Celestial Ascendancy
Chapter 89: Arrangements.
Elias Black.
Kuoh, Japan.
"Iris, you know I love you with all my heart," I deadpanned at my black-haired girlfriend, "Care to run what you just said one more time?"
Iris smirked unrepentantly, looking smug as everyone in our group looked at her with varying levels of shock.
"I said that I managed to convince the Japanese wizards to relocate back to Britain," she said smugly, looking so proud of herself, to the point that I couldn't find an answer.
I wanted to bonk her head to make her explain a bit more, but someone beat me to it.
"How?!" Daphne looked shocked, even Nym had her eyes widened, "We tried that venue, but they were adamant that they wanted to keep their autonomy."
Nymphadora nodded profusely, backing up Daphne as she looked at Iris in confusion. For my part, I was just glad that she was acting a bit like before, not all doom and gloom, even if I knew that it would… take a long time for her to surpass what happened to her.
God, I couldn't even imagine how she felt. I was a man, and while I didn't doubt that in this world something like this can happen to any male, I didn't think I could suffer from this thanks to my strength. It had never been in my mind.
But… just the thought of something like this happening to one of my girls threatened to bring back the wrath I was trying so hard to keep in check.
Iris blew them a raspberry teasingly; her eyes showed a hint of pity as she looked at the witches. Or the witch and whatever Nym was now.
Nephalem? They didn't exist in this world, that I knew for sure since I had been curious. But what I had done to her made her something like what I had read in various media throughout my past life. Something to ponder on, I think.
"They didn't have much of an option after the attack, Daphne," Iris sighed as she got serious, everyone listening carefully. "They don't trust the principal clans after it was leaked that Suzaku's grand uncle was the one who summoned the magicians, and they are afraid of direct war, which they would lose even before the majority of their police force was decimated, as well as sixty percent of their governing body."
"Ah, I wondered if you knew about that," Hermione winced.
Amaterasu, who was about to leave with Ouryuu and Suzaku, stopped in her tracks. The two heirs, or the heir and the new clan head, looked ashamed and lowered their heads, but didn't complain.
"They were never under the umbrella of the Shinto, as they told me quite firmly," Iris looked at the Goddess with her utmost seriousness. "They had been ignored for all of their existence and never received support from your faction. I would think it won't be a problem to take them with us as long as we promise that there won't be any retaliation from their side, no?"
The sun Goddess looked upset, but she nodded, "It is as you said, child."
Then she looked at Iris curiously, no doubt thinking of what Odin had said about her during the meeting. She sighed, "We never interfered with them ever since the ancient pact was signed, and in the past, even the principal clans left them alone. They can do as they please."
"We will be in contact with you, Lord Elias," Suzaku bowed her head, "My grand uncle was at fault, and I will do my best to support this move as much as I can."
Amaterasu looked at me, then at Iris, "I shall be in contact with Serafall. I'm sure we can find a way to mend this situation, so that we can start our alliance on a positive note."
Then she disappeared in a storm of flames, taking away her companions at the same time.
I sighed, knowing that as much as the situation had calmed down, things were far from over.
Conflicts of this proportion were slow to fix, and the worst part was that, as affected as our side was, we were the weak link in this alliance. Amaterasu and even the devils themselves were helping not because it was the right thing to do, but because of our potential.
I didn't know if Odin had this in mind when he said those things during the meeting, but he had genuinely helped. I wouldn't put it past him to have this in mind. He was old, and more importantly, wise enough to pull one over everyone else. After all, I was what he was hoping to be the answer to their Ragnarök.
He never said it outright, but I could read between the lines. He was so accommodating to us because he specifically wanted my help. Well, mine and Iris, probably. But Iris was too much of a wildcard because she didn't understand her powers yet.
Something we needed to fix sometime soon.
Odin nodded at me from a distance, and I nodded back, "See you around, brat. Keep training your little group. We will let you know when your aid is needed."
"Take care, old man," I smirked at him, "And thanks for the Valkyrie."
His eye squinted as I laughed, grabbing Rosse's shoulders as the girl squeaked something out. Baldur grinned at me, then patted his father's back.
