The Seraphic System
Chapter: 64
Disclaimer: I don't own High School Dxd or any other universe used in this story.
Pa/ t reon details below the chapter if you're interested in seeing some content in advance. I'll keep posting regardless. If you have any suggestions you would like to see added, I will try to incorporate what I can :)
(A New Saint?)
I shifted as Images flickered through my thoughts, or to be more specific, prayers. I could only sit back and listen as I drifted through unconsciousness.
Voices rang through my mind and I did all that I could… listen.
"Please, save my child. She's so sick, and I don't know what to do. I'll do anything. Just don't take her away from me."
A female voice begged.
"Father, if you're listening, grant me strength. I can't fight this battle alone anymore."
A male voice requested.
"Why did you let him die? He was a good man. A good husband. Please, tell me why he had to go."
A grieving widow cried.
"Bless my family, Father. Protect them from harm and grant us peace in these troubled times."
A female voice asked.
"I know I haven't prayed in years, but I don't know where else to turn. Please, guide me."
"Help us. The storm is tearing everything apart. My children are terrified. Please, send us a sign."
"Father, I don't need riches or fame. I just want to find purpose. Show me the way."
"Why do I feel so alone? Are you there? If you are, please… Please give me a reason to keep going."
Countless voices, varying tones and pitches rang through my head. One after the other. One stood out to me, not due to a heightened importance but more so due to recognition.
A nun with blonde hair, praying.
"Father… Can you hear me? I don't know if I have the right to ask anymore. They said I've fallen… that I'm no longer worthy of your love. But… I still believe in you. I always have." Her soft, kind voice echoed.
I felt like I was in the void, listening to the many prayers people made.
"Was it wrong to help him? To save someone who was suffering? You taught us to be kind, to heal, to forgive. So why am I being punished for doing what I thought was right? Was I wrong? Am I… unclean now?" She sobbed.
"I don't know where to go. I don't know who I am anymore. The people I trusted. My family, my faith. they've turned their backs on me. And yet… I still feel your presence. Is that just my imagination? Am I clinging to something that isn't real?"
She looked up as if she knew I was watching her.
"Please, if I've truly fallen… if I'm beyond redemption… then take this hope away from me. Let me stop believing so it won't hurt anymore. But if there's still a chance. If I'm still your child. Please, guide me. Show me where to go. Show me who I'm meant to be."
My eyes fluttered open and I awoke from my sleep.
Did that seriously happen? That was certainly a new experience. I was going to assume that this is the effect of bonding with the throne? It had said my system would be connected to Heaven's system.
Though. Another thought entered my mind.
I had to wonder how long this darkness had been going on for? So much of it was desperation. And on top of that, those prayers were just a few hundred of them.
Ugh.
I shifted in bed only to pause.
I wasn't the only one on my bed. I slowly took in my surroundings.
Gabriel was pressed against my left, Raphael on my right. Uriel was sleeping in a chair in the corner like some sort of spy and Seraphiel along with other Angels were all entangled near me.
Seriously…?
All of them slept peacefully.
Was this an Angelic thing? They were all cuddled up against me.
I took a moment to reflect on the events that had transpired yesterday.
Honestly, I hadn't seen it going this way.
I glanced towards Gabriel, who was the one cuddled up against me the tightest. I moved slightly, careful not to wake her or the others sprawled around me like some absurd angelic guard.
Carefully, I released myself from their grasp and quietly left the room.
I needed to think, there were a lot of things to be done. I hadn't even explored much of the Heavenly System. It was complicated and had so many functions. Strangely enough, I did find myself with the knowledge of how to operate the options I did find.
Quietly, I slipped out of the room and into the familiar corridors of Heaven.
This entire situation was crazy to say the least. I had many predictions of how the Angels would react but this certainly wasn't one of them. It was just a few days ago that I had been hiding my secret in Heaven.
I had spent five weeks that way.
Despite this, I wasn't against what was happening.
Heaven's resources outclassed every other Faction excluding the Hindu Pantheon according to Gabriel and Uriel. While I hadn't seen the city much, it had even overshadowed Olympus in pure beauty.
I could only imagine how much knowledge was stored in the Heavenly Library. I fully intended to make use of them as its new King. It was just such a sudden change that I needed to adjust to it.
Lost in my thoughts, I turned a corner sharply and felt something collide into me.
