Disclaimer: see the prologue
Extraneous: Ditto

Fifth, a machine who works for the light,
Sixth, three Defenders, who know what is right.
Next is an angel, blessed in her fall;
Then comes another, the Seraph of all.
A vassal who loves to hurl her Prinnies,
And then a vampire whom no one believes.
-Prophecy de luce e di ombre: Lines XI-XVI

Chapter 4: A Meeting with the Seraph
When we left off:

Saito had finished passing through the Cave of Ordeals, and decided to rest when he reached the Overlord's Castle. Upon reaching it, he was told that Laharl had journeyed to Celestia through the use of a key. Saito paused long enough to thank the young Gatekeeper, a female Cleric called Maria, and grab the spear Longius. He then proceeded to Veyer Castle where, to his incredible luck, he found both Veyer and Laharl. Giving the Longius to Veyer, the weredragon proceeded to challenge the older vampire to a duel. The two fought long and hard, and in the end, Veyer's true identity was revealed when he used one particular attack. The attack was Overlord's Wrath, and it was then revealed to all that Veyer was actually the reincarnation of Laharl's father, King Nicholai Krichevskoy! Saito hit the former Overlord with a tsunum blast, and was promptly flattened by the Overlord's Wrath. After the duel, Krichevskoy noticed that there was a growing pool of blood around the young mage. Asked from whence he had received the wounds, the mage responded truthfully: Let's just say I had a close encounter with Baal. With this being said, the mage passed out, and the former Overlord immediately issued a series of orders before he rushed off to find his wife, Rena. He found her after ten minutes of searching, and helped to bring forth her memories. With this being done, the two hurried back to see if they could help save Saito. We come back to the story shortly after their return, in order to find that several things have happened in the ten minutes that they were away.

Hall of Caresses: Veyer Castle: True Netherworld

Nicholai Krichevskoy, former Overlord of the Netherworld and father of Laharl, rushed back into the Hall, trailed closely by his wife, Rena. They both stopped, and then blinked in surprise. Quite a bit had happened since Krichevskoy had initially scrambled out of the hall.

First of all, the vampire Maderas had decided to put in an appearance. And not a moment too soon, thought Laharl as he looked towards the door in order to see the all too-familiar form of the Nosferatu just hovering outside of the doorway. "MADERAS! Get your lazy carcass in here NOW!" Maderas was a little surprised that Laharl was in Veyer Castle, and he instantly voiced his thoughts. "What are you doing here, Overlord? I thought you swore to stay away from this place!" The Overlord looked straight at Maderas, and it was then that the Nosferatu saw murder in those red eyes of Laharl's. "Never mind why I'm here. I need you to go look for my old man." Maderas was a little puzzled by this. "Your old man? I thought he died nine years ago," came the confused response. Laharl's eyes grew even more murderous. "YOU FOOL! Veyer is my old man!" the vampire roared. Maderas blanched, and then bowed his head to the much stronger Overlord. "As you wish, Master Laharl." He then promptly disappeared.

Aramis was the first to return, bearing not only medicine, but also food for the group. Etna was a little surprised at the variety of food that her little brother was able to get his hands on. She looked at him, tilted her head sideways, and then sighed. "OK, how much did all of this cost you?" she asked, resignation in her voice. Aramis smiled lightly. "It actually only cost about 5,000 Hell." Etna's eyes widened when she heard how much it cost. "WHAT! You have got to be kidding me!" The genuine smile on her little brother's face told her otherwise. She reached over and wrapped him up in a hug. "You ARE a lifesaver, you know that, bro?" Aramis grinned. "Anything to help out my big sister."

The young man then proceeded to walk over to Flonne, and offer her the variety of medicine that he had managed to purchase. The fallen angel's eyes widened at the selection, and she then turned to smile at Aramis. "Thank you very much, Aramis. This will definitely help to keep out any infections. If I only had more bandages..." she lamented, but then Aramis' coughing caught her attention. She turned to look at the young man once again, and then she gave Etna's younger brother her most brilliant smile. Aramis shrugged sheepishly as he handed over his entire pack of bandages, and he was rewarded with a light kiss on the cheek that made him blush deeply. After this, he went out to find water, and to alert the Overlord of his progress.

