Chapter 8: A Meeting

Rias was not having a good day at all. No, she was having the hardest week of her life. Not only does she have a never-ending paperwork job to do, but her precious Kiyoyama has also gone out and wiped out the entire Fallen Angel population in Kuoh, and for the last straw, her arranged marriage with Riser Phenex is near and she hasn't prepared at all.

Life was truly not fair to her at all!

To be fair, it wasn't her fault at all, the new transfer student has been a wrench in the works. Her plan was simple really, let the Red Dragon Emperor Reincarnate into a Devil, get him stronger, and maybe, just maybe win a rating game against him.

But no!

The plan that she had set up went to hell, quite literally. Not only there's a Nahobino that popped out suddenly, but he also took Issei-san too. Adding insult to injury, he might have been able to defeat Phenex in one go, but her pride refused to lose to him.

That idiot Kiyoyama Nao.

Akeno was not oblivious to her best friend's obvious love-hate relationship with the Nahobino. Now and then she catches her buchou trying her best to one-up Kiyoyama, but she always fails. As for why? She doesn't even know.

"Ugh, more paperwork..." Rias said while subconsciously entering the room. Not noticing the presence of Akeno

"Hmm, Buchou? What is it?"

Rias was startled by her best friend, she wasn't expecting her best friend to be in the Occult Research Club room.

"What are you doing here? I thought everyone had left."

"I was just here because I had no other things left to do. You looked distressed Buchou, did something happen?"

She rolled her eyes before sitting down

"It's about Nao,"

Akeno resisted the urge to grin, she knew of her best friend's infatuation with the mysterious third year who managed to kill fallen angels in seconds.

"Heh, what about him? I thought bringing down the Fallen Angel population was helpful for us. Or do you want a midnight rendezvous with him and maybe break the engagement? I heard the calm and collected types are good in bed."

"Not that!"

She slaps the table, sending papers flying everywhere before collapsing with her head banging on the wood.

"He ruined my plans... Everything I prepared so far with Riser and my engagement. All ruined! Now, I'm left to pick up the pieces."

Rias moans in defeat, shaking her head before answering

"He's been a wild card lately. Everything I expected him to do turned out completely different in the end. I... I'm not even sure what to do right now.

"He's different... I wanted to have him help me with Riser but with what happened at the church... I'm not sure if this will work out

"Well, all you've got to do is just ask him, no? He would gladly help you out. He's a nice guy he wouldn't bite," Akeno said while chuckling a bit.

Rias thinks about it for a second before sighing again.

"It's not so easy, Akeno. There is so much that could go wrong if I just ask him... And I don't even think he likes me... or devils to begin with.

Add to the fact his constant need to ruin my plans! I planned for Issei to be my pawn, Akeno, but Prince Charming has to rescue him before we got our chance."

"Well, I don't think he's the type of person who'd leave a defenseless maiden like yourself to be swiped by evil men like Riser," Akeno jokes, trying to lighten the mood up a bit

Rias was not impressed at all, and her face was evidence of it.

"No… not that again please, I've gotten on his bad sides a lot. I don't know if I want to talk to him after what happened yesterday. What he did was horrendous to the relationship between the three factions. The three factions' relationship is already on thin ice, adding him to our mess would just be degrading to the devil's side." Rias explained.

Akeno can feel the pain in her friend's eye, but this is a mess she dug herself into. Akeno knew she shouldn't push her luck with Issei, and now she's paying the price.

"You've dug yourself into this, buchou." Akeno reminded her friend.

Rias pouted

"Well I might have at first, but we didn't ask for a blue-haired whatever-its-named thing to worsen the biblical factions' relationship. Saving Issei was fine, but he summoned beings that have only been told in stories! Do you see how problematic this is? If we got on Nao's bad side, we could start a war, and if it happens, we devils will sink lower in population. After what had happened in the Great War, starting another war would be detrimental to us."

Akeno was listening to Rias carefully, she knew her friend was on edge, and it was because of a certain young boy who appeared in the world. The same boy that saved Issei, Asia, and a bunch more to come. He's not a bad man per se, he's just in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with a power that could change the world. If her best friend would've just taken the loss and gone up to him about her problems, it would've been different

"What about your engagement with Riser?" Akeno asked back

"What about it?"

