HLnovel Chapter 63: Recovering
Chapter 63: Recovering
Chapter 63: Recovering
So... A quick announcement. Considering the real life affairs overloading my plate, and how far this story itself has gone... I'm afraid I have to, hereby mark the Legacy story to be abandoned. Although I do not mind if there's anyone who wants to adopt it, picking up where I left off.
As for other story such as Iron Heart, RWBY: Redeemer, Gunslinger DxD; do not fret, they are still alive, but more like on hiatus, because my muse on NEO is still on full throttle. Thank you very much for those who had been supporting One-Punch DxD: Legacy, but it is time for this new ride. Cheers!
To read the flow of energy and become one with the flow
Issei repeated that mantra as he recollected the experiences he encountered each and every time.
He did not know why he kept repeating this excerpt in his mind, but he felt as if it was very important.
There was another saying from his teacher, that one must learn to surpass death with sheer will to become something more on his own terms. It was something Garou learned from an enemy long ago
It reminded him of something called the Forced Evolution Process.
This excerpt continued to repeat in his mind he wondered why
He could not mimic the techniques of others just as easily as Garou, which was why he decided to build on his current strengths instead.
His mind flashed to the time he was struck by the lightning of Magni and Modi.
It was a powerful lightning that could reshape the lands and paint the world in perpetual storm light. Issei clenched his fists as he envisioned the power of the thunder gods.
To feel the flow of energy and become one of it the mimic the flow was but an extension.
Feel with his other senses other than sight
Issei reached out with his hand, envisioning the lightning that roasted him through his armor. He could touch it though there was something blocking his hand as he reached out. It was leathery and weird, very tensile and stretchy.
He slowly broke his hand through the barrier and grasped the lightning in his hand, the essence of Divine Lightning that lay only in the realm of the gods.
And when he did, he heard someone calling out his name.
"...Issei!"
Issei opened his eyes as he gasped, blinking at the sudden glare of the brightness of the ceiling light.
He blinked rapidly as he shook out the daze out of his head.
Where was he? What happened?
And
When the blur faded, he blinked as he saw the light again. He could see the lightbulb past the glaring illumination. He wasn't as affected by the light, unbothered.
He looked around, seeing the girls around him.
Tsubasa was crying tears while holding his outstretched hand, Irina holding his other hand with tears as well.
"What what happened?" Issei asked, blinking again. Their faces were much crisper and more detailed than he remembered.
"Shhhh Issei. How many fingers am I holding?"
Issei heard Kiyome's voice behind him.
He saw three fingers entering his vision from above.
"...Three? And wait, what's that covering your hand?" Issei asked. He saw thick, rigid plates of organic gray covering the hand of who he presumed was Kiyome.
"I can show you later. What was the last thing you remember?" Kiyome asked.
Issei blinked as he tried to recall his memories. There was a battle oh, he went with the others to rescue Stjarna but
"Oh shit." Issei remembered super Rizevim. "Shit. Agh, goddamn it." Issei rubbed his hair. "What happened? How am I still alive?" He remembered a lot of searing agony.
"Thank Stjarna for that. He broke you down and reconstructed your body via metamorphosis. Your body is now part Stjarna, I suppose. You lost your eyes, ears, your skin it was very bad." Kiyome explained as Issei saw the worried eyes of the girls.
"Shit how long was I out?"
"Three days." Rias answered with a teary smile.
"...Oof. Alright, how do I look? Did I get anything new from Stjarna?" Issei asked.
"Well your skin and your eyes received the most changes. Plus your nerves have been altered as well. I don't know how much of Stjarna's powers you got, but your sight should receive the most significant changes." Kiyome asked as Issei rose up, sitting on the bed.
"Also, um" the beast tamer suddenly paused, looking awkward all of sudden.
"What? What is it?" Issei asked with a concerned look. He looked around and saw the girls were looking a tad uncomfortable as well.
The boy then sighed, "...Look, just spit it out. I'm sure-"
Issei paused when he was about to run his hand through his locks, which were not there. When his hand reached to his head - he felt a smooth skin instead of the bushy feeling of his hair. His eyes widened and looked around the room.
