Key:
Text
"Speaking, or in-text quote"
In-text emphasis
'Thoughts'
Additional emphasis
Year 16 AL, Sinful Tensions
"Here is it, Prophet Luka!" Captain Samyaza proclaimed, gesturing with both arms down to the enormous collection of marble structures that stretched for hundreds of meters. Luka hummed as he looked down from the large hill of golden cloud they were currently standing on and scanning the expanse of Heavenly Barracks with a great deal of interest.
Mulling around within the valleys between the stone housing were the last straggling Angels who had attended the late-night Mass, each of them heading to their living quarters while also not-so-subtly stalling to possibly get one last look at their Prophet.
Admittedly, the Barracks were somewhat unassuming, as each rather small cube-shaped marble building had no discernable details on them. Instead, they were as indistinguishable as could be, looking as similar to each other as the majority of the Angels living in them did.
"Uh huh, so how do you tell whose home is whose?" Luka asked while looking at the Angel Captain with a questioning gaze. "It seems awfully difficult to navigate."
Samyaza smiled, more than happy to help educate her Prophet. "That's easy! Us Common Angels are assigned a Barrack once we are formed into Troops, so we become familiar with where we live at a very young age! But it really is simple to get back home if you get lost. Here, we will show you."
Luka bristled as he felt the Angels Baraquel and Kabaiel come to either side of him, gently grabbing him beneath the arms and fluttering their wings to hoist him up. 'Why is it that Angels like carrying me around so much?' Luka thought with embarrassment as the two Angels carried him up into the air like Eden had done before, eventually bringing him down to the front of the Barracks, with the other three Angels following right behind.
Thankfully, the Angels swiftly released him once they reached the opening walkway between the seemingly endless rows of marble squares. Luka cleared his throat as the two released him, "Erm, thank you, Baraquel and Kabaiel." The purple-haired boy said while offering the pair of Angels a smile as they bowed to him.
"It was our pleasure, Prophet Luka!" Baraquel said before rising, "You weren't very heavy, after all."
"Indeed, you are quite light, Prophet Luka." Kabaiel agreed as she rose as well. "Even if you weren't, we'd still be happy to oblige."
Luka failed to notice as Penemue slid in from the side, moving to stand right behind him. "I could carry you on my back from here on, if you so wish, my Prophet." The peculiar Angel offered. Luka jolted, glancing over his shoulder to come nearly face-to-face with the Angel. "Th-That's fine, Penemue. I'm good with walking, really." He stressed the last part deliberately.
Penemue silently evaluated Luka's words, her half-lidded blue eyes shifting to stare out into the distance, "I see. However, I will remain close by in case you change your mind." The Angel said, before standing upright. Penemue fell silent but stayed right behind Luka, barely giving the boy more than a few centimeters' worth of room as she diligently awaited his next move.
"Okaaay..." Luka said slowly, deciding to look forward towards the Barracks once again. "...So Samyaza, how is it that you can find where you need to go?" He asked, moving forward to glance about the buildings. "Yes, it is very simple." Captain Samyaza started, before fluttering over to one of the marble buildings and pointing to a small silver panel that read: "Troop 517"
"Every Troop's home has their Troop Number written on it, so if you know your number, you can eventually find your home with a little bit of searching." Samyaza explained. "After a while, you'll know your place so well that you don't even have to scan the numbers. It will be as easy as finding the back of your hand!"
'Seems simple enough, if not a bit uninspired?' Luka thought, glancing about the Barracks with an analytic gaze. 'They could have some more creative ways to differentiate each other, like a Troop name on the door or something. Or maybe have a map of some kind for this whole place in general.'
The purple-haired boy kept the idea to himself and replied, "I see, so your Troop's housing wouldn't be too far off from this one?"
Samyaza nodded, "Yep, it's just a bit farther down this row-" The Angel Captain paused, an idea quickly hitting her. "-Hey, you should visit our Barrack, Prophet Luka! I think I speak for all of us when I say that it would be a blessing for us to host you!" Samyaza exclaimed, looking to the others for their agreement.
"That is a glorious idea, Captain Samyaza!" Baraquel said while coming up to Luka's left, nodding as she did. Kabaiel moved to his right soon after, loudly clapping her hands together. "Indeed, our Prophet should be given a thorough tour of our Barrack!" Before Luka could voice his support of the idea, Penemue interjected.
The odd Angel leaned close, nearly placing her chin on Luka's shoulder. "If the Prophet wishes it, then he should see as much as he wants." Penemue said, her breath tickling at his ear. Luka shuddered and stumbled away from the Angel, much to her visible disappointment.
Despite the rather bemusing behavior of Penemue, Luka accepted the invitation. "I-I would like to see your Troop's home, I think it would be very interesting." He said with a smile, which was mirrored by his Angel companions. That is, all except one.
Sariel stood stiffly away from the others, their conversation causing the Angel to become anxious for reasons she didn't entirely understand.
Unlike the others, Sariel had been just close enough to listen in on Luka and Eden's private conversation and what she had heard had left the Angel Lieutenant to feel heavily conflicted. Not only had she heard the Prophet's question about the First Commandment, but Sariel had also heard Eden's inability to justify it to Luka, which had been very alarming to Sariel since no question had ever caused Eden to be speechless before.