The impact was light, but the suddenness snapped me out of my mental haze.
A startled gasp reached my ears as I looked down to see a petite figure kneeling before me.
Blonde hair cascaded down her back, shimmering faintly in the divine light. Her blue eyes glanced up at me, wide with realization before she quickly bowed her head.
Ah, Jeanne.
"Forgive me, my lord," she said softly, her voice trembling with both reverence and anxiety. "I did not see you there."
"Hello Jeanne." I greeted her with a smile.
I had been meaning to speak to her.
She blushed. "Hello? my Lord."
"I've been meaning to speak to you. Sorry for practically locking you in a room when we got back." I apologised. "As you may have been able to tell from the conversation you listened in on yesterday. Things are a bit complicated as of late."
She waved her hands frantically. "There's no need to apologise. I've enjoyed my stay here. Heaven is just as beautiful as I had thought it would be."
"I'm glad you like it. You've only seen this realm so far. Heaven has Seven of them."
She smiled brightly, her eyes gleaming with unrestrained excitement.
"Though, I do have something I need to speak to you about. Since you must be very confused." I told her. "Please, follow me."
She nodded silently. As she followed closely behind me, her light footsteps echoing softly in the marble corridors of Heaven. The throne room was only a bit further ahead, its massive double doors were closed.
With a wave of my hand, I used a small bit of wind manipulation to make the doors creak open.
The doors that hadn't seen much used for a few centuries opened and revealed the large throne room bathed in a warm glow.
I took a moment to stare at the throne room. Due to my connecting with the Heavenly System, I felt an innate connection to this place and the progress with the shard probably helped with that.
Jeanne hesitated at the threshold, her eyes widening as they took in the sight of the throne.
Yesterday, I had spent a few hours learning about the Throne as Gabriel watched me. I could tell there was something bothering her but much to my surprise, a lot of the depression and pain had seemingly lessened.
When I had decided to go to sleep yesterday, she had left for her own room.
It seemed she must have had a change of mind with all the other Seraphs and Arch-Seraphs.
That didn't include Michael, who was still off on his objective to 'Cleanse' the church.
I gestured for her to enter and she stepped forward, her eyes reverently regarding the throne. She stopped a respectful distance away.
Her hands were clasped together and her gaze met mine briefly before dipping again.
Mentally, I activated privacy wards. I had learnt that much from the Heavenly system. Golden letters glowed and the doors closed behind us.
"Jeanne," I began, "I'm sure you've realized by now that this world is different from the one you came from. Drastically so."
I needed to clear this up, I wasn't sure of the legendary summon token's effects.
Would she still be loyal if she found out I wasn't the same God she had grown up praying too?
I wanted to find out in a controlled way, instead of her finding it out later and hating me for it. I already had a lot on my plate with the many God-class and Minor-god class beings more than willing to destroy Heaven.
She nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful.
"Yes, my Lord. I've… sensed it around me. The air, the people, the very fabric of reality. I shouldn't even be alive in the way I am." She replied hesitantly.
I crossed my arms, leaning slightly against the throne. "Then you must also understand that I'm not the God you once knew."
Her head shot up at that, her eyes searching mine deeply.
I continued. "The loyalty you have, the faith you've held so tightly. it wasn't built on my name, I'm a different being. Jeanne."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Luckily, she didn't seem too reactive. I watched her closely. That was a good sign, judging from her body posture she seemed more nervous than anything else.
Jeanne's lips parted as if to respond, but she hesitated, lowering her gaze once more.
Finally, she spoke. "I know that's how you may feel, I was there when your Angels spoke with you. I understand something happened and you have been reborn within this world. But my Lord, but you are God. Perhaps a different version, but that doesn't make you any less worthy of my devotion. Trust me, I can sense it."
I frowned, about to respond, but she pressed on.
"When I was summoned here, I swore my loyalty anew. I swore it to you, knowing full well that you weren't the same. That doesn't change my choice, nor my faith." She continued.
"You understand I'm not forcing you? There are many threats in this world that are not restricted as they were in your world. Mages, Dragons, Evil Gods and Devils walk freely." I informed her.
She smiled prettily. "My loyalty is absolute, my Lord. There's no need for this worry. I can feel that you are my Lord."
I observed her and determined she was being genuine.