"Take care of her, Elias," Baldur smiled, "I can see how much happier Rossweisse is following your group instead of my father, but if something happens to her, we all will have to answer to her grandmother. Believe me, that's not something any of us want."
Odin, much to my surprise and growing dread, nodded profusely as he shuddered, "Gondul is not someone you want to cross, brat. Take care of the lass. And lass... I will let your grandmother know you finally followed through with her desire."
Then he was gone.
I had no idea what they were talking about, but Rosse blushed like never before as she sputtered something before she banged her feet on the floor. Then she pulled away from me as if I was on fire, much to my confusion.
Azazel just laughed, looking at Rosse with a smirk, then he shook his head.
He had been… not what I expected, in truth. From what I heard from Serafall, he was not serious, no matter the situation. Which probably showed how fucked the world was, since he didn't joke around much during the meeting.
He had Vali propped up by the scruff of his neck as if he were a cat, while the rest of Vali's team followed a bit behind.
"I'll take care of the brats," he nodded to Serafall, "and will make sure to send you a package with everything I can gather as soon as possible."
His magic circle lit up and covered his whole group, but before they disappeared, he looked at me, "Elias… Thank you for sparing the idiot. I will have a lengthy talk with him before the night ends. I have... many questions, but they can wait."
Sighing, I looked at Vali, who was glaring at his team as they started laughing at him, "I can see how good you can be, Vali. Do not make your mother ashamed of meeting you when you die. You can get your vengeance and make her proud of her son, don't be an idiot."
"It's not too late that you can't change," I send another wave of healing energy at him. Just enough to get the worst of it. Mainly the organs that, to my eyes, visibly began repairing themselves. I had no idea how good their healing was, or if they even had healing available, so it was better not to risk it.
I didn't know why I had such a soft spot for him, but it was undeniable now. At least now that I had calmed down, I didn't want to splatter his brain like before.
They were gone before he could open his mouth, and he just nodded with a firm look on his face.
Well, I did what I could. Now, it was only up to him.
I just hoped he would take the opportunity for some much-needed introspection. Because having your whole life guided by vengeance would only end up badly. He needed a harem.
I thought the last part jokingly, but it was what grounded me, personally. I loved my girls, and I tried my best to be someone they would be proud of and to protect them as much as I could.
Having loved ones was important, and while I didn't know if the idiot had someone like that, he should at least consider his group to start.
"Anything else before we retreat, Sera?" I looked at the small devil who pouted at me.
Feeling a bit more daring after such a tiring night, I patted her head.
I was not a bean sprout, but I was tall enough, around 6'1, almost 6'2. That compared to Sera? She was the perfect pettable size. Her eyes crossed as she looked at my hand in confusion. I just smiled at her and allowed my light to flow; her eyes closed as she sighed and almost slumped.
I had noticed a few weeks ago, how much she… felt around my light. I could call her a friend, even with the politics involved, but that didn't mean I knew much about her life apart from what was readily available online or from her sister. But she always acted differently when she felt my light in person.
I didn't know how long I kept my hand on her head, but it felt too soon when she took a step back. Her eyes, a beautiful blue, sparkled with so many sentiments I couldn't name them all before they passed as her usual peppy act took the reins.
"I don't…" she began, pondering my previous question before we were interrupted by a flash of light.
The wall behind us flashed once before crumbling, and Metatron went flying across the courtyard, his new gold-tinted feathers scattering as he righted himself midair with a startled flap.
He didn't look hurt; he just looked shocked. Hell, for a moment, so was I.
Fearing the worst, I turned, and everyone else did the same. God, why couldn't we end the night on a positive note for once?
Then my jaw hit the ground. From the smoking hole in the wall stepped Gabriel, with puffed cheeks, glaring at Metatron. Her eyes were red, and she looked as if she was about to cry, her twelve white wings flaring before she shot forward again in a blur.
Another crash echoed behind me, but I didn't dare look. Instead, I focused on the angels nearby.
Uriel was practically steaming, his face matching the color of his hair as he clenched his teeth hard enough to crack. Raphael had one hand over his face, shaking with what I hoped was suppressed laughter.
And Michael… poor Michael had a bright red handprint on his cheek.
