Author's note: Sorry for the delay, my bad! Been busy with uni and all that. But good news, peace talks fight ends in five chapters, while the aftermath is missing but it should be only one more. This chapter beat me up because I wrote a full on fight against Vali until Elias manages to calm him down... when I was like 4k words in, I realized that the bastard never would, and I had to rewrite this to what y'all see. Not fun at all, but... well, I needed to save a therapy for later chapters. You'll love it... probably.
So, now about next chap. It will have some divine visits (oh no), as well as the other objective of Elias and co traveling to Japan. Then, chapter 83 will be the peace talks, with some changes, obviously. So yeah, hope you enjoy the chapter, and see you in 3-4 days. Next chap is 8k words... horrible and political.
Celestial Ascendancy
Chapter 81: The Storm isn't Over.
Elias Black
Kuoh, Japan.
Focusing firmly on my girls, I sighed in relief seeing them whole. Even if some of them were panting openly like Fleur and Hermione since they were a bit unaccustomed to their latest changes.
In fact, we were fortunate that the attack occurred at night. My newly turned devil girlfriends were having a bit of trouble adjusting to their changes, including some unusual conceptual shifts in their essence, becoming more tired during the day and surprisingly energetic at night, and other similar issues.
It was hilarious, but also much to our advantage.
We had been lucky… I didn't fail to see how much help Fleur was with her sacred gear, even with her lack of practice. She, along with Rias, Rossweise and Akeno were probably the only ones capable of dropping the abominations without risking their regeneration.
No… calling them abominations was wrong. They were victims, just as we almost were. And admittedly, giving them some justice by killing Satanael felt good, but that wouldn't bring them back.
On the other side, Rias and Iris were breathing normally, but I could see the tiredness in their slumped shoulders. Iris specifically felt like she was running on fumes, even if she acted as if she was okay. I didn't know precisely how her battle went, but seeing the holes in her shirt, I was starting to regret not getting Kokabiel by myself.
He was lucky that we needed him alive. Well, it was a coin toss between the two of them, and the only reason Satanael was chosen was my anger.
Not that Kokabiel was in a good state, since he was still writhing on the ground with vacant eyes under some magical suppression cuffs Sona got from somewhere. Still, even then… it was the principle of the matter.
He hurt someone I cared about, and while Iris was scarily durable and her regeneration was probably at my level, if not higher, that didn't mean he was forgiven.
And now, I closed my eyes and focused on the warmth of Akeno, who was clinging to my chest like a newborn babe. She was still crying, almost ten minutes after I had healed her.
No matter what I did, or anyone else for that matter, she refused to let go.
Not that I faulted her. Seeing the scene as a vision, thanks to my deep connection to Asia, almost broke something in me. Never in all our conflicts was I ever so close to losing someone who mattered this much to me, at least when I was near the location.
Which made this worse.
Some would find it weird that I was this attached to Rias and Akeno, since admittedly, we didn't see each other that often for obvious reasons, but… they were mine. As I was theirs.
The fact that I could see through anyone's facade and feelings meant that I knew firmly how people felt about me, and Akeno and Rias loved me as much as Iris, Fleur, and Hermione did. It might be weird, but it was us… That's how we were, and it was enough.
Shaking my head with a slight smile, I did the only thing I could at the moment. Ignore everything else and focus all my attention on the devil in my arms. I felt a bit guilty for ignoring the rest of it. Still, a cursory glance showed them smiling softly at the scene before they approached us and hugged Akeno from behind, their arms wrapped around my sides.
The devil slumped even more into me. Her sobs turned to hiccups, then to ragged breaths that evened out. I kept tracing circles between her shoulder blades with my thumb, letting my light hum softly so it wouldn't startle her. The moment I felt her weight go slack, I pressed a kiss to her hairline.
"Sleep," I whispered, willing my magic to help her rest.
