between Metatron's legs to nick him in the ankle. As she was tiny, Pixie took off as well, got herself in a blind spot, then struck with Megidoleon while Metatron was trying to stomp on Matador. That left Naoki free to use Focus, then wait for opportune openings to shoot Friekugal at the angel.
It didn't take long for Metatron to realize that he could not intimidate them, and that he was rapidly losing ground against them. "My Lord, give me the strength to strike down these devils," he muttered, then caused a massive spread of fire that strangely smelled of salt. It reminded him of Naoki of the last time he'd encountered this angel.
"Isn't that your power, not your god's?" he asked, brushing off the pain of that attack.
"Do not be foolish!" Metatron insisted. "All power originates in God. I have merely borrowed it to carry out His will. And you have stolen it!"
"Could we just agree to disagree?" he asked, waiting for a time to attack.
"That is not how things work!" He blasted them all with that fire again.
And now that Naoki was distracting him, Matador was able to pull off an Andalucia at Metatron's floating foot. "Hah hah, that's what you get for not paying attention to the mighty Matador!"
Metatron growled in anger, and then got whaled on by Pixie's Megidoleon again. He tried to heal himself, but it wasn't enough to keep up. Before long, he was reduced to crumbling silver feathers. "F-forgive me, my lord, for failing to uphold Your will here."
"That's what you get for trying to stand up against us!" Pixie called as she swooped down to rejoin them.
"Or just being a big dumb slow brute," Naoki said.
"Now, that is the door where you must make your decision," Trumpeter said, drifting down once Metatron was fully gone. "If you descend the elevator past there, you will be joining our forces and there will be no going back."
"I understand," Naoki said. And he'd had plenty of time now to consider everything. "I'm still going."
"Well then, meet you on the other side," Matador said, pleased along with the other fiends. The three of them faded away. Perhaps this would be some show and they had parts to play in what came.
On the other hand, Pixie landed on his shoulder. "This is so exciting! I never imagined that you'd end up going this far for us. But then, Lucifer has been calling you the hope of all demons."
Naoki smiled at her. "I know. But now," he lowered his voice so that hopefully only she heard, "I have one last trick to play before I cross that line."
"Oh, what's that?" she whispered into his ear.
"Follow me and you'll see." He crossed the last path and entered the door.
The part beyond that was familiar to Naoki. The organic brown walls, the floor of magatsuhi that had a heartbeat, the pools of strange liquid, the fleshy floors that had some give: this was the place he had first experienced the Amala Labyrinth, where Lucifer had transported him when he was still in the hospital. Naoki also realized that this must be near where they actually performed most of the transformation on him, where he'd left off being human. That could be why, in spite of this place being disturbing and strange, it still felt comfortable. Like he belonged here.
He followed that path to the end again, coming to the room where he had met the older version of Lucifer and the black-clad nurse with him. Where had she gone? But then, she didn't really matter. She was another puppet to this play. It was better that things got pared down to the real players here. This time, he could fully enter the red room and activate the elevator in the center.
After the tunnel surrounding the elevator disappeared, a sudden roar of applause greeted him. This was a large space within the labyrinth, with tapering organic walls that held windows which only revealed shadows behind them. In the center, there was a large room that was set up exactly like the last parlor he'd visited; a wooden pathway led out to where the elevator would stop. The difference from the parlor was that the room was now a stage. Or, had it been a stage all along, with the thick red curtains obscuring this huge theater? Lucifer waiting on the stage, using his older wheelchair bound form to greet him with.
As he hoped for, the thirteen candelabrum encircled the place that the elevator was descending to. They were exactly the ones he had returned. Good. Below that, a vast pool of water acted as the place that the stage and elevator floated upon. Magatsuhi flowed densely in that pool, even thicker than what he had seen within the central pyramid of Amala Temple. This really felt a lot like returning home.
When the elevator landed, Lucifer held a hand up. All of the noise and cheers died off. "Welcome, Demifiend," he said, not making any indication that he should come forward. "As you have heard around you, we are grateful that you have decided to join us."
"This is what I want to do," Naoki said, to the approval of those watching.
"Good, I'm glad," Lucifer said, putting his hands together in front of him. "You have proven yourself in more ways than planned, passed every challenge set before you in ways worthy of a champion. But to accomplish the goal now set before you, you will need to overcome all weaknesses you bear and become more than you could ever imagine. I know that you have encountered our enemy, the God of Law," this caused hushed murmurs, which Lucifer soon stopped with a small gesture, "so you know what power you will be facing. To help you with that, I would like to grant you a portion of my powers, along with something a human should never acquire: the heart of a demon, suited for the work you will be doing. Now, by the candelabrum you have been acknowledged by..."