Ilias's most powerful and trusted Angel had always been able to clear up any confusion that there may be for the Angels, and Eden was usually quick to supply an explanation as well due to her unmatched knowledge. But Luka had actually left the Seraph with no other choice but to go searching for an answer, which was - to Sariel's understanding - an unprecedented occurrence.
If this wasn't enough to cause Sariel distress, the actual question itself very much did. The Angel Lieutenant herself had never wondered the reasoning behind the First Commandment and she did not recall any other Angels doing so either. There had never been a reason to, for their whole purpose in life was always clear and without doubt.
But now, Sariel couldn't help but wonder...
The Angel Lieutenant nervously shuffled in place while lost in thought, causing Samyaza to peer over at her. The Captain of the Troop swiftly noticed that something was off with her second-in-command and moved to question her, "Sariel, do you not feel the same?" Samyaza asked, bringing the entire group's attention to the quiet Lieutenant.
Sariel's mouth went thin as she was put on the spot, but the Angel was able to supply an answer. "No, Captain, I'm just tired." It was a weak lie - one that the frowning Samyaza didn't seem too convinced by - but the Angel Captain gave a nod either way, silently settling to pry about her Lieutenant's strange behavior at a later time.
"Let's waste no time then," Samyaza exclaimed energetically, raising her fist into the air to rouse her Troop's excitement. "To our Barrack, post haste!" The other Angels - sans the quiet Sariel - mirrored their Captain's cheer, much to Luka's amusement. The purple-haired boy felt himself growing quite comfortable around them in no time at all. He couldn't place why but being around them just felt natural.
And so, Luka continued on with the Angels to their Barrack, blissfully unaware of what was to come.
As the Troop of Angels and their Prophet began heading deeper into the Barracks below, the Angel of Love and Former Angel of War were stalking the group from above on the rooftops, waiting for their moment to strike. "Well, now that we know what they're doing, we can get our own plans started." Cupid said with a grin, hopping from one Barrack to the next with little issue.
"Now, I say that we follow until they get to this little Troop's Barrack," The diminutive Cupid whispered as the duo grew closer to their target, her heart-shaped pupils gleefully leering down at Luka as Valkyrie followed her to the next rooftop. "Then, once they try to show him inside, you cut in and put a stop to it."
Cupid turned to her comrade with a smirk and a shrug, "You can just say some crap about it being past curfew, and that Archangel Ariel hates it when any Angel is having too much fun or something like that. It should probably work."
Valkyrie frowned, "That's not why curfew is currently in place, Cupid. It's a matter of safety-"
The Angel of Love quickly waved off her comrade's hushed words, "-Yeah yeah, safety safety, whatever. Then after we get Luka by himself, you lead him back to my place where Endiel helps us seduce him, and then fuck his brains out! Sound good?"
"C-Cupid!" The Archangel hissed out, color rising to her cheeks at her comrade's blunt words. "For once can you not use such explicit language? We are in Heaven, at least attempt some decorum!" Valkyrie hissed in outrage.
The Angel of Love snorted, "Valkyrie, you need to look at the big picture, here. We're about ten to fifteen minutes away from smashing pelvises with our Prophet, does language really matter right now?" Cupid asked while raising a brow. "Besides, I'm sure we're all going to be saying a lot worse when we start gettin' down to business. Trust me, I've seen a lotta sex in my time, manners tend to go out the window pretty quick."
The still-flustered Valkyrie shook her head, "Even still, that's no reason to abandon them completely. Can you speak without cursing, at the very least?" The Archangel asked, gaining an exaggerated eye roll from the Angel of Love. "If it really means that much to you, sure. But once we start going to work on him, I'm not holding anything back!"
Valkyrie started to nod, but she froze mid-headshake as she sensed a very overwhelming presence enter the Ninth Level of Heaven. The Archangel hurriedly jumped in front of Cupid, who let out a startled "Eep!" before glaring at Valkyrie. "The Hell are doing? Come on, you're wasting time-" Valkyrie clamped a hand on Cupid's arm, silencing the diminutive Angel of Love. "-We must leave, Cupid! We'll have to do this another night!"
Cupid's look of anger melted into confusion, "What!? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet-" Much like Valkyrie had, Cupid suddenly froze, finally sensing the presence that the Archangel had moments prior. The Angel of Love looked up towards the ceiling of golden cloud. "-No, don't tell me..." Cupid started, looking up with a rare gleam of fear in her pink eyes. "...Shit! Are you serious!? Why the Hell is she coming down here for!?"
Valkyrie grimaced, all of the nervous excitement that had built in her now being very quickly replaced by nervous dread. "She must be doing a surprise curfew check tonight!" The Archangel concluded, causing the Angel of Love to curse. "Damn it all! Of all the nights, why this one!?" Cupid asked before groaning in frustration, "Ughh, speak of the bitch and she will appear! I hate-"
"And whom would you be referring to in such an unbecoming manner, Cupid?"
In a few short moments, a terrible feeling of dread overcame the two Angels. Cupid's look of indignation melted into an almost pained grimace, the Angel of Love cursing in her mind as she recognized the voice quite well. Even more so, Valkyrie knew this Angel quite well, and the Archangel stood stiff as her mind already began to imagine just how awfully this situation was about to go.
At the same time, both of them turned to gaze upon the newcomer. If her aura wasn't enough to discern her identity, the bright white hair and piercing red gaze were more than enough. Not to mention her golden gauntlets, which shook alongside her alarmingly clenched fists.
This was none other than the Leader of the Archangels, Ariel.
