Sometimes the Open Hand is stronger than the Clenched Fist.
I was enjoying the glares I was getting from my colleagues after I had presented my paper, based on our work, to our patron's representative. The man had looked at the data slate and had been greatly impressed by the work. It had made him smile before saying it would help with another of the projects our patron was working on, so much so that he had commended me and then promoted me to head of the work team, so my mentor could move on to another critical area of the project. Now I was the one smirking at the fools who had spoken of replacing me. The two morons had gulped but said nothing, and now I took my vengeance out on them fully. By micromanaging them to hell and back, as I would not let them ruin my glory, as this project would be completed to perfection. Seeing one of the two idiots about to do something stupid, I snarled at them to do it properly, and the man with long black hair yelled back at me at the top of his lungs.
A yell that violently woke me up as I jumped slightly into the air. The jump sends a sleeping on my chest in cat form Kuroka and Shirone up in the air, getting ultra loud yowls and turning the bed into a warzone as people thrash. Somehow, I managed to catch Shirone and Kuroka one in each hand only to get jabbed in the gut by Rias, slapped by Xenovia at rook strength, and hit hard on the head by a power sword hilt from Murayama. That last blow left me dazed and confused, seeing Aquillas circle my head before a howl came, and less than a moment later, Barkspawn somehow got out of the bathroom and flew up from the floor onto the bed. The Cerberus slammed into my chest, knocking me back against the headboard and dazing me again. Then more pain came as Shirone yowled once more and scratched my face up, trying to get away from the Cerberus.
She scurried off past Ravel and hid behind Raynare's outstretched wings while Bark licked me half to death, trying to make sure Iwas ok. That was quickly followed by the others checking on me while Ingvild watched my healing kick in, fascinated. Rias, Xenovia, and Murayama gave me apologetic looks as they realized what they had done. The daze finally ended, and I blinked away the last of the Aquillas before the yell came again. I realized it was an excited yell, that the voice was Alaric's, and, just a second later, there was the faint sound of metal clunking on wood.
Shirone poked her head out from behind Raynare as her cat eyes narrowed in hate at Barkspawn. Barkspawn wasn't offended and gave a doggy grin, thumping her tail against me, making me sigh and pet the puppy. The Cerberus panted as her grin grew bigger.
A grin she kept even after I showered and dressed. The Cerberus was now walking beside me in a chipper mood as the two of us went to the top of the stairs, while Rias and the others got ready, and it was there that I saw the cause of the yell. It was indeed Alaric, as he and a brand-new Castalira robot were playing in the front hall. The robot wore a massive grin on its holographic face, which matched Alaric's, as the two played patty cake by the door. Nearby, Neri watched her son, while next to her were Hetvia, Mr. Cuddles, Mr. Sparkles, and a third Kastalin with my pawn, looking extra proud. All three robots had new holographic screens on their visor plates, and they wore amused male faces as they watched the Castralira. In contrast, the Castralira wore a female face before Alaric dragged the robot towards the door to play outside.
The door opened and shut quickly as Neri went off to do housework, while Hetvia caught sight of me and waved, which I returned before my pawn said loudly.
"Good Morning! I have the things you wanted."
That made me blink before I remembered the request for info on war golems. It also brought back the memory of those ten gear users trapped in the cage in Normandy as I scooped up Bark and began heading down the stairs
"Things?"
Hetvia nodded as several strands of her blue hair fell away from her bun.
"Things. Father was able to find multiple battle observations about them in the library. He made me copies, and they arrived yesterday evening."
Hetvia pulled a scroll out of a pocket spell and handed it to me as I set down a whining Barkspawn. I opened it, and my eyes began to digest everything on the page. Apparently, this was a record of a battle in Syria, and over two hundred war golems had been deployed here by the first Asmodeus. The golems here had been shock-troop battering rams, charging into the phalanxes of pure angels, before the devil commoners moved in with their human waves. The notes also highlight that the golems were extremely durable, apparently taking hundreds of light spears and feathers from the angels while still fighting on. This feature had apparently carried the battle, and at the end, only twenty of them had fallen before the army made its way towards Jerusalem. That worried me deeply as the angels had a massive force at this battle before I realized our robots and most definitely our Skitarii needed heavier firepower for them.
My head came up from the scroll before I wrapped it up.
"Set the rest of the scrolls on the kitchen table. I will get to them in a bit."
Hetvia walked to the kitchen table before opening up her pocket spell and bringing out scrolls. She brought out over thirty of them, and when she turned back to me,
she blinked, seeing in my hand three data chips I had made with the anvil.
"These are for you to add to our robot makers. It's a las cannon. The OSF attacked the conference, and I want us ready to strike back at them by the middle of next week."
Hetvia took the chips, looking at them in worry, before she nodded.
"I'll get started on more robots then after I repair the last of the ones I got yesterday . I found a way with Mr. Jingles to cut the assembly time again and at the same quality."
I take a look at the new robot who waved at me, and his spirit was that of a former Texas Ranger, and I get why that was his name, as Hetvia had put spurs on the back of his legs that jingle jangle. He was sadly also a sis-con, making me hold in the sigh I wanted to let out. Bark was sniffing the spurs and the other robots' feet, not
sure of what to make of them, and I gently whistled, and like the good girl she
was, the Cerberus came over to me. She sat next to my feet, panting happily,
before I turned to Hetvia again.
"Then when I have time I'll make more pads and or have one of the next manufactorims assigned to you."
Hetvia grew eager for more robots and got ready to skip off towards the basement when I called out.
"Tell everyone in the peerage to search up the Librarium of Prospero on DevilTube. It's my channel, and I will be posting a video on it tomorrow evening. It's about that place."
Hetvia paused at the top of the basement stairs, then nodded before going down, followed by the three robots. I watched her go before my eyes returned to the scrolls. Yet before I could start on them, I heard Barkspawn whine, and I felt her thought.
It made me chuckle before going off to get her dog food.
No sooner had the plate been set down on the ground than Barkspawn jumped it before starting to chow down the food like it was going out of style. Neri had come into the kitchen and started making breakfast for the house as people slowly began
filtering in. First came Rias, Ravel, and, to my surprise, Hana. Following them
was Xenovia, Ingvild, Murayama, and Shirone, with my cat princess whispering
emphatically at the three of them, with Xenovia bored, Murayama teasing the others, and Ingvild giving Shirone a look of sympathy. Ravel was the first to notice
the pile of scrolls, and her eyes met mine before I shrugged.
"War golems. I'm guessing Kuroka went back to sleep, and Ray is busy?"
Ravel narrowed her eyes.
"Correct. I'll join you in reading those."
I gave my grand planner a small smile before Neri came over with food and a letter. She set down several plates before handing me the parchment.
"This was waiting for you at the Underworld manor this morning, Milord. It's from your grandfather."
I took the letter as Neri moved to head upstairs, but I was pretty sure I already knew
what it was before flipping it open. On the page, in neat handwritten letters,
was.
Gregor. I am writing to inform you that I will be hosting a party on the grounds of your
manor this Sunday afternoon to celebrate the signing of the Peace Treaty. Several
of my maids and butlers under Geros will be arriving at your manor tomorrow
to prepare the place for the party. Wear your best clothes and be ready to show
the others House Astaroth's future Lord and Ladies.