Gordon and company were the next ones to return, and as Flonne looked up from tying off another roll of bandages around Saito's midsection, she immediately noticed that Gordon's face was very red. As she looked closer, she couldn't stop herself from giggling. The Slayer of the Netherworld had two fairly fresh hand-prints on his face, and they were looking more and more painful as each second passed. Kurtis came in shortly after Gordon. The Prinny was laughing hysterically as he led in two unexpected visitors. Flonne immediately stood up and hastily curtsied. "Miss Priere! Miss Marjoly! What beings you to these parts?" she asked, her fluttering red wings a sure sign that she was nervous. Priere sighed shortly before she slapped Kurtis upside the head. "OUCH! What did you do that for?" the Prinny asked. He then promptly shut up when he saw the deadly look he was getting from the Alternate Overlord. He immediately fell back towards the rear of the room, where he was joined by Maderas, Gordon, and Thursday. The she-demon stared at the Prinny a second longer and then turned back to Flonne. "I felt him fading, and decided to come and see what I could do to help." The demon looked over at Marjoly, her eyes asking the same question. The witch shrugged, and then smiled. "What? Do you think I could just let a cute guy like him leave this place without making an effort to save him? You must be out of your mind," she said, grinning wickedly. She then proceeded to walk over to the young mage's body, and then knelt down next to him. Hey. Are you going to be okay? I don't know. All I know is that if Krichevskoy doesn't get back here soon, we are all in big trouble. Wait a second… Did you just say Krichevskoy? As in THE King Krichevskoy? The one who sealed away Baal? The very same. He looks different now, but he is still the same vampire. Priere looked a little surprised. You mean to tell me that the man who sealed away Baal is actually alive? Yes, Priere. He should be back in about three minutes. In the mean time, I am losing blood here. "Sorry!" Priere yelped as she bent over to start bandaging the wounds on the mage's chest. She then looked up as she heard one particular voice. It's been five years since I heard that voice. Is it really him? She thought as the source of the voice drew closer.

"Is he in here?" came a slightly unfamiliar voice from outside of the door. "I think so, sir. Let me check..." A fairly young angel stuck his head into the room, and then pulled back, blushing furiously. "I can't really tell. There are too many women in there for my liking." "Fine, fine. I'll go in and see for myself." Why do I have to do everything on my own? Maybe it's because you were always so independent in life, my friend. There was a pause. Then: Saito? Is that really you in there with all of those women? What do you think, Setsuna? You know how much luck I had with women. Come in, come in. I'm a little cut up after the fight I had a day ago. Who did you fight? Baal. WHAT! It was then that the man finally poked his head in through the door. Jet black hair settled at his back, and his blue eyes were creased. "What in the name of heaven and hell were you thinking?" He then blanched slightly. Looks like that angel was right to get out of here. There are too many women here for my liking. He looked around the room, and then noticed the prone figure on the floor. "SAITO!" he yelled, a little alarmed that the mage appeared to be dead. He then heard a small mental chuckle. Heh. Let's just say he caught me by surprise. The mage opened his right eye, and cracked a smile. "What took you so long...Setsuna?" came his question, as he labored to try and sit up. Flonne rushed over to try and restrain him. "Sir! You shouldn't be trying to get up!" Saito instantly winced as his back came off the ground. "I...see what you...mean," he said in a labored voice. His breathing was a bit irregular, and with all of the women keeping a close eye on him, the weredragon was feeling a little nervous. The holy/unholy priest merely smiled at the young man. "I was delayed a bit by an old friend." "Which 'old friend' did you run into this time? Or did you just get lost again, Sets?" came a voice that the priest found still familiar, even though it had been five years. "To tell you the truth, Laharl, I got lost on my way here." The conversation finished just as the former Overlord and his wife arrived, and were presented with such a bizarre scene.