Now that he noticed - his father, Genos, Azazel, Tobio and Vali team were there. The former was hiding a small smile behind his knuckles, the second looked stoic as ever, while the rest of others were visibly struggling to keep themselves from laughing.
Koneko on the other hand, simply walked towards Issei and held up a hand-held mirror, allowing Issei to see the reflection of his state of being.
"No.. No! NO!" Issei's blood ran cold when he saw the state of his head.
His unbelievably shiny scalp with its reflected light stronger than the source..
"Yeah You've been burned pretty bad there. While Stjarna managed to somehow regenerate your cells. Well, I guess it's not that perfect." Kiyome explained with an awkward smile.
In the place of Issei's hair, was a smooth bald head.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Issei's wail traveled throughout the entire laboratory, then all of the Grigori's headquarters.
His overdramatic scream broke Azazel and Tobio into laughter at his expense.
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Vali and his team broke into laughter, their mirth still drowned by Issei's vocalized anguish while Saitama started to snicker.
Even Arthur and Kuroka were holding their stomachs, Le Fay and Bikou joining in as well with teary eyes.
The girls only smiled at Issei's reaction as they started giggling at his dismay.
Issei's scream lasted for a while, leaving him huffing for breath, "Hah hah hah"
"Are you done?" Vali asked with a shit-eating grin.
Issei flipped Vali the bird.
"Now you're truly your father's son."
Issei double-flipped Azazel with a frown. He then took another look at his appearance - aside from the loss of his hair, the rest of the changes were quite alright; his skin became a tad paler, and the pupils on his eyes became more like slits, sharper - giving some sort of animalistic vibe. For some reason, it was either him, or he saw some sort of 'colors' in the air around him, but that was a thought for later.
He then felt a hand on his shoulder, only to find his father smiling patronizingly at him.
"It's not that bad, son. Believe me, I've been there." Saitama nodded, "Just think about it - you don't need to worry about buying shampoo, combing your hair Honestly, it's quite handy. Besides, I don't think your friends here have a problem with your current appearance, right?"
"Shut up. Unlike where you come from, we have magic! Please, tell me there's magic for this!" He begged as he turned to Rias and the girls.
"...And what would you give me if we gave you a spell for that?" Rias asked with a cheshire smirk.
Issei stared at Rias for a second before pouting in return, "I'm not becoming a devil. A Demon God, on the other hand"
"Why not a Devil God? After all, apparently our ancestors are demons and-" Rias asked with a pout
"Rias, what about the curse on our bloodlines?" Akeno asked.
"Shhhh!" Rias turned to Akeno and shushed her.
"...What curse?" Issei asked.
Rias sighed with the cat's out of the bag.
"Let me take over from here." Azazel stepped forward.
Issei sat there as Azazel narrated the story of the Demons and their origins.
Issei blinked, dropping his jaws that there was once a peaceful race on Earth, with magic that was truly born on this world, their culture a conglomerate of tribes during a time where afterlives weren't so divided into black and white, heaven and hell.
He spoke of how Lucifer came to be, a descendant of Adam and Eve
"...What?" Issei blinked. "Lucifer was a human?"
"Apparently, yes."
"...How the fuck did he become a Devil?"
Issei asked as Vali aimed an ear in their direction. Azazel did not explain this part, mostly because he was not asked.
"...God modeled the humans a bit after the demons, only in his image. Originally, humans were made with special abilities. Powers like the Demon Tribes and the Devil Clans." Azazel explained.
"...What?" Vali and the others were surprised, Saitama and Genos were intrigued.
"Wait, so we were supposed to have special powers other than Sacred Gears?" Tobio asked. "What happened? Why then why are we so powerless?"
"Lucifer's power allowed him to steal the grace of even the likes of an archangel. He was livid that the humans were banished from paradise in the beginning, so he stole the grace of an archangel called Xaphan and stole his way into the Garden of Eden to take the forbidden apples of wisdom. The apples were there to help increase God's intelligence and inspire new ideas, and they expanded Lucifer's mind to great heights, so much that he learned of God's sins against the natives of Gaia. It provoked God to seal the potential of the humans from that point on, modifying every human so that their potential would be more limited." Azazel explained to the shock of the humans and the former humans.