"I believe that I asked you a question," Ariel said, a clear tone of bare-suppressed resentment coming through. "I'd recommend you choose your answer very carefully, Cupid." The aforementioned Angel of Love flinched as Ariel's gauntlets flared, the spark of red energy quickly followed by the Leader of the Archangel striding forward.
"Eh, I'm not sure what you're talking about," Cupid hurriedly said, "You m-must have misheard, I wasn't speaking about anyone in any-"
"-Silence." Ariel spat, halting the Angel of Love in the middle of her poorly conceived lie. The taller Archangel leered over the other two, her frame towering over them. "And return to your Barrack, I am placing you on home confinement until further notice."
Cupid's pink eyes widened considerably, a fire of anger coming to her heart-shaped pupils. "What!? That's fucking ridiculous! You can't just-" At a speed unseeable by even Valkyrie, Ariel's arm shot forward and grabbed Cupid by her loose collar, the force of the movement shaking the pint-sized Angel of Love.
"That is a direct order, Cupid. Leave, NOW." Ariel hissed, pushing the Angel of Love back harshly as she released her. The now visibly shaken Cupid took not a moment to disappear, swiftly flying off in the direction of her home.
Valkyrie was rendered speechless by the act. She had seen Ariel reprimand Angels many times before, but the sheer amount of hatred behind her words left the Archangel shaken up. "A-Ariel, don't you think that you may have been..." Valkyrie trailed off as her superior's glowing red gaze locked onto her, the same intensity now solely on her.
Valkyrie attempted to steel herself, but Ariel was not patient enough to hear out the rest of her plea. "Valkyrie, I expect you to be in your own living quarters when I return to the Eighth Level. There would be severe consequences for you if this is not what I find, understood?" Any argument Valkyrie had died in her throat, and the Archangel vanished.
Ariel wasted no time in turning her fierce gaze towards the group of Angels down below, who had continued escorting Luka while remaining completely unaware of what was transpiring above.
The Leader of the Archangels paused, another wave of anger hitting her. However, it wasn't because these Angels were out past curfew. This was a much more deep-seated rage, one that was much more personal...
...And that was the fact she could not stop seeing a certain Angel Killer, every time she looked upon Ilias's Prophet.
Ariel tried to shake away the observation, but like many times before, she couldn't quite quell the budding resentment growing inside. Perhaps it wasn't a fair judgement, but it was difficult for her to look at Luka and not see the man who had caused so much pain five-hundred years ago.
The Leader of the Archangels gritted her teeth and extended her wings, moving to descend upon the unsuspecting Troop and their Prophet...
"Here it is!" Captain Samyaza said while throwing her arms out towards the Barrack. "This is my Troop's home, Prophet Luka!" Unsurprisingly, the Barrack of Troop Five-Hundred Thirty-Five looked exactly the same as all the others. However, Luka gave the Captain a smile just the same, "Ah, it looks very nice."
The rest of the Angels filed up as Samyaza moved for the door, all of them eagerly - and in Sariel's case, nervously - looking forward to hosting their Prophet. Luka watched as the Captain reached for the door, but his excitement drained instantly as he watched the Angels all collectively jolt. Samyaza whirled around and gazed up at the golden clouds above with anxious eyes, a movement that was quickly mirrored by the rest of the Angels.
Luka looked at each Angel with a growing concern, but Sariel, Baraquel, Kabaiel, and Penemue all remained silent. Captain Samyaza strode away from the door to stand at attention in front of her Troop, Sariel moving to stand behind her after a moment.
Luka took a step closer towards Samyaza, gaining the Angel Captain's attention for a brief moment. "H-Hey, what's happening? Is something wrong?" The Angel opened her mouth to answer, but the effort would not be needed, as the Leader of the Archangels was about to make herself known.
"Troop Five-Hundred Thirty-Five, what are you doing out of your Barracks after curfew?" The stern voice cut through the air in such a way that the words felt more like a threat than a question, swiftly silencing Samyaza before she could explain. Luka quickly turned on his heels while looking up at the figure who had seemingly appeared from nowhere.
The Angel stood at about the same height as Eden, but her stance was much more rigid and imposing. Everything about her radiated a terrible tensity, almost as if she was ready to explode at any second. Her interlocked Halos, matching gauntlets, and wide wings were a sight to behold, but they did little to dampen the Archangel's overwhelming presence.
In comparison to every other Angel Luka had met, this one seemed to be outright unpleasant within seconds and he hadn't even spoken to her yet.
Samyaza moved to answer the Archangel, "Yes, Archangel Ariel, we were showing our Prophet the Barracks. I give you my word that we had Eden's permission to do so." Luka watched as the now-named Ariel's red eyes narrowed at the mention of Eden, which was very alarming to the purple-haired boy.
The very notion of one Angel disliking another was not something that Luka had ever even considered before now, but that flash of anger had seemed to be directly in response to Eden's name.
Ariel huffed, "Ah, I see. And where, exactly, is Eden at now?" The Archangel's question rattled Samyaza, the Angel growing visibly worried now. "Uh, I-I'm not sure where she went, Archangel Ariel. Seraph Eden just said that there was something requiring her immediate attention, so she left Prophet Luka in our care." Archangel Ariel did not seem very impressed with this explanation and stepped forward to tower over the Captain.