Nicholai looked over at the priest kneeling at Saito's side. He instantly tightened his grip on Longius, and he only relaxed it when he heard from the mage again. Relax, Nicholai. He's not going to try and kill me, okay? The weredragon gestured towards the elder vampire, and made the introductions. "Setsuna, allow me to reintroduce you to Nicholai Krichevskoy. Nicholai, do you remember your fight with him?" The older vampire chuckled lightly. "Of course I remember that fight. It was the closest brush with death that I had during my long life. However, it didn't kill me." He then looked down at the young weredragon. "How in the hell did you know about that fight?" Heh. I was watching you ever since I was forced to return to Draconica. I saw you rise to the height of your power, and deeply grieved when you died sealing away Baal. I always wanted to be like you, but we were separated by too much. The mage let out another mental sigh, then began to slip into true unconsciousness. Take me to Celestia. I need a Divine Healer if I am going to survive these injuries. After this last mental command, Saito Nathaniel Onago slipped into a coma.

Setsuna looked at Krichevskoy. Well, his appearance changed, but nothing else has. I can still feel that immense power of his, the priest thought as he prepared a transport spell to take them all to Celestia. Flonne looked over at the priest, and lightly shook her head. "Mr. Setsuna? We don't need to use a transport spell. There is an easier way." The dark priest looked down at the fallen angel, confusion clear on his face. "What are you talking about?" he asked as he let the gathered energy disperse. Flonne removed the small lanyard she was wearing and held up the key. "This will take us directly to the Sacred Altar. Master Lamington should be able to help us from there." The dark priest shook his head in amazement. "Where did you get that key?" he asked, his sense of curiosity roused. Well, it's a long story..." The young fallen angel looked over at Laharl, and the Overlord nodded for her to proceed. She told Setsuna everything, and then headed towards the door. "Now where was that gate?" "Allow me..." came a voice from the ground. Rena was holding up a stretcher with the help of Priere, Marjoly, and a fairly worried Etna. The mage had opened his eyes again, and he just barely cracked a smile. "It's the least I can do for all of you," he said, gazing around the room at everyone. "BY ALL THAT IS TRULY LIGHT AND DARK; BY ALL THAT IS BOTH HOLY AND UNHOLY; BY THE LIGHT AND THE SHADOWS, AND BY THE POWERS INVESTED IN ME: LET THE WAY BE OPENED!" The incarnation brought a chill to everyone in the room, a bone-chilling wind was felt by all, and then the gate appeared, as if it had always existed. Everyone looked at the young mage in shock and awe. "You're...very...welcome," Saito said as he began to fade again. "Flonne...use...the key," was the last thing they heard from the young mage on their journey to the Sacred Altar in search of a Divine Healer.

Sacred Altar: Celestia

"Master Lamington! MASTER LAMINGTON!" Flonne cried out as she burst into the Sacred Altar at a breakneck pace. The Seraph stuck his head out of the door of his room, and smiled at the young fallen angel. "I'll be out in a minute, Flonne." "I'm not sure whether he has a minute to spare, Lamington," came a voice that the Seraph had not heard in five long years. He paused his game (he was playing Disgaea again), and came out into the main part of the Altar. He nodded to the vampire before him, and smiled. "What brings you here, Krichevskoy?" the Seraph asked. He was answered by a voice that came from behind the former Overlord, and it was a voice that he recognized all too well. "We have a bit of a situation here, Lamington," Setsuna remarked bitterly, looking over at the unconscious young man lying on a stretcher. "He needs a Divine Healer, and fast." The Seraph came over to look at the young man, and then recoiled in shock as he recognized the pendant hanging around his neck. "My stars! Is that truly who I think it is!" Saito? Is that you under all of that? The response was slow in coming. Michael… It's good to hear your voice again. I thought I would be gone for good this time. You heard Setsuna. I need a Divine Healer, NOW! came the mental roar of the mage. The Seraph's face blanched and he then hastened to obey. TOBIAS! RAPAHEL! I need you two to bring me a Divine Healer, NOW! But, we just went on break! Can't you get someone else to go? The answer the two younger angels received chilled them both to the core. This is a matter of life or death. Now MOVE! YES SIR! With that, the two younger angels hurried to comply with the Seraph's order.