That made me sigh, because this was going to be oh-so-fun. Still, I wouldn't disappoint Ajarken and made a note to drag out the clothes I used for the parliament
again. Something must have been on my face as Ravel looked up from her pancakes to gaze at the letter, making me shrug.
"My grandfather is hosting a party at our underworld manor this Sunday for the
treaty signing."
My words made the rest of the Queens still, with Hana and Ingvild in particular looking dumbfounded. Then Shirone squealed in excitement, and that set off the others as stars appeared in many eyes before Murayama gasped.
"We need matching outfits!"
That sent the others into a fury, gossiping about what these outfits would be like, while Rias was smug. She got ready to hold court with everyone, only for a loud eep to come from above.
"My Great King!!!!!!"
Everyone in the kitchen looked up at the ceiling as the sound of running feet was heard, then someone jumped from the second floor and floated down. It was Raynare, and her silver wings sparkled in the sunlight before she dashed towards me with ultra-panicked eyes. She came to a grinding halt beside my chair and began babbling.
"My Great King! I didn't mean to do this, it...."
My arm goes up to hers, and I squeeze gently.
"Ray, it's ok, calm down."
The squeeze and my calm voice settled most of Raynare's panic before I asked.
"What is wrong, Ray?"
Raynare shook for a second before she got out worried.
"The new knight…. She's gone!"
That made my eyes widen before I shot out of my chair, rushing towards the stairs with Raynare, Ravel, and Rias, while behind me followed Barkspawn, who was yipping up a storm. Our group clomped up the stairs before we came to a halt at the
door to the room. And find an empty bed, and along with the beanie, no longer
on the side table. The sight made me gape at how the hell had this happened!
We stared at the empty bed for a moment before Neri poked her head out from a room a few doors down. Seeing us like that, she tilted her head, confused.
"The young miss was gone when I checked the room an hour ago, Milord. I assumed she had gone down to the underworld."
That news registered with me before a thought crossed my mind.
"She would not have run unless she was hiding something dangerous to the world and me."
My fist clenched hard, controlling my wrath that my now wayward knight, it seemed, had not believed my oath to free her eventually, and I turned to Rias.
"Please tell me there is a way to track missing pieces."
Rias looked from the bed towards me, and she blinked, seeing something on my face, before she grew hard.
"There is. I will teach it to you quickly."
I took that promise before Rias dragged me into a group huddle with the others.
Ten minutes later, Ravel, Murayama, and I exited the front door of the manor with my face scrunched in concentration. The technique Rias had taught me for tracking pieces was easy. You just had to imagine a line between you and the members of your peerage, then pour some demonic energy into it. As if shades were before my eyes, I could see the lines branching off from me like some very strange tree with me as the trunk. Several led behind me into the house, two besides me, multiple into
the ground beneath me, and one led out into the streets of Kuoh. Despite the
concentration, I broke it for a second to wave at Alaric and his robot, who
were playing on the grass while his father worked nearby on the rose bushes.
Once we were past the gate and out onto the grounds, the other shade lines, save for the ones to my unknown knight, Ravel, and Murayama, faded away mostly. The branch was winding through the city's streets, and as we walked, Murayama and Ravel were talking about what to wear to the party on Sunday, with Ravel telling Murayama what it would be like.
"It will be like a very old-fashioned ball for you. First, he will be announced by a crier,
with Rias, Hana, and me by his side as his betrothed, while you and the others will
be a little way behind us because of your status as concubines. The crier will
then list his accomplishments and titles, which Greg will need to compile later.
Save perhaps the..."
Ravel didn't want to say the biggest one for me in the Omnissiah. I could get why, and I grunted over my shoulder as we crossed a street, breaking the line for a second.
"I'll draw one up minus that when we get back. And Mura, I will talk to my grandfather about drawing up official betrothal contracts for you and the others soon."
Then it was back to following it while Murayama squealed in delight, startling a group of people near us, while Ravel sighed. She gave me a fond look before we started
heading down another street and out into another suburb that seemed to be mostly
middle-class. The line continued past more and more houses before we crossed
into another lower-middle-class neighborhood, and it grew shorter. Finally, ten
minutes later, it took us around a corner and down another street filled with
western-style Minka houses, and we followed it till we reached the end of the
street. Here, next to some public land with a small woodland, was a decently
sized minka house that looked pretty normal, with a worn but still in good
condition chain-link fence. The line led straight into the building, and I
frowned as my devil hearing picked up a faint voice.
"I am still the same Perc, just… enhanced. He saved my life during the incident at the park on Tuesday night, and I fully believe he can be reasoned with. This gives us an
opportunity that with enough time could…"
That voice had been female, and I frowned deeper, hearing that before all of a sudden, there was an ultra loud bark. The noise made us turn to see a white Japanese Spitz looking at us through the fence, about to bark again, only for it to die
in its throat. Then the dog howled and ran across the yard toward the back of
the house, while Ravel frowned and tensed.
"That dog was not a normal one. It was a sacred gear, one called Arctic Hound. An uncommon gear."
That news immediately set Murayama and me on guard as Ravel got spell half ready in her hidden hand while Murayama looked almost ready to make a pocket spell. My
thoughts immediately went through the list of people and groups that this gear
dog and their user could belong to, but before I could settle on one, the green
front door opened quickly.
Standing there was a young man holding the whimpering dog, who was trying to burrow into his shirt to hide. The guy who looked like a Greek with olive skin, black hair, and blue eyes fixed his gaze on mine as we recognized each other. He was the
dude who had seemed to know architecture, and that, plus his dog, made me narrow my eyes, and the sight had him back up. He was about to slam the door on us when two more people came into view. One was my new knight, who was wearing her beanie again, covering her hair, and she paled slightly at the sight of us,
while the other guy made me narrow my eyes even further. It was the creepy dude
from the convention center so long ago, dressed in a matching pair of black
pants and a shirt. His glasses, which were transition lenses, darkened in the
morning sun behind us, but it was the badge on his right that really set me
off. On the shirt above his heart was a white shield with a gold H in its center. That sight immediately pissed me off, reminding me of those nuts.
"Kill the vermin in the vault now."
That order echoed in my head, making my fist clench and move to my keychain to summon Mimic, as I wasn't going to let them go. The glasses guy, my other knight, and the Greek with his dog gear tensed seeing the move as the glasses guy stepped forward in front of the other, about to do something, when the beanie-wearing girl shoved past him with several white and black hairs coming loose.
"Chikatetsu no eiyū I can explain…"
I cut her off now, ultra pissed.
"You don't need to. I know exactly what kind of person joins a group like yours. Scum who thinks kidnapping innocent people and then trying to kill them to stop their rescue is fine and dandy. All while pretending to be heroes."
My unknown knight took a step back like she had been slapped, and there was hurt in her eyes. The two men behind her grimaced as the Greek slowly backed up, and the other guy seemed to gather something. Yet despite the wrath starting to leak into my face, my other knight stood her ground even as I took a step forward, ready to kill her and the other two. Murayama looked ready to help me, but Ravel stood where she was watching. Before I could continue on my tirade, my unknown knight spoke again.