A mattress puffed into existence at our feet, previous rocks changing their essence into what I needed. I shifted, cradling her under the knees and shoulders, and lowered her onto it. She mumbled my name, then went boneless. I tucked a blanket over her and smoothed a stray lock from her cheek.
She was so beautiful and looked so peaceful… and I almost lost her.
For a few seconds, I did nothing else. I just looked at her and let my chest loosen. She was breathing. That was enough.
I did my best to ignore the sheer wrath coursing through my veins.
Then a metallic sound brought me back into focus as displaced air moved my hair back.
I turned, frowning deeply. Kiba had already stepped forward, his sword being blocked by the hand of the white armoured dude beelining towards us.
Koneko was at his side, her small hands up and scowling deeply. Liban Crocell also brandished the gem-encrusted blade, helping Kiba against the stronger opponent.
Vali did not slow. His helmet hid his features, but I could feel the excitement coursing through him. It was plain obvious of two things… First, he was a battle junkie as Serafall warned, and two, plainly… a dumbass.
"Divide," he said almost lazily. I could feel the curiosity as he inspected both knights, and the idiot even nodded in satisfaction before he grasped Kiba's blade with even more force.
Kiba's blade dulled in an instant, and razor-thin cracks began forming from its nucleus.
Koneko hissed as her life force increased by leaps and bounds while she prepared to attack. Liban, much to my surprise, didn't show any expression besides tightening his hand around my blade.
Not that they needed to bother… because I was done with this situation.
My hand cut through the air, and shadows surged from every footprint and crack, coiling up Vali's legs, chest, wrists. They locked a snap around him as I made a claw with my hand.
The energy wings on his back trembled for a second as I felt his magic churning. I could hear a smile on his face as he whispered, "Divide."
And with a single shrug, he snapped out of my bindings and lowered his body.
Ah. Right. He was not just a brat picking a fight, but still an idiot. I wasn't in the mood for this bullshit. It was apparent he knew next to nothing about me, or ours, because this was not the way to go.
"White Dragon Emperor," I said neutrally as my third eye opened and glared at him a tiny bit, "What do you think you are doing?"
"I want to fight you," He said almost innocently, and I didn't know if that made it worse. He clearly wasn't shown the art of patience. I would have done it anytime… but not now.
"No," I replied dryly, throwing him a look showing how little I thought of him.
Not that he cared, because he just moved.
I saw my girl's eyes widening as he must have looked as if he had disappeared from view from their perspectives. His palm was already at my sternum in less than a wink, and the only reason why I didn't react more violently was the lack of bloodlust in his movements.
I didn't even look at him as I lifted two fingers and blocked his fist, rolling my eyes as the idiot laughed happily, dropping low and kicking just as fast.
Jumping out of the way, I did a backflip and lowered myself gently to the ground, snapping my fingers as a curtain of light blocked Akeno's sleeping form from any sound and effect.
Kiba and Koneko started to move. I flicked them a glance, and they froze where they stood.
Vali's eyes shone with excitement, looking like a kid in a candy shop.
He pivoted and jumped towards me. A second strike came for my jaw, a bit stronger and faster than before. I let it pass through an afterimage and reappeared a step closer than he liked. He stopped himself in a hurry and lifted his arms to block a punch that never arrived.
"Not here," I said tiredly, "Not now."
He smiled wider, "I wasn't asking. You cannot deny this from me."
His demonic power boiled inside his armor, "And I already touched you."
"Divide," he laughed, and I felt my magical reserves get halved in an instant.
He threw his head back as my magical energy transferred into him, his wings exploding on his back as they got rid of the excess, "Now you have no choice but to fight me!"
"Stop," I snapped harshly as I activated kingly gaze. The idiot's knees buckled as my magical reserves filled up again at an alarming rate, and my wings manifested behind me.
Dust rose where he fell. The loose stones at his boots flew a fair distance, and my girls shielded our side. Vali's shoulders dipped by a fraction as the weight pressed down. He pushed, and I respected his efforts. The ground cracked in a spiderweb beneath his boots as he stood up.