That was his game: he was moving this along too quickly for him to properly respond and stop him for questions. That is, if Naoki bothered being polite. "One of the candelabrum is a fake," he stated simply and firmly, making sure that his voice carried.
A nervous hush filled the room as Lucifer's hands dropped. From his blank look, he didn't know how to respond. As the murmurs started up again, Lucifer gripped his cane, then got up out of the wheelchair. He may have pretended to be like Naoki's grandfather, but he walked perfectly fine across the floor to the elevator to examine them. The candelabrum circled around at his command, stopping finally at Godliness. Taking it out of place, Lucifer examined it a moment. "Trumpeter," he said quietly, an anger building up there.
"It's not his doing," Naoki said quickly as Trumpeter appeared. The fiend was flustered, but quick to nod to his statement. "At least, I'm sure he wasn't aware of it. You can't do this ceremony with a fake candelabrum, even if it lit the halls of this labyrinth."
Keeping hold of it, he turned his hard gaze at Naoki. "What is it you want?" he asked coldly.
A chill invaded Naoki's blood; Lucifer was the most powerful one here, the one whom the fiends had utmost respect for. But no, he wasn't going to let himself be intimidated. He wasn't going to let him think that he was just a tool that could be thrown out. "I need to speak with you on the terms of this arrangement."
Lucifer kept his gaze harsh, close to hating a challenge at this point in his plans. Naoki did not let up either. If he could defeat Metatron, and if he had the power to take down Kagutsuchi, he had no doubts that he could take on Lucifer as well should things pan out that way. If he did that, then maybe he would have the power to defy death on his own, without the safety net allowed by a kinship with Death.
And then, Lucifer let up first. There was a sense of amusement to his magatsuhi, even a touch of pride. "Very well. If you wish to discuss things and would go this far to get your words across, I will listen." He offered a hand; he must have no intentions of discussing the matter here, under the gaze of so many other demons.
The audience, even Trumpeter, were amazed that this was happening. "Thank you," Naoki said, taking his hand. The whole theater of the labyrinth faded as they moved elsewhere.
He had expected them to move to one of the old parlors for this discussion, so the sound of bird song startled Naoki. They were in a forest that seemed like it could have been any wild place on Earth. The trees were green and flowers were blooming in the thick grass. Not only that, but Lucifer had chosen a very different appearance. He looked exactly like one of the human like angels, with long golden blond hair and twelve golden wings on various parts of his body. But unlike the seraphs that wore armor, all he covered himself with was a white strand of cloth that floated close to his body.
"Now, what do you have in mind?" Lucifer asked, smiling although he kept his eyes closed. "I would not say so in front of the others, but I know what it takes to defy your maker. For that, yes, I will listen."
"Pardon me for being frank, but I don't believe that this plan of yours will work as you imagine it," Naoki said.
That made him frown. "What?"
"You intend on giving me a demon's heart, as you just stated. I can guess why: the empathy and emotions I have as a human often run counter to what demons do and believe. There are demons for every kind of emotion, it seems, but they don't have the range that a human does. Not even you, so there are human emotions that seem like a weakness to you. And they can be weaknesses in us, or strengths if we know ourselves properly."
"Most humans do not learn that and seem like they cannot," Lucifer said. "There are some emotions that you would be better off without, especially given what your mission will be after this."
Naoki shook his head. "No, there's something important that you're missing. If you take my human heart, you're also taking my human willpower. And isn't that one thing that humans have over demons that you can't make up for?"
"Sometimes," he said, resisting full admission to an error like that. "Do you happen to know the Hebrew language?"
"No, I've only studied Japanese and English," he said. "A lot of what you've told me has to do with willpower, doesn't it? Gods rely on believers to exist. Even you demons rely on belief in you. And that belief comes from human willpower. So if you give me a demon's heart, you subject me to the limits of belief, which limits my powers and what I can do with them. As I am now, my human emotions are enough to support my demon powers, making me self-sufficient and able to adapt should situations outside of all planning occur."
Lucifer opened his eyes at this, anger building up at this challenge. They were an unsettling blue and red, patterned like scars. He still attempted to stay calm. "Then you believe you are better off staying as you are now?"