"We are not all like them. They are not even the majority of us. Most of us are like you. The ones you fought belonged to a sub-faction run not by Cao Cao but another, and he did that kidnapping without approval and was condemned for it. Cao Cao wants you in our faction. He is a true hero who…."
That was the biggest bullshit I had ever heard, as I think of him before I snarl, ready to charge, feeding wrath.
"Is crazy if he thinks working with a group called the Chaos Brigade, made up of the worst groups in the supernatural world, is a 'heroic' idea. If he can do that, then he most definitely ordered their kidnapping, and I will ne…"
It was then that I was slapped upside the back of my head by Ravel, making a loud whack. Murayama, my other knight, and the two guys behind her blinked at the noise while my world spun from the slap. My betrothed eyed me for a second, then sighed.
"You noble idiot of a man."
I recovered, then got ready to twirl on her to… That thought froze me, and I lost my wrath as she gave me a look of understanding mixed with frustration.
"She seems to be telling the truth."
That deceleration made all of us blink, especially the three Hero Faction people, while Murayama and I looked at Ravel like she had grown a second head. Ravel rolled her eyes at us.
"Mother taught me how to read body language, saying I would need it when I was a noble lady. She seems to be telling the truth. Now, can we please go inside and discuss this matter civilly? We are drawing a crowd."
My eyes went to where, a little up the street, a small group of housewives was looking at us curiously from their porches. My unknown knight took that opportunity, pulling off her beanie to show her tricolor hair no longer in a bun, flowing down her face, saying loudly.
"Cousin, you are more than welcome to join us for lunch! Come in, I made several extra bowls of rice in case you dropped by!"
The housewives looked at this, then sighed and began to disperse, clearly hoping for good gossip. I remained frozen in place for a few more seconds before Ravel pushed me forward towards the door, followed by Murayama. My unknown knight turned to the two men behind her, and they stepped aside, letting us into the house as the door closed.
Three minutes later, the six of us were sitting at a dining table facing one another, though the guy with the dog was nervously looking at the doorways. The other dude was strangely calm as he stared at me, and now that the sun was gone, his transition lens fell away, revealing hazel eyes. And then there was my second knight. Her black, white, and a tiny bit of her green hair fell over her face as her red eyes were locked on Ravel and me, with a silent thank-you sent to the blonde. Ravel shrugged that off before she turned to me, whispering.
"Let me do the talking till you calm down."
I still didn't trust this as a deep scowl came over my face. I wanted to rip apart the three of them for the kidnapping, but I let her lead, fixing my eyes with the glasses guy. He returned the look before Ravel coughed gently, eyeing the three people across the table, then gazing at our knight.
"Before you try to do your thing, I want two things: first, to allow me to put a truth spell on you for the rest of the talk, and second, to tell us who you are."
The woman hesitated as she looked at the glasses dude, then gave the slightest nod, and she sighed, looking down.
"Agreed."
Ravel raised a hand and made a purple spell circle before she shot it at our knight. The move spooked the dog, who dove into the Greek's shirt and whined before Ravel, Murayama, and I looked at the tri-colored-haired woman before us. She looked up at us and said.
"My name is Lint. Lint Sellzen. Descendant of Siegfried and former exorcist of the Catholic church."
My mouth, along with Murayama's, dropped to the floor hearing that name. My eyes searched Lint's face, and I finally got why she looked so familiar, along with the German Ray heard. Yet her name only left me with more questions as I remembered a few things about her from the light novels. Murayama gave a Lint with a strange look that was slowly turning into a scowl, while Ravel was deeply intrigued but continued.
"And you stand by what you said outside as the truth? That another did the youkai kidnapping, not this Cao Cao, and that the Hero Faction wants to recruit Gregor?"
Lint again nodded as the fire returned to her red eyes.
"I do. Cao Cao admires and wants the Chikatetsu no eiyū in the Hero Faction. Badly. He calls you a true hero and after…. The park I saw, he was right."
That statement was like a thunder hammer blow, destroying the last of my wrath, as that was one of the strangest things I had ever heard. Cao Cao admired me and wanted me in the Hero Faction? That very idea was so damn strange, and it made me wonder. Was I completely wrong again about them, like so many other things? My scowl disappeared, and the Greek was looking at me in shock while Lint was giving him a smug look before the glasses dude spoke up, seeing something on my face.
"He sent us here to recruit you, Chikatetsu no eiyū. You share our goal of protecting ordinary people around the world from the supernatural. Much of our organization is of the same mindset. Cao Cao, along with the rest of the inner circle, are all
true heroes, as Lint said, and also like she said, they condemned the one who
ordered the kidnapping, as that is not what we stand for. That action was done
without their approval or knowledge."
My shock fell away, and some of my wrath returned as I gripped the table.
"Who? And explain why you're all with the Chaos Brigade. What is effectively a terrorist organization that actively targets the humans you claim to protect?"
The glasses-wearing dude and Lint shared a look before the guy sighed.
"We are with the Brigade, not out of any agreement with them, but because of who it has attracted. The worst of the worst of the supernatural world. Cao Cao is using that to his advantage, like Hercules, cutting off the heads of the hydra as we gather the leaders of the other factions of the Brigade together in one place. Then strike at their bases, which we are trying to gather intelligence on simultaneously, and wipe them out forever. He believes that you, your robots, and your people will make this task much easier for us. As for who ordered the kidnapping, it was a subleader named Frederick, who is a reincarnation of Frederick the Great."
I blinked slowly at that as my wrath mostly died. That was. An exceptionally good plan. If that was true, then Ravel immediately gave Lint a look, and she nodded.
"It's the truth. We want them gone, too."
The room fell silent, and I was dumbfounded again before my eyes fell on Lint, who had a Longinus. Yet she had only taken a regular knight. My thoughts came back again as Lint caught me staring and she continued looking at both Ravel and me.
"If you join us, we can easily start targeting them and…"
I cut her off.
"What is your gear? And what was done to this Frederick for his actions?"
Lint blinked at this before the truth spell kicked in.
"I have a decently strong twice critical. I don't know whathappened to him."
Twice critical? That's what she had? Her answer made me feel relieved and slightly disappointed, as I had expected something rarer. Then again, it was ultra-common gear, which significantly lowered my paranoia, as it seemed to be for Ravel. The glasses guy, however, came in.
"Frederick was reprimanded harshly for the operation and for getting people killed needlessly. We do not begrudge you for them, as kidnapping people is not what heroes do."
Reprimanded. That's it! Wrath entered my eyes, and I wanted to snarl that wasn't good enough, but Ravel pinched me and took over.
"There must be a good reason for this…."
The glasses guy shrugged.
"Connla. Connla Ahearn. And yes, there was a good reason. Frederick commands a decent-sized subfaction, and they are not the most… stable. They are driven by a pure hatred of all the supernatural world's denizens, given their pasts, which many of us share. Cao Cao does not want to turn them loose to become another group of predators in a forest already full of them."
My wrath died there again as that wasn't the mind of a madman. That's how real heroes should think. Cao Cao and, by extension, the others were stuck between a rock and a hard place, as Heaven and the angels had been. I felt, for the first time, a bit of admiration for Cao Cao, though it would never be anything like what I felt for the angels, but it was a start. Ravel gave me a look, and I returned it before I grunted out.