"You… your magic?!" He shouted in surprise. He clearly had experience at discerning someone's power, probably thanks to his sacred gear and practice. Not like I cared at the moment.
His eyes locked with mine as I flashed towards him. He tried to raise his arms to block, but he was too slow.
"Divide!" he shouted, and I felt again the effect. I opened the gates of the Aetherius a tiny bit to compensate and smiled, feeling my magic return even faster than before.
Raising my clawed hand, my wings held him in place for a second as his aura exploded around him, but a second was the only thing I needed.
With a sickening crunch, I grabbed him by the helmet, and my wings flapped. I dragged him towards the destroyed mountain range as I felt my reserves dip again in the tussle.
Rolling my eyes, I let him go with a full-powered kick to his chest, making him impact against the ruined floor, creating a crater.
"Did you ever stop to think that perhaps this was not the best moment?" I cracked my neck as I watched him lazily, "Did Azazel not teach you that?"
"How are you doing that?!" He obviously ignored my question and asked with a shout.
"And you, Albion? Can't you speak?" I ignored him in turn.
"Human," The ancient voice came from his gauntlet, but he sounded defensive, "I told him to wait; he decided not to listen."
"God, I'm surrounded by idiots," I sighed, "First those two fallens, then the Archangel, and now you two."
The Dragon inside the gauntlet growled at me. I just looked at him dryly, "I don't know if I pity you or fault you for this idiot being like this."
He fell silent at that while Vali finally got out of his crater, looking a bit tattered. I had not held back at all with my kick, and it showed. There were cracks across his chest, but apart from that, he was no worse for wear.
He was surprisingly durable.
"Whatever," I shook my head, "Look, I can fight you. Gladly, in fact," I began, "Hell, you are around Sairaorg's power level, and he is an idiot just like you."
"Then why all this?" he snapped at me, preparing himself.
I didn't move, "That being said… If I fight you now, I will kill you."
My messianic nature sprang forth as I allowed the Aetherius to cruise through my veins and called up Durindana. He took a step back.
It was clear that, as stupid as he was, he clearly didn't want to die to seek that high he was aiming for.
Durindana shone as I let the Aetherius bathe it in my light, and within a blink, I was next to him. The steel kissed his armored arm, cutting through his Balance Breaker like it wasn't even there.
He exclaimed something in alarm as he retreated. A thin spurt of blood stained the otherwise pristine white as he stared at it in shock.
"Vali…" The Dragon's voice came through his gauntlet.
"Again!" he said reflexively, grabbing the shaft of my spear. I let him, not moving an inch as half of the Aetherius disappeared.
"That doesn't work," I deadpanned, and the light returned, looking at him directly into his eyes and slowing him down with a single look. Swinging Durindana again, I left a nick on his leg.
But I could have cut it… and he knew it. As angry as I was and despite my threats, I didn't want to kill him. I just wanted him to back down.
However, a show of force clearly wouldn't work.
Then perhaps I should use a page from a blonde knucklehead.
Focusing on my third eye, I saw through Vali. Through his armored form, through his cocky facade, all the way through his essence, his very soul.
And the want to teach this dumbass a lesson evaporated from what I saw.
It wasn't as if I could see what he lived, but I saw the scars that afflicted him since he was a kid.
I dropped Durindana to the ground as he stared at me quizzically, "You have suffered."
"What are you talking about?" He asked defensively.
"You had a troubled childhood," I continued, looking at him sadly, "Your family? Yes… I can feel it."
"You have no idea what you're talking about!" He shouted at me, and I saw him take a step back.
"You… you desire family," I whispered, looking at him in a new light, "You… you seek strength, for vengeance?"
"Against whom?" I asked him, and I saw the desire for a fight leaving him just a tiny bit.
"Against family? Your… Father? No, he is already gone…" I continued walking towards him as he took a step back before squaring up angrily, "You enjoyed it, didn't you?"