For one horrifying second, I thought she'd hit him. Then I noticed his own palm glowing just as red.
He'd slapped himself.
"What's going on?" I asked without thinking, looking at the scene in shock as the sounds of a beating sounded behind me. I could hear cackles coming out of Iris, but everyone else was silent, waiting for an answer.
The Archangel Michael smiled as if nothing was wrong as I heard Metatron yelp in pain, and I had to commend Michael, because his lips didn't even twitch as he regarded us.
"While the peace meeting was bigger than what we anticipated, the original intention was to have peace between the Abrahamic factions," he smiled peacefully, ignoring the flashes of holy light showing through his eyes.
I heard a feminine scream of rage as I focused on Michael's pupils, seeing through their reflection as Gabriel lifted Metatron from his legs and did a surprisingly adept move of a German suplex. The ground trembled as his head wormed into the floor.
Michael continued to ignore it, "And, after what we saw, we believe that we need to have someone to work as a relay with you, Elias Black. It was unanimously decided that Metatron, whom you seem to know best, would stay here in Kuoh, along with some exorcists, so we can communicate while you are here. As a second mission, Metatron was tasked with studying the connection that the church has with heaven, since he is the most knowledgeable about it."
"And?" I asked, not knowing if I wanted to hear his answer.
No one moved as we all exchanged glances. Gabriel returned, her cheeks red from the effort, a bit of dirt on her forehead. She didn't say anything, just pouted at Michael.
"Gabriel wanted to be assigned instead of Metatron," Michael shrugged, "But she has work to do left in heaven."
"Metatron decided to allow me to visit after our conversation," Gabriel smiled prettily, "it turns out that he also approved of my plan."
She even nodded her head with a sweet smile as she glanced at me.
I didn't even know if I should say anything.
"It's time we go, then," Michael said serenely, "I hope to see more of you, Elias. Thank you for showing us that there's a future for us. We will stay in touch."
I gave him a firm handshake, not knowing what else to do. Raphael nodded at me, but the look in his eyes showed that he had many, many questions left to ask. Uriel ignored me, just turning around and walking toward the distance as he prepared a magical circle.
Cunt.
Gabriel, on the other hand, hugged me tightly enough to feel my back crack, "You have brought hope to heaven, Elias. Thank you, and I hope to see you during my visits."
Returning the hug, even if hesitantly, I smiled at the angel, "Thank you for your kind words, Gabriel. And I hope that too."
She smiled, dimples showing as she all but skipped towards her brothers, and they were gone in a flash of light.
"I think the next meetings should be through mail," I sighed, dragging my hand through my face.
That did it. Iris cackling madly, and even Sera and some of my girls giggled.
"Ever since I learned about the supernatural, I had been curious about the angels," Nym said almost neutrally, making me smile when I saw her lips twitching.
"Seeing them being so… human. It makes me feel better," she sighed, before a small smile broke through her face as she let out a breath. "Thank you, cousin. For not listening to my wish."
"I could never kill you, or allow anyone to do it, Nym," I caressed her back softly, bathing her in my light as she shuddered and a tear fell from her eyes, "I don't have much family left, and like hell I'll allow it to decrease."
She hugged me, and I felt Iris, Mione, and Fleur hug the metamorph from behind.
"So… are we done, Sera?" I called out, before realizing that she had gone her way.
She was discussing with Ajuka, her arms flailing wildly as she screamed in hushed whispers. Not that she was convincing him, because I knew that look in his eyes.
She waved at me, then looked at Ajuka and pulled his cheek.
God, I wanted to sleep.
Walking towards them, I finally heard through the spell as soon as I entered the area.
"Idiot, you're needed in the underworld! Falbium barely works, Red will be busy with the council and the whining Lords, and I will have my plate full of the Shinto for a while! You can't stay here!" She screamed at the green-haired devil.
"Surely you can convince Falbium to keep an eye out for at least two weeks, Serafall," Ajuka rolled his eyes, "I need to study both Elias and his cousin. What he did was nothing short of a miracle, and we need to know about it. Even more importantly, we need to find out everything we can before he turns Rias and her peerage into whatever his cousin now is."