"Very well. For now, I'm going to need you to keep your identity secret. I know this may be asking too much but there was another Jeanne D'Arc within this world and knowledge of your existence would cause complications." I requested.
She simply smiled lightly. "I understand, my Lord. I shall keep my identity a well-guarded secret until you permit it."
I couldn't help but pat her on the head, which earned me a squeak of surprise.
"What do you plan to do now? I'm afraid I am going to be a bit busy." I asked her.
She sent me a shy smile.
"I can imagine, my Lord. Is there perhaps a place I could train?" She asked, a hint of shame entering her voice.
"Yes, but why do you feel the need to train?" I questioned, I could sense that something was bothering her.
Her eyes flickered down, shame overtaking her features as she fidgeted slightly. The woman who was currently much stronger than me seemed like a shy child as she looked anywhere but me.
"I failed my Lord, I couldn't even hold up against that Demon.." She spoke ashamedly, looking at her hands. "With this new vessel provided by you, I can progress my training and become stronger for you."
Her last statement was said resolutely.
The doors burst open before I could answer her.
Uriel was holding Raphael's tracker in hand and his eyes locked onto me. "Oh, here you are." He said, grabbing some sort of communication circle and vaguely muttering something along the lines of "call off the search."
"Uh hello, Uriel." I nodded.
Jeanne's eyes widened and she stared at the Angel with awe.
I imagine for someone who had never met the Arch-Seraphs of her world this was quite overwhelming.
"Father." He nodded back. "May I ask why you didn't wake me?"
Yeah… this had been one of the problems that came with revealing myself but then again they had been over-protective even when I was an Angel in their eyes.
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing either, they obeyed all my commands but they held this constant anxious attitude, due to the thought that I was going to disappear if I was left alone.
It was like having a bunch of Avaels…
Hundreds of thousands of them.
Damn it.
"I didn't wish to disturb your sleep." I replied lightly.
His cheeks warmed up and he looked embarrassed, as if sleeping was a bad thing.
"Please wake me next time." He responded firmly.
"Okay…"
Uriel's attention shifted to Jeanne, who still stood beside me, looking a little out of place in the large throne room.
His gaze softened slightly as he took her in, though his tone remained serious.
"Father," Uriel began, his eyes flicking between the two of us, "this must be the lady that bravely fought for you, the one you brought here recently?"
I nodded in affirmation.
There was literally no point denying my title of being their Father, I technically was anyway if I was truly absorbing God's essence through the divine shards progress.
"I can feel she is special, in fact. If I didn't know any better I would label her a Saint." He mused.
"Yes, she was just asking about a place to train." I turned towards her. "As for your worries." I said to Jeanne. "don't worry about it. The being we fought was incredibly strong."
Uriel's eyes snapped towards me, they narrowed and began rapidly flickering between us.
I'm assuming Gabriel had informed the others about my encounter with the Demon.
"Since I have other matters to attend to, I was going to suggest that you escort her to the training grounds." I suggested.
Uriel glanced at me, then at Jeanne and back again. "I can do that," he said, "but I might have someone else guide her instead. I'm needed here to stand guard."
I sighed, shaking my head slightly. "Uriel, I'm not going anywhere. I'm literally at the heart of Heaven. The most secluded Kingdom in existence?"
Uriel hesitated, his expression wavering between concern and obedience. "Still..."
"I'll be fine," I cut him off, my tone bland and final. "There's no safer place than here. I've got all my Angels protecting me right?"
For a moment, he seemed ready to argue, but then he broke into a wide grin, his earlier seriousness evaporating like mist under sunlight.
"Your kingdom. Right!" he said with a playful laugh, brushing off his worries.
Turning his attention to Jeanne, Uriel smiled warmly. "And what's your name, young one?"
Jeanne blinked at him, looking caught off guard by the sudden shift in focus.
"Ah... Jeanne," she said hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Uriel raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening. "Like Jeanne d'Arc?"
Jeanne's cheeks flushed as she caught me staring at her flatly and she nodded quickly. "Y-yes. I... I admire her greatly."
"Oh, do you now?" Uriel said with a knowing look, but he accepted her words easily and didn't press further. "Well, come along then. I'll ensure you're properly introduced to the training grounds."
With a graceful bow of her head, Jeanne followed Uriel toward the doors, her movements hesitant but steady.
The room fell quiet as they disappeared from view.