"I see. Please give us five minutes. To think over the offer."
Connla nodded his head before he got up from the table. Lint followed him as did the Greek, whose dog poked its head out of his shirt. The three of them went towards the sliding door, and no sooner had it closed than Ravel threw a silence spell that deafened the room and turned to me.
"You should accept."
No sooner had that been said than Murayama squawked.
"Accept?! They are madmen! Greg stands for everything they supposedly claim to stand for, and has never done anything wrong, unlike this Frederick! And her! She is related to that asshole Freed!! Greg, why would you…."
I grunt out.
"I didn't know, and she was dying because of me, and I could do something to stop it. And as for her being related to him, that is like comparing potatoes to tomatoes."
That got blinking from the two before I continued.
"She is a clone, Mura. Just as he was."
Ravel narrowed her eyes, demanding to know how, while Murayama blinked as I shrugged with my lie ready.
"Michael shared with me during the conference the existence of something called the Siegfried Institute. They are apparently cloning the remains of the original Siegfried to produce better, stronger humans for the exorcists and to wield the demonic sword, Gram. Why should I accept? Mura is right."
Murayama got a smug look at that before Ravel rolled her eyes.
"Because they likely have vastly more information on the Brigade than we do. What if there are more factions to it than what we know of? What if there are deities supporting it that we are completely blind to? I want a bigger, fuller picture, Greg. The Satans and others will want one too."
That was so her, and she is right, yet Murayama, however, barks out.
"Then we should capture them here and now. We can then go after the rest of them."
Both options linger as Ravel and Murayama glare at each other. My mind quickly went through the options before I felt that reluctant admiration for Cao Cao hit. Then I imagine the regular humans of the Legio fighting multiple Longinus gears. They'd get slaughtered, and they mattered more than I did or my pride. Yet another voice came into my ear, soft yet so tantalizing.
"We can have less Chaos in the world if we agree. A step closer to perfect Order."
My inner monologue was seemingly loud today as my eyes met Ravel's before I sighed.
"I will accept the offer. On my terms."
Murayama deflated, not liking this, while Ravel gave me a pleased look. She thankfully didn't gloat, but instead quickly removed the silence spell on the room before calling out.
"He has decided."
The sliding door slowly opened, and Connla and Lint came back in while Greek stayed outside the room. He was holding a cutlass like the one I had seen before, with his dog looking out from behind his legs. Yet I paid them no heed before meeting Connla's eyes as Lint looked on.
"I have decided on your offer. I will join the Hero Faction. On the condition that you share information you all have about the Brigade. And that this Fredrick be kept on a tighter leash."
Connla frowned, as did Lint, while the Greek looked shocked and dropped his sword, which clanged on the wood. Connla seemed to debate something mentally before he said.
"We can easily do that, and we have already been with him. I will need to contact the person who runs our spy network for that, and I will have Lint bring it to you and serve as our point of contact. Especially since…."
Since she was a devil now, Murayama glared at Lint, and Lint gave her a questioning look before I grunted.
"She has bad memories of your brother Freed. And that is acceptable. I expect you to send her to my home when you have the information. But I will be watching."
Lint blinked while Connla nodded.
"I will. I will let Cao Cao know of this immediately."
That put a microscowl on my face, yet that didn't seem to deter Connla. Instead, he gave Lint a look, and the confused woman gestured to our group to follow her. We got up from the table and moved with her out of the room, and the Greek backed up from us while his dog grabbed the cutlass grip in its mouth. The dog growled at us as we passed, and my eyes fell on the Greek. He flinched once more before I turned from him back to Lint.
She was still confused, and when we reached the door, she turned to us and her eyes grew brighter.
"You… You saw Freed recently? Is he ok, is he still?"
Murayama glares at Lint harder and is about to say something when Ravel pinched her, getting a yelp, though Lint didn't notice that. Her red eyes were firmly on me, and I returned them.
"We did. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but he is dead. He joined Kokabiel and was still the same as he was when he was excommunicated."
Lint's eyes dimmed significantly upon hearing that, and I remembered that she had loved him as a brother in canon. Like, apparently, she did here before she sighed.
"I see. They would not tell me what happened to him after Rome. Thank you, Chikatetsu no…. My king."
Lint's face fell, saying that, and my pity grew for her. That made me look at her for the first time. Not as a stranger or as a Hero Faction person, but as herself. She was very
pretty, and if she were anything like her canon self, she would be quite capable. She would make an excellent piece before I remembered my oath to her. An oath, like all others, I would not break.
"Gregor. I meant what I said to you that night, and I will try to find a way to make it happen. When you do return, press the intercom at the gate entrance and say mechadendrite. They will let you in."
Ravel and Murayama looked at me strangely while Lint blinked before her red eyes met mine. She looked at me for a moment before a small smile crossed her face that made her even prettier.
"I will. Danke schön."
Then Lint opened the door, and the three of us departed from the home, though I felt Lint's eyes on my back until she closed the door.
The walk back to the manor was mostly quiet, though Murayama and Ravel talked a bit about the party while I thought on the Hero Faction and Lint. By the time we were crossing the ward line and the gate, they, along with the others, agreed they needed to hold a war council to coordinate dress. As we crossed the front door into the main hall, Murayama went off towards the basement, and Ravel went to do peerage stuff, leaving me alone.
The moment the two left, I wondered if I had made the right decision. However, that was quickly set aside when a gentle cough came from beside me. I turned to see Maéva standing there with a serious face.
"Apologies for disturbing you, Young Master, but you are needed in the underworld. Adria has business with you."
Maéva turned on her heels and made her way to the basement stairs, and I sighed, remembering the city's manufactorums as I followed.
Almost as soon as I stepped onto the underworld manor's grounds, I found Alessio, Anders, Isotta, Mei, and the four manufactorium bosses together. The robots and the heads seemed to be getting along well, as were Adria and Gorou. The two were discussing who to select from the large influx of people who had arrived today, and their conversation continued as I led the group towards the manufactorium districts. Once there, everyone was shown their building I spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon making and assembling the machines for the manufactoriums. The heads, Adria and especially Gorou, watched that with awe, and their robots would explain some of the workings of a machine every so often.
I was beyond exhausted by the end of it, yet didn't show it asm I walked back to the manor as Gorou, Adria, the four heads, and the robots talked outside the car manufactorum. Just as I turned the corner to the manor street, I blinked at the sight before me. Standing before the manor gate was Azazel. The man was talking to Peneume before Azazel caught sight of me and grinned ultra-wide.
"Ah, there's the man I was looking for! How is my future Grandson-in-Law today?"
That pronouncement got Azazel a glare from Peneume before I rolled my eyes at Azazel's antics.
"I'm tired and sore, Governor-General, but otherwise alright. I assume that you're here for gear testing, though it looks like you had a long night."
Peneume glared a tiny bit less as Azazel chuckled, then grew serious.
"I have had a very long night after I confronted Vali last night. He confirmed he did that, but before I could capture him, he escaped with two others, and we are currently pursuing them. I may have some people for your organization in a few days."
I held in the tiny bit of wrath, hearing Vali had escaped, before Peneume said aloud.
"I will be joining your group. To see if Baraqiel is right about you."