Michael Lamington sighed aloud before turning back to the group. "Our best Divine Healer is on the way. She just took a little convincing to treat a non-angel." WHAT! Michael, there's something you're not telling me…The Seraph sighed aloud, and then looked down at the weredragon. I thought I would let you explain your 'condition' to everyone when you finally come out of that coma of yours, the Seraph directed at Saito, frowning slightly as he saw the bandages grow redder and redder. Fine. Just make sure that I survive this, and I'll explain everything.

The Divine Healer rushed towards the Sacred Altar, straightening her robe as she went. I sure hope that this is important enough to require my skills, since it is a non-angel that I'll be tending. She stopped before the door of the Sacred Altar and knocked three times. The door instantly opened, and she lifted her emerald green eyes to meet the silver eyes of the leader of Celestia. "You required my services, Master Lamington?" she asked sweetly, trying to hide the bitterness in her voice. The Seraph frowned slightly, letting her know that he had heard what she was trying to hide from him. "He's right this way, Marina," the Seraph said, leading her into the room and the promptly closing AND sealing the door. He looked over in Laharl's direction, and then spoke. "No one can get in or out. Anything that happens in this room from this point forward will stay in this room unless at least half of us give approval otherwise." The Overlord smiled lightly. "I have to say that I like your way of thinking, Seraph. Let's get to work!" he called to the rest of the group. "We have a few strategies left to plan!" Most of the group headed back into the Seraph's personal quarters, leaving the Divine Healer, the weredragon, the Fallen Angel, and two other women outside.

Marina was surprised at the ensemble that had been gathered in the Sacred Altar. She started to take mental notes as soon as she passed through the door. Let's see… I count at least three vampires, two witches, one fallen angel, and two humans. I also see a Prinny, a robot, and five other demons, including the one I'm supposed to treat. She walked over to the stretcher-bound young man, and could not help but gape at the wounds as she slowly untied the bandages. By the Seraph! What happened to him? She thought to herself as she searched her satchel for her prayer book and her writing tablet. Baal is what happened to me, came a voice out of the blue. Marina had found her prayer book, but immediately dropped it in surprise. What did you say? Baal is what happened to me. Baal? What in the hell are you talking about? Have you ever heard the legends about the Lord of Terror? Of course I have! Everyone has heard the legends. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they are not just legends. WHAT! The Lord of Terror does exist, and his name is Baal. How do you know that? I thought I just... Ah, forget it. I'll explain when I have the full use of my body again. What the heck…? You mean that you're…the one on the stretcher? Yup, that's me alright. My name is Saito. Whoops, sorry. My name is Marina. Marina. Nice name. Human origin, if I believe correctly? Yes. So why does it concern you? Just forget I said anything, okay? Fine with me.

As she continued to look down at the young man, Marina noticed something fairly odd about his aura. Is it just me, or is there something wrong with your aura? she asked, a little puzzled by the reading that she was getting. She heard him mentally sigh, and he then responded. What do you think is wrong with my aura? he asked in reply, the boredom becoming clear in his mental voice. Well, for starters, I'm sensing four different subtypes for your aura, but I can only identify three of them: human, demon, and… She paused for a moment in horror, and then hurriedly resumed her statement. And angel. By the way, I am EXTREMELY sorry that I refused to treat you. It's just that I didn't know exactly what you were. Saito sighed, and then explained himself. Raphael and Tobias knew NOTHING about what I am. It's not your fault that you didn't know earlier. Rather, it was my own. Anyway, getting back to my aura: that last "unknown" type you detected was draconic. The young healer's eyes widened in surprise, and the mage chuckled. Yes, I know it's not something you normally encounter. "But you'll just have to get used to it," he said, opening his eyes and attempting to sit upright.