Finally alone, I slumped onto the edge of the throne, exhaling deeply.
Request for audience.
Huh.
I looked over the ping and my eyes widened.
That was a feature?
Thousands of pings had come through over night.
It seems the many Angels of Heaven were desperate to meet with me. I frowned slightly. I'd have to see to that.
I glanced at the incoming prayers and I selected a tab I had come across.
The Holy Order System
Saint: Unselected.
Blessing: [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty]
I blinked.
There was another tab underneath it.
Seven Holy Knights:
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
[Unselected]
Blessing: [Empty]
It took a moment to realise the implications.
No wonder Michael felt so bad about the current power of Heaven. They were missing entire parts of their usual power base.
My eyes trailed over to the blessing options.
(Passive) Blessing Options:
Miracle Working: Healing the sick, purifying tainted areas, and offering divine protection.
Aura of Grace: A passive ability that strengthens the faith and resolve of those around them.
Holy Communion: Direct communication with Heaven for guidance or intervention.
Champions
Blessed Fortitude: Immunity to curses, demonic influence, and enhanced durability
Weapon Mastery: Proficiency with their sacred weapon, which can adapt to their needs.
(Skills) Attack Blessing:
Holy Smite: Divine attacks capable of banishing demons and purifying corrupted souls
Miracle Genesis: Instantly conjures miraculous effects based on the situation: healing all wounds, curing incurable diseases, or restoring life to the recently deceased.
[Limitations: Cannot violate divine laws or undo fated deaths.]
Sermon of Dominion: Emits a voice that instills unwavering faith and courage in allies while striking fear and doubt in the hearts of enemies.
[Can compel mass conversions or disarm opponents without violence.]
Divine Choir: Summons angelic voices that harmonize with the Saint's prayers, creating a calming aura that negates all hostile magic and heals all nearby allies over time.
Purification Aura: Creates a zone where all darkness, corruption, and evil energy is eradicated. Demons and undead are unable to enter, and cursed objects are cleansed.
Both lists kept going.
Naturally, my first thought was.
What the hell? I had expected blessings but these were insane. It made my earlier thought even more valid. This entire system hadn't been used for many years.
One of these blessings could turn a normal human into a valuable board piece. The devils would be salivating over this type of power. Each Holy Knight got one blessing and the Saint got Seven?!
No wonder the Saints were so well-known.
It made me wonder how powerful had God truly been? To casually create a system that could give game-changing powers out like candy. To think I hadn't even explored over 5% of the system. The amount of power the church must have once possessed. No wonder they have such a deep history that even surpassed some of the newer Pantheons.
It made me wonder, were there other systems that blessed humans? This was based around a Saint after all. What about the Apostles? There was the sacred gear system. Could I control that to give to certain humans?
So many powerful options, it reminded me of the sheer force of power I had inherited.
I doubt we were the only Pantheon to have things like this, considering all Pantheons were able to give out blessings and gifts. But this was a good start.
Heaven was weak, this would be a very good start to changing that. As the newly discovered Ruler of Heaven. I had to think of it this way, Heaven was a part of my power now.
Attacking them was attacking me, that would fulfil the selfish part of me. The truth was I cared. I had made bonds here and the Angels had become my children. A thought that didn't feel so unnatural.
Electing a Saint was something I wanted to do.
The question was who?
I would put off the selection of the Seven Knights for later, but I wanted to select a Saint now.
From what I knew, a new Saint was basically my avatar. I would gain a special connection to him and the requirement would be his eternal loyalty if he accepts being a Saint.
As if the system was alive, a prayer caught my attention as it played in my head.
The scene shifted.
A young man older than me knelt before the altar, his head bowed low and hands clasped tightly in prayer.
Even though I technically wasn't there, an appraisal showed me this was Dulio Gesualdo. My eyes widened at his power level. He was entering the God class.
Meaning, he was just as strong as me.
I couldn't remember much and I would have ask Uriel but I'm pretty sure he was considered the strongest male Exorcist.
The soft golden glow of the candles illuminated the serene features of his face. His short, messy blond hair shimmered faintly in the light, and his piercing blue eyes glistened with unshed tears as they peeked beneath closed lids.
He wore a pristine white clerical uniform with the cross on his chest.
Dulio's voice trembled as he spoke, each word saturated with raw emotion that surprised me.