"What are you?" He asked in a trembling voice.
"You already heard, Vali Lucifer," I responded neutrally, feeling his feelings, forming a connection between us without any of us meaning to, "You seek revenge against the one who made your father abusive. You want to kill him for what he did, for what he caused."
He dropped to the ground, his fighting spirit leaving his body completely. "That's why you seek challenges. You want to push yourself to the end, you want to grow, to become so strong that you can kill someone… and to make sure no one you know suffers what you suffered."
I stood in front of him, locking eyes with his troubled ones, mine firm and understanding, his torn between anger, confusion, and sadness.
"You don't want to die yet." I gave him my hand, which he stared at as if he didn't know what to make of it. Not that I blamed him, but still.
"Stop being an idiot, Vali," I sighed, pushing his back with my magic towards me, "Hell… you can give me your number and we can train together if that's what you want. No one from my group would see you in a bad light if they knew your circumstances. Just… not now."
He gave me his hand almost hesitantly, and I pulled him up, lowering my power and closing my eyes, bottling up everything on a tight leash.
Vali sighed, "You are weird… I'm not sure I want to be friends with you."
"Friendships start from nothing," I shrugged after barking a laugh at the idiot, "And yes, I know I can be pretty weird, but with all that happened… well, I can't complain."
I looked at him and grinned, "Look, we barely know each other, and I'm not asking you for the impossible or anything like that, just relax, let's exchange numbers, and we can plan for a spar at a later date. How does it sound?"
He looked at me, ramrod straight, before his shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly, "Fine, Fine. I don't know why I feel like I'll regret this later on."
"You might," I shrugged, "But you know what? Every powerful being in the world is missing some screws. If you want to push yourself in the future, you'll have to get used to dealing with us."
"So, you consider yourself powerful?" His armor disappeared into moths of light before returning into his gauntlet.
"Kid, I would have mopped the floor with you," I rolled my eyes, "I'm perhaps the worst kind of opponent you can face."
Vali's eyes narrowed as I smirked at him. He shook his head and sighed, "How did you do that?"
"Albion? Want to chip in? I'm curious what you could infer from our brief spat." I asked curiously.
"I have no idea what's been going on for a while back," the Dragon replied dryly as I laughed, "But… It has something to do with that holy power of yours. Quite different from the God of the Bible, by the way."
"Ah… you met him, right?" I asked curiously, not answering his implicit question, "What can you tell me about him?"
"He was a complicated being," He replied neutrally, "Which brings the question, why did he choose you? Or was it even him? Because you are not like him, nor your predecessor."
"Beats me," I shrugged as I put my hand on Vali's shoulder, "Don't resist."
With a thought, I apparated us into town.
"It was quite an unexpected situation, as you can expect," I continued after nodding at my girls that everything was good, "But we can speak of that later, if your wielder decides to take my offer."
Albion felt silent at that, and I felt his consciousness retreating as the gauntlet disappeared from Vali's arm. Not that I doubted that he was gone for good, because Vali nodded at nothing.
"Fine," he said, finally, putting his hand in front of me, and I took my phone out of my pocket.
"Azazel mentioned some peace talks between the Abrahamic factions, so, whatever."
Putting his number in, he returned my phone with a huff, "Whatever, I don't want to fight anymore. You made it weird."
Smiling at him, I nodded and saved his number, "I'll text you when I have time, then you'll get your fight. Might have to get used to fighting against someone like me."
"Whatever," he replied, acting uncaringly as he walked toward the two Archangels and Devil king that were shouting at each other in the distance.
"Ah, and I'll explain my magic when we meet again," I told him quietly, almost laughing at the way he perked up.
Seeing him go, I sighed. Who knew our lord and savior, Naruto Uzumaki, was right? I honestly had no idea how it worked, but I wasn't complaining.
Later.
Smiling at Rias, I scooped her up, earning a squeal from the redhead as she clung to my neck like a koala, "How are you feeling, love?"