Flonne rushed over to restrain the young mage, and he was only able to rise halfway. "You should rest, young man," the Fallen Angel chided the weredragon. "Some of those wounds are quite serious." "You mean serious in your sense of the word, not mine," came his reply. Saito sighed before he settled back down into the stretcher. He looked at the ceiling, but then noticed that someone else was hovering over him. "I'm glad to see that you're finally awake again," the green-eyed woman remarked, a small smile crossing her face as she studied him. "I take it you slept well?" Saito groaned aloud. "What do you mean by sleep? That was fairly painful, and my sleep is usually peaceful." Laharl's mother grinned, and then turned to the other women in the room. "Well, I guess I had better let everyone else know that our young friend here is alive after all," she said before turning to leave. "WHAT! Did you actually think that I was dead, Lady Rena?" the mage asked, a little annoyed. Krichevskoy's wife merely smiled and curtsied, before making her way out of the room. Saito was fuming as Marina tended to the wounds on his chest. She actually thought that I had died? She must have forgotten the battle right before her wedding reception, he thought to himself, brooding slightly. He looked over to Marina and smiled. "Anything I can do to help?" he asked, a tiny smile creeping across his face. "Would you mind turning over? I need to have a look at your back," the young angel answered truthfully. Saito smiled, and then proceeded to roll over onto his stomach. "Do you think you could pull that darn glass shard out of my lower back? It was really starting to bother me." Marina shook her head and smiled. This boy is impossible to keep down, she thought as she got back to work.

Meanwhile, we join the conference in progress in the back room of the Sacred Altar:

Michael grimaced at Nicholai. "OUCH! You got me on that one," he said. The former Overlord smiled, and then looked over at his son. "Laharl, what do you think of this idea?" Laharl paused for a moment to consider his options. In the meantime, everyone else was silent. The young vampire looked up at his father. "Well, I do see a few holes in this plan of yours. For starters, we need to open a gate to Earth that is large enough to allow even one battle cruiser to pass through. Then there's the problem of the EDF." "What are you talking about? YOU basically handled them all by yourself last time." "I know, but last time I wasn't going to be fighting them on their turf. They are probably going to be pulling out all the stops in order to keep me from pulling the fleet right out from under their noses." The older vampire looked over at the Seraph, and then nodded. "I see your point. But what if we…" He was cut short by Rena's arrival. "Hello everyone. I have some good news." "What is it, Rena? Did he finally wake up?" Krichevskoy asked, and everyone turned to her for the answer. The witch smiled, and then nodded lightly. "Yes, dear. He woke up and is his usual charming self once again." Priere and Marjoly looked over at one another before they both clamped hands over their mouths in order to keep from bursting out laughing. Rena looked over at the two and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not even going to ask," she finally said, much to the two women's relief. Laharl stood up and looked around the table. "I motion that we adjourn for the time being." "Motion seconded," came Gordon's voice as he stood up. Laharl looked over and nodded at the Slayer of the Netherworld. "The motion has been seconded. All in favor, say 'Aye'." "AYE!" Laharl was a little surprised. Well, that's the first time anything ever passed unanimously. "The motion is upheld, and this meeting is adjourned. Now let's go see what our friend out there has been through while we were sitting here debating." Everyone else in the room stood up, and then filed out after the Overlord.