"He then used the knowledge to experiment on himself to remove God's curse. He still kept Xaphan's archangelic grace, but he mutated himself into something different, the first proto-devil hence the excerpt that Lucifer was a Fallen Angel in the Bible."
Azazel paused to let everyone take in the knowledge of the revelation.
"...Why the fuck didn't you tell us this sooner?" Issei asked, a sentiment shared by everyone.
"What good would this knowledge do? Michael needs all the help he can get to maintain Heaven. Knowledge of God's sins would only bring more pain and suffering, and nothing we can do will absolve this curse God placed on you all, a curse possible because he made the human race."
"You didn't even try to break it?" Issei asked, almost sounding betrayed.
"I can't. It is like trying to unmake what makes you human at this point. It is so fundamentally woven into your being that not even I can do it. And the curse grows stronger and more complex, more intimate with each generation. No one can do it. Not even Shiva or Indra can do it!" Azazel argued.
Everyone remained silent. They do not know how to react to that knowledge.
"...What happened to the demons? And what is it about a curse on the bloodlines?"
Azazel then explained how Lucifer went mad because of the experimental magics, how he allied with the Demons to expel God from Gaia, how he married Lilith, and how he betrayed the demons in a surprise attack in his insanity.
"...Holy shit." Issei felt like he was reading the diary of the worst sins a man committed, or more like a ledger of Hell accounting the darkest secrets of a species.
"...They were labeled evil for a reason. But the truth is much sadder than everyone believes it didn't stop Lucifer and God from harassing the survivors for their secrets."
"Why did God try to steal from the Demons? Are you telling me that He's actually an asshole?" Issei pointed out.
"I won't call him that, to be honest." Azazel replied, "Well, even gods have to start from somewhere. But as far as I'm concerned, Father was still a man who simply wanted to look out for his own people."
"By taking from those He wronged?" Issei asked.
"Yeah I admit, even I don't know what goes on in His head half of the time. There is one angel that God confides His secrets to, but he's missing. Moving on The reason why God wants their knowledge is because the magic of the demons defies the rules of modern magic and can perform feats beyond what we know, even now. The idea God got for the Sacred Gears came from the Mastema Tribe's texts, their scrolls on the possibility of turning the souls of others into weapons and the theories behind it."
Issei and the others were shocked.
"In the end, Father got what was coming to Him. And us and the Devils wasting away with our population dwindling while the Demons build their strength in Kthon." Azazel sighed.
"...Talk about finding the skeletons in your closet" Vali commented.
"You have no idea. Genesis isn't as glamorous as the texts stated, trust me. We all had to go through terrible things to build even the concept of morality. The same goes for the Gods we all have to start somewhere."
Everyone remained silent.
The weight of the sins of the past was heavy on their minds, the revelation too large for their minds to take.
"...Back to you Do you feel alright?" Azazel asked, moving to another subject. "Kiyome told us that we expected you to recover in a week or so, but you came out earlier than expected."
Issei blinked as he looked at his hands, flexing his fingers.
"...I feel alright. A bit hungry but yeah. Thanks for saving my hide, Kiyome. Literally."
He did not feel that different even with Stjarna's meat replacing his skin. He wondered why, though. Issei turned around to Kiyome behind him.
He blinked when he saw armor covering Kiyome. Her eyes were like Stjarna's golden yellow, her pupils a hexagram in shape with a yellow sclera. When she blinked, her eyes returned to her normal human eyes.Updated from
"...Uhhhhhhhh okay. That's what else did I miss?"
Smiling, Kiyome started to explain what happened after they returned from the enemy base.
Kiyome explained what she did, consuming the Stjarna Mutagen Cell that the larger Stjarna offered to her and transformed. She had all of Stjarna's abilities and his potential. The clone, the avatar of the larger Stjarna, then fused itself into Kiyome, giving Kiyome everything Stjarna had to offer.
Kiyome received Stjarna's last will, his memories and eldritch essence.
Issei clenched his fists when he saw tears streaming down her eyes.
"Damn." Issei grimaced. "...I swear that we'll save him no matter what."