"Is that so? Breaking curfew beyond what should had been a very restrained circumstance is already an egregious violation, Captain Samyaza, but failing to even offer a proper reason is even worse." Luka watched as Samyaza flinched, and he couldn't help but feel upset himself as Ariel continued, "Something like this should have been brought to my attention first, much like anything else that may interfere with the natural flow of Heaven."
Samyaza visibly floundered at Ariel's harsh words, barely even being able to provide a response. "Apologies, Archangel Ariel, I..." The Captain's gaze fell, as the Angel couldn't meet her superior's stern look any longer. "...It won't happen again, I swear it to you." Despite Samyaza's attempt at repentance, the Leader of the Archangels was not finished reprimanding her.
"It had better not, or I will have to call into question your place as Captain of your Troop." Archangel Ariel remarked callously. The severity of the possibility caused all of the Angels to flinch now, as it was well known that the Leader of the Archangels did not make idle threats. "Which, as you know, would mean your expulsion from Troop Five-Hundred Thirty-Five."
"U-Understood, Archangel Ariel..." Samyaza whispered shamefully as she backed away from the imposing Archangel standing over her. Normally, an interaction of this nature would end here, but a certain purple-haired boy - who was currently experiencing a rather abrupt rise in temper - stepped in to argue on the Angels' behalf.
Luka firmly stepped in front of Ariel, to the shock of the others now standing behind him. "Hey, Eden gave them permission because I wanted them to accompany me, so it isn't their fault. You aren't being fair at all!" Luka felt the intensity of Archangel Ariel's gaze fall upon him, and only then did it occur to Luka that this was the first time the Leader of the Archangels had even glanced in his direction.
Alarmingly, Ariel's fierce red eyes actually flashed with abhorrence for a moment, the strength of her look alone nearly causing the purple-haired boy to back down much like Samyaza had. However, this inexplicable expression passed as quickly as it had come, and the Archangel folded her arms behind her back.
"Prophet Luka," Ariel stressed, the remnants of her odd mood swing coming through in her tone. "There are very important rules and regulations to uphold in Heaven, you see, and curfew is one of the most essential ones we have. I do believe that you would not want to interfere with such practices, correct?"
Luka bristled at the emphasis in Ariel's words, but he did not back down, "I don't mean to, but if it was already approved, then it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Luka asked back, becoming somewhat shocked at the tautness of his own tone. The young Hero wasn't used to being so confrontational but something about how mean-spirited this Angel was, spurred him to push back.
Archangel Ariel clenched her fists after hearing Luka's retort, and an alarming spike of red energy emanated from the gauntlets for a split second. The Angels behind Luka audibly gasped, knowing all too well that this was a cue of Ariel's growing ire. A silence befell them after this, Luka now growing worried as Ariel openly glared down at him.
"You really should respect the laws here, Luka. Someone of your status must know better about-" Archangel Ariel paused, noticing before anyone else as Eden swiftly approached. Just as quickly as Ariel had sensed this, the Seraph herself appeared behind Luka and the Angels.
And she didn't look very happy, either.
Luka turned away from Ariel to face Eden, but any greeting he had in mind vanished off his tongue once he saw how unfamiliarly intense the Seraph appeared to be. The purple-haired boy watched as the Troop of Angels in front of Eden swiftly parted, moving out of Eden's away without having to even be asked, spurring him to swiftly follow their example as the two Higher Order Angels stared each other down.
Eden was the first to speak, "Archangel Ariel." The Seraph very bluntly greeted, to which the Archangel in question gave no response. Luka nervously glanced between the two, uneasily wringing a section of his white nightshirt in his hands.
Samyaza, Sarissel, Baraquel, Kabaiel, and Penemue looked to be even more upset by this; it was something of an open secret that the Great Seraph and the Leader of the Archangels did not get along, but seeing such a thing occur right before them was drastically different than hearing about it in passing by. None of the five were able to even form a proper reaction to it, left only to look on with concern.
Eden glanced down to the five Angels before her, "You five should retire to your Barrack, thank you for your assistance tonight." Samyaza nodded without hesitation and wordlessly led her Troop to their Barracks. They disappeared inside the marble home, leaving Luka and the other two Angels outside. Eden began stepping towards Luka, her gaze not leaving Ariel's all the way.
The sage-haired Seraph paused upon reaching her Prophet and addressed the Archangel one last time. "You can leave too Ariel, but we will be speaking about this in the future." A small, inaudible hum came from the Archangel's mouth, and she vanished from sight soon after, not even offering any words to either as she left.
Eden quickly looked down at her nephew with worry, "I am sorry, Prophet Luka. Archangel Ariel is very good at her job, but she is not one for pleasantries." Luka lowered at the air the Archangel had been occupying moments before. "Good or not, I don't like the way she acts. The Angels were only doing what you asked, there was no reason for her to treat them that way." The purple-haired boy said, to which Eden nodded in reply.
"I agree, that's why I'll be handling her later. But for now, I must return you to our Goddess. She is wishing to see you now." The Seraph informed him. Luka's face showed his disappointment, the purple-haired boy didn't want his visit to the Ninth Level to end on such a sour note, but he was also aware of the fact that he couldn't stay for too much longer.
"Okay." Luka said unsurely before looking to Eden's side, where a dark blue book was tucked beneath her arm. The leather-covered text was the Writ of Heaven, the same one Eden had Luka read from earlier. "Oh! So, did you find an answer to my-"
"-Nope! I'm going to need even more time to research that, unfortunately." Eden said while holding the book up to her chest. What the Seraph didn't reveal, was the fact that she had already frantically read through the book three times - one of those times backward, just in case - and had yet to actually find an answer. "But I will be diligently searching for one in my free time!"