It was clear she didn't believe the other fallen, and this was her way of 'protecting' Mittelt from me, before her eyes grew haughty.
"I am the best secretary in Grigori and given how…. Inefficient devils are, I will very
quickly straighten out your system."
I had to hold back a laugh and some of the pride I wanted to let slip, as Ravel's system had set up was beyond good and orderly. Seeing Peneume's face when she realized that would be fun.
"Of course. I will have you talk to my bishop tomorrow, so she can explain how we do things. And I still have no interest in Mittelt."
Peneume narrowed her eyes once more while Azazel grew glum.
"Come on, she's a genius, you're a genius, it would make an ultra smart great grandkid I can spoil and teach about gear! Speaking of which, can we..."
His eagerness to see my gear made me chuckle.
"We can, just give me ten minutes to rest, then I will show you how it works."
Azazel brightened again before I opened the gate and led them two through it and towards the manor. Only stopping long enough to make a list of names and deeds for Maéva to give to my grandfather before we descend into the basement and the labs.
Ten minutes later, we were in Mittelt's lab with Peneume pestering Mittelt while she worked on something. The blonde was trying to swat her aunt away, and this made me amused, as it did Azazel, though the majority of his attention was on the ghostly anvil between him and me. Azazel poked it again, and his finger passed through it once more before he eyed it intently.
"So it can create anything you imagine, and your soul powers the act of creation. The constructs are permanent and can be used by others until you will them away…"
His eyes were far off, and I grinned slightly.
"Correct. I conducted extensive yet safe tests on my gear when I first learned of it to determine what it did. I think I still have my notes somewhere if you want them, though it's in chicken scratch."
Azazel grinned and nodded before he made a fallen pocket spell and brought out several tools that he set on the table next to us. I didn't get a good look at them before he moved one that looked like a scanner towards the anvil. It whirled to life and began beeping as the man stared intently at the screen.
"Mmmm. The work on this one is…. More refined than most of the other Longinus. Pops must have been working on this one for far longer, as most of them were made after great victories against extremely dangerous beings and tend to bleed a bit of the other half into their users. Your,partner doesn't influence you much?"
I shrugged.
"They don't. They can if they want to speak through my vocal cords, control my body when I allow it, and punch my soul when angered, but that's about it. No, you can't meet them, they are private and busy with something."
Azazel deflates there before his eagerness shows once more.
"Create something simple, then go up the ladder. I want to get scans for my database and see this in action."
I picked up the hammer, then imagined something very simple in a las pistol. Then, with a swing, the item appeared on the anvil, though Azazel shielded his eyes. When the light was gone, Azazel picked up the gun and studied it intently, focusing on the cog and skull symbol on the chassis.
"Fascinating."
I shrugged at that, then imagined something more complicated, like a bolt gun and a round, before asking as I swung.
"How many times have you gotten a Longinus user their balance break?"
Azazel shielded his eyes again from the light before he looked at the new gun and round, setting down the pistol.
"Thirty-five times, with the most recent being Vali. But yours seems to be on a different level in terms of what it might do. You have,no idea at all what it might be?"
That made me frown as I will away the pistol.
"None whatsoever. All I know is that with some of them theoretical ideas my partner and I have come up with, it would be extremely earth-shattering. Is there a way to tell how far along you are with it?"
Azazel squinted his eye at the bolt round while also getting, brighter.
"No, there isn't, given how gear is intrinsically tied to its user's will. However, in saying that, I can start you on several exercises I have developed that help gear users overcome obstacles in their balance and break path. They have a high success rate of eighty percent!"
I gave Azazel a bland look as the mad scientist showed, but I will take what help I can get.
"Wonderful. Is it like meditation?"
Azazel nodded eagerly and began to describe the process. As Azazel described the exercises one by one while he took readings of my gear with his tools, I listened intently. Many seemed to be self-centering exercises designed to reach what Azazel called "the bridge of the soul," and you would know that you were close to that stage by "your will topping off." Whatever that meant. Still, it was something more than what I had achieved by myself, and I asked dozens of questions, and Azazel answered by painting a clearer picture. This talk and the experiments with Azazel continued long into the evening.
By the end of it, I was beyond exhausted, as during that time I had alternated between making new prosthetics and other stuff for Azazel till over four thousand limbs surrounded him and me. The man was practically absorbed in his readings on his new cogitator, which I made for him, and he only gave me the smallest of acknowledgements when I finished throwing the last of the limbs into a pocket spell and making my way towards the door. He and I agreed to do more testing on Sunday after the party.
As I slipped into the bedroom, I found everyone, save Ravel and Ingvild, asleep. The two were reading about the war golems together from a scroll near the right side of the bed while the other scrolls were in two pilesmon the side table. The two only stopped this when I slipped into bed and picked up another scroll to start reading. Ravel curled into my right side and Ingvild my left before we read, while I mentally started the first of Azazel's exercises. Imagining this bridge to the soul.
As the last rays of the evening sun shone down, Vali slammed behind a tree in his armor as multiple black feathers flew past him from the ten-man fallen team who were all eight wings pursuing him. At another tree close by, riddled with feathers and several light spears or arrows in the trunk, Sha summoned three more water spirits and had them throw themselves at the twelve fallen, who were in a shield wall formation coming up this hill at them in South Korea. The spirits were followed by two clones of Bikou's with their staves out from behind another tree further up the hill, though they were sluggish, given his still recovering injuries. Vail hated this, as the fallen had been chasing them for nearly the entirety of the day after they caught up with them at Tsushima Island this morning. They had kept chasing them even as they inched north towards the Korean DMZ and Baekaedo island where Vali had set up a safe house that was unknown to Azazel.
He should have just killed them by now, but he hadn't because these fallen were some of the strongest in Azazel's cadre, and they had been giving him and the others ultra good fights when they did catch up to them. He needed more practice for his rematch with the Red Dragon Empress and the Astaroth. Thus did Vali extend his wings again and prepare for the coming brawl, as he swung around the tree trunk and charged towards them. The shield wall immediately fell back, flapping their wings while throwing feathers, and a few light spears as a melee began.
At the heart of the Australian military base, the Hero Faction had taken over. Stanley was busy walking towards where Cao Cao and the rest of the inner circle were gathered, wearing a massive, smug smile. A smile he had worn for the last ten minutes since he finally got to reading the message from Connla that he sent this morning.
He has agreed to join on provided we share information on the others.
The news that the Chikatetsu no eiyu had agreed to join them had made Stanley breathe a pure sigh of relief, as the condition was reasonable. Something he was sure the others would find too, as Hercules in particular had been especially stressed these last few days. When Stanley entered the meeting room, he found Cao Cao, Georg, and Hercules listening to a boastful Frederick . Frederick, it seems, was eagerly telling them about a recent successful mission a group of their newest recruits had done against a coven of vampires in Queensland, and Stanley wanted to sneer, hearing the boast that only six of those recruits died. That was over half the team, but Frederick was calling the fallen true heroes, yet that seemed of little comfort to the others.
Cao Cao caught sight of Stanley and raised a hand, silencing Frederick, who was puffed like a peacock, before the first Longinus user asked.
"Yes, Stanley?"
Stanley's smug smirk grew.
"I received a message from Connla's cell."