Kiyome looked at Issei and smiled. She nodded in silence.
"We're not done yet. The Underworld had gone through much as well." Rias added.
"How much?" Issei turned to Rias.
Rias then started to explain everything, everything she heard from Azazel and Sirzechs.
[EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!]
"WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA?! HE DID WHAT?! HE CAN DO THAT?! WE CAN DO THAT?!"
Issei and Ddraig shouted at Rias when she narrated the events through Azazel's and Saitama's mouth.
[You're lying! There's no way he can Boost himself a thousand times in one go! That is a recipe for self-destruction! You would blow yourself up with your own power if you tried!]
Ddraig shouted from Issei's red gauntlet.
Issie was extremely shocked to hear that his mentor arrived in the Underworld with the Hero Faction. He did not expect Cao Cao to turn to the dark side like this. He could not believe that Garou let himself seal himself to protect a village from The Hindhu's God of Destruction.
"I know we couldn't believe it ourselves." Rias and the other girls smiled at Issei's lively reaction.
Brought back from the brink of death, and he was already being himself.
"No way! What else did he do?!"
Issei and Ddraig listened in as they took in everything.
How Garou summoned a black hole, sent Saitama to Oblivion and how Saitama returned from nothingness to their shock, how Garou summoned a spear and bathed the world in his power.
Issei took in every moment of it like he was listening to the most awesome bedtime story of all time.
Rias even showed a recorded video of the fight from the skies.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!"
Issei nearly wheezed when he saw Garou.
"OH MY GOD! He looks Holy shit! He looks so badass!" Issei pointed at the holographic image of the flaming skull demon god in the picture, forearms covered in crystal, five eyes on the chest, four bladed horns protruding from his skinless skull as crimson red gleaned from each of his skull sockets.
"I know, right?! He's so awesome!" Vali shouted, nodding frantically.
The girls giggled at his childish outburst.
"He does look cool. A bit scary, though." Tsubasa gave her input.
"He defeated my sister instantly" Sona added.
"I still couldn't believe that he could use our powers so easily." Rias added as she watched Garou using the power of destruction along with other abilities.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!"
Issei clutched his head when he saw Garou create a blackhole, another living black hole into existence and collapsed it when Saitama was still inside.
Then the two ripped a chunk of the Underworld soil and threw it to the skies as they did battle.
Issei dropped his jaw when he saw Garou restore the ruined world back and invigorated with new life.
[By the Dead God! How is that even possible?!]
Ddraig was left speechless in his gauntlet.
"Yeah, I know. He fixed and blessed an entire world. A lot of Gods and dragons can boast destroying the world, I know, but to nearly do it and fix it is another matter. What he used was the ultimate technique of my father somehow I don't know how he even did it. I mean, my God, he is more God than any Gods out there, even my father." Azazel spoke his piece.
"Seriously?! Oh my god, he's so not getting away from this!"
He had heard the stories of his dad fighting his best, but to see it on screen was something else.
He saw the realm where he must reach, where the truly strong stood. And he would make sure Garou would show him how to reach that realm, especially the path of mastering every ability like that, it screamed to his inner chuuni.
[I severely underestimated your teacher.]
Ddraig commented.
Everyone flinched when they heard something from Ddraig.
"...Teacher?" Vali asked, his eyes turning owlish. It was the first time Issei saw Vali's eyes turning into that.
"...Yeah? He helped teach me his martial arts for about a week or so. Though he was a major asshole as he didn't complete my training."
Everyone, except Saitama and Genos, paused as they pieced his words together.
"That" Vali blinked and shook his head, "Goddamn, no wonder you managed to achieve sub-species without me. When did that happen?!"
"Hey! When I was little! And like I said, he only taught me for a week or so!" Issei shouted.
"That's so unfair! It's bad enough you're the son of the strongest man in existence, but you got taught by the one guy that can use any power in existence?!"
"Hah! You're not a martial artist, remember?! You're a mage! His powers don't need something as uselessly over-complicated as formulas for it to work!"
Issei haughtily lorded over Vali.
"Screw you, you're not the only one that wants to become the most badass demon god!" Vali shouted.
Everyone watched the two boys bicker about bloodlines and unfair tutelages.
