Part 2
"Lord Kokabiel, how long do we have to wait?"
Kokabiel smirked, hands steepled before him. "I know Michael. He is content to let an opposing force squirm, if only to demoralize them. I am quite sure Heaven shall launch their futile attack twenty minutes from now—"
Beams of light began to pound into the ranks of the Stray devils. Kokabiel stood up from the throne, and pushed the Fallen, saying, "-Right now, they're attacking right now, as I predicted! Erect the barriers! We'll see who wins this confrontation!"
A surprise attack, Kokabiel thought, sneering. Michael had become craftier still.
()()()
"This is overkill, Gabriel," Michael protested over the communication windows. "Do you know that an attack of that magnitude would have bankrupted our reserves? I'm looking at the screen right now—"
"Save it, Michael," Gabriel snarled. "If those fuckers down there don't get out of the way so we can identify this guy, then they deserve every piece of Heavenly retribution they'll get. What are you waiting for? Fire!"
"But Michael—" protested the angel in charge of the guns.
"Michael's not here. I'm the commanding Seraph right now, so do as I say. Fire!"
()()()
They were three to make the Triangle formation. Three of the most powerful sorcerous Devils roaming freely over Creation, selling their services and their secrets to the highest bidder.
Of late, they had been contracted by the Fallen for minor bodyguard work. Tonight had been surprising: legions of Devils from the four corners of the world had been summoned by the "mighty" Kokabiel for an important task. Such a collection of Devils would have raised warning signs, because none were willing to fight for the Fallen in another War, rewards be damned.
The Fallen had given them a very specific order. They were to initiate the Triangle formation over a trapping seal capable of restraining angels from the Highest orders. At first glance, the job was tricky, but the three saw it as a challenge. If they could manage it, their rep among the stray Devils would rise exponentially.
"Heaven appears to be attacking," said one. She stood calmly on her part of the triangle, some fifty miles from the others. They communicated via telepathic lines.
"What a pack of lies! For sure the Fallen are in a War against Heaven again!" spat another.
"Keep to the task," intoned the third Devil. Unlike the others who were looking at the devastation of the Devil legions by Heavenly fire, he kept his eyes on the angel that had been bound by their seal.
Unlike the other two, who were Reincarnated Devils expelled from Peerages, he had fought alongside Lucifer Morningstar himself. Ages of experience had given him enormous power, which he restrained willingly to avoid the attention of both Heaven and Hell. He'd agreed to the Triangle Formation to humor the whelplings, but in truth he could have captured the target by himself.
That was the impression, until he saw the angel. Unknown to the others, he had written up the Seal, and his Seal, after activating, would have encased the target in a high-level miasma, powerful enough to choke even the Seraph Michael into an insensate state.
So why hasn't it activated? he thought furiously, veins bulging on his forehead, glaring furiously at the angel. His Seal was perfect! Angels had fallen to it before, Gods had been kidnapped in less time than it took to blink!
The angel even had the gall to move around, like it was rubbing his failure in his face!
()()()
"What is going on over there?" asked the dragon. Issei squinted his eyes. Giant strobelights seemed to be erupting from the skies, causing eruptions on the ground in the distance.
Issei snorted. "Probably some humans partying. They can get quite destructive once the orgies begin spiralling out of control."
"Are you speaking from experience?"
Issei cocked his head. "...That's usually when I get sent down to break it up. With fire. And brimstone." He placed his hand again on the invisible barrier and smiled fondly.
()()()
His lips bared in a fanged snarl. The angel was smiling. Oh, he was sure of it now. The angel had noticed his work, and considered it quite beneath his level. The angel was mocking him!
Well, there would be none of that. He had bound six Gods in the past century alone. His clients always praised his work, the finest among all the stray Devil mercenaries.
He began to activate several protocols in the seal, spit flying from his mouth with every syllable he made. The other two were still panicking over Heaven's barrage, worried for their own little lives.
()()()
"Figured out how to break free from the seal?"
"What seal?"
"The one below. The one I just pointed out to you two minutes ago!" Issei looked down. There was a negligently written piece of graffiti below. The script said, "Angel Stay here" in nigh illegible script.
"... What's a seal? Because I'm not seeing a seal. That's one of those floor-signs on the stage to let the players know where they'd have to stand. See? It basically says 'Angel Stay here'."
"That floorsign is a 'Seal' designed to impede and entrap divine entities, angel! Whoever did this has got something horrible planned for ye! We've got t' run!"
"Wouldn't that be rude to whoever made the sign?" asked Issei. "Or... no wait, I certainly didn't sign up to be an entertainer of any sort, so it's not completely wrong that I don't have to follow what this says... Lord knows I'm burning up vacation time as it is..."
The dragon watched helplessly as a torrent of black, crackling energy erupted from the seal below to engulf the oblivious angel.
()()()
"Sir, Seal has been activated!"