Eden leaned down, giving Luka a fragile smile, "That being said, let's just keep that question of yours between us for now until I get an answer, okay?" Luka blinked at Seraph's request before answering, "Erm, sure. I won't tell anyone." The young Hero found this to be a strange thing for her to ask of him, but he decided to adhere to it for now, neither of them knowing that this secret was already jeopardized.
"Good!" Eden exclaimed before rising to full height once more. "Now, it is time for me to bring you back to Ilias. She has something very special planned for you tonight, so we should head off immediately!" Luka jerked some as the Seraph scooped him up in her arms, wrapping his arms around her again as she flew him up to the Goddess's throne room.
Ilias was sitting reclined against the back of her marble throne when Eden and Luka arrived, but the Goddess quickly brightened once her right-hand Seraph appeared along with Luka.
"Hello, my Prophet!" Ilias exclaimed, standing from her throne soon after greeting the boy. The Goddess's smile faltered just a little upon seeing Eden holding Luka so close, but Ilias pushed away the peculiar pang of envy as her Seraph placed the young Hero down.
Luka bowed his head to Eden before facing the Goddess of Light. "H-Hello, my Goddess." Luka said, before bowing to Ilias next. Ilias smiled, taking great pleasure in the boy's showing of subservience.
Eden stepped forward to report, "Apologies for the delay, my Goddess. My guide hit a few unforeseen snags, as the Angels were a bit more excited to see Prophet Luka than I had expected." Ilias waved away the Seraph's worries, "No need to worry, Eden. You are dismissed."
Eden bowed without hesitation, "Of course. Thank you for allowing me to guide Luka, my Goddess!" The Seraph turned to Luka and smiled, "Have a blessed night, my Prophet." Eden vanished, leaving the Ilias and Luka behind. The Goddess of Light and her Prophet faced each other, a strange type of vigor emanating off of Ilias.
Luka had quickly picked up on how particularly energetic Ilias was, and it seemed even stronger now that they were alone. The smiling Goddess descended from her throne, striding towards the purple-haired boy until dropping to her knees. She nodded to Luka, spurring him to follow suit and fall to his own knees.
"As I said before, I have something very special for you tonight." Ilias said, her smile growing even larger now. "It may be a bit overwhelming for you, but I believe that you will love it." The Goddess assured.
"What is it?" Luka asked, leaning a bit closer to Ilias now as she built up her surprise. Instead of answering, the Goddess reached out and grabbed Luka's hands and stood up, bringing her Prophet to his feet as she did. Once they were both standing, Ilias let go of one hand while keeping a hold of the other, quietly leading Luka to her marble throne.
Luka became a bit confused as Ilias led all the way up to her throne, his confusion turning to brief alarm as she lifted him off of his feet - in a manner much like Eden tended to do - and deposited him onto the chair.
Ilias leaned over the boy, her face practically filling up his entire line of sight. "Now, could you cover your eyes, my Prophet?" She asked. Luka hesitantly nodded at the out-of-the-blue request but lifted his hands to his face anyway. While Luka awaited Ilias's surprise, the Goddess marched around the marble throne with purpose.
The Goddess put a good distance between herself and Luka, eventually coming to where his "surprise" lay sprawled in a rather uncomfortable-looking manner on a small hill of cloud. The Goddess of Light bent down and placed her hand on Marcellus's head; however, instead of waking, the man just started mumbling in his sleep.
"Another hour, Lucifina, it's too early for that..." Ilias scowled and moved her hand from his hair to his face, lightly prodding at his forehead with a finger. Her efforts only caused him to grin, "...Alright Luci' alright, but you'd better be ready to ride~"
Ilias recoiled and quickly grabbed Marcellus by the collar, shaking him harshly. The purple-haired man jerked and spasmed, nearly yelling out as his eyes snapped open. "The Hell-" Marcellus hissed before his gaze met Ilias's. The Goddess released his collar and stood up straight, "My Prophet is here now, Marcellus. I suggest making yourself presentable."
Her words quickly caused Marcellus to sit up, "Luka's here?" He asked, a mixture of excitement and apprehension coming over him. Ilias gave him a pointed look, "I had just said my Prophet is here, did I not?" The Former Hero gave a side-eyed glare at the Goddess, but he opted to stand instead of replying.
Marcellus followed as Ilias walked back to the front of her marble throne, and the Former Hero felt an overwhelming sea of emotions churn inside of him as they drew closer to Ilias's throne. The pair circled around until they were standing a good distance from Luka, who was still covering his eyes.
An expected but still striking pang of emotion hit Marcellus as he saw Luka sitting on the marble throne. In spite of the circumstances around it, the Former Hero was elated to see his son again. However, the budding smile on Marcellus's face vanished once he felt Ilias's hands grab his shoulders.
The Goddess leaned forward and whispered, "Remember what I had said, for it is my good graces alone that allow for this. Do not make me regret doing so. Understood?" The purple-haired man answered through gritted teeth, "Yeah, I understand." Despite Marcellus's obvious displeasure, Ilias nodded. "Good, then let us begin." She said simply before backing a significant distance away from Marcellus.
"Prophet Luka, you may uncover your eyes!" Ilias declared.