Azazel turned to Saitama seeing him looking gloomy with an air of sorrow for some reason.
"Uhhh, what's the matter?" Azazel asked while the bickering elevated in the background.
"...You know, I did beat Garou back then and stood up against him, you know?" Saitama gloomily reminded Azazel.
"Ah." Azazel didn't think Saitama was the kind of man that would be dejected by this - a man stronger than the Demon God, yet his son looked up to the latter more than the first.
He glanced at Genos, seeing the cyborg patting the baldy's back for support.
"Eh, maybe if you show him some new tricks and stuff, he might look up to you more?" Azazel suggested.
"...Like?" Saitama asked as the bickering continued.
"Show him that you can use Boost wait, you can teach others how to copy skills, right?" Azazel asked, earning eyes from Tobio and the rest of Vali's team.
"...Uhhhhhhhhhh" Saitama rolled his eyes around, "...I don't think so"
"...Are you sure?" Azazel's eyes turned owlish; the boys were now headlocking each other.
"Yeah I kind of winged it myself when I used it for the first time." Saitama replied with a shrug.
Then the bickering reached a climax.
"You and me. Rematch in the training room." Issei demanded.
"Azazel wants us to spar to check your condition, anyways. I'll see you there, Baldy."
[Boost isn't a skill that you can just learn by getting a feel for it.]
Ddraig dryly commented from Issei's gauntlet.
[It actually annoys me that our legendary powers are being used so casually nowadays. It's not something mortals can learn from a glance!]
"But" Tsubasa raised her chopsticks.
[I don't consider the baldy or someone that can turn into a demon god as normal people. I don't consider Saitama human anymore.]
"That is a fair statement." Rias chewed on a slice of unagi, she heard much from Vali and Tobio.
"You just get a feel for stuff like that and that's it? Really? Why can't I pull off cool moves like you then, huh?" Issei's owlish gaze grew more critical.
"Um lack of practice?"
Haruka giggled upon seeing Saitama drowning himself in nervous sweat.
"Sooooo? Are you going to get your hair back?" Haruka asked.
Issei frowned.
Just when he forgot that he no longer had hair, the light reflected from his shiny head gleaming brilliantly.
"...Yes." Issei spat venomously.
"Which of you girls can restore my son's hair and his mood?" Haruka asked the girls.
Multiple hands were raised to the air - they belonged to Rias, Akeno, Irina, Ravel, Asia, and Koneko. As well as Sona.
The other girls raised their eyebrows at the Student Council President, who looked quizzically in return.
"...What?" Sona asked, "I might know some spells that can grow Ise's hair back."
Saji was there he was staring at Sona as he chewed his rice.
"So? What do you want in return? Like a date? Or marriage?" Haruka asked as Black started snickering.
The black imp clutched his stomach as he broke into silent laughter, still taking in the sight of Issei now as bald as his father, a true splitting image.
There were several blushes.
"Well maybe we'll consider it if he dates all of us?" Rias asked.
Ravel already had a scheme in mind as she smirked. She missed Koneko noticing her smirk, however.
When Akeno and Rias began to bicker after the former gave a teasing remark, Ravel discreetly proccurred a small vial from her dress. She unplugged the cork and stared at Issei's head, as the boy was attempting to placate the great ladies.
Meanwhile, Koneko took a deep breath as she activated her Senjutsu - she happened to sit closer to Issei, and a fiery blue aura began to gather on her palm.
Suddenly, Ravel splashed the content of the vial on top of Issei's head. At the same time, Koneko also sprung into action and applied her aura-coated hand on Issei's scalp.
Issei blinked when the liquid splashed onto his scalp.
Ravel remained silent as she watched the liquid trickle down the ki barrier coating his scalp.
"...No cheating." Koneko stared at Ravel. Ravel puffed her cheeks, fuming red.
The girls stared at Ravel and then at Issei, Issei now staring at her.
"...Did you just try to splash a hair-growth potion over Issei's head?" Rias accused Ravel with an owlish gaze.
"...And what if I did? Issei promised me a date first." Ravel huffed with puffed cheeks, crossing her arms haughtily as the girls' fiery competitive spirits blazed.