Kokabiel stirred from directing the defense against the barrages hitting his forces. He summoned an optical spell to see into the far distance.
"Fool Devils. How dare they disregard orders!" said Kokabiel. Dispelling the optic, he commanded a group of Fallen go over to stop the zealous Devils.
()()()
"We're detecting a lot of magical activity, particularly near where the target is," said the angel in charge of identifications.
"We still can't get a clear picture—"
"Initiating thirty-third barrage—"
"Once the smoke clears, don't bother with identifying, just shoot the bastard down! At this point I don't care who it is," said Gabriel. The angel sat back, and fumed. It was on the verge of flying straight down there to see the offending angel personally.
"Gabriel," said Michael from the other screen, "Just so you know, you've just alerted about the entire world to our attacks. It's not just the humans, the Pantheons and all the other supernaturals are watching, too."
Gabriel huffed. "So?"
"So there'll be a load of paperwork—"
Gabriel's roar resounded through Heaven a second time. It left the communications area, flying straight through the Gate and then down to Creation.
()()()
There! That would show the presumptuous angel. That was the strongest attack the Seal could muster. Potent soul-corroding miasma ripped from a thousand unrepentant sinners and drenched in the darkness of the Dimensional Gap. It was arguably his best craft. It had taken him millennia to perfect.
He smirked. Perhaps he was a bit overzealous. He'd also disobeyed the client's orders; well, he could always pin it on the other two. Or he could always hide; the Fallen never had Heaven's penchant for nosy omniscience.
The smoke cleared. The angel stood, unchanged.
()()()
Issei looked every which way, like an owl curious to see what had awakened it. There had been a surge of 'energy', energy he recognized as being magical. He'd felt like he had back in Rias Gremory's clubroom, and instead of the sensation of a bucket of water falling on him it was more of a strong, hair-whipping breeze.
"You alright angel?"
"Yes..." Issei frowned, looking himself over. He gave himself a quick pat-down. "That was strange..."
"Now do you believe me when I say we should be on our way?"
"Yes, I think you're right," he replied, staring down at the sign. In addition to "Angel Stay Here" it now also said "Die Die Die". It did not make sense to him.
()()()
"What the heck just happened?" shouted the first.
"Did our magic do that? Did you do that?" said the second.
"Shut the fuck up!" he snapped, his mouth dripping with foam. His eyes now burned with infernal rage, his form becoming demonic with each passing second.
How dare that angel survive! He'd dispelled and re-applied the optical spell to see over distances just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. The strongest magic he could craft and it was only like he'd sent smoke in the angel's direction!
He could not afford to fail here. He had committed to destroy the angel, and he would die before he would admit to failure. Death before dishonour!
He grunted, spitting out the activation words without delay. That was definitely a fluke. He didn't want to admit it, but perhaps his construction of the spell had been flawed. This one won't be a mistake.
And just for good measure, he tore off his tongue, that it might speak another spell. A second attack, to mirror his.
()()()
"Ouch!" He felt a strong, pushing sensation, just as before, right as he was about to flex wings to fly away. Issei staggered in midair, shaken.
"The're attacking again. That's some real strong magic. It'd make a dragon sick."
The sensation came again. And again. A small seed of irritation began to grow in his mind. Who was doing this?
"Warms my heart to see you're alright, angel," said Ddraig, though doubt laced his words.
"What the heck is going on?" Issei wondered, as another burst of sensation slammed him in the face, making him spit and splutter.
()()()
Six activations and the blasted angel still stood. How was it possible?
"Shit! The formation's weakening! Help me!"
"I'm... trying... hey you! Stop whatever it is you're doing and reinforce the Seal!"
"I knew we should've tried the hexagrammic—"
He could hear noise inside his head. His ears rang, the insides ruptured after the third spell. Blood streamed from there and from every orifice in his body. He spat out a gob, raised his tired arms, and began yet another spell.
He screamed the words, though he couldn't hear them. Red filled his vision. Crimson light surrounded him.
He released the spell.
His head exploded.
The Triangle collapsed in a devastating meltdown.
()()()
All in Creation felt it happen. Humans who slept felt their dreams changed from good to bad, from bad to worse. Those awake were beset by sudden, inexplicable unease.
The minor spirits and creatures of the supernatural, the smaller courts and coteries of deities diminished in power and influence, decided to weave spells to hide their little fiefdoms, wary of the tides that were sure to crash through the world. Some even chose to leave this plane entirely, bewitching their homes to drift within the Dimensional Gap, clinging to this world by the flimsiest of threads.
The Greater pantheons, who rather enjoyed their time under the sun, chose to keep their eyes to the sky and their ears to the ground. They alone recognized the potential in the power unveiled here.
()()()
"That Kokabiel's pretty lucky," Azazel pronounced. "Just a little more to the west and he'd have joined all those stray devils in kaput-land spreading his bits and pieces all over the four winds."
Baraqiel glanced at his leader, who hadn't said a word for the battalion of Fallen who'd been engulfed in the blast.