"Nephalem," I interrupted them, earning confused looks from both Devil Kings, "That's what I decided to call what she is."
Ajuka's eyes shone with curiosity as he took a peek at Nym, who was talking with Mione back there, then nodded.
"A good name. A new race, I can't believe it. A perfect mix between demonic and holy," he breathed out, looking as if he was about to walk over there.
Moments like this showed me how human devils could be, too. As did the angels from before. They were nothing like what I would have thought if I didn't have any knowledge of DxD.
It was surprising, yet heartwarming.
"Even then, Ajuka, you can't drop your work as a Satan to stay here, and not only that, Elias and his cousin are under no obligation to let you run scans on them!" Serafall sighed, looking as if this were a typical conversation with the devil.
"I can pay," Ajuka shrugged, and I almost snorted. He could be kind of an idiot.
"No can do," Serafall harrumphed, "You're needed in the underworld, now more than ever. Red will need backup, and I won't be able to give it while I'm here. And I don't trust you enough to deal with the Shinto without causing another incident."
"Come on, Serafall," Ajuka almost whined.
God, what the fuck was this day.
"No!" Sera put her hands on her hips.
"Serafall, Sirzechs will back me up in this. No one missed the look Rias had when he changed his cousin." Ajuka tried another direction, "And we don't know anything about this change, if it has any dangerous side effects, nothing!"
"I would also like to know about this," I finally spoke, looking between them, "I winged basically everything, while I was aided by something, and doubt something negative will come out of it, I would like to know everything."
"See?" Ajuka looked at Serafall with a triumphant expression, "It's for the best."
Sera sighed, but there was a slight smile on her face, "Ajuka, Eli can probably see through you, and I know you too much to know this isn't about the side effects, you are just curious."
I nodded at him, rolling my eyes at the devil.
"So don't bother lying," Sera nodded, then stuck her tongue out as she began thinking, tapping her cheek with her finger.
"You can't be gone for long, that's final," she sighed, "but I believe that Eli will visit the underworld for a while, since Rias is participating in the youth devil gathering, as well as meeting Venelana and Zeoticus. Why don't we give each other some time to prepare? It's just some weeks."
"But I need the information now, Serafall. I need to be present, or at least close to see how the changes act out during their day-to-day," Ajuka shook his head.
Serafall sighed loudly, then her eyes lit up, "What about little Latia?"
"What about her?" Ajuka looked as if he didn't care, but I saw his fists clenching.
"She's an intelligent young lady. And I know that she's quite curious about your work. What if we bring her here? She's friends with Rias and Sona, so her presence won't lift eyebrows like a Satan staying with some humans. She can record her findings so that you can read them when Elias visits the underworld. Win-Win scenario."
Ajuka clicked his tongue, making me let out a soft laugh at his irritation, but then he nodded.
"Latia can do it, and you're right, she won't attract attention. She can follow them around, as long as Elias takes her cousin to the underworld. What's your plan, Elias?" he asked me.
"Before I explain, let's talk payment," I grinned at him before my smile retreated, "I need something from you devils as well… for the wizards, not me. But I'm sure we can work something that benefits both of our factions."
Sera's smile dimmed, but she nodded thoughtfully, while Ajuka didn't care much.
"The Old Satan Faction was at fault, but they are devils too. What do you need, Eli?" she asked.
"As you might have heard, Iris, somehow, managed to convince the Japanese wizards to… relocate," I began, "that being said, that's easier said than done, as well as quite expensive. And security is also needed for Britain."
They were listening, at least.
"I want three things," I smiled apologetically at Sera, "First, Ajuka's help to create a teleportation circle capable of moving every witch and wizard we can manage to gather back to Britain."
"Easier said than done," Ajuka grunted, then nodded, "Whatever. I'll do it. But you will power it up."
"Gladly," I smiled at him before I frowned, "But won't my holy magic interfere with what I suppose would be a demonic spell?"
He shook his head, smiling lightly, and if I read more into it, a bit gloatingly, "I'm an expert in human magic as well, Elias. Something like that won't stop me. That will also show me how your magic works, so I win too."
Sera rolled her eyes in amusement before she glanced at me and poked my stomach to continue.