That made Hercules and Georg, who had been studying tablets,look up as Cao Cao's face grew extremely focused, and Frederick looked confused. Cao Cao gave Stanley a nod, and the man smirked wider.
"Lint was through a very strange way able to get in contact with the Chikatetsu no eiyu. She has convinced him to join us, though he has a condition."
That news hit everyone like a thunderclap as Hercules and Georg let out a massive sigh of relief simultaneously, while Frederick turned purple like a prune. Stanley, however, saw something very strange pass through Cao Cao's face. Regret? That strange look, however, was gone just as fast as it appeared, making Stanley not sure he even saw that before Cao Cao asked.
"What is this condition?"
Stanley saw Cao Cao was almost on the edge of his seat now.
"He wants information on the OSF and Nilrem. Shall I get started with that request?"
Cao Cao looked at Hercules and Georg, but before he could give the confirmation, Frederick barked out.
"We are trying to recruit the villain who killed our fellow heroes and stopped justice from being done??!! What kind of..."
Cao Cao stopped the rant by summoning the first Longinus, and the spear's butt clanked on the floor, shutting up Frederick at the gear's sight. The pressure seemed extra potent today, as everyone flinched hard, and Cao Cao let it stay.
"Leave Frederick."
Frederick didn't even hesitate as he bolted out of the room. The moment Frederick was gone, Cao Cao unsummoned the spear, letting everyone take a deep breath.
"Start making a file for him."
Stanley nodded at Cao Cao and turned on his heel, leaving the room as Georg and Hercules pulled Cao Cao into a conversation. As Stanley left the room and headed back to his den, he didn't notice the pair of eyes boring holes into his back.
Frederick was glaring at Stanley in pure rage while his right hand was clenched into a fist. His twice-critical gem gleamed in the base's lights, and he debated then and there to attack the American. However, the memory of the first Longinus's pressure so close by held him back. Instead, he turned and skulked down the hallway, only stopping to punch a door off its hinges in ever-growing rage against the one whom he now hated more than Maria Theresa.
It was early in the morning in the city of Venice and would have been like any other morning on the continent had it not been for one special thing. The Archangel Michael had called a conclave. That was in and of itself not what was strange, however, as Heaven had over the last six hundred years called multiple of those over the centuries. No, what was strange was that instead of the conclave being attended by a low-ranking member of Heaven acting as messenger, it was actually the Archangel himself who would be there. That fact had made the three church representatives feel various things.
For the Protestant representative, a man from Switzerland elected by the various denominations of the faith named Mateo, this was the greatest moment of his life. To stand before the Archangel himself, who had not visited Earth since the 15th century, had almost made the man faint in awe. He was sitting in his seat at a round table here in Saint Mark's Basilica before the main altar, almost bouncing in his chair like a child, while behind him his two fellow Protestant aides were doing the same. It was pathetic, Pope Benedict XVI thought, given that they knew the truth too.
Benedict was seated with two of his most trusted archbishops, and the three were softly discussing what this conclave might be about. Benedict was of the mind that this would be about the Peace Conference that had happened in Japan between the
Three Factions. He didn't approve of it, nor did most of the College of Cardinals, as the Great War's continuation benefited them in multiple ways. Still, he had reasoned that this would be the perfect time to extract more concessions out of Heaven in exchange for his 'support' of the Treaty. For like all Popes since the 15th century, he knew the Lord Almighty was dead and that the Angels desperately needed them for faith for the Lord Almighty's system, so he, as they did, would use that to the fullest extent possible. After all, it was the Catholics who provided the bulk of the faith needed for it, and thus they were invaluable, and the angels, like before, would acquiesce to him. Yet there was one thing Benedict didn't like right now more than Mateo's pathetic display. And that was the amused face that Patriarch Kirill was wearing next to his two aides.
The Russian was smiling widely under his bushy white beard despite his tiredness and would say something quietly to the priest on his left every so often, who looked worried. He was from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, but the Russian Patriarch was the first among equals of the other smaller denominations of the faith. Benedict wondered why he was worried as the other priest from the Bulgarian Orthodox Church seemed elated, whispering a small prayer to the Lord Almighty. That was pathetic, too, but Benedict leaned closer as he moved for his goblet of water and heard Kirill say softly to the other in Greek.
"…..he will not force us, Petros, to do that. Exorcist Mirana vou-like thing that appeared above the altar of the Basilica."
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the sudden brightening
of light and the feeling of warmth that entered the room from a hole-like thing
that appeared above the altar of the Basilica. Then there was the heavenly
sound of trumpets, horns, and… pistons? That noise flooded the church, making
Benedict, his aides, Mateo, his aides, and the two Orthodox aides blink in
surprise, while Kirill smiled just a bit wider. Then, down and out from the hole came a figure dressed in ornate armor, majestically handsome as any male angel should be, yet it was not that which made nearly all the humans stare. That was the twelve silver wings along with the angel's silver halo, which was spinning softly around his blond head, gleaming beautifully in the lights of the church.
This, who could only be the Archangel Michael, landed at the top of the altar dais and let his twelve wings curl behind him before a wide, humble smile crossed his lips, looking at the nine humans before him.
"My good sirs, thank you for sparing time for me. I promise this will be quick, as I am sure you are all very busy."
Mateo and his two colleagues immediately jumped out of their seats and knelt, murmuring a prayer to the Almighty. Benedict, his archbishops, and the Orthodox group following them, though Benedict had to hold in his eye roll at the Protestants. One of the archbishops behind him, however, let loose a soft scoff at the display before the other bumped him as the three Catholics bowed respectfully along with the Orthodox. When Benedict looked up for a moment, he saw that the Archangel's eyes were on him, and something passed through them that he couldn't identify before the man smiled again.
"Please rise, believers. You honor me in a way that I don't all deserve."
That had everyone look up as the Archangel approached the table. The man looked at the nine humans again before gesturing for them to sit. Once everyone was back in their seats, Michael beamed at them.
"As I said, I will make this quick. The first thing is that you have all probably heard by now that a Treaty was signed in Kuoh, Japan, ending the Great War. I am proud to inform you that this is true. Because of this new peace, we are asking you to inform the corps that the long-standing orders for the kill on sight for devils are to be rescinded and…."
Mateo and his aides looked beyond baffled and a tiny bit betrayed as Mateo sputtered.
"Rescinded?! But my Lord Archangel, they are foul, evil devils who prey on the populace! They must be purged for daring to harm the Lord Almighty's flocks! We must destroy them…."
Michael raised a hand, and that silenced Mateo and the other humans.
"You didn't let me finish, believer. That the order is to be rescinded and modified. You are to tell the exorcists that devils who openly prey on the populace are free game to purge. Those, however, who owe allegiance to the underworld are to be left alone, and if they do have malicious intentions, they are to report them to a new angel who will be coming to earth soon so that the information can be passed on to the New Satans. Then they can be punished by a very strict law that was passed by them last month."
That news made Benedict and his fellows frown, while Mateo looked down sheepishly for interrupting the Archangel, and Kirill and his two priests seemed to accept it. Benedict, however, quickly saw his opportunity for his first concession and a way to embezzle money now that the Great War was officially over. He was about to speak when Michael continued.