"Yes, that's what I think will work best," Naoki said, taking a deep breath. "I want to help you as best as I can, father. I'm doing this for you."
The whole little forest went silent, hinting that this was some illusion Lucifer was producing. Lucifer himself stared blankly at him, caught off guard by something. Now what? Naoki wasn't sure, not of what to do or what was going on.
Someone put a hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, you've struck him far outside his soul's frame," Aleph said to him. "You addressed him sincerely as father. He is not made to know how to respond to that."
"What now?" Naoki whispered, not wanting to break this moment where Lucifer was stunned.
"I must tell you up front that what you're about to do is an experiment," he said. "I do not know what will occur from this, but I believe if anyone could accomplish it, you can. If it works as I hope, we have a means to fight the deep corruption we were not aware of before. This is a possibility because you value family, you love Lucifer, and you have drawn yourself so close to him that he sees himself in you. The proof in this is right before us, that he cannot comprehend how to take being seen as a father figure and he cannot rationalize your sincerity."
Naoki nodded.
Aleph patted his shoulder. "Now, you must believe with all of your heart that Lucifer is capable of love. Powerful demons like him are indeed affected by the beliefs of humanity as a whole. You are in a unique position to capture him in your will and alter what he can feel. Believe that Lucifer can accept you as a son, and have no doubts in that."
Closing his eyes, Naoki lowered his head. "I thought it might be something like that."
Believe, with all his heart and soul, that Lucifer could change and accept him as completely as family. Family was the most valuable thing to Naoki. Lucifer needed to see things in the same manner. He could see things that way.
Something seems strange about all this. This should be unacceptable. I determined that the journal must be a fake, some trick to put doubt in me and weaken my plans. For a moment, I wanted to strike him down and destroy him myself, for daring to suggest that I could be wrong in something so vital to what I have worked on for so long… but maybe he's right. Gods rely upon belief. Disbelief, denial, those weaken gods. It has been rumored that if a human could deny God to His face, they could destroy Him. A rare few souls have accomplished this, like the one he asked about.
He said that he's doing this for me. He called me father, not forced but speaking from his heart. I have what I wanted. The seeds I planted have bloomed and he should be under my complete unquestionable control. Hmph, but now he's questioning me and for some reason I can take it. And, I want to give him what he's asking for, to keep his human heart… and keep this love, as that would wilt if he was given a demon's heart. It shouldn't matter to me, and yet it does.
Trying to figure that out is a waste. We've got things moving, we don't have long to hesitate. "You may have a point," I say to him. "Many emotions can become a weakness, but you've come this far already. I'm sure you can surpass them. Plus, I had not considered that your self-sufficient state when it comes to magatsuhi could be so vital. But it should be true. In worlds where we must depend on summoners to have energy and physicality, you should be able to support yourself and a couple of followers to assist you."
"That's one of the reasons I have for not wanting this last transformation," Naoki says.
"But there is still some power I have yet to grant you," I tell him. "I was counting on you having a demon's heart, so I'm not sure how they will work out powered by a human heart."
"It should be fine," someone else says. How did they get in here? Then I notice, it's Aleph, the one Naoki made into the avatar of the Amala Network. Of course. With that vast store of knowledge at his thoughts, he would be the one to know. "And he is correct. The current hybrid state he has will be more effective than should he receive a demon's heart. As he is now, he is difficult to define. You blurred the lines between human and demon well; not even the network is sure how to categorize him as other than Demifiend, and a unique category with a sole member is considered close to unnecessary. In fact, you both are the ones who know how best to define him. As long as that remains, the side of Law will always be baffled in how to handle him."
"That is what I intended from the start," I say. Although why did I not see that giving him a demon's heart would make him easier to define? It seems so obvious now. I look to Naoki; I don't want to limit him like that. Or hurt him like that, if I must be honest. Not that I'll tell them. I really am being strange right now. "Now what are you doing here, Aleph?"
"We've agreed to work together on investigating the deeper causes of corruption and conflict in the universe," Aleph says. "Which means, I will be working with you too, at least through him. I wanted you to be aware of my presence, and to be here in case you were more difficult to convince. That journal is indeed from yourself in a time that was completely pruned from existence, the last evidence that it existed at all. You keep those kinds of notes so that only you can understand them, yes? Thus it is only you who could have written that."
As much as I don't like being proven wrong (and so often in one meeting), I have to admit that he is correct in that assessment. "I see. It's encouraging to know that you'll help us this time around." I put my hands together at my chest and close my eyes again. "But then, those we left just now are expecting a ceremony. I will agree to not replacing your heart, but could we at least complete what we started there? It will help with what powers I mean to grant you."