Luka's hands fell from his face and when he met gazes with Marcellus, he gasped. The boy was frozen with shock, and for a moment, he had to wonder if what he was seeing was true. Luka glanced from his Father to Ilias, who just nodded at the young Hero. This silent confirmation was all he needed, as he quickly leaped from the Goddess's throne soon after.
In an instant, Luka sprinted the distance between himself and Marcellus, tackling the taller man to the ground with a hug. "Woah!" Marcellus exclaimed as he was knocked back-first onto the clouds below. It wasn't long before the purple-haired man could feel a wet spot building on his chest, as his son had already started crying.
"Hey, there, it's alright..." Marcellus said quietly, moving an arm out of Luka's grip to place a hand on his son's head. The young Hero shook under his Father's touch, his muffled crying only growing louder now. Each harsh wail felt like a stab right into Marcellus's heart, as there was scarcely any noise worse to him than his son's crying. The purple-haired man held Luka tighter in an attempt to quell his trembling.
Eventually, Luka stopped shaking and his sobbing died down, but he had yet to remove himself from his Father and his face was still buried in his chest. Marcellus dropped his hand from Luka's head to lightly pat his back, letting the purple-haired boy calm down at his own pace. With a few more shakes, Luka pulled back to reveal his red and tear-streamed face, and the two pulled away from each other.
Luka got to his knees as his Father sat up, and he began wiping away his tears in an attempt to compose himself somewhat.
"I-I'm s-sorry, I just-..." Luka wasn't able to finish, his words being lost in another sob. After a few more seconds of snuffling, he continued. "...H-How are you here? You we-were..." The purple-haired boy's unfinished question was answered by Ilias, who stepped forward before Marcellus could even begin to reply.
The Goddess of Light stepped forward, a small smile adorning her face. "I brought him back, my Prophet." Luka turned from his Father to stare wide-eyed at Ilias. "You did? H-How!?" He asked while he began to stand, his tone in equal parts wonder and disbelief.
Ilias nodded and stepped close to Luka, "Anything is possible in Heaven, my Prophet. And since your Father's soul was already here in Heaven, all I needed to do was create for him a vessel..." The purple-haired boy watched on as Ilias continued to explain, missing his Father's suddenly troubled gaze. "...It may as well be as if he is alive again. However, he cannot leave Heaven, for his soul is now tied here."
Luka's pale-blue eyes dimmed a bit at this, "Oh, is this true?" He asked while turning to face his Father, who had begun to stand up.
Marcellus frowned as his son looked to him to confirm Ilias's explanation, but the Former Hero wasn't entirely sure. Obviously, he wasn't privy to how exactly Ilias brought him back to life, but the purple-haired man was willing to bet that the Goddess was stretching the truth somewhat.
"Go along with it, Marcellus. And it would be very helpful for you to start showing some gratitude, don't you think? Luka should know that his Father is thankful to his Goddess for her benevolence."
Ilias's voice rang through Marcellus's head, and it took a great deal of effort for him to restrain his grimace. "It is, Luka. But I'm very thankful that Ilias was able to make this possible, even if we can only meet here." It was halfway true, as Marcellus was grateful to see his son again, but the last thing he felt towards Ilias was thankfulness.
Everything about what the Goddess was doing here made the purple-haired man fume inside. That and, needless to say, Marcellus was heavily doubtful of him being "tied" to Heaven in any way.
Luka looked up to Ilias now, "Thank you, my Goddess!" The young Hero exclaimed, his large smile causing Marcellus to feel bittersweet. When the purple-haired man turned his gaze to Ilias, however, he felt even odder. The Goddess of Light herself was beaming back down at his son, but the way her eyes gleamed made his stomach turn. It was too intense, too ardent.
"You're welcome, my Prophet..." She said before her expression turned more subdued, "...Now, I would love for you to spend more time with your Father, but it has gotten much too late as it is. I don't wish for you to lose too much sleep now." Marcellus peered at Ilias with a bit of suspicion, as something akin to excitement flashed in her bright blue eyes for a brief moment.
The smile that adorned Luka's face shrunk, his disappointment quite evident. "Ah, I understand." The purple-haired boy turned to his Father, the light in his eyes rekindling for the moment. Luka stepped forward and hugged Marcellus once more, which was quickly returned by the taller man.
"I love you, Father." Luka whispered into Marcellus's chest, pulling him as close as he possibly could. The purple-haired man smiled down at his son, taking some comfort in the contact until he spied Ilias from the corner of his eye. Alarmingly, the Goddess looked quite annoyed for some reason, her bright blue eyes practically boring holes into the man.
Marcellus unconsciously tightened his grip around Luka as he felt something dangerous coming off of Ilias. Deep in his heart, the Former Hero knew that there was something wrong here. The way Ilias acted, especially towards his son, was unsettling. He didn't like it, but the purple-haired man also didn't have much choice in the matter.
"I love you too, Luka." Marcellus replied, keeping the edge in his glaring eyes out of his voice for the sake of his son. Finally, the pair separated, and Ilias wasted no time in removing Marcellus from the throne room. She placed a hand on his head, and the purple-haired man vanished from the throne room.
Ilias took a breath before turning towards Luka. "Now, I do need to let you go, but there is one last thing we must go over, my Prophet." The warmth on Ilias's face faded away into something more concerned, a stark and very sudden contrast to how she was behaving just seconds ago.