"Secondly, I need resources. Like I said, I won't ask for more than is necessary, and I'm happy to hear if you have better ideas. But we would be relocating thousands of people to another country, and while I'm sure Ajuka can create a teleportation circle to move their entire governing infrastructure, their homes, food, and the like would be lost. I'd need construction materials, food, and gold. Nothing outrageous, but enough to stop the idiots from doing something stupid."
At that, even Sera winced. She tapped her foot on the floor a couple of times before she nodded.
"Baldy, can you come here?" she called the only devil king I hadn't spoken to.
Falbium Asmodeus. From what Rias had told me, he was an unrepentant lazy person, but one of the best friends her brother had. Someone who could be trusted on, if you managed to even convince him to help, because he preferred to sleep most of the time.
He for sure wasn't sleepy now, though. He was looking at me with vigilance, even when Sera told him to calm down. His magic, shield focused, coated his body even if he didn't want to.
I don't think I had done anything to spook him this much, but I just smiled at him.
"Lord Falbium," I nodded, "A pleasure to meet you. Sera has told me a bit about you."
He looked at my outstretched hand, then grabbed it tightly with a stiff smile.
"Then it was nothing good," he said softly, "Probably true, though."
Cracking a smile at him, I retreated since it was evident that I was making him uncomfortable.
"Baldy, what do you think of this?" She explained what I had asked in my second demand, and the bald devil frowned, then looked between us.
"We can give enough to set you for a month or three in physical provisions, then gold. I'm sure Serafall can put you in contact with our providers if you need more. From what I know, Wizards are not exactly numerous, so it should not be a problem," he explained.
Nodding and thinking, I began doing the numbers in my head. I had no idea if they were lowballing me or anything, but I trusted Sera, and Ajuka to an extent. In a way, I was winning, because we wizards had magic at our disposal to help us plant food or treat animals, unlike the devils, whose demonic power didn't mesh well with life.
Also... I had infinite gold.
"Thank you, that works," I smiled at him, earning a nod before he retreated back to Sirzechs.
"Don't mind him, Eli. He will warm up to you," Sera smiled apologetically.
Waving her off, I continued, "Then, finally, I want your help securing our lands."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Ajuka asked curiously.
"Don't know if you know, so let me explain. Hogwarts was built by the founders atop a collection of ley lines back in the day. They were used to power up the wards around the school for hundreds of years. That being said, it wasn't enough during the war, so the headmaster, some professors, Mione back there, and Seekvaira worked hard for some time inside a bubble made by Lord Agares. They made a protective ward that was powered up by me, which covers a good portion of the location."
"But it's not enough," Ajuka nodded.
"It's not enough," I nodded back, "Considering that the majority of Wizarding Britain moved to the surroundings, it works for now, but taking thousands of Japanese wizards and witches along with their infrastructure will put a strain on. I want your help in either making the ward more potent and bigger, or if you have another option, I'm all ears."
"Leylines, huh," Ajuka whispered while he shared a glance with Serafall. They probably had a whole conversation in that moment as Serafall nodded firmly, and Ajuka sighed.
"Fine. I know what to do. And it will be even better than what you have right now, but I'll need your help as well," Ajuka said firmly, "And we're clean from this mess, as well as my studies with your cousin and you. Are we clear?"
"Of course, Ajuka. We're allies," I smiled softly. "I wouldn't even ask for this if I could help it, but we're starting as a faction, and I need to look out for my people. I hope you two understand that."
"Now, I'm sure you all need to have a super-secret meeting or whatever, and I would like to retreat with my girls, so see you all soon. I'm sure it will take some days until you're ready, so let me know so that we can prepare." I waved my hand as I patted Serafall's head once more, earning a huff from the cute devil.
"A week," Ajuka said softly, "A week is more than enough. Have every wizard you wish to take with you in the ruins of their ministry."
Chuckling, I grabbed Iris's hand as I pulled her in, and with a whistle, Ash teleported us home.
Later.
It had been no more than an hour, which was mostly used to set Daphne and Tonks inside my hollow. That way they could rest without fearing for their lives, and Dobby was keeping an eye on them in case they needed anything.