"Can we at least delay it to a certain point?"

"We can't delay this engagement any longer. The Phenex family is putting a lot of pressure on Onii-sama to move things faster. I'm just waiting for the moment Graifya teleports into the room and calls us back to the underworld."

She closed her eyes

"I... I don't want to end up with him. I don't want all of you to suffer as well. Riser, he's not a good man, what would he do if he-" Rias didn't get the chance to finish before Akeno interjected

"Rias, please stop this selfishness"

"No, I'm not selfish, I was just-"

"Rias, you're the one being selfish here!" Akeno said raising her voice.

"Wha- What do you mean by that!" Rias stuttered.

"It's just, this whole mess can be done easily if you would just ask him! It's not that hard! Did you see the capability that Nao has?"

"It's, It's not as simple as I said."

"It is that simple! Nao would save a Nun he didn't even know, and he killed Raynare and saved Issei. A boy he didn't even know at that time. I don't know what your thought process is but Nao-Kun is not like that! Come on, give him a chance." Akeno pleaded. Akeno herself wished to slap Rias in the face, to make sense of it all. She too doesn't want to be stuck as a lowly mistress for Riser.

"Think about Koneko," Akeno continued. "Think about Kiba too! What would happen to both of them if we give up now? We'll lose! You'll be a trophy wife, and I will be a mistress."

Rias was now seething. How dare she suggest that she was in the wrong?! It was her family's fault that she is trapped in this goddamned situation. If she had an ounce of control, she'd definitely want out of this.

"Like I said-"

Rias didn't even finish her sentence before Akeno dropped a bombshell on her.

"You like him, don't you"

Rias' face went redder than her hair

"No… Why would I like him? He is mean, he is cold and-"

"I see, you're playing a game with him, and we're just pawns, right?" Akeno said in a quiet tone.

"What?" Rias asked again.

"Then what do you have to lose? We're at our limit here!"

"We'll lose everything! Akeno this is not about me, it's about us Devils, if he were to snap at us who knows what'll happen? A misunderstanding at best, a war at worst."

"So what should we do? We're at our limit here."

"I don't know I don't know I don't know I don't know." Rias cried her heart out, she was at her limit, she was scared of the future, and she doesn't know what to do. Her façade went down under as a lone tear escape her eyes. She was crying, she was crying for help. Rias needs Nao and she knows it, she's been relying on Nao to escape her incapabilities.

Damn that wonderful boy.

Akeno pulled Rias into a hug, as her best friend she'll always be there for her friend. Her red-haired friends need assurance, for nothing is fine, it's a stressful time for her.

"Don't worry Buchou, I'll always be here for you."

And Grayfia didn't come that day.

"You sure this will work?" The High Schooler asked with doubt, well it's not like he'd gone to heaven, the closest place to "heaven" was the Empyrean, and it was not a pleasant journey, all the friends he lost in the way, the humanity he had thrown out, it was not an experience he wants to relive.

"Yeah, it will work, I think…"

"You think? YOU THINK?!"

"Look kid, we haven't talked since forever, and the last time we talked, let's just say it went like hell in a handbasket, understood?"

"I shouldn't have taken that offer you made," Nao said in a deadpan tone, well there was more way to spend the night than waiting for some angels to pick you up, like devil hunting, he'd enjoy the activity of stray devil hunting, because it helped his urges to hunt down demons, and the primary reason was that he needed the cash.

With Rias being the way she is, well let's just say it was not something that's possible at this current moment, much to Nao's displeasure.

"Fine, fine, this is free of charge, but the whole steal the sword offer is still open, and I'll give you some souvenirs while you're at it." The Fallen reasoned.

"I'll think about it."

"All right I think I saw one of Michael's goons be prepared for anything,"

Nao saw him too, now that he thought about it, these angels look like a normal human, well not really like a normal human, all of them are wearing white, and their wings kind of stood out, don't forget the halo too. Otherwise, they're what Nao expected, they don't have a gold face so that's good…

"Ah, I see that you're at the old abandoned church, that'll ease our job, rather than we track you down." The angel said.

