The Seraphic System
Chapter: 68
Disclaimer: I don't own High School Dxd or any other universe used in this story.
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(Hydra?)
"We are an assassination organisation based within the underworld, more so in Devil territory as it's easier to hide among them. We get a lot of work from them, including the hit that was placed on you." The Former Assassin quickly explained.
"What's the name of this organisation?"
"Hydra." He replied grimly.
"Right, I'm guessing it's something to do with the 'For every head cut off, two regrow in its place.' Aspect." I mused.
A very faint heat rose to his cheeks.
"Tell me more about the hit on me, who wants me dead?" I asked perhaps the most important question.
"Lord Phenex." He replied.
That one word made everything click into place.
Yeah, fighting two pureblood devils was never going to go down well. Admittedly, my mind had been… not completely healed at that point so I hadn't given a shit.
That had come to bite me in the ass.
The Assassins had shown themselves to be a nuisance for the most part, but a few times like the first attempt had done real damage.
It seems I would have to visit Lord Phenex too.
Though, how would I go about that? Holy power or light power would leave residue. Even the use of Angelic mana would be able to be traced unless I found a way to absorb it. This normally wouldn't matter but I was going into Devil Territory.
If the Devils found my involvement, it'd be war.
We didn't have the resources for that or the manpower. It also led to one of the reasons I had been hesitant to tell anyone about my status as the Heir. My power simply wasn't near the level of the Super Devils or even a Major God.
One thing at a time.
The Assassination organisation was in Devil territory. I wouldn't be able to bring Angels who don't know how to conceal their own auras. Tiamat should be able to come at the very least.
"How many Assassins can I expect?" I further questioned.
"Ten. Minus the one you've killed and me." He explained. "As for the power scaling, it's quite simple. The lower the number, the stronger the Assassin."
I smiled reassuringly.
"Good, now. What defences can I expect within the building?"
That was one of the most important questions.
"Most of the warding is automated and concentrated on the exterior. The building itself functions as a hotel, so you can enter through the front without issue. The real problem is the heavy surveillance. If you can find a way to conceal your aura, you should be able to slip through unnoticed." He informed me. "Other than that you only need to worry about the Grand Inquisitor."
"The Grand Inquisitor, I'm guessing he's your boss?" Hestia asked from beside me.
"Well, yes. Technically." He responded.
"Technically?" I asked.
If there was another boss I needed to know.
"He's vaguely mentioned his Master." He replied hesitantly.
"Continue." I urged.
"There is someone above, someone who gives us all the high-tech. I really can't tell you much because I don't know but he's a high-ranking member of a group." He replied seriously.
"What's his name and the name of the group?"
"I don't know either, I only know the organisation above starts with a K and is composed of several powerful groups." He responded with a frown.
I grimaced.
"The Khaos Brigade," I concluded.
His eyes widened. "Yes!"
So his boss was a high-ranking member of the Khaos Brigade. A high-ranking member meant he would be powerful. My knowledge of Canon was iffy at best and I doubted I'd have much value anymore.
That meant he was up there with Shalba Beelzebub and the other leaders of Factions.
I'd be going to war with the Khaos brigade too.
"Kai?" Hestia questioned.
I better not get caught then.
"Tell me more about the Grand Inquisitor." I ordered.
"I don't know much about him either. All I can say is that he's Ultimate-Class in strength. He always wears a hood, so I've never seen his face, but I do know he has long, bony fingers and the ability to control shadows." He answered instantly.
That was useful. He wasn't in the God-class and that's all that mattered or at least he hadn't shown himself to be. I'd be wary. My Angelic magic reserves had reached the High-ultimate class and my magical attack power was easily in the pseudo-God class.
I had come to learn there was so much more to power than just sheer power levels. There came a point where it became about your skills and how much attack power you could generate with them.
After all, a God-class mage who was limited by his spells would only be able to generate a certain amount of attack power. This could be considered a barrier for many. Except me, since I had a Manipulation Skill. Multiple of them along with a higher-tier Manipulation Skill in the form of Light Embodiment.
Learning this made me realise that Manipulation Skills must be pretty rare.
They could obviously be obtained. Maybe that's why mages were known to seek Gods to worship. For blessings that would grant them Manipulation Skills.
Anyway, I wouldn't have this problem.
"Perfect, thank you for your cooperation. We will speak again when your information has been verified." I finished.
"Wha-"
I moved before he could finish his sentence, a quick chop to the neck knocking him out cold. His body slumped forward, and with a flick of my wrist, I stored him away in my inventory.
Hestia blinked at me, then smiled in amusement. "You could've at least let him finish talking."
I smiled at her. "He was done." I stretched my arms and rolled my shoulders, feeling satisfied with how the interrogation had gone. "Shall we head back?"
Her face shifted to gain a look of worry.
