I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Story 19: Burning Judgement.
The Vatican, where the catholic religion's upper echelons guide the direction of the church within the world. A place of sanctity and purity, where the "followers" of the bible god lead the religion within the world of humans…. All a lie. A distasteful lie covered behind the mask of purity and deception. Suppose the walls could talk and speak about the crimes, the sins, and the horrendous acts committed over the years; the public would surely see the church with different eyes.
Our story brings us back to this place as the members of this religion reunited within the underground chambers of the church. Its members continued to walk deeper into the underground layers through narrow passages covered in ancient runes that no human should know under normal circumstances.
Each of these men continued to descend until they reached a large circular chamber.
A circular large secret chamber adorned with the most expensive of seats and some of the most beautiful murals ever drawn by a human.
"Come on, take your seats. We got no time for this." An older man said as he waited for the chamber to be completely packed. His attire symbolized his position above the rest. His old age was slowly making his body into just a bag of old bones without the strength to defend himself, yet his mind was as sharp as any blade.
One doesn't become the head of such a religion without the talent to manipulate the strings.
Before long, the many members of the church's upper echelons filled the seats, and shortly after, four guards quickly sealed it from the inside, thus keeping them safe from outside forces.
The men continue chatting for a few minutes until they finally settle down. They seemed scared and nervous; each one was worried about something.
The older man seated on the most luxurious of the seats stood up and addressed his fellow men.
"Members of the sacred order of the catholic church, I understand the fears that surround our organization in these moments." The older man said.
"They have been killed. One after the other has been slain, and nobody has been captured for the crimes. These events are not normal. Our members are being hunted down." One of the men said.
"It is not just one or two deaths; it is multiple deaths all over the globe."
"Each one of them has been executed in the worst ways possible. Beheading? Impalement with an iron pike? Hanging from a church? All of this can't be the work of humans."
The members seemed pale at the mention of the multiple cases of execution of church members.
The older man looked around and saw the fear in their eyes. Things were going downhill. Over the past few months, not only were many members killed by an unknown group, but they also lost many laboratories and associate organizations in charge of specific projects that were important to the church.
And it all began with the holy sword project.
"It is not only the assassinations but also the disappearances. Where is Vasco Strada? Where is Griselda Quarta? Both have disappeared, and we haven't been able to communicate with them. Vasco is one of our most essential exorcists, and we lost contact with him while he was taking care of a mission in Greece. Griselda was not only taking care of the possible inheritor of Durandal, but she was also taking care of the sword."
"They are not the only ones that have disappeared, either. What are we going to do?"
"Should we ask the angels for help?"
"They have ignored us for months. Since they sent that message about joining the fallen ones and devils, they had gone quiet. We tried many times, and we got no answers from them."
"What's there anything else in that message?"
"They said the following: The time for the union has come. Those who were enemies will unite for the sake of the future. A brighter future awaits us, and the scars of the past will heal. The time for cleansing has also arrived. Those who hide behind masks will fall at the hands of the one who owns the crimson flames. Let go of your pride, reveal your secrets, stop your sins, and forgiveness might be offered. Don't wait until the last moment."
"Their messages are always this cryptic."
"They are referring to us when they talk about the ones hiding behind masks."
"Are you saying that they know about the things we have done? About the money? The children? The institutes?"
All the members look at each other as they try to keep their secrets to themselves. Each one had dark secrets that preferably were to remain hidden. Be it money obtained through the promise of miracles or other devious means, the multiple cases of abuse that were kept confidential and even swept under the rug by different means when they came to the surface, or the worse sins being the numerous institutes in which their associate researchers broke many taboos including trying to create life.
Each one of their sins was something they tried to keep hidden from everyone, even the eyes of heaven. These church members knew they were being watched at every moment by their father in heaven like any other human, yet they tried their best to use runes or other methods to hide many of their activities.
Their eyes slowly turned to their pope for guidance, the man closest to heaven as the head of the church.
The older man showed no emotions as he calmly assessed the situation. His eyes looked around the room at each of his fellow church members for a few moments before he began to speak. "There's nothing to fear. Our members have been doing things such as these for centuries. Our father has forgiven our members and allowed them passage into heaven. We are human, so we make mistakes. Father will forgive our mistakes."