"Sure, I'm fine with that father," Naoki says.
There it is again, some strange twitch and warmth. I should stay in control, stay a bit distant. Or, should I? He may be easier to control if I play into this belief of his. "Good. My son, then..." why do I feel like this saying these words? "I am glad that you agreed to be with me."
He smiles and that… ugh, I can't get distracted like this. I smile back, to please him (it is nice, I suppose), and pull him back into our little theater. Aleph follows, but has chosen an invisible form to hide out as a witness. I won't bother to change form for this, since he won this part of our game. Somehow. And I don't mind that. The other fiends have decided to show themselves as well, curious about what was going on.
"We have that matter settled, but there's still the problem with this candelabrum," I say, glancing at Trumpeter. "Now, where is the real one?"
"I don't know," Trumpeter says, trying to seem like he doesn't care when he is embarrassed at it. "I'm sure I didn't lose track of it."
"It's with the Divine Trumpeter," Naoki says. "She egged you into challenging her at some point; you said as much when I asked if you'd seen her. But you would never say how that challenge panned out."
"Er, well," he taps his feet together.
"She somehow swapped the real one for a fake when she defeated you," he goes on. "It looks the same, and somehow it has similar powers to the rest. There was no noticeable difference in the Fourth Kalpa that couldn't be accounted for its native coloring and odd lighting placement. But it's still a cheap knock-off." Trumpeter sighs at that.
"Then she probably still has Godliness with her," I say. "Well then, let's go pay her a visit. This ceremony won't be worth much without all of the real candelabrum."
"She's hiding out in Mifunashiro," Naoki says quietly to me.
"Good, that's easy to reach." I take his hand again and transport us out of the labyrinth, to a brief time after he entered it. The coin that was meant to summon me is still here; I don't think I should draw his attention to that.
It doesn't take long for the wayward Mormon to appear before us. She's either very bold or silly to show up and smile at me like that. But then, she did pull this trick off on my Trumpeter, so she can't be the fool she presents herself as. "Hello! Oh good, just who I wanted to see."
"We came about the Candelabrum of Godliness you have," Naoki says.
She nods and leaves her trumpet in one hand to call out the real one. Strangely, it doesn't affect her at all. Most angels claim that the candelabrum smell noxious. "Sure, I've got it here. But first, do you mind hearing why I did this all?"
"We were wondering that," he says.
"I can guess at some of your background," I add on. "If you're one of the Mormon angels, and you're here in Amala, either your world is in Amala or it was forcibly joined to Amala by invasion."
"We were invaded," she says with a nod. "We had a good thing going when angels from other worlds showed up. At first, we didn't think much about it, just that they were fellows visiting. But once they established a terminal network through the world, they attacked many locations at once, leaving us scrambling to defend our believers. It took a heavy toll but we managed to drive them out. And one of our losses was that one of our leaders was sealed away from the rest, throwing the balance of the Triumvirate out of whack."
"Then this is a mission of vengeance," I say. That would also account for her being strange; a three-part god unbalanced like that would immediately unbalance their angels.
Elzbieta tilts her head. "Hmm, sort of? The remaining two determined that we needed to build defenses against such an invasion from another world, but they know that the God who'd declared war on them would try continual small attacks to wear us down. They have many worlds to draw soldiers from, for one thing. So they decided it was best to send in a diversionary force to draw attention away from us. And, that's me! I volunteered for the job because I can seal myself in a way that no attacks ever connect to me, not even almighty ones. It's helped when I get caught or backed into a corner."
"So you were helping me because I'm a part of your diversionary tactics?" Naoki asks.
"Of course," she says without hesitation. "You seemed like you'd be a really good distraction from what our world is doing to defend itself, so I saw to it to give you little things that'd make you an even better distraction." She then twirls the candelabrum around. "Say, you there, the morning star. Now that you've heard this, would you mind leaving my world alone? It'd just be a distraction for you once we get closed off again."
So that's her ploy, trying to gain leverage to make such a request of us while using my Demifiend for her own plans. Hers is a world I'm not familiar with, not off the top of my head. What am I doing there? There's already a network of terminals and… actually, it would be a distraction when we've got Kagutsuchi to slay. Once we do that, YHVH will turn actively against us. It would grant the isolation she and her God desire. Although if YHVH decides to invade there again, I could always send demons off to counter God's angels. It could even be called a support team coming in as the rescue team, yes…
"You do make a good point that it would be a distraction," I say. "And you seem to have assisted greatly with Demifiend's training," even to enabling this complication. "Very well, Mormon angel, I am fine with leaving your world alone."