Shemhazai made an impatient sound. "With all the debris and smoke, it's nigh impossible to make out his wings, as you so insist, Azazel. It would be rather more expedient if you tell us who that is, instead of playing this nuisance of a game."
Azazel made a shushing gesture and pointed back to the screen. "Don't underestimate my craft." The image turned a shade of green, then red, then back to the normal color, though now the image of the angel appeared in clear focus, glowing a patient gold against a backdrop of silent gray and black.
It was hard to tell it was an angel. This one's wings were wispy little things behind it, which Baraqiel had to squint to make sure it was there.
"Are you still not seeing it?" asked Azazel. The other two shook their heads. Azazel made another adjustment to the image.
"By the Lord of Creation!" cried Shemhazai, gasping. The old Fallen turned swiftly away, muttering something under his breath.
Baraqiel for his part, raised an eyebrow. Azazel's adjustment had clarified the wispy image into something definite: there was a wheel-like object almost its size, like a large halo, behind the angel.
So it was an Ophanim. The rarer order of angels, one which Baraqiel had never personally seen during the Great War. He'd only heard tales of skirmishes against them, but there was almost nothing to note about their power. There also weren't ophanim amongst the Fallen.
But why did Shemhazai seem like he'd lost his mind? Azazel was also looking at him expectantly.
"So it is an ophanim," Baraqiel remarked. "There's nothing remarkable to it."
Azazel chuckled. "So you still don't see it. No matter. Soon I'll develop another filter so anyone can see." He pushed the screen away, and it floated in the air. "What you didn't see were the extra 'wings' behind the angel." He leaned forward, smiling. "There were two more 'haloes' to either side of that one. And several more, smaller ones, arrayed on the side. Well, it's the three biggest ones that are important. These are that one's wings."
"... which no ophanim has, or rather, should have," Shemhazai said, voice low and disbelieving. "They are only ever permitted one. Messengers of the Lord's Word, and sometimes the executors of His will." Baraqiel turned to him, still confused. "But consider, Baraqiel, that this one survived a catastrophe of that level, which slew many Devils and Fallen, which gouged a large wound upon Creation!"
Azazel grimaced. "Yep. Not that there were many ophanim sent out. Because when it comes to Creation... When it comes to the humans down there... There was only ever one, the de facto head of the choir of ophanim, chief executor of His Will, Scourge of Humanity—"
"The angel of death!" Baraqiel exclaimed.
()()()
Issei sneezed. The smoke was so thick he couldn't see. He sneezed again.
()()()
Azazel's cheek twitched. "Not exactly."
Shemhazai coughed. "It's the—"
()()()
"Right, that's enough," Issei said with a marked wheeze, and with a grand gesture he whooshed the smoke around him away.
After a few moments, he surveyed his surroundings. The landscape had changed significantly. It smouldered, reeking of foul, vaporized flesh. He sensed a lot of death as well, much worse than the cities he'd just been to.
But now, it wasn't his fault. Something in that gaudy display just moments ago perhaps, taking a disastrous turn. He always knew humans were a dangerous, self-destructive lot. If it was not his responsibility, then he didn't have to perform his duties. Unless commanded. But he was on vacation.
Stirring from thought, Issei left as fast as he could. If he sped up, he could make it to Japan in five minutes.
()()()
The angel didn't believe it. There was the result of the explosion: whole acres of land lashed by persistent fires, the ground cracked and splintered like an abused eggshell.
But where was the other angel? Gabriel cast its senses about, looking for any sign, even a human's. But there was nothing. Not a single thing.
Gabriel's body sagged. It felt exhausted. The anger, finding no release, fizzled out like a firecracker dud.
Then the skies above blazed with golden light. Gabriel looked up, squinting. Then its mouth sagged open.
"Oh, you have got to be shitting—"
The Heavens parted, divine fury descending in a barrage of light.
()()()
AN: Drafted by Shurpuff, unedited, not proofread (Honore's busy)
Shurpuff says: Comments, questions, impressions, etc. welcome!
Since we've gotten to this point, let me just say that going forward the story will have a slightly different cosmology from canon. The Heavenly Orders in particular, will have a shake-up, as indicated here. While Gabriel and Michael remain Seraphs, the Seraphim themselves aren't of the highest order (though they are pretty powerful). Also, the angel's connection to their Fallen brethren and the Devils will be different, as I go for a different interpretation.
With that, here's a disclaimer that this story does not intend to espouse any particular belief. The story is fiction, and any views expressed here in writing are not mine as a storyteller.
I'm also still waiting for suggestions of other series, guys. Some have said Sekirei, which I'm familiar with but frankly does not have a main character I can use well. Others said Rosario, but a.) I didn't really follow that series before, leading to b.) it's a pain to read up on. At this point, I'm even entertaining Saint Seiya, but again, no main characters that would fit well.
Thanks for reading!