His words were supposed to inspire hope, yet their faces showed concern.
"Then who's is behind the deaths and disappearances?" One priest asks.
The sound of an explosion prevented anyone from answering, and the room shook for a few moments due to the strength of the blast.
"What in the hell is happening?" The pope asks.
His fellow members look at each other for answers before turning their eyes toward the guards.
"Surface team, what is happening out there?" One of the guards asks as he turns his radio on.
The radio had a lot of interference, the screams, and sounds of guns going off alerted them to the impending danger. Amongst the interference, they heard a voice. "He's here. Escape before he-" The man is interrupted by something.
The people in the chamber grow silent for a few moments expecting the guard to speak again, but they only hear the sound of distant screams of the guards as an unknown assailant slays them.
The radio went dead shortly after.
All of those present grew pale. The head of the catholic church didn't expect a development such as this. This place was the Vatican city, a place in the open and protected by many. "Who was stupid enough even to dare to attack this sacred place?" that was the question they asked themselves.
"What can we do?"
"There's no other exit."
"Should we escape to another realm?"
"Which? Do you forget that we have no allies outside "Earth"?"
As the assailant got closer to their location, moments of dread and fear went by. The mysterious assailant took down each security protocol that had been prepared in advance for an occasion like this. The priest counted the minutes until someone melted the doors that served as the only entry into the chamber.
The priests watched in fear as crimson flames consumed the entrance. Then fire figures emerged, covered in armor and holding fire spears. They slowly made their way into the chamber and placed themselves behind each priest. The flaming figures ignored the guards who were lying on the floor while shaking in fear.
Nobody said anything nor moved a muscle as they tried to figure out what was happening.
Their eyes turned back to the entrance, and from within the flames, two more figures appeared—a young boy who wore a completely black suit and a tall, beautiful woman wearing a black dress. The pair walked hand in hand as the flames made way for them.
The woman was quickly recognized as Gabriel, one of the seraphs, which only meant one thing.
"The Welsh Dragon." The pope's eyes grew wide at the realization of what was happening.
"Nice to meet you, Pope Stephen XI; this is our first meeting." The dragon said in a cold tone as he approached the pope alongside Gabriel.
"Stephen," Gabriel said as she kept an unexpressive face.
"Lady Gabriel, what is the meaning of this? Why have you brought this monster into our sacred home?" The pope asked the seraph.
Gabriel calmly looked around and ignored the pope. "Father gave you a chance to choose your representatives since the beginning of this institution. He hoped that you'd learn from thy past mistakes and change for the best, yet time and time again, those sitting at the church's top have soiled and tainted the father's teaching. All of you have sinned and continue tarnishing our father's words with your horrendous actions. Instead of leading the masses, you have chosen to fill your pockets, abuse thousands of people, persecute the innocent, and do many more activities you tried to keep hidden."
The priests tried to turn their faces away as they realized that none of what they did to hide their actions worked.
Gabriel snaps her fingers, and several books start to appear around her. "Each human and their descendants have one of these books in heaven. Each book records your life, even the most minor details. Nothing could stay hidden forever from heaven, even if you tried to use ancient runes to hide thy actions. Father forgave many humans back in the day but also punished all sins in one way or another. When he passed on, he asked us Seraphs to continue to protect humanity."
Those words impact all of those present. No member of the church knew the truth. It was a secret that everyone kept hidden from humanity.
"We have watched each one of you and tried our best to offer you guidance, but you keep committing the same actions. We promise not to take a human's life unless completely necessary, and now we can't allow this to continue for much longer. This day is the end of the catholic church and its sins; there will not be any forgiveness or second chances." Gabriel says as she turns to the dragon.
"Very well." The Welsh Dragon nods before he orders his soldiers to start with the executions.
The first flaming soldier lifts the spear and quickly pierces the heart of the first priests, and the man screams in pain as his body gets incinerated from within, and only the soul remains after a few moments.
The hands of a reaper arise from the floor to collect the soul.
The other priests scream in fear and anguish after seeing the execution of one of their own.
"My lady, please forgive us. We were-"
The man gets interrupted by Gabriel's cold eyes. "Should I forgive you and ignore each case of sexual assault with a minor in which you were involved?"