"Great!" she says, and I wonder how much of that smile is fake. She's certainly tricky for an angel. Then she flies right up to us and offers Naoki the candelabrum. "Then I'll just hand this over to you then. I'm not participating in whatever game you had going, and I was told to come back intact and safe once I'd done what I could to contribute. It's up to you both now."
Once she waved and left the world, Naoki asks me, "Are you really going to leave her alone?"
"For now," I say. "She did help convince you to my side, so I can leave her world alone for that. If that's all, we'd best not keep the others waiting."
He nods and I return us to the labyrinth. He lights the real Candelabrum of Godliness, to the applause of those watching, and we're finally ready for this ceremony. Actually, much of it is for show. One should never underestimate the value of a good show; I think he's getting that idea, but it couldn't help to speak with him more about it some time. And one should always be ready to alter things on the fly, although sometimes it's hard to actually do that.
"All the pieces have finally come together," I say, quieting the crowd of demons watching us. "Soon we shall have the first strike in the final part of this war that has kept us in darkness for so long. For now, Demifiend, we welcome you to our numbers."
Then the elevator beneath us sinks down into the pool of magatsuhi. Naoki is startled a moment, although he hides that well in just glancing around at the spinning candelabrum. While it's not in the plans, I descend with him. It feels more right now. Down here, the density and power of magatsuhi is enough to overwhelm most beings, even some of the greatest demons. He's more sensitive than most, but he bears it well and keeps his focus between us.
"It should be complete darkness down here with no color surviving," I tell him now that it's just us two again. "Although I was the first to fall, or perhaps because of that, I still bear light enough to illuminate these depths so far from the Creator's heights. I will let you keep your heart as it is, but I would still like to share this light with you; it may be needed in the future. And, to awaken the last of your magatama's power, now that you have truly united with them," I touch his chest to undo that last block and unlock all of his abilities.
Naoki gasps in getting overwhelmed; his mind shuts down into sleep to deal with the abrupt change, like it did when we started this. I know he can adapt, he just needs a bit of time. And there's this new spirit, the magatama that Masakado somehow created. I wonder if he was trying to lure Naoki away from me, like he did with Aleph. That man, he has the power of a god, quite immense at that. But he says he will never forget his humanity and will always fight for them. Maybe he has a point if he grew that powerful?
But you know, we are alone down here. And he's out hard in sleep, already adjusting to the changes. I could still grant him a demon heart; I meant to pass on my will to the Demifiend and that will not be possible if he still has a human heart. It's because of those insane seraphs. There's a number of worlds already where they've managed to seal me into silence. It's a task of eternity to them, but we angels and demons have eternity to work with. Should they catch this self in the same way, I want someone out there who has the right power, ability, knowledge, and drive to take over for me until I can be freed. It should be another demon.
I could still do this…
No, actually. I can't. I can't because he asked me not to and gave good reasons for why. It's ridiculous; no one should have that kind of power over me. I mean, he does have the knowledge and power since I remade him so carefully, and he's proven his ability with all that he's done. And he does have the drive when getting here meant facing Beelzebub, Metatron, and my own stubbornness and pride. So it might be that I don't actually need to replace his heart, even as it keeps his weaknesses as a human. But he shouldn't be weak at all if he needs to take over for me.
He is like me, though. Not entirely, but enough. He's earned the loyalty of much of the Fiend clan, which means he could be the one other who could unite them in some cause. I'm sure the others won't take long to be on his side, which could actually be trouble for me if he turns against me for any reason. He's learned to manipulate others into doing what he wants. More practice and guidance could get him to do that and make them think it was their idea all along. And even if it's me, he is capable of defying his maker at all risks to himself, for what he believes in. Only, I'm willing to listen to him, change my plans… and be happy for him doing all that…
"Is that your plan to keep yourself as you want?" I ask him, even though he's asleep. "To worm your way into my heart as I have yours?"
But, why fight it at this point? As long as he gets the job done, well, maybe I can take this risk too. This isn't normal for me and I don't know how he pulled it off. But I've watched humans for as long as they existed, so I know… I hug him for a moment, while he can't notice.
I'll have to adapt to this new weakness he's given me, but, I want to take care of him.