Back in the main chambers…

Saito was finally allowed to sit up. He looked over at Etna, and then he looked at Flonne and Marina. "Thank you all for helping me to survive this ordeal. I'm not sure whether I would have made it through on my own." Etna blushed a little, and then smiled. "Is there anything else we can do?" she asked, trying to keep her feelings from becoming evident on her face. Before the weredragon could answer, he was interrupted by a familiar voice. "I see you decided to rejoin the rest of us in the land of the living. Did you get a good rest?" asked the former Overlord as he strode into the room after everyone else. The mage shook his head and smiled. "Are you out of your mind, Nicholai? How much rest do you think you would get if you had a shard of glass stuck in the small of your back?" he asked rather pointedly. Krichevskoy looked over at his wife and then smiled. "Very good point, Saito." Laharl looked at his old man in amazement. "You actually know this guy?" the Overlord asked, a little skeptical at first. His father's answer was cut short when the mage lifted his right hand. He turned to look at Laharl, and then he started to speak. "Yes, Overlord. Your father knows me quite well. As a matter of fact, he was at one point considering whether or not to adopt me." Laharl's jaw dropped in amazement as he looked to Krichevskoy for confirmation. The older vampire smiled and shrugged his shoulders, a casual gesture. Laharl turned on his father, and had opened his mouth to deliver a scathing retort when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked over at Flonne, and the angel stared back into his eyes. The hurt was very apparent, and the Overlord realized that it was for the best if he kept his mouth shut.

Saito sighed inwardly. He knew that he was going to have to explain his relationship not only with the former Overlord, but with the Seraph as well. He slowly rose and stood up. Everyone suddenly fell silent as they looked over at him. His expression was a little too somber for their liking. "Everyone, calm down. I know that I have a lot of explaining to do, and not just to you, Laharl. All of you might as well find a place to sit down, because this might take a long time until all of you know exactly what I have been through in order to come to this point." He looked over at Seraph Lamington, who smiled and nodded. "Pull up a chair, everyone. This is going to take a while." Everyone grabbed a chair and formed a circle. The Seraph briefly disappeared into his chambers before reemerging with a tall, stiff-backed wooden chair. This he placed on the first step of the altar, and he gestured for Saito to take the seat. The mage smiled and nodded at the Seraph of all angels. Well, it looks like I'll finally be able to get it out of my system. All eyes were on the mage as he took his seat. He settled down into the chair, looked around until all was quiet, and then he began to speak.

"My full title is Saito Alexander Daniel Michael Nathaniel Alan Jeffrey Onago. I was born as a hybrid to two distinctly unique parents. My father was part vampire, and part Kaiser Dragon. My mother, on the other hand, was part human and part angel. I was lucky enough, or, as some people say, unlucky enough, to receive all four parts of both parents. Thus, I am a four-part hybrid combination of angel, dragon, demon, and human. This allows me to do certain things that are beyond the comprehension of most of my race. For instance, it allows me to open Dimensional Gates anywhere, just as Baal is capable of doing." There was dead silence at the mention of the name of the Lord of Terror. Saito looked around the circle, and then continued. "Another thing that some of you might have noticed is the fact that the crest on the back of my right hand is fading. That is because I have managed to do something that no draconic has been capable of for the past five generations. I have managed to rise beyond my normal Kaiser status to that of an Ultima." All eyes in the room widened, and jaws dropped in shock as the mage displayed the crest on the back of his right hand. The four interwoven triangles were indeed fading from view. Priere leaned over to Marjoly and whispered, "So that's the reason why the mark was fading! He was changing into something else!" The rest of her conversation was cut off when she heard a light cough, and she turned back to the mage, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, my young friend. It's just that…" Saito raised a hand, cutting her off. "I know, alternate Overlord. May I please get back to my story now?" The flame-haired demon nodded and fell silent for the rest of the narrative. Saito sighed and his view once more circled the audience. "There will be more than enough time for questions and comments after I am finished. Now, where was I? Ah, yes. I was explaining why the crest was vanishing. Now, please allow me to explain exactly what it signifies. It basically means that I am more powerful than any other draconic in my generation. It also means that I have a chance to become the leader of the draconics if I survive this ordeal. However, I must first tell you how I came to the acquaintance of King Krichevskoy and Seraph Lamington…"

Author's Notes: Sorry if I took my time writing this. I just needed to set up the scene for the next couple of chapters, because they are all going to be flashbacks. Now it is time that I give my character's background. It will take time, and there was one thing that was mentioned last chapter that I will be elaborating on. Let's see if any of you can figure it out before I post that chapter. Anyway, please remember to READ AND REVIEW. Thank you.