The man shakes in fear at her eyes, and his body gets pierced shortly after.
Gabriel's eyes turn to another priest. "Should I ignore the human trafficking from which you gained a hefty amount of money?"
"I'm sorry-" The priest receives the same treatment.
"What about you? Should I forgive the crimes you work hard to keep hidden from the public? How many of those criminals did you help to escape justice?" Gabriel points her finger at another priest.
"I had-" The priest didn't get the chance to finish that sentence.
Another priest turns to her and starts to spit venom. "Those men and women were found innocent by a jury. The law of man found them innocent."
"The law of man? The law of man that can get bought by a few thousand? The law that can quickly be turned around and allow true criminals to walk free of punishment? Are you asking me to respect the laws you don't follow or respect? How many innocents were chained and punished due to these glorious laws of you?" Gabriel asks as she focuses her eyes on the priests.
The priest finds no words to reply, his chest gets pierced, and his eyes cry in anguish as the story repeats itself.
Gabriel was right when she said there would not be forgiveness this time.
Minutes followed in which each priest got quickly executed and their souls collected by the reapers. It was a good day for the workers of the land of the death.
By the end, only the guards and the pope remained.
The Welsh Dragon's eyes turned to the guards. "Gabriel, what about them? Are they sinners that deserve getting executed?"
Gabriel turns to the guards, summons their books, and reads them silently for a few moments. "Both were involved in the dealings of the pope. Many innocents died by their hands."
"Understandable." The dragon opens his mouth and shoots a stream of flames that incinerates both guards.
At this point, the pope is sweating his life away while keeping his head down. He tried to think of a way out, but his options were practically non-existent. They knew about all of his past actions.
He couldn't even try to buy his way out, Seraphs care not for money, and the dragon was unlikely to fall for his sweet talk. So his mind could only come up with a single way of getting out of this dilemma.
Slowly he takes out a mysterious dagger from his robe, then Pope Stephen XI lunges forward to try to grab the neck of Gabriel while the Seraph is not looking at him.
Time seems to slow down as the pope's dagger gets closer to the neck of the Seraph, but at the last moment, something gets in the way of the dagger.
The hard scales of a long tail block the pope's attack and quickly push him away.
"You have balls for even daring to try to attack a Seraph. What was your bright plan? Were you planning on stabbing Gabriel and using that distraction to escape? Or maybe you would threaten me with her life to allow you to run?" The dragon turns around with blazing eyes filled with disgust.
The Pope crawls away in fear.
Gabriel stays silent and doesn't even turn to look at the priest.
"Gabriel, are you alright?"
"... Finish it…. I want to leave." Gabriel replies.
The dragon sighs. He slowly approaches the priest's body. His tail stretches out and coils itself around the arm holding the dagger. "You're not going to need this anymore." He quickly breaks the arm of the pope. The dagger falls to the floor while the pope cries in pain. The tail releases his arm and recovers the dagger.
The Welsh Dragon looks at the dagger for a few moments. "Nordic steel. Well made. Are Dwarfs selling weapons to humans?" The dragon asked himself before turning his attention to the Pope. "Ignite." A tiny spark reaches the eyes of the pope before it incinerates them.
The Pope screams even louder as his eyes get burned to a crisp.
"Those eyes will never look at another person with lust. Ignite."
The Pope's mouth is next.
"That tongue of yours will never spit lies at the masses. Ignite."
The third to go down is the Pope's hands.
"Those hands will never cause damage to another living being."
The dragon approaches the pope, whose body is shaking in fear. His hands are practically charcoal, and he can't even speak a word.
"You're not that bright. You are even daring to threaten the life of my partner." His hand grabs the left leg of the pope before he lifts him and smashes him against the floor with all his strength. All of the bones within the body of the pope break, and many of his internal organs start to fail. As a result, the man begins to lose a lot of blood due to internal injuries. "Can you feel the cold embrace of death? Many fear death because they have to face their sins when they reach the domain of the gods of death. They offer no forgiveness, and they will punish you accordingly for the rest of eternity. Once you're in, there's no way out. So forget any myths you might have heard about; there's no coming back for anyone Hades and his fellow gods claim. Face your fate."