Then, Asia, Rosse and Xenovia retreated to their rooms to finally rest, leaving only my girls.
"There's a lot we need to talk about," I sighed, looking at Iris who was just finishing making herself ready for bed, "but I suppose that can wait for another day."
"Yeah," she pecked my lips with a small smile, "Moriyama survived. I found him under some debris while we were getting all the survivors together. Genbu offered her clan to keep an eye on the ministry, so we have a bit of time to make the announcements."
"That girl is adorable," Akeno smiled as she threw herself to the bed. God, that jiggle was out of this world. I think that from all my girlfriends, she was the most voluptuous.
"That she is, did you see the turtle? I wanted him to pet him so bad," I laughed softly, feeling an angry pull through my bond with Ash.
"Not as adorable as my baby, obviously," I quickly corrected myself.
Iris was smirking at me, probably knowing what had just happened.
"Tomorrow's a new day; we can deal with everything later. I'm drained," Rias sighed as she also got herself comfortable on top of Akeno.
"Preach it," I let out a soft breath, before I sighed, "No. I need to do something before I sleep."
Saying that, I called for the grimoire, smiling as I felt the familiar weight.
600 Celestial Points available.
[Wisdom of the Jotunn, God of War 2018] 200 Points.
The Jotunn have proven that they are skilled at barring access to those who they do not wish to enter and hiding the only entrance. You too have found a prodigious talent in creating, and learning how to make, both magical and physical barriers. Whether they be wards, walls, even hiding the gate in a place it's not supposed to be, all of this is possible with time and the right resources. At the beginning you would be at Faye's level in creating magical barriers, being able to hide an entire forest from the sight of the gods along with keeping them from entering. Similarly for physical barriers you start on par with Thamur, though with dedicated practice and experimentation you can eventually create wonders equal to the Jotunn's greatest works. Like hiding an entire realm from the gods.
[Gulltoppr, God of War] 100 Points.
Much like Heimdell of the Aesir, you have a mount that you can ride into battle. Gulltoppr takes the form of a lion-like creature with large horns, and is strong enough to cause Kratos himself some problems in terms of brute strength. Additionally should you have any abilities involving elemental damage or poison, Gulloppr will be able to channel those elements and control them as easily as you can. Should Gulltoppr die, they will return in three days.
[Skull Clad, Bleach] 300 Points (It was cheaper, but fuck it, I'm the author.)
The favour of Hell is a strange thing to collect and many would question what exactly the intentions of one so deeply connected to it's Will are. However it came to be, golden light coalesced around your form into an armor made from human bones, shining with sinful light. This armor represents the invested power of the Kushanada, the caretaker's of Hell, and thus your own authority in that realm. The most obvious result is an increase in spiritual power, reinforcing your soul with the energy of hell, similar to maintaining a Shikai or Resurreccion state while the armor is summoned.
More interesting are the hellish abilities you have access to. You can travel freely to and from Hell, summoning the Gates to enter the place and then exit again anywhere the realm might have reach. You can both create and command the chains of hell as well as summon the Kushanada. The chains are near unbreakable even to a Captain level opponent and can bind the spiritual energy of others or drag them down into hell, if the Gate is active. The Kushanada are gigantic gorilla-like demons who guard Hell and torment it's prisoners, each one more than a match for any Vice-Captain Shinigami. The permanent investment of power you have received also gives you the same immortality as the Togabito, slowly reforming in Hell if you are ever killed. Unless your soul is completely destroyed, you will reappear in a few days in your realm. You'll retain access to the Hell of this world in future, though the sinners of the past worlds will be left behind, and can attempt to claim similar influence over other Hells. If you can convince it's guards to invest their power or conquer them yourself, at least.
Whatever I was expecting, this clearly wasn't it. I was just glad that my new partner wouldn't appear directly in my hollow until I called him, because I didn't want to imagine the fright it would cause to Nym and Daphne.
God… I was too tired for this shit.
Kissing each of my girls on the forehead, I promised to explain later down the line, because for the first time, I was genuinely exhausted by rolling my Grimoire.
Ignoring the pouts and snaky hands, I closed my eyes with a small smile.
Well… Tomorrow was another day.
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