"We were worried," she pouted, and Hermione nodded firmly.
"Worried about what?" I lifted my eyebrow as I lowered her to the ground and hugged Mione, "I'm the perfect example of calmness."
Fleur grinned, and Iris laughed out loud as Hermione rolled her eyes at me, "You know why. It would have been troublesome to get into conflict with the fallen after this."
"Bah," I huffed, "I'm capable enough to de-escalate a situation. And it was better to do it far away from here. It's not like I would have killed him or something, have some faith in me."
"It's not that and you know it," Hermione pouted, "But I'm glad you resolved everything, love."
She pecked my lips quickly and smiled, "What happened?"
I cracked my neck and threw a glance at the group, which was heating up in their discussion. "I managed to talk him down after a bit," I replied simply.
"That's not all," Iris rolled her eyes and poked my ribs.
"Not my story to tell, love. I will respect that. He is a bit of an idiot, but he deserves his privacy."
Rias tilted her head curiously, "You say that, but he didn't look like the kind of person that takes well to others."
"He doesn't," I admitted, "But that's exactly why it matters."
For a moment, they just looked at me before Iris smirked knowingly. She didn't press, which I appreciated, because explaining that I basically saw through the guy's soul wasn't something I wanted to throw into casual conversation. Not right now, anyway.
Instead, I leaned back against the ruined wall of a house and exhaled deeply. My magic hummed, keeping the rubble from collapsing further. At the same time, the last stragglers of the attacker were being rounded up by Sona's and Sai's peerages.
Asia was moving among the wounded under Madam Pranitha's watchful gaze, healing quietly and glancing at me. Even now, after everything, she still smiled softly at each person she touched. My chest loosened a fraction watching her.
Hermione followed my gaze and smiled faintly, "She's stronger than she thinks."
"She'll have to be," I said quietly, then shook the mood off, "But enough about that. Who's up for food? Because I swear to God, if I don't get something greasy and full of spice soon, I'm going to drop."
Fleur smirked, "Eli, you are always hungry."
"You love me like this," I grinned.
The moment lightened, and for a while we just… breathed. My girls clustered around me as I smiled.
Even Hermione, who tried so hard to keep her composure, slumped against my side like she'd been holding her breath the whole battle. She probably did, she never liked violence.
Not that she wasn't capable of it, my bushy haired lover had a mean streak when she wanted.
However, peace never lasted.
From a distance, my eyes narrowed as I caught sight of Uriel conjuring a blade of pure fire.
His voice carried even from here, sharpness and anger rolling out of him, and Serafall's own voice rose to meet it. Metatron stood stiffly at his side, trying to interject. At the same time, Vali hovered nearby with Kokabiel cuffed and writhing at his feet.
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Of course. They can't just wait five minutes before stabbing each other again."
Hermione frowned, "Elias…"
"Yeah, I know," I muttered, pushing off the wall, "Stay here. I'll deal with it."
"But-" Iris began, but I raised my hand.
"No buts. You all need to rest. I'm already stressed enough, and I swear if I see one more flaming sword, I'll shove it where the sun doesn't shine. They act like children when some of them are older than the damn known world."
That earned a laugh from Fleur and a snort from Iris, which was all I needed before stepping away. My boots crunched on the broken pavement as I walked toward the group of leaders, each word growing sharper in the air as the argument heated.
Uriel's eyes blazed as he shouted, "You do not understand! He and Satanael nearly brought Heaven itself to ruin! If that spear had not been destroyed, if he had succeeded in corrupting even a fragment of the system, it would have been devastation beyond measure! And you!" He jabbed his sword toward Metatron, who sighed in exasperation. "You nearly fell because of his machinations! Do you truly think we can allow him to return to the Grigori like nothing happened?"
Metatron, to his credit, didn't flinch. His wings glowed faintly; his face was calm, though tight with stress. Stress was on the faces of all of us.