"You want to see me?" Nao asked.

"Uh… You're Kiyoyama Nao? You're not what I was expecting, I was expecting a crazed man out for blood, but you seem nice, I think."

"Sorry to not live up to your expectations?" Nao shrugged.

"Anyways. BY DECREE OF HEAVEN, YOU KIYOYAMA NAO, HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH BLASPHEMY OF GOD!" The angel sternly said, no one was impressed with that.

"That was so not cool," Nao quietly remarked.

OUCH

"I agree," Azazel said agreeing with the high schooler.

DOUBLE OUCH

The angel's face screamed disappointment, all of the preparations went to waste, why is he here? Just to suffer?

"Was that horrible?" The angel asked.

"Yep."

"Yeah kind of."

"Fine, whatever, now follow me. Michael requested an audience with you. I don't know what his plan is, as he won't tell us."

"So no, BY DECREE OF HEAVEN, I KIYOYAMA NAO, HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH BLASPHEMY OF GOD'S NAME, THE PUNISHMENT IS 100 PUSH-UPS! Nothing like that?" Nao mocked.

Azazel burst into laughter. "Ahahahahaha, BY DECREE OF HEAVEN! Ahahahaha. Kid if you're not some type of wanted heaven criminal, you might make a decent stand-up comedian."

"You think so?" Nao asked.

"Eh, you might,"

"Are we done here?"

"You're taking us somewhere?" Nao asked again.

"Well yes, as Michael wanted an audience, I'll take you to Heaven."

"Lead the way then, mister angel."

Heaven, for the lack of a better word, was grand, and it was an understatement. It was bright everywhere, and songs were singing "Holy, Holy, Holy" The air was fresher than humanly possible. It was unlike the Empyrean, where everything was cold, void of life, and it was where he'd slain his friends. And it was bright, his eyes need adjustment when they first arrived.

Just like every media there was, there was a giant golden gate that was supposed to be an entrance of some sort, there were also people lining up, well not people, they are probably human souls, awaiting judgment or something. It's probably reserved for true believers and whatnot.

"We're here, welcome to Heaven. Enjoy your stay."

As the gate opened, he now sees what heaven was like, It was… overwhelming

In person, it looks like a huge area with a lot of floors that seems too big to be true, but it worked, somehow, on the first floor, he could see some younger angel-kinds playing with one another, enjoying their adolescent before their inevitability comes and they have to experience the cruelty of the world.

"This is the first floor, this is where we angels live, kind of a cozy place huh? Ah the good old days, when I was playing here with my friends, enjoying life, oblivious to the world below. Now I'm stuck on guard duty, guarding a high-schooler and his drunkard of a guardian."

"Ah… I've missed this, it's been far too long since I visited this place, far too long," Azazel said, ignoring what the angel had said.

'So this is heaven, it's… different from the one I experienced…' Nao thought, well everything here was different than what he had experienced, it was like night and day. While the conflict between the Biblical Faction still isn't all chummy, they tolerate each other. In Da'at, it was sheer brutality, kill or be killed. he hated that, he hated how the world he lived in was created, maybe that's why he felt relieved… it was weird somewhat.

"We're on the first floor, Michael's waiting for you on the sixth floor, please follow me, I don't want you to get lost and cause… more inconvenience to heaven." The angel said while motioning for Nao and Azazel to follow him.

Ho

"After you," Azazel chuckled.

On the way, the angel gave them a little tour of what the floor of heaven was, the first floor was used by low-level angels like him who would reside, and all of their children, how rare they are.

The second floor was where Azazel got sentimental, well he has the right to, it's where he was imprisoned for a lot of years, maybe hundreds of years, he ranted about how Heaven back then was so strict and just a little bit of peeking on someone like Gabriel would land him on a 10-year prison sentence without parole. It's kind of his fault, to be honest.

The third floor is where the home of the souls of the dead who have been taken to Heaven resides, it was so big that the angel advised them to not go there, citing as it's too vast and immeasurable. It's also the place where the three of life is located.