I hadn't been one for faith in my old life, I had never really understood it. It was weird being on the other side of that.
"You know, when I was told you were dead, it took me months to recover. It shattered everything." His fingers tightened as he stared at the crucifix, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. "My drive for becoming so powerful has been for you." He paused.
He sighed.
"Faith in you… it saved me." His voice softened, his gaze turning distant "I was just a boy, barely surviving in the darkness of the world. With the supernatural running rampant. My entire family was killed by a stray Devil. I only survived due to your blessing, you gave me a chance to survive. It was the Church that taught me about you. How you cared for humanity when others gods and devils alike treated us as insignificant. When you experience that kindness, it's not something that can be removed. You are special, so very special."
The tears flowed freely now, but he didn't try to stop them. "When I accepted your death, I made it my mission to protect your legacy. Without you, this world would be a lot worse. Even if you had been gone. The world has descended into chaos without your presence. Gods and Devils are running rampant… yet even in that chaos, it's your church who's been trying its best to help."
He swallowed hard, his hands trembling. "But now… now you're back. My heart is filled with so much joy it feels like it might burst. I would like to affirm my loyalty and gratitude for your existence. Without you, I would have died young in this unforgiving world."
Dulio lowered his head further, his voice steady despite the emotion coursing through him. "For this, I swear my eternal loyalty, for whatever path you may choose. I will walk it gladly."
He chuckled. "It feels so different knowing you can truly hear me now. It feels better."
The scene faded.
I sat in silence. I still didn't consider myself an outstanding person. I had the capacity to perform evil acts but perhaps that's needed? The past God had been so powerful. He could have wiped out the Devils if he wanted but he was too… kind.
Maybe I'm perfect for this job.
I can show kindness that deserves it and darkness to those who oppose me.
Dulio Gesualdo, the wielder of what was technically one of my Longinus Sacred Gears. Zenith Tempest.
When choosing a Saint, I had been thinking about making an exorcist who was weak in the grand scheme of things into my Saint. It was going to be based on someone who could execute my will.
What would happen if I already took someone stepping in the God realm as a Saint? Has that been done before? He also had a Longinus-class sacred gear.
I thought about it.
I couldn't choose this lightly.
My head shook in amusement as I took a moment to appreciate the absurdity of this situation.
I needed to speak with him. I could take a quick trip out without being noticed. I didn't plan on going for long. I just needed to speak with what could potentially become my avatar.
I'll keep it short, at worst they'll think I've wandered off somewhere. With my aura spreading across a lot of the upper realms of Heaven it would be hard to find me anywhere. Unless they used the Tracker…
I'd keep it below ten minutes.
The problem was, while I knew where he was I couldn't exactly just appear in front of him. I wanted to talk to him in a way that made him assume I was just a human.
The Heavenly System shifted, as if it could hear my plight an image appeared. It showed a hallway outside the large prayer room and I grinned. That'll work.
With that in mind, I opened up a rift.
I was just able to make it into the hallway outside of the room he was praying in as The door creaked slightly and I caught sight of him stepping out.
He bumped into me lightly, startled enough to take a quick step back, his eyes wide.
"Ah, I'm sorry!" His voice was warm, apologetic. He blinked at me, then gave a sheepish smile. "I didn't see you there."
"No harm done," I said easily, waving off his concern.
"Are you a new member of the church?" He asked, his voice turning into that of excitement. "We've been having a lot of believers join up with us as of late."
"I guess you could say that." I mused. "It's nice to meet you, Dulio."
He blinked. "You've heard of me?"
He was a prominent member of the church from what I knew so that wouldn't be outright suspicious.
"Yes." I replied. "Though nothing but good things, I assure you."
The thought of coming down as an Angel or God had crossed my mind but I felt this would be the best way to portray myself. If I was going to create my own image as a future God.
I looked over his shoulder. "An Altar room?"
"Ah, yes. I was just praying." He replied curiously and without any shame.
"I see," I said, looking at one of the pictures depicting what resembled Michael flying down into the underworld. "I'm curious about you, Dulio."
He blinked. "Yes?"
I doubt I would be given this much lack of suspicion if we weren't in the heart of the Vatican.
"I wonder, what would you be willing to do for your faith?" I asked curiously. "Don't mind the strange question."
He looked thoughtful. "Anything. If the Lord wills it."