The pope's ears heard the sound of steps getting away from him. His body continues to lose blood, and before long, the cold embrace of a reaper claims his soul.
"Your time has come, you sinner. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain"; it seems that you forgot that one." The voice of Orcus was the last thing he heard before he got dragged to the depths of the land of death.
Gabriel POV.
The Seraph and dragon made their way back to the surface across the burning paths of what once was the glorious center of the catholic church. The flames covered each corner, and nobody could enter or exit the building.
The pair come across the remains of all of those that got executed. All of the ones that didn't get chosen to be eliminated on this day received messages and signs to not approach or return to the building time in advance.
All of them followed the signs and messages, thus disappearing or going into hiding.
They likely watched the whole affair from their hiding spots while praying for the souls of the sinners who got judged today.
"Gabriel, are you feeling alright?" Issei asks as he stops walking and turns to the Seraph.
"I'm….. I don't." The Seraph admits as she sees his eyes.
"Wanna talk about it?" The dragon says as she orders the flames to clear a spot for them.
"... Yes…."
The pair sits down in the remains of a stone seat.
"I'm all ears," Issei says as he turns to her.
"I…. It hurts having to do this. Executing humans or fallen angels has never been an easy task. We are all creations of Father. We are practically siblings, and having to eliminate even one hurts. Have you ever read the story of Cain and Abel?"
"One of the previous hosts was a devout Christian who read the bible many times. He felt that the story of Cain and Abel was one of the most painful. Siblings killing siblings didn't set well within him." The dragon admits.
"It hurts even more once you experience yourself. It doesn't get better with time nor becomes less painful with each death. Each human or fallen angel I have killed has been with me since then, a reminder of my actions and the things I had to do for Father or to protect my life."
The dragon sees the pain on her face. "Gabriel, why did you decide to come with me then? I could have done it on my own."
Gabriel shakes her head. "This is a task that we asked you to do. It is something that we can't do with our hands but is one that we need to be present in some way. I might haven't moved a finger, but your actions are as much mine as my brothers. I couldn't let you come here alone and face their emotions alone. I needed to stand by you as the representative of Heaven and your ally."
"I appreciate the help. Knowing the sins of these church members and their past makes it easier to pass judgment upon their souls. I get no satisfaction from this affair, and I know that Ddraig doesn't either."
"I hope that you didn't do. It puts me at ease to know that you're not some kind of executor that gets off after killing someone."
The dragon scuffs. "I'll never will…. Defeating others did make me happy back in the day, but I never felt joy in killing them. When I kill an adversary, it is for the sake of defense and my survival, not for the pleasure of the kill. I'm not that kind of dragon." The dragon reaches out and grabs her hand. "Gabriel, I hope this is the last time you have experienced something like this. We're allies with fallen angels, and I'll try to prevent you from facing another human's death with your own eyes. You don't need to be there; just knowing that you have my back is enough."
The dragon smiles at the Seraph; her chest beats faster after hearing those words and seeing his smile.
"Let's continue. We deserved a long bath and a nice meal after this." The dragon said as he stood up and held her hand while they made their way through the flames.
Gabriel softly smiles as she watches the back of the boy. "He might look small, but he's a male like no other. Father, what awaits us in the future? Will this relationship continue strong, or will it sour over time? Please let it grow. Let us two be allies until the end of our days."
Her prayers shouldn't have reached anyone yet.
Deep within heaven.
Deep within the majestic chapel that angels called home, behind a door that nobody could notice.
A small humanoid figure made out of light continued to watch and observe the course of the alliance.
This figure was a watcher who patiently awaited for something to happen.
"Gabriel… One step at a time. I'll wait patiently for that day. The path is yours to choose, like all your siblings. Keep growing, my child." The figure said before it rested once more in a small chair.
One day they'll meet again, even if it is just for a few moments.
Notes of the author:
Mysteries continue to arise. Well, learn about this much later. Anyways, this is the day in which the catholic church practically ended. It was also a chapter for our favorite dragon and Seraph to have a good one-on-one. The next chapter will focus on Raynare, 21 on Le Fay, and 22 on Tosca. That will be the end of the side stories for now. I know everyone is patiently awaiting the return to the main story, so I'll try to finish the last side stories as soon as possible.