The fourth floor gave Nao a strange déjà vu, it's where the three of knowledge resided. The Garden of Eden, the legend of Adam and Eve… it felt so… heavy on his shoulders, reminded of what had happened… whom had he killed, to create a world that might not exist, from the tree of knowledge where the gods became Nahobino. It was so taxing… he wanted to go home, or anywhere else, the memory has become too much for Nao.

Azazel noticed the discomfort of Nao pretty well, but he didn't comment and he asked the angel to not go any further than where they were currently

On the fifth floor, when they arrived, Azazel cried crocodile tears, it was the former home of the Grigori, but now it was just a research and development center for Heaven, there was nothing familiar left. Not that Azazel cared, he loved the pleasure of human women too much to live in the shithole that was heaven.

The sixth floor, Michael was waiting for them on the sixth floor, Nao recalled. He didn't know what to expect from Michael, but he might have some idea of what a person he might be.

The sixth floor was smaller than the others, it's more of a mid-sized villa than anything. In the middle, there was this huge tower that connected the sixth floor to the final floor, the seventh floor. It's also the place where Michael was waiting for his arrival, and he was there, waiting for Azazel and Nao.

"Pleased to see you brother and you, Nao Kiyoyama."

The room was dead silent, there were tons of looks of disapproval, and only Michael and a few others remained somewhat neutral on the matter.

"Pleased to meet you, Nao Kiyoyama," Michael said in a soft tone.

"Hey, you don't miss me?" Azazel joked, to Nao's displeasure.

"And you too, brother.

"I have called you up here, on a case, you've committed a crime on Heaven's part while spreading unbiblical rumors. One such case was you, summoning the devil Beelzebub and saying he was the True God. While I certainly don't mind, as other factions have their gods. But what concerned me is he was saying on behalf of Heaven, while killing a member of the Grimori, I believe it was Dohnaseek, was It right, Azazel."

'Ba'al roared, he was furious! He was compared to a lowly being like Beelzebub, he was Ba'al the True God! The true Nahobino, before YHWH, stole it from him. And this man, his creation was spouting off lies, lies that even the daftest person can see, it was a disgrace to Ba'al.

"It's true, when I got the news I was shell-shocked to hear that one of my own was executed in a skirmish with a God class being, and I want to believe that this kid somehow managed to summon the dead Beelzebub, but there's a lot of things you aren't saying to us, kid."

"Where should I start then? How I managed to summon Ba'al, the true God? The God who was mighty, and held power over heavens and Nahobino? He was only defeated because YHWH played unfairly. YHWH, he's nothing more than a lying cheating bastard."

The room was now in a state of sudden chaos, everyone wanted a piece of the high schooler, and one of them managed to land a hit on the boy. Uriel does not have the patience and went straight to the kill.

But then, an angel suddenly came out of nowhere and parried the attack.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the blue-skinned blonde-haired angel sarcastically remarked.

Everyone in the room was shocked, the sense of familiarity of this unknown angel for heaven's faction, this aura, it was Uriel's, but it couldn't be, since Uriel was the one who tried to attack the high schooler…

"W-Who are you?" Uriel asked with tons of hesitation in his voice.

"I... am... Uriel... My duty is to build the Millennial Kingdom by God's authority!"

The room went silent. Dead silence erupted in the room, as no one dared to speak. Nao had done it now, he had made Heaven infinitely more pissed than what he was supposed to be.

"What are you, boy?! Michael, what monstrosity have you brought into this council? I demand you to kill this boy! He has disrespected Father and His creation as we speak! The boy has committed blatant blasphemy to the angelic faction! And now THIS? What is the abomination have you brought here Michael? He needs to be put down or else!" The Great Seraph angrily said.

"Uriel, Calm down!"

"How can I calm down? This… this thing you've brought has disrespected us and committed blasphemy in front of our own eyes! Kill him now!"

"Hey-Hey-Hey, we're sorry alright, the kid didn't mean it, he was just startled by you, right?! C'mon the best we could do is just relax, take a deep breath and work it out…" Azazel said, trying his best to cool off the misunderstanding that might have happened between those two.

