I arrived back just in time to watch the Fourth Crusade take place. And honestly that alone took a lot of the rage I felt. I mean what other response was their to watching as my enemies quite literally killed each other for no fucking reason. Well, Penny and Koko Puffs were doing a great job in making the various crusades a clusterfuck but they really outdid themselves this time, what with the crusaders sacking fucking Constantinople instead of, you know, any acceptable target for their greed. I joined in of course, spending those three days taking whatever fancy artifacts were in the city before leaving as HE sent his angles to put a stop to the massacre. I then made my return know by slaughtering them in the night as well as a large portion of the invaders.
After the cathartic experience of killing zealots and doves I finally met back up with my people, and could only feel pride at what they had accomplished. The aftermath of our attacks left a lot of doubts in the hearts and minds of many of HIS angels. The rate in which wings blackened skyrocketed as many fled Heaven in fear, despair, or rage over my actions. Many decided that they would rather join me than fight against me and so they joined the Grigori swelling our ranks and forcing the Shemhazia to expand the city three times over. My return was met with celebrations, which only grew when news of what I did got out. Apparently they were being led by a seraphim but I guess I killed them all to fast to really notice.
Outside of my 'little' reentry into the Great War at Constantinople I actually didn't interfere with the crusades all that much, seeing as both my Kin had pretty much turned the entire situation into little more than a giant embarrassment for the Church. The Devils at this point were definitely feeling the pressure of the war, having bore the brunt of Heavens attacks for the past millennia. From our latest count they were down six Pillars and only had the Four Satan's left to lead them. Heaven wasn't doing much better what with the mass desertion, constant conflict, and over half of their archangels dying or falling. They still had Big G to carry them so they weren't in any true danger, but I was about to fix that.
It's no small secret that HE hates dragons after what Samuel did. So while the Fifth Crusade occurred in the background I went about fucking with Heaven for the second time. Since my time as Myrddin I had kept track of two certain scaly bastards, finding them doing their thing in the Dimensional Gap, which fair, where else were the two able to fight without a care. Kiting the two dumbasses to attract their attention was a risky play, but doing it disguised as an Angel and leading them to Heavens Gates was pure stupidity, but it worked.
I watched with my fellow Cadre as The Two Dragon Emperors tore into Heaven, laying waste to everything they came across in their rampage. It was honestly beautiful to see them make their way to the Seventh Heaven and start consuming everything, living up to their claims of Stealing the Concepts of Domination and Supremacy from God. The two didn't survive much longer after that, what with HIM and all HIS Archangels hitting them with the full might of Heaven. Still, seeing the devastation of Heaven for the first time is something that I will always cherish, even if the other Cadre looked on with a more grim acceptance over their former home burning.
Heaven was dealt a blow that I doubted it would recover from anytime soon, the might of the two strongest dragons not something one can just ignore.
Once more The Great War entered a similar state as it did before, with Heaven being forced on the back foot and recovering while the Devils hounded their every step and us attacking from their blind spots. For years this was the state of affairs, with overt action on Earth lessening while we all focused on dealing with the others influence. Heaven focused their efforts in the Church, safeguarding it despite the many times it should have fallen. The Devils were focused on assaults on Heaven proper as well as denying the Church any usable assents they could, and Us Fallen were content to wait in the wings, and make either side hurt for any victory they took.
It wasn't clean. Many of the Fallen I got to know died in the ensuring years. I still produced my excellent works of art, rolling out new and improved versions whenever I had the time to work on them and even succeeded in making my first True Sacred Gear, as well as a System to manage my own Sacred Gears. It was vital to the workings of all my other Gears, capable of storing, repairing, and retrieving anything I made as well as keep the artifact functioning.
The First Flame was a deviation from my usual naming style, but I was browbeaten into using it by all my assistants so that's what it was. A glove-based Sacred gear that held within it the crystalized form of the Flames from Hephaestus's Forge, the same fire I gave to humanity millennia ago. It granted the wielder conceptual control over fire, being something as a predecessor to all other flames. A device capable of allowing a normal human the ability to fight against gods of fire and win handedly as well as hold their own against other threats, one would not be remise for comparing it to a Longinius Gear.
I gave it to Gadreel because I think she would get the most enjoyment out of it, which she proved by using it to push back Uriel in one of their future conflicts despite being 4 wings lower than him.
Zadkiel received something different, the latest version of my Sacred Calling Bell, used with the Soul of a certain Demon Oni. It was some work, beating him into submission but it was worth it so she would have the protection of one of Japan's greatest Monsters by her side.
Shamsiel received something I gained a while ago, something that would fit her duty as my protector. I gave her Avalon and Caliburn, now bound to her. As long as I knew she wielded those two I had no fear for her safety.
I purposely stayed out of any major conflicts for the War after that, seeking the time to develop my tech and magic for the fateful day I knew was coming.
It wasn't until word of a French peasant girl successfully being killed off reaching my ears that I knew the endgame was upon us, that within the century Nietzsche would be proven right, as My Father would lay dead.