"Sure- but Kai. Are you going to be okay? What's this Khaos Brigade? And he said there would be multiple Assassins, will you be able to handle them along with an unknown Ultimate class?" Hestia asked worriedly. When she put it like that, it did sound bad.
"I'll be fine, I've gotten alot stronger and plus Tiamat will be with me," I replied reassuringly. "If it gets too hectic, I have a couple of trump cards."
Hestia nodded hesitantly, coming next to me and holding my hand silently. I blinked and she merely tightened her hold on my hand.
"How have things been going in Olympus?" I decided to change the topic.
She frowned a bit at that.
"You certainly left an impression. After it was revealed that Ares was involved, Zeus called him for punishment. I don't imagine it would have been anything too bad but Ares has vanished." She explained with a sigh. "More troubling is the fact we think Father has returned."
"Your father… Kronos?" I asked carefully.
She nodded, crossing her arms. "The signs are subtle, but that attack we received before ascending up to Olympus. It certainly felt like him and I wouldn't be surprised."
"So, as you can imagine. It's been a bit strange as of late but mostly the same. Even with such a threat my lazy brother has decided that since multiple parts of Kronos still remain locked away. That he wasn't a threat." She sighed.
"Parts of him are still sealed away? How would he be alive in that case?" I questioned.
"A vessel. A strong one. He's probably incredibly weakened." She replied.
"Is that the assumption everyone is going with?" I asked, it was plausible. I imagine he would have probably attacked us instead of trying to destroy the gate to Olympus.
"Yes." She said softly.
Her face was mixed.
"How do you feel about it?" I asked.
She jumped slightly, looking at me with wide eyes.
A faint red hue became evident on her pale cheeks once more and she merely smiled as she started leading me back to the house.
"I'm good, thank you."
Well, ok then.
Mentally shrugging, we began walking down to where everyone else was down by the house.
I walked inside and was greeted by Medusa… who didn't have her blindfold on. My hand let go of Hestia's and merely smiled, walking off and giving us some privacy.
Medusa's gaze met mine, deep violet, swirling with two rings within them.
She hesitated for a moment before offering a shy smile. "Welcome back, Kai."
"It looks like the tree's blessings have done more for you than anyone else," I immediately noted, studying the rings in her irises.
Medusa brightened, her shyness giving way to happiness. "Yes! And I can't ever repay you enough."
"So tell me, I'm assuming the curse has either been removed or you've gained control?" I questioned.
Her face melted and became slightly more emotional. "Finally, the curse that's haunted me for so many years that I can't even count has become controllable. I don't know what those trees are but the blessing has turned the curse into a weapon."
I grinned. "So you can control it now, huh? I had expected the blessing would have an effect on your eyes but this was perhaps the best thing that could have happened."
She pulled him into an excited hug, her thin arms gripping me tightly.
"You have no idea how surprised and overjoyed I was, I wish you could have been there." She replied sincerely.
I chuckled lightly. "It's good to be back. Has everything been okay?"
Medusa nodded. "I was startled when a Greek God suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but Lady Hestia has been good to me. I'll admit, I was wary at first because of my past experiences, and I may have been a bit rude. But she was kind—nothing like the gods I've known before."
I smiled. "Good, I heard she's been taking care of everyone."
Medusa finally pulled back and looked at me deeply. "A lot has happened. Hasn't it?"
"Yeah, you could say that," I responded tiredly.
"Is Heaven treating you well?" She asked worriedly.
"They have been, some recent events have certainly been tiring though," I replied.
She stared at me imploringly.
May as well rip the bandage off.
"Not to alarm you but I am considered the King Of Heaven," I revealed.
No one ever said I was good at explaining anything.
She stared at me with evident disbelief.
"Let me call Hestia back, if I'm going to tell you, I want to tell her too." I sighed.
She deserves to know, Hestia had become close to me and I wasn't going to keep it a secret from her. It wouldn't make sense too, considering my Angels and Tiamat know about it.
Keeping secrets when it wasn't needed would be foolish and annoying to keep track of.
Hestia reappeared next to us at the mention of her name. She tilted her head softly. "Tell me what?"
Medusa inspected my face. "You aren't joking are you?"
"No. It's a long story and how it came to be could be linked to the events that transpired during the Divine Quest. To first explain, I need to reveal that God has been dead for a long time." I started my explanation.
Hestia paused, looking slightly shocked by the information.
Medusa nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's not completely unbelievable."
That made me pause in my explanation. "Why?"
"Well… I hadn't wanted to bring it up, but rumours among Monsters had been spreading. The church was weakening and no Saint had been chosen in hundreds of Years. Assumptions were being made and with how bold the Devils have been…" she trailed off.
When she put it like that, it felt pretty obvious.
"Yeah… I'm sure you've noticed that the Angels here refer to me as their Father." I started slowly.
Medusa nodded understandingly.
"Yes. I had made a few speculations about that. My main thought was that you raised the other Angels and thus they referred to you as their