Issei did remember that.
He scratched his head, feeling a little itch wait
"...Oh." Koneko realized that Issei's bald head started to sprout small hair follicles.
Saitama stared at the miracle of magic as he rubbed his own scalp. He imagined what would happen if he used something like that he missed the days when he had hair.
He turned to Haruka and flinched when he made eye contact. Haruka was smiling, but her eyes darkly stated otherwise warning him not to try it.
She liked her man better this way.
"Oh, look. His hair is actually growing back." Tobio commented.
"Tsk, and here I was enjoying the sight of Baldy 2.0." Vali frowned that the moment died too soon
Issei flipped a bird at Vali as Ravel had a devious idea.
"...My potion worked!" Ravel shouted. "So I call first dibs on the date!" She brazenly declared.
"WHAT?!" The other Devil girls were in an outrage, minus Sona. Tsubasa was feeling envious, being left out like this.
"No, you didn't! I did it!"
Everything turned to Koneko, the catgirl pouting at Ravel with defiance.
"Oh, really? What did you do?" Ravel challenged.
"I applied some Senjutsu chakra to stimulate Ise-senpai's hair growth!" The Nekomata argued with confidence.
"Huuh Is that so?" Ravel squinted skeptically. "What's your evidence?"
"...What?"
"Evidence? Anything that can support that this. Senjutsu treatment of yours work? Besides, I don't know if there is such a skill like that." Ravel challenged further, "In my case, I have my research notes and studies that can support my findings that my potion can stimulate one's hair growth. What about you?"
Koneko remained silent as Issei's hair continued to grow longer, slowly but noticeably.
The others watched as the air started to grow longer than his normal hairstyle, the brown hair slowly covering his face, ears, reaching past his neck.
Black was already cackling loudly in the background, rolling left and right.
"Err. Girls? Ravel?" Issei asked, blowing through the constantly growing hair. "...How long is my hair gonna keep growing like this?"
Everyone stared at Issei as he awkwardly let his hair continue to grow without signs of ending.
"PFFFFFFF! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Vali started to break down laughing as Tobio joined in, snickering at the Issei getting more than he bargained for.
"Uhhh Let me check my notes." Ravel ran away from the dinner table, heading up the staircase to the second floor.
Issei's hair was even reaching the floor at this point, past girl-length level.
Koneko grabbed a handle of Issei's brown hair strangs and rubbed it between her fingers out of curiosity.
There was a loud knock on the door, capturing everyone's attention.
Haruka immediately drew her marksman rifle with frightening speed as she aimed at the door, scaring the girls with how ready she was to resort to lethal force. The house was under extreme magical protection, holy wards, a magical barrier that rejects unauthorized entry, there was even a spell that would summon golems into the fray.
That still didn't eliminate the possibility of an intruder able to bypass the defenses.
",..I'll go get the door." Tobio rose from his seat and sauntered towards the door.
A few moments later, Tobio returned with an unexpected guest.
Issei pulled his overgrown hair bangs aside to see Tobio standing next to Crom Cruach, the latter now equipped with a wicked odachi slung behind him.
"Uhhhh He said he's looking for the Strongest Man.,, and he said his name is Crom Cruach, the Crescent Moon Dragon." Tobio nervously glanced at the evil dragon staring directly at the baldy.
"...What are you doing here?" Issei asked as Crom turned to Issei.
"...What happened to you?" Crom asked back.
"Funny long story, but you first." Issei gestured as Crom watched the hair continue to crow like wildfire.
"I suggest you consult with a capable sorcerer. Strongest Man." Crom Cruach turned to the man in question.
"Saitama."
"Saitama." Crom nodded, "...I have watched you do battle against Garou and have seen the level of power I did not think was possible. Should you two not hold back, a single gesture of your true power would've destroyed the Underworld and everyone on it." Crom stated. "I have come with a request. I wish to know what it takes for one to reach said level."
"...Are you asking to become my apprentice or something?" Saitama asked apprehensively.
"No. While you're above me, your movements are terrible."
Saitama's head fell with dejected gloom, a sad air hanging around him to Haruka's amusement.
"...Oh."