"I am aware of what almost happened, Uriel. I had to suffer through it. But the situation is not that simple… must proceed with care."
Serafall huffed, crossing her arms; her frills, which she had fixed while I was gone, bounced animatedly as her magic flared in irritation.
"Proceed with care? Are you kidding me? This happened in devil territory. My sister and Rias's territory. The only reason half of you are complaining and not preparing for the worst is that we intervened in time. Kokabiel stays with us. We need proof to shove down the throats of the council, otherwise they'll just say we're exaggerating."
Vali's voice cut through the shouting, a voice that sounded fed up, "Azazel sent me for both traitors. Satanael is dead, but Kokabiel lives. He returns to the Grigori. That was my mission."
Uriel turned on him furiously, "You would defend this monster? After what he has done?"
Vali didn't flinch, though his smile was faintly mocking. "I don't think he will enjoy meeting Azazel after this mess. I retrieve him. That's all."
"You must know how vindictive your brother is, Archangel Uriel."
And that was about when I'd had enough.
"Alright, all of you," I said loudly, stepping into the circle with my hands spread casually, "That's enough conflict for one night."
Four sets of eyes snapped toward me. One furious, one exasperated, one amused, and one faintly relieved.
I strolled closer, grabbing Uriel's sword of fire with my bare hands as I took it away from him. "If you lot really want peace between the three factions, then maybe, just maybe, stop measuring who gets to spank Kokabiel first."
Uriel's glare sharpened through his surprise as his eyes shone hotter, "This is no jest, boy. He nearly…"
"I heard, and I was here. Hell, I fixed it," I cut him off flatly. "And I get it. Believe me, I do. But this isn't about what you want, or what Serafall wants, or even what Azazel wants. This concerns whether the Abrahamic factions desire peace. And if you are, then show some faith in each other."
Serafall frowned, "And what about proof? Without Kokabiel, it's Azazel who can sprout whatever nonsense he wants."
I rolled my eyes at her, "Didn't you say that you trusted that Azazel wanted peace between you all? Enough to know he wasn't working with the wannabe elf? And besides that, I can get my hands on a nifty little artifact that shows our memories of the attack, even if he were to lie, we have more than a dozen people who can show what happened."
She blinked at me, looking suspicious. "And how exactly did you know about the peace talks, Elias?"
I turned my head slowly toward Vali, whose eyes widened, and jabbed a finger at him with a grin. "He told me."
Vali's head snapped around, "I what?!"
The look on Serafall's face was priceless. She tilted her head with a sweet smile, clearly filing it away for later, "Did he now?"
She was the Satan responsible for dealing with other factions, and seeing that I had gotten through Vali enough for him to tell me a 'secret' was important.
She probably didn't realize that Vali didn't care much about the secret to begin with.
Vali growled, "Don't drag me into your mess, you bastard!"
I just grinned at him.
Uriel's eyes dimmed a fraction, though his jaw was still clenched. "Even if what you say is true, Elias, what justice is there if Heaven cannot punish the one who nearly destroyed us?"
He sounded a bit more polite, making me hide a smile.
I met his eyes neutrally, "Justice isn't about who gets to swing the sword, Archangel Uriel. It's about making sure the world doesn't burn down around us because the three of you can't play nice with each other."
I sighed, "You want peace? Then swallow your pride. Kokabiel goes back with Vali. Heaven doesn't need his corpse to prove a point. Devils don't need him rotting in a cell. What you need is stability."
Silence fell for a moment. Even Serafall, who loved her dramatics now that the situation wasn't as dire, looked away with a pout, clearly unwilling but begrudgingly convinced.
Metatron inclined his head, serene as ever, as he shot me a thankful smile, "He is correct, Uriel. The balance must be preserved, and you know your brother, the Grigori, will deal with him."
"Think of what Michael would do in your place," He said softly.
Uriel's shoulders slumped, though the fire in his eyes still burned stubbornly.