"The second thing is that I am proud to announce that Heaven is recognizing a new Prophet. We have dubbed him the Omnissiah and he…"
That fact had barely been said before this time, one of the archbishops behind Benedict rose to his feet, enraged.
"A new Prophet?! That is impossible, the last true Prophet was the Lord Almighty's son, Christ! Are you..."
The archbishop froze as he realized who he was talking to, who he had almost called mad. He looked at Benedict and his fellow for support, but they, and all the other humans except Kirill, were shell-shocked. The archbishop shut his mouth and then slowly and awkwardly sat back down, while Michael didn't look at all offended. More amused before he turned to the other humans.
"You speak the truth, Archbishop Giuseppe of Milan—the old truth. The Omnissiah has been declared this status by us for being the one to have brought about one of the greatest miracles of the age. A miracle that will benefit humanity in all forms as a whole."
The room was now dead silent, yet Benedict's mind was racing extremely fast, having only heard the first part. This was the greatest opportunity that the Catholic Church could ever hope for. An opportunity to extract the mother of all concessions from Heaven to support this new 'Prophet'. He could see it now. The ability to demand almost total independence from Heaven in how they ran things. It made him ready to talk again, but this time Kirill spoke with a massive smile under his white beard.
"And what is this miracle that elevates this Omnissiah to that level of authority, my lord Archangel?"
Michael smiled ultra-wide now.
"Why that miracle Patriarch is the fact that we all have received the most wonderful of gifts. For it is through the Omnissiah that the Lord Almighty long dead has been Reborn."
That made the excitement in Benedict stop, then curdle like the sourest of milk. What??!! The Lord Almighty Reborn!!!!! That was impossible, he was dead and had been dead for six hundred years…. Benedict heard Giuseppe drop to the floor, unconscious, while the other archbishop shook like no tomorrow. The Protestant aides and Mateo shook too, and Kirill beamed to the stunned Greek and Bulgarian next to him. Mateo stood shakily before he got out.
"Is… this… the truth? The… Lord Almighty….. He… is reborn? Truly?"
Michael smiled even more than before as he looked at the man.
"This is no lie, and it is the truth, Representative. The Lord Almighty has been Reborn thanks in part to the faith of you all who helped the Omnissiah with this task. He now sits again in Heaven in a new and much better form."
That news made Mateo well up with tears as one of his aides began weeping waterfall tears, while the Bulgarian went to his knees, praying again, this time loudly. Yet for Benedict, it felt like he had entered a dream. He, in that dream-like state, listened as Michael continued.
"The Lord Reborn now goes by a new name in the Machine God. He is much the same as before, though he has embraced several new ideas from the Omnissiah, who, through multiple acts of faith, inspired a new church to form under him. The Church of the Cog. It is quite similar in ideas and structure to the Catholic Faith, but the Lord Reborn has told me that forced conversions to this new Church will not be accepted. Only those of free mind, body, and will shall it take. Yet the faithful have nothing to fear for their souls as they will reach Heaven regardless of whether
they follow this new Church or the Old Ones. And the Omnissiah has promised another miracle to me at the Peace Conference two days ago."
All eyes were now on Michael, with Benedict still in his shell-shocked state and his remaining conscious ally frozen still. Mateo kept shaking, and it was one of his aides who asked in a West Coast American accent.
"What is this miracle Archangel?"
Michael smiled so wide at this.
"The miracle believer is that the Omnissiah is incredibly gifted with machines thanks to his Longinus. He has developed a wonderful prosthetic that seamlessly integrates with the human form's nervous system. The new limb acts and feels like a regular one, and the Omnissiah has promised to make this for all the wound exorcists in the sanctuaries. For free, too, as charity. He will have a massive quantity of these prosthetics ready for use tomorrow, so please begin gathering up the wounded for this and future fittings."
Michael enjoyed the now ultra looks of returned looks of shock on the faces of Benedict, his archbishop, awe on Mateo, his aides, and the two Orthodox priests at the announcement, and the massive smile on Kirill, who gave the now very relieved Constantinople priest an I told you so look before the man bowed.
"The Orthodox Church will accept the Treaty, the new order, and the Omnissiah as a new Prophet Archangel. We have already been preparing all the Святилища in Eastern Europe and Russia for the fittings that exorcist Romanov told me that he would do for our people. We will have them ready to move tomorrow."
Michael gave the bearded man a smile of thanks, and that broke the awe of Mateo and his two aides as they grew zealous. Mateo, filled with utter righteousness, having been an exorcist, declared.
"We Protestants shall accept the Treaty, the order, and the Omnissiah too wholeheartedly! As the chosen of the Lord Reborn, he will have anything and everything he needs from the Protestant Faith to fight evil! We will prepare all of our Sanctuaries at once, my Lord Archangel! We will work double time, so they are ready for this fitting and any future ones! Hail the Lord Reborn!"
That declaration echoed through Saint Mark's and was echoed by the other Protestants, and broke Benedict from his shock before Michael smiled at the man and then turned his eyes on Benedict, who, being put on the spot, sputtered out.
"We will, of course, accept the Omnissiah as a new prophet and the Treaty and the order, but as for the sanctuaria… it will take time, Lord Archangel, to get them ready for such a thing. I will have to inform the Archbishop heading them, who is based in Spain, and he is currently doing something…."
Michael raised his left six wings in admonishment.
"You won't need to do anything, Benedict. I understand how busy you and the archbishops are, so I decided to take the initiative. I have already sent angels from my own cadre to each sanctuaria to inform the exorcists inside that this is being organized. These brave heroes who have languished for so long in them deserve to know that their prayers to him were never ignored."
Benedict's face paled as the Catholic Church ran a vast tithe system for the sanctuaria, with most of the money going to top cardinals and Benedict himself. If that dries up…. Benedict's eyes met Michael's, and he turned bone white as, in the Archangel's blue, it told the man he knew about the scheme. That he knew about
a great many things the Catholic Church had been doing. Benedict gulped as he realized that he was in trouble. That his many allies throughout the church were in trouble, and that their corruption was almost certainly coming to an end very soon. There would be no more concessions. Ever again.
Across the Catholic world, in the overcrowded and barely kept-clean sanctuaria, the news was broken to the bishop who ran the place by a silver-winged angel. The news was always spoken in the presence of another priest or nun who was true of faith to make sure the bishop, if he was corrupt, couldn't stop the news. When the overwhelmingly reluctant bishops, plus the priest or nun, would, with the angel watching, start telling the cramped and beyond dirty rooms, sometimes filled with a hundred or more wounded exorcists in beds or on crutches, the news, the results were instant.
The exorcists would freeze in shock, then remain silent for several seconds. Then waterfalls of tears would form as they looked at the angel with desperate eyes, silently begging to know if this was true. The angels, seeing the silent pleas and the despair hanging around these places like a plague, had their hearts filled with pity and empathy for the faithful.
"It is true believers. The Lord Almighty has never forgotten or ignored you. He has always heard your pleas and prayers. He didn't answer them, not because he didn't care, but because he has been looking for a person who could answer them in the best way possible for you all. He has finally found the person who will return you to full strength and health: the Omnissiah. A new prophet who has promised the Archangel that this new prosthetic will be given to you for free for being the brave, righteous defenders of humanity. He has also promised to help return your flesh above it. Please have faith in him who has been protecting them as you did, yet also bringing light to our world. You will be whole again soon."