Luka started to tense as she continued, "I understand that you only have the best of intentions in mind, but..." The Goddess paused, a flash of something more troubled coming to her face. "...I have to ask. Why is it, that you would help a Human and a Monster wed, Luka?"
Ilias's question seemed to suck all remaining warmth out of the air, making the throne room seem so much dense Luka struggled against the gasp that fought to leave his throat, unable to formulate any response as Ilias stared down at him with judgmental eyes.
The Goddess prodded again, "Luka, we have spoken about these things many times before. You understand why this upsets me, don't you? You helped a Human break one of my Commandments today." Now Luka had to look away, his pale-blue eyes falling to stare down at his clenched fists. His hands shook as they rested on his knees, the movement not going unnoticed by Ilias.
Luka trembled upon feeling Ilias's hands grab his own and he looked up to face her once again. The Goddess stared into his eyes with purpose, "Calm yourself, my Prophet. I am nothing if not a benevolent Goddess." She said, gently squeezing his smaller hands.
"And so, I'm willing to forgive this oversight for now. However, I expect you to not be so careless in the future. We've already spoken at great length about why Humans and Monsters can't marry, my Prophet. You remember why, right?" Luka could only give Ilias a slight nod, as Ilias's question brought a great internal conflict to the forefront of his mind.
He was well aware of why Ilias didn't want Humans and Monsters marrying at this point. The Goddess had said many times before that she didn't believe that they were capable of real love and that this made them evil. However, there was an ever-growing doubt brewing inside of Luka's mind about this notion.
Admittedly, the young Hero did have to fight most of the Monsters that he encountered so far, due to them quite bluntly wanting nothing more than to do lewd things with him. However, that wasn't accurate for all of them.
For instance, could he really look at any of the Four Bandits or Kitsu and say that they were inherently evil? Not at all. Maybe misguided or mischievous -and a bit eccentric- but certainly not malicious. Not to mention others like Lona or Mink, who Luka had become significantly close to as he spent more time around them. Perhaps a bit too close, but that was another - more complicated - matter that only made things more confusing to him.
"Now," Ilias said suddenly, kicking the purple-haired boy out of his thoughts. Luka focused back on the Goddess, nearly gasping at the oddly powerful stare the Goddess was giving him now. "While I do forgive you for what you did, there is a matter we must settle before I send you back."
Ilias released Luka's right hand but kept a hold of his left, leading him along and away from her marble throne and towards a small mound of cloud with a pool of crystal-clear water. The moment that Luka saw what Ilias was leading him to, the young Hero's stomach knotted up with a great amount of trepidation.
There was only one thing they ever did here, that much he knew very well.
"Your actions with that Mermaid today have rendered you unclean again, so I will need to Baptize you once more before the night ends, my Prophet." Ilias elaborated as they stepped up to the edge of the purifying pool. A quiet "Okay" was all Luka could respond with and not long after, the Goddess and her Prophet were standing at the edge of the pool.
If Luka was being completely honest, the last two Baptisms hadn't been entirely pleasant, and he wasn't really looking forward to having a third. If he had the courage, Luka might've tried to ask if being simply kissed by a Mermaid was really reason enough to be Baptized, but his hammering heart did not have that resolve at the moment.
"Whenever you are ready, my Prophet." Ilias said, her words quickly reminding him of the Goddess standing next to him. Luka hesitantly started hiking his white nightshirt up his legs, before lifting it over his torso completely and setting it on a small mound of golden cloud. Luka paused as he then gripped the hem of his underwear, suddenly very aware of the fact that Ilias was still watching him.
The purple-haired boy turned towards the Goddess and gave a light gasp in reaction to what he saw. In the faint glow of the Heavenly clouds, Ilias's bright blue eyes seemed to glow. Normally, Luka would probably find the sight quite enchanting, but now it just made him shiver. The odd intensity was alarmingly familiar, and if Luka didn't know better, he would say that it was very close to how Monsters looked at him...
...But that couldn't possibly be the case, could it?
"I-Ilias, can you look away, p-please?" Luka stuttered out, a great distress coming over him now. Another shudder threatened to hit him as Ilias failed to respond, her eyes remaining on him as he stood half-naked before her. Eventually - to his relief - the Goddess nodded and wordlessly turned around. Luka spent no time at all took off the last of his garments and slipped into the pool soon thereafter, feeling the warm water envelop his suddenly cold skin.
Luka opened his mouth to tell Ilias that he was ready, but he sucked in a loud breath instead when he felt the Goddess's hands almost instantaneously clamp down on his shoulders. Much like the previous two times, the Goddess of Light pushed him down into the water until it framed his face. As Ilias did this, her face took up his entire vision.
The smiling Goddess began the Baptism by rubbing his scalp with a tender touch, running her fingers through his hair much like she had before when they were sitting together on her throne. Luka gazed past the Goddess's face and at the cloudy night sky, taking in the sight of the partially blocked-out Moon above. It was a far cry from the Full Moon that was present during his first Baptism, and it barely offset how dark Ilias had made her throne room become.
Luka watched Ilias lift her cupped hands above his face, an action which spurred him to close his eyes. Soon after, he felt the warm water run over his face, a sensation that was closely followed by the Goddess's hands gently brushing down his cheeks. Her smooth hands ran along his skin delicately, and Luka couldn't help the shudder this time.
Strangely enough, this caused Ilias to giggle.