He was stubborn, for fucks sake. Like, genuinely, he was the only one still complaining.
Finally, with a harsh exhale, he dismissed his holy power, "So be it. But if Azazel fails to punish him, it will not be Heaven's fault when our tremulous peace shatters."
Vali smirked faintly, bending to haul Kokabiel up by his collar. The fallen groaned weakly with eyes still vacant under the suppression cuffs, "Come on, traitor. Azazel will want words with you."
Serafall huffed again, flicking her hair and hitting me in the face with it, "Fine. But the devils keep the rest of the Fallen. The low-level Fallen, they stay here."
Uriel added coldly as he looked at the prisoners, "And we will take the strays who betrayed their oaths, as well as the humans that helped Satanael. They will answer to Heaven."
I nodded slowly before adding sarcastically, "Then it's settled. Everyone gets a piece of the pie; no one starts another war. Congratulations, you managed what's called a basic compromise."
Serafall shot me a look that was half amused, half annoyed. "You're insufferable sometimes, you know that?"
"Part of my charm," I blew her a raspberry, "You can say that it's my nature."
Vali glanced back at me as he started walking away, dragging Kokabiel by the cuff of his shirt.
For just a second, his eyes met mine.
Still troubled, but calmer than before. He said nothing, but I knew he would answer my message when I contacted him. And in some way, I was itching to show him who's boss.
The little shit deserved a beating.
"Before you all go," I added hesitantly, "I'm afraid that I have bad news. For all of us."
"I know you all have some questions for me," I looked at Vali and the Archangels, "And I won't deny it no longer. I am connected to your faction as much as I am with the wizards of Britain, but I will be here for the long run for multiple reasons."
"That being said, I would prefer to talk when our tempers have returned to normal, as well as dealing with the situation at hand," I continued, smiling apologetically at the pair of Archangels, because they were the ones more interested in me.
"That being said," I rubbed my neck, "I'm afraid that the storm is not over for us, not by a long shot."
"What are you talking about, Elias?" Serafall asked seriously.
Sighing, I dragged my hand through my face. Vali stared at me curiously. Serafall's dread was showing, and even the Archangels noticed that what I was about to say would be dire.
"So… You remember the Dragon and the humanoid monsters?" I asked softly, earning nods from everyone present bar Uriel, "Well… Turns out that was the Seiryuu, and those monsters? It was one of the principal clans under the Shinto faction."
Serafall paled comically, and even Uriel's eyes widened noticeably while Metatron sighed sadly. The only one who didn't react much was Vali, but the bastard probably didn't care about them.
"I managed to get through the corruption of the Seiryuu, albeit momentarily, and we communicated before I killed it," I sighed, "He showed me what happened, and who caused it. Satanael had much more to pay for, but… The Shinto might cause trouble for all of us."
"And that's not all," I shrugged unapologetically, "I am part divine, somehow. Don't ask, I don't even know how, because I still have no idea how or why this happened to me. And I just fought with my full power in the middle of Japan. With a fake sun. Under the noses of the Shinto Gods. And despite their corrupted nature, Devils, Wizards, and Angels killed every single one of the Kushihashi clan."
Serafall groaned before she perked up hopefully, "The Shinto Gods ignore the mortal world most of the time. There's a possibility they didn't notice, and we have time to think of a solution."
Metatron nodded in confirmation, and I saw Uriel's shoulders drop.
With my most deadpanned expression, I dashed their hopes, "While I was fighting the Azure Dragon, I felt eyes on me. Divine eyes, to be exact. They retreated once I dealt with the Dragon."
"Maybe it wasn't anyone of importance? Or at least not that high up in the hierarchy?" Vali tilted his head, finally realizing the mess we were in.
"Uhu," Serafall nodded hopefully, smiling gratefully at Lucifer's descendant.
"It tried to take control of my sun," I replied direly, "And failed."
"Fuuuuuuck," Serafall hid her face under her hands and groaned.
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