"Well? Can you aid me in my quest?" Crom asked.
A great darkness washed over the continents of America.
Creatures of damnation flooded every state.
The states divided in both red and blue fought against the threat. Ironically, the states that advocated the widespread use of firearms were better equipped to deal with the undead, but not against the incorporeal phantoms that could shoot magic at them.
The only viable source of protection were grounds consecrated by Christian Priests long ago, churches and otherwise.
Within one of the rare consecrated churches, a pastor prayed before the statue of Jesus in the main room.
Behind him were the survivors, all praying for salvation in heaven, refugees lined up in prayer, young, adult, old, all of them prayed for salvation while an army of vicious evil was outside their door.
There were soil-possessed and wraiths banging on the cathedral doors, magic and fists banging on the consecrated wards blessed by the angels. The survivors would flinch and looked around anxiously whenever they heard the sound of the door creaking, the sound of the dust falling off the ceiling from the tremors of commotion outside.
Eventually, a soil-coated, deformed arm suddenly burst through the wooden door, eliciting panicked cries from the nearby survivors, who immediately withdrew further into the church, with the priest, brothers and the nuns doing their best to keep everyone calm.
"...Do not let us fall into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."
"...Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death"
[Amen!]
As the others repeated the verses of prayer for the nth time, the pastor opened his eyes.
However, he was no longer in the cathedral.
I have heard your prayers for salvation, my child.
The Pastor looked up to see a shining light from above and he was speechless.
"Good Lord" The pastor saw the very figure of Jesus descending from heaven, his face was covered by a shadow lit by the divine light behind him.
I have come, to deliver you salvation. Will you take my hand and swear yourself to me?
The shadow-faced 'Jesus' asked, his pristine-looking mantle fluttering in his descent, offering his hand to the pastor.
"I W-Will you save us?" The Pastor asked as tears streamed from his eyes, unable to contain the joy of having the Heavens answer his call.
No.
The divine man shook his head to the Pastor's shock.
You will save them, my child.
He pointed at the Pastor.
I will bless you with Divine power to save your flock. And you will be able to grant them a sliver of the power I bestow, the truly faithful. Do you accept this task before you?
The Pastor could barely utter a sound as he dropped his jaw in awe, to experience the joy and rewards of his faith finally bearing fruit after so many years like the Chosen few in the Bible.
"Y-Yes! I swear to spread your light as a servant of the Lord!"
The Pastor took the hand of the one he believed to be his savior with conviction, sealing the divine pact with the transcendent being.
The Pastor opened his eyes when he found the Divine Power coursing through him.
He inhaled as he received enlightenment, the message of his GOD's will flowing through his mind as he rose from Prayer.
"Yes I see I see the truth. my GOD." The Pastor, Pilaro, understood.
That day, everything changed in America.
A darkness swelled in the country of liberty in the guise of divine light, a whole new kind of evil wormed its way into the human world.
To be Continued..
Omake
The Archangel Michael, the de facto leader of Heaven and Christianity - considered himself as a rational individual. After all, he had a lot of followers in both Heaven and Earth to shepherd in the place of his late Father.
The work was tedious, considering Michael could not even hold the smallest candle to what his Father once was capable of. Thus he was eternally grateful for the presence of his brothers, sisters and fellow angels assisting him.
Speaking of his brethren - something about his younger sister had been rather concerning, as of late.
Michael understood that Gabriel had always been a giddy, happy fellow. In fact, her positive attitude and outlook in life was one of many reasons he was still steadfast in his duty. That was why he could not help but notice the small changes in the woman.
First, she spent more time in the observatory room, the place where angels could peer from Heaven to the human world, particularly if they wanted to keep an eye on specific individuals. And whenever she returned, her smile was always more radiant than usual, as if she had witnessed something pleasing in the human world.
When Michael asked her about it, Gabriel openly admitted that she had been requested to keep an eye on an interesting fellow. What worried him, however, was that Gabriel blushed and refused to disclose anything further when he asked about the identity of the said fellow.
Secondly, was when Gabriel returned from the human world one day
"...Michael?"
The archangel blinked and turned to see his brothers - Uriel and Raphael.