There was an influx of emotion at the mention of 'Lord.'
I gave him an easy-going smile.
"Even if it means killing?" My voice was calm.
Dulio hesitated, his eyes searching mine. "Yes. I wouldn't hesitate."
"Ok." I replied simply.
"Why do you ask? I have to admit, your line of questions are a bit strange compared to what I normally get." He replied, his tone not quite defensive but my words were reaching him.
I chuckled. "I haven't visited the church in a long time, I'm simply curious as to how far your Faith runs. That's all."
That seemed to diffuse any suspicion.
"Also, the Vatican seems to be in chaos as of late." I responded lightly.
He nodded, his expression turning slightly troubled.
"Say, Dulio. Do you know what a Saint is?" I abruptly ask, sending him an easy-going smile.
I was going to be subtle about it but just getting down to what I wanted to know felt more appealing to me. I didn't have much more time and I didn't care for subtly.
His eyes lit up. "Of course, they are humans selected by our Lord to act as his champions and avatars of his will. They are blessed with incredibly powerf-"
He stopped abruptly.
I smiled obliviously as if I hadn't heard his slip up.
"Ahem, yes. I know of them." He finished.
"It's been quite a while since the church has received a Saint, right?" I questioned.
He flinched almost unnoticeably and looked down.
I concluded he wasn't involved with the corruption of the church.
That had admittedly been a worry for me since I didn't know the true state of affairs regarding the church. My canon knowledge was practically useless so I had to take that into consideration.
"No, unfortunately it would seem that way." He replied curtly.
I imagine my questions were confusing him.
"Have you thought about becoming a Saint?" I asked.
He chuckled, his mood lighting up easily. "I'm afraid it's not a job that can be personally selected."
"Indeed, but haven't you thought about trying to earn it? I imagine that the chosen Saint would get a lot of blessing and influence within the church." I probed.
He frowned. A hint of zealously entered his eyes.
"I believe being a Saint is more than that. Such an honour overshadows the blessings even if they have been known to be insanely powerful." He ranted. "Though, yes. A Saint is second only to the Pope who is equal in ranking."
He blinked, snapping out of his zealously as his mouth opened and closed.
I laughed.
"I've taken up too much of your time, don't let me bother you. Goodbye." I said, a smile on my face as I walked past him.
"Goodbye…?" He replied.
He would be my Saint.
The System had shown me his prayer for a reason.
Perhaps I was being too hasty with my decision. I could do a deeper search of course and potentially find someone else. I barely knew anything about the church which was a void of information that needed to be filled.
Perhaps the figures I did know about such as Vasco Strada and Griselda Quarta could be a better fit. I didn't know much about them now, only that they were immensely powerful.
For now though, I knew that Dulio would work well as my Saint.
I teleported back up to Heaven, half expecting a massive audience only to be met with relief as nothing massive happened.
I sat on the throne and re-opened the Heavenly System.
The Saint System
Saint: Unselected.
Blessing: [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty] [Empty]
Seven slots.
I could choose seven blessings…
Was it weird that I was kind of jealous?
Some of these blessings made it hard to believe they could be bestowed by anyone. It made me wonder just what Monster had I absorbed the essence of?
I went through the list of options, keeping his sacred gear in mind as I selected what I felt would best match him.
Blessing - Passive
Holy Empowerment: Allows the Saint to use Holy power manipulation and mix it with other attacks increasing its potency.
The more basic option.
Basic when compared to the other options at least.
From what I knew, Holy power manipulation was quite rare among Angels. It would work well with his sacred gear.
Blessing - Passive
Holy Lightning: Ability to control holy lightning.
That would work well with his already existing ability to control lightning and the weather.
While I'm sure he could have combined holy light with his lightning, I had a feeling this would allow for a more controlled and powerful usage of holy lightning.
Blessing - Skill
Shield of Seraphim: Holy shield capable of absorbing very powerful attacks and releasing that energy as Holy Light.
[Each Seraphim Shield will have its limit of how much energy it can absorb and convert after which it will destabilize and detonate. ]
I figured having a defence skill would work in favour with his incredibly damage output.
Blessing - Passive
Blessed Fortitude: Immunity to curses, demonic influence, enhanced durability, doubled life force and mana reserves.
It would be bad if I gave him all these skills and he didn't have enough magic to power it. Though, he did have a lot of power already. I felt giving him more was appropriate for the amount of skills he was gaining.