The echoes of her light laughter continued to ring throughout the large room while Ilias reached down and pulled him up into a sitting position. The Goddess continued the Baptism by lightly stroking Luka's back, again not saying anything as she did so.
Meanwhile, Luka couldn't decide if he preferred the silence or not. On one hand, he liked it better when she wasn't talking to him about Monsters and love, but now even the most minuscule noise seemed like a roar in his ears. Even the smallest splash of water sounded like waves crashing against a rocky shoreline.
One thing he had started to notice especially, now that he was sitting in front of her, was Ilias's breathing. It was so clear to him that it was almost as if the Goddess was right up against his ear. Even worse, it seemed to be getting louder the more she ran her fingers along his back. The rhythmic sound of her quiet breaths suddenly caused him to tense up, as Ilias's breathing was hauntingly familiar.
"...Haah...Haah..."
The noise she was making was just like the breathing that Luka had heard in his dream, the terrible one he had on the way to Sentora. This realization sent the purple-haired boy into a small panic, but he wasn't sure why. There wasn't any reason for him to be upset, it was just a coincidence at best. The creature he had seen in that dream wasn't Ilias, after all...
Thump-Thump
Luka felt Ilias's hands stop rubbing as they came to come to a halt on his back, her palms staying right on his shoulder blades. "Sorry, my Prophet. I'm more... tired than I had thought." The young Hero felt her hands leave his back, and the Goddess moved to stand. What he didn't see, was the slight tremble of Ilias's legs. "The Baptism is complete, you may put on your clothes, now."
With little hesitation, Luka rose from the water and began retrieving his clothes. All the while, Ilias swayed oddly as she watched the purple-haired boy dress himself. The Goddess of Light found herself unable to look away, taking a particular interest in how the water left over on his pale skin glistened in the low lighting.
Once Luka was done, he slowly turned towards Ilias while keeping his gaze to the floor. The Goddess of Light, however, spurred him to meet her gaze once she reached down and grabbed his hands once again. Ilias's powerful stare locked onto him, and Luka found that he couldn't move a muscle.
The odd energy in the air seemed to grow by the second, and Luka couldn't help but notice that it was still so dark as Ilias had not returned the clouds to their previous luster yet. Then, even more alarmingly, the Goddess of Light started to lean down towards him.
Luka's pale-blue eyes started to widen as Ilias's face grew nearer and nearer, the Goddess herself remaining intensely silent all the way. Her hands firmly remained on his, not allowing the young Hero to pull away. Her face took up his entire vision, and only now Luka could make out the growing tint of red painting her face. Just as he noticed this, Ilias's lips parted...
...And Luka froze, as he felt them brush against his.
It lasted just for a blink of an eye, and the Goddess pulled away right after contact had been made. Luka's mind blanked completely, as he had no idea what to even think. What had just occurred, what Ilias had just done, it wasn't at all something he had expected. They weren't supposed to have contact like that, he was sure of it.
But then why had she just kissed him?
"I think it's time for you to go." Ilias whispered, bringing Luka's attention back to her. The Goddess's blush was gone and now she was deathly pale. Quite suddenly, Ilias reached down and placed a hand onto Luka's head, not even allowing him to say anything before she swiftly sent him back to Earth.
An uncomfortable chill wracked Ilias's body once Luka was gone, and her heart hammered in her ears. The Goddess of Light felt it, she had done something wrong. Kissing Luka in such a manner had been a mistake, one that couldn't be taken back. However, even so...
Thu-Thump
Ilias lifted up a hand to her mouth, lightly tracing where her lips had touched Luka's.
THU-THUMP
...It made the Goddess feel warm inside.
It has been quite a while since my last update, I know. To put it simply, October has been a rather difficult month for me personally. A lot of stress from many different angles, and so writing this became very difficult.
Thankfully, though, this chapter gets some more movement going with certain subplots. The most important one here, that I haven't touched on just yet, is with Archangel Ariel. Luka's resemblance to Heinrich will be a constant source of distress for her, and will be something I'll delve into more in future chapters.
Let's just say that there won't be much love lost between her and Luka. Not while he looks so much like the man who slaughtered so many of Ariel's Sisters.
I apologize if Luka's first reunion with Marcellus is a bit on the shorter side, I promise we'll have more of that in the future, it just needed to be short and sweet for the first time. They will become more interesting as time goes on.
Biodrum: That is actually an oversight, as my spellchecker changed some of the instances that I wrote Sariel - though not all of them, strangely enough - and turned it into Sareil. I thought I had gone back and changed them originally, but it seems as if I missed some before posting.
F14M3RZ: I figured using the names of Watcher Angels would be a fun detail, and it will be one of a few aspects of Jewish-Christian theology I plan to play into. Having extensive knowledge of such things isn't really necessary for this fanfic, but it does help to give you a clue on how certain dynamics may play out. Such as with Samyaza, Sariel and the rest, and how they will eventually feel towards Luka.
omegaqilin: Cupid is a trigger of sorts for Luka, more specifically, her place in Luka's perspective of events on that day. Her "disguise" as Cupi is a rather small detail in comparison to everything else, but you can expect that he would recognize her to an extent. No reunion for them this time, though, as she continues to have her plans usurped by others.
And you don't have to worry about leaving multiple reviews, it really doesn't bother me. I quite enjoy reading reviews, actually. They're encouraging for me.
jasonstory12: That's not something I can reveal, but Marcellus will have a greater presence from here on out either way. That much I can say.