"What are you doing here, brother? It is unlike you to sneak around like this. Outside of Gabriel's room, to add."
True to Uriel's word - Michael had been standing by the door to Gabriel's private chamber, peeping through the small opening.
Michael smiled apologetically and put a finger before his lips, gesturing to the other Seraphs to remain quiet. He then pointed into the inside of Gabriel's room, beckoning them to have a look.
Exchanging a quick glance, Uriel and Raphael approached closer and took a look of what transpired within their sister's room.
Gabriel was standing in the middle of her spacious chamber, clad in a simple white robe and slacks, a martial-arts Gi that humans usually wore. Her skin was covered in a light sweat as she took a deep breath.
The brothers watched their sister begin her transition of what looked like martial stances.
Michael blinked several times at her performance.
Right fist forward.
Forward kick.
Reverse inward kick.
Her next stance was graceful, moving in slow pirouettes, her hands gently flowing through the air like paintbrushes moved with calligraphic purpose.
"That's. New." Raphael commented first as he subtly nodded his head, impressed at the performance.
"Since when has Gabriel been invested in martial-arts? I've never seen something like it." Uriel mused.
"I've seen some of the Eastern styles from those in the East, rare as they are." Michael muttered.
Then Gabriel exhaled.
"...Stigmata of Judgment."
She thrusted her palm flat forward. The three spectators saw something flashing from her palm.
On the wall she was facing, there was a clean, scorched mark the shape of the holy cross, smoke rising from the hole.
"Hmmmm. I think I've mastered the basic principle should I try summoning the swords? Ahhh, but I'm in Heaven no, the others would see it. It's too flashy. Ohhh, why do you have to make them so hard to notice? Maybe I should try the Gamma Ray Lance"
Gabriel muttered, still unaware of her siblings watching.
They saw her summoning light spears, but they were not the kind they usually conjured.
The light was holy and yet they could tell that each of them was unique in composition. There was an aspect of the star imbued into each of them.
Each of the spears were double-lanced, a bright swirling core of green in the center.
They look a bit cosmic in theme.
"...Since when could she do that?" Uriel whispered.
"I swore that was Ki. She learned Ki? We can use Ki?" Raphael whispered back.
Gabriel hummed to herself.
"Ohhhh, I don't know where to throw them. They'll explode if I throw it here Ahhh, but I can't sneak to Earth today."
Michael, Uriel and Raphael exchanged glances - the fact that Gabriel considered to sneak under their noses was kind of concerning.
"...I wonder how he's doing down there." Gabriel mused as she looked at a random distance. "Maybe I should bring him some food Maybe he'll come over if I give him enough." She giggled with a hint of mischief.
The other three Seraphs blinked at Gabriel's words - is she thinking of inviting someone over? Who is she talking about?
"This is just a shot at the dark from me, but Judging from her expression, is she in love?" Uriel whispered.
"If she is Dear Father, imagine the number of hearts crying out in sorrow." Raphael smiled as all three imagined their followers that looked up to Gabriel, even more than half of the angels, weeping with sorrow that Heaven's greatest idol is about to be taken.
"I am now interested in meeting this man." Michael smiled.
"Should we send someone?" Uriel asked.
"I feel like stalking her myself. I want to see what makes this man so special to catch her attention." Raphael admitted.
"Wait, she's coming over here! Hide!" Michael urged.
When Gabriel walked out with a towel slung over her shoulders, she found her siblings conversing just outside her room.
"...Pretend we are talking about something." Michael whispered before he quickly said the first words that came to mind.
"...Heaven, heaven."
The other two also appeared to be in sync.
"Faith, faith."
"Humans, humans."
Gabriel blinked at the words being exchanged by the other Seraphs, thus she decided to jump in, "Good day, you three. What are you talking about?"
They turned to her.
They realized something fatal.
None of them could lie.
Ever.
If they did, they would lose their place in Heaven.
They awkwardly stared at the cheery archangel, her head tilting to the left with a question mark above her head.
They immediately spread their wings and flew away. They apologized to her in their heads, though they would continue monitoring her.
It was now their newest hobby to inspect the love life of one of the oldest archangels.
So... Yeah, those happened. Thoughts of this one, people?