There had been another similar option that would have turned him into an Angel, but that would have given him a weakness to dark and demonic powers.
Fun fact, while human's were considered one of the weakest races. They had no inherent weakness like most Races did.
It was a strength of its own.
Even if they were pretty weak in general.
Compared to the supernatural anyway.
Blessing - Passive
Aura of Grace: A passive ability that strengthens the faith and resolve of those around them.
This could only work in my favour. It was a bit on the weirded side due to seemingly being a mental effect but I wasn't against it. This could only work in my favour.
Blessing - skill
Elemental Summon
Allows the Saint to use mana to create elemental beings that will serve. Power of elemental depends on the amount of mana used in its creation.
Limit: Mana used to create Elementals can't be restored until Elementals are dispersed.
I had learnt how useful having summonable Allies could be. While this skill seems to be a bit weakened by the fact he wouldn't be able to recover his mana. This could serve him well if he was caught in a bind alone.
Blessing - Passive
Angelic Mana
Transforms the Saints mana into that of angelic mana, making his mana more dense and potent while allowing him to learn the Angelic Arts.
This would allow him to learn the angelic arts which had proved to be useful.
I sat back, releasing a sigh. That had taken a lot of thought. It was weird how I felt like I was designing a character when in reality this would be a massive event.
Truthfully, I had pathetically thought about making myself the Saint at one point for the power up but that would have been stupid. Having a powerful and influential servant into the church was much more useful.
Plus I'm sure the Shard was going to give me much better rewards than these mere blessings.
I smiled.
I confirmed my decision.
Faith energy being directed.
Faith amount sufficient.
Faith Points: 18280
Faith Required: 392
Initializing process.
The Faith Points caught my immediate attention and I forgot about the Saint situation for the time being.
-{Dulio Gesualdo}-
Dulio was in deep thought as he strolled down the corridors of the Vatican.
His Lord was back.
Somehow, he had beaten Death. He could hardly believe it. For so long, Dulio had secretly searched for any artefact, ritual or some sort of forbidden magic that might bring about his Lord's resurrection.
While he was fine with protecting his Lord's legacy, he couldn't just let go. That object of his reverent worship didn't just dissipate. He had poured over countless texts and traveled to forbidden places in disguise.
Even when that organisation had approached him, dangling the temptation of the promise that they would resurrect his Lord before him like the apple Lucifer used to seduce Eve, he had refused.
The Khaos Brigade.
The name alone showed they meant trouble. They had claimed to have the means to grant his wish, but Dulio's instincts had screamed of their malice and deceit.
Maybe, just maybe if they had truly shown they could achieve it. He may have offered his services for one job but they gave him no such thing.
That didn't matter though.
His Lord had returned, without any intervention on his part.
A sudden, deep toll of bells broke his thoughts.
Dulio stopped in his tracks, blinking in pure confusion.
'Those Bells-' he thought.
His heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Those bells were reserved for only one occasion.
The election of a new Saint.
A massive surge of holy power flooded the corridor, washing over him in waves. The air shimmered with light and before Dulio could react, the power engulfed him entirely.
He didn't resist, momentarily feeling bliss as he was consumed. He gasped as his feet left the ground, his body weightless, floating effortlessly in the golden glow.
Dulio found himself transported into one of the rooms within the Vatican that was known for ascending Saints.
Everyone inspecting the place curiously, gasped at his arrival.
This place had been opened for tourists a long time ago.
A flaw Dulio now knew should probably be fixed.
It took his mind a few moments to catch up with what was happening, as soon as he understood the situation. His mind snapped to that encounter he had a few hours ago.
'T-that was him?!'
It felt obvious now.
He gritted his teeth as his body tightened and his muscles hardened, his magic went berserk. Folding up itself and becoming more potent as his mana pool increased.
Dulio could feel information running through his head.
Blessings from his Lord.
He felt power flow through his veins.
Dulio gained an understanding of what happened as people pointed at him, some in awe and others in fear.
He had become the new Saint.
-END-
Note: bit of a shorter chapter but hope you enjoyed it all the same. If you have any Holy Knight Suggestions let me know :) - there's still a few slots left.
if you wish to read up to sixteen chapters in advance among my stories and other things please visit pa/t reon * / Snipez818, I appreciate all the support!