"As I said, your "Father" was not a perfect being, he foolishly got himself killed in the war of Armageddon. And guess what? You three were nothing but a puppet of the God of Law, your "Father" if you can call yourself that. He took the four of you from Ba'al and cast Nahobinos like me to serve an eternal punishment as demons. He doesn't want another Nahobino to appear, so he stored the knowledge in the Fruit of Knowledge. Then his precious creation Adam and Eve ate then and passed the knowledge of Nahobino." Nao angrily argued. Well, it was true, but maybe the case was not true here. But who knows?

"Kid, I'd shut up if I were you, you're walking on thin ice, and if that happens, we're all doomed to repeat another war, and if that happens, it could mean the end of our race, and guess what, after we're all dead, all of the other gods from the other religion will take over the lands heaven have acquired, which means more conflict." Azazel quietly whispered to Nao.

Nao begrudgingly agreed, if a full-on war happened, what will be the fate of Issei? Asia? Akeno? Rias?

Rias…

The Red Haired devil he had become an acquaintance? Surely if a war broke out, she'd die…

Surely…

"Back to the matters at hand…" Michael said, not wanting to continue the topic they had before.

"Sorry Michael, this kid went into his chuuni-mode, you know the kids these days right, with all the anime, and the games they play." He sheepishly said.

"But I was telling the truth-" Before Nao finished it, Azazel put his hand on Nao's mouth.

"Kid…" Azazel aggressively whispered.

"It's okay Azazel, we all have the right to know, and he said, it's "different" here, right? Might explain the meaning of that?"

"I'm sorry, contracted demons can sometimes affect the way I act, and Ba'al was so furious that I acted out without purpose."

"Did he say… Demons?"

"Demons? Plural?"

"Oh my Lord, Save us! The reincarnation of Lucifer has arrived to slaughter us all!"

"THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD! THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD!"

The murmurs became louder and louder. Someone had to stop this from getting out of hand.

"QUIET!" Michael ordered.

Just like that, dead silence once again, no angels dared to go against Michael's order.

"As I was saying, contracted demons, and please don't go into an episode, all of you."

"Go on then," Michael said, he wanted to know where this boy came from, and where he got his powers from.

"I… I'm not from this world, it's what I can say… I have seen you all, in a different light back then. None of this, factions, and civilities. It was a kill-or-to-be-killed world, and the Gods were no different.

"The one who ruled them all was Ba'al until YHWH took the throne to become what you would call a true Nahobino. He was also killed by, none other than Lucifer.."

Michael was trying to keep his cool, the God in the kid's world has died too? It was one of the most highly kept secrets in the world, a secret that most others should not know.

Azazel was also surprised, he was there during the war, and he saw when God died, when his father died, it all fell apart. He fought in a weakened state, it was a fight that can't be won for his Father.

"After the death of YHWH, all God-class being can now form a bond with a compatible human, humans with the knowledge from the tree of knowledge, where the legend of Adam and Eve began. Compatible Gods can search for their human host and become a Nahobino, a being that surpasses all. The Nahobino has to create a world one saw fit, whether a world ruled by Law, Chaos, or anything really. And I was unfortunate enough to become a Nahobino. Made contracts with some demons, killed my friends, go to heaven and fight Lucifer, and got thrown out to do a round two of some sort…" he finished his word with a slight chuckle, tears coming down from his eyes ever so slightly, barely noticeable by anyone far away.

"That was quite a story…"

"I know, I wish I wasn't making this up, and that's how I committed blasphemy, and now all of heaven wants me dead, well-"

A knock interrupted the meeting. Who could it be?

Before long, the door opened, revealing a woman, an angel… The one and only Gabriel.

"Michael didn't know you were keeping secrets from me,"

Sorry for the super late upload, I had planned on finishing this chapter, but life goes, and so I haven't gotten the time to write Fanfiction at all. I will, however, try my best to write more stories in the future.

Special Thanks to Nimthewriter for giving me a lot of advice on how to write this, he's been super cool and helpful. Anyways, cheers