That news struck the exorcists fully then and there, and many of them openly wept, having felt nothing but shame being here. They who had failed their families they had sworn many times to avenge or protect them from harm. They who had failed the Lord Almighty for not being strong enough to guard his flocks from the evil that infested many parts of the world. Failures who now relied on goodwill that they slowly learned the longer they were here, wasn't free or charity. That this Omnissiah would do this for failures like them, yet call them brave and righteous, as attested by a being of light, made the exorcists believe in him and in Heaven again. For many, in their hearts, had long doubted that the angels and perhaps even the Lord Almighty ever cared for them. To know that he and they had always made them believe harder than in their entire lives, producing massive amounts of faith.
Faith that the Machine God collected, then used to repair the system, or held in reserve for future repairs. Over the last two days, he had worked while Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel watched, their new father having promised to teach them how to understand and repair it properly. A promise he had been keeping. The four were currently working on the last parts of the soul pipeline, with Uriel and Raphael doing their own repairs, now confident enough to try it themselves, all while under their new father's watching eyes. Gabriel, however, was not with them; rather, she stood by his side in shame. Seeing the look on her face over his shoulder, the Machine God finished what he was doing and then put a hand on his new daughter's shoulder.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of Gabby. My champion doesn't hate you."
Instead of making Gabriel feel better, she felt worse as the face before her was of him; she doubted. Her shame grew again as her eyes looked down on earth. Now that she was no longer desperately trying to keep the system together, she could see the state of the faithful in the Catholic sanctuaries. Places that are almost universally named after her. Gabriel looked away from her new father.
"He should hate me. He should hate all of us up here. We ignored the second children for centuries. They who we were supposed to protect were left to languish in those places and in darkness. The world we were supposed to make better after the Great War was finally done was left to rust. He should despise us who are weak and don't protect as he does."
Gabriel looked ready to cry, but felt a hand of flesh cup her chin, making her look up. Her new father's face looked at her in gentle kindness. Just as Ollanius had given her many times over the years, back when she would visit him almost daily at the small church in England, he had made his sanctuary. She dearly missed the man whom many in Heaven, including herself, had hoped she would get with when their falling problem was fixed. His true death at Fauld had been the worst day of her life, and in her severe depression over him, she sat out the final battle, sending her cadre under her second's command. Only for them to have died almost to a man there, along with their first Father. The Machine God saw all of Gabriel's pain and, now properly connected with the angels, saw their hopes and dreams they had longed for or wanted to do on earth. Seeing Gabriel's growing despair, he poured a tiny bit of energy into her. It made her gasp in surprise as, in that moment, she felt something. Something that chased the night in her away, for it was indeed as he said. The Omnissiah didn't hate them. No, he truly admired and believed in them fully. Gabriel felt the shame flow away from her before her new father turned back to the system.
"My champion understood from the beginning that Heaven was between a rock and a hard place. He knows that if you and the others could you all would have done something to help them. He has nothing but admiration for you and the other angels, even if you couldn't be down there to protect them. The past is just that, Gabby, and it is the present and future we should now see to."
The Omnissiah's feelings for them humbled Gabriel. They didn't deserve that, but he, despite everything, had always believed in them. She would start having that with him. The Machine God finished his last repair and then glanced to where Uriel and Raphael were. They were finished too and approached before the Machine God reached into the system and then did a reset on this part of it.
The soul pipeline sputtered, then wheezed, as it came to a stop. Then it restarted as a symphony of choirs, bells, and horns began playing in perfect harmony. Something that had not been heard properly by the three Great Seraphs in six hundred years, as the pipeline sprang back to life as it went to do its mission once more.
At the same time, millions of Christian souls that were trapped on Earth, wallowing in agony across the world, not knowing of the Omnissiah, blinked when they felt a gentle suction. Just as they had when they died, the now hopeful souls followed the feeling rising into the sky before arriving in the afterlife they had long prayed and pleaded for.
The sight of the souls moving through the pipeline, who had long been in pain and were now free of it at last, made Gabriel cry happy tears, as he did indeed protect those lost in the dark. That feeling was reflected on Uriel and Raphael's faces before the Machine God turned to them.
"Please begin judging them and reuniting families up here when they ask how tell them that the Omnissiah never forgot them. And that there is a way for them to be with living loved ones again without the pain they went through."
Uriel and Raphael bowed before they went off toward the pearly gates, where the pipeline ended, and a crowd was forming, growing larger by the second. The moment they were gone, the Machine God turned to Gabriel, his face serious.
"Gabby, I wish to know something. What was the event that caused so much damage to the miracle section? It's not godly damage like the rest of the system. Uriel and Raphael said they were not told what the event was by Michael, but that you might know."
Gabriel blinked before her blue eyes looked at his red ones.
"I don't know either, Father. No one knows, not even Michael. All we know is that in 1995, by the earth calendar, when we were taking one of our extremely rare days off from keeping it together, when all the trumpets of Heaven suddenly blared. Then the section activated. It was the first time it had done that on its own, as Michael ran that section. The horns continued to screech, then, all of a sudden, all of Heaven shook as a massive buildup of energy from the miracle section reached its peak. Then it spat out an unknown miracle. The energy for this miracle was so power-intensive that the system's entire capacity was used up in just two seconds, and the whole system died. We immediately sprang into action to bring it back online, and it was only by a miracle of fate that this happened very early on Sunday morning. We used that to the fullest, allowing us to beg the Churches to hold ceremonies that day. We had to give each of them concessions, especially the Catholics, but they held the ceremonies, and they helped us bring it back online slowly but steadily. By the end of the day, most everything was running again, mostly smoothly, except for the miracle section. We dared not go near it in case it broke further, given how bad Michael said the damage he could understand was."
The Machine God frowned at the description of the event. His bionic eye flashed a few times rapidly before he put his hand under his chin.
"I see. I will start working on it immediately, then. The miracle segment should have recorded this miracle, but the scroll with it is deep inside the segment. Gabby, I have a task for you. Since, according to the others, you were running the gear section of the system, I want you to track down a gear user for my champion as I do repairs."
Gabriel blinked, then stood up straight, her twelve silver wings stilling.
"Yes, Father. What gear?"
The Machine God turned serious as his face darkened.
"The Void Dragon's twice critical. My champion wishes to ensure it can never escape into the world. When you have found the user, you are to inform my champion of their location in person. After that, you are free to help him on Earth in any way you desire."
Gabriel blinked at that, paling at the name of that blasted abomination that killed Oll. She worried, but then stiffened as she would not let that monster steal from the world, starting a new dawn, another Lightbringer.
"I will find it, Father. I will not fail you or him again."
With that, Gabriel jumped into the air, and her wings flapped as she flew towards the gear section. The Machine God watches her go,then chuckled as Gabby would get her dream. All the angels would now as he had prepared his newly reworked Brave Saints system. Yet there was much work to do besides the miracle section. For the while the Great War might now be over on Earth, it still lingered up here, and he would like his champion to end it.
Then, with a sigh, he started showing more and more often like his champion, the Machine God, moved towards the miracle section. For a New Prophet, after all, must be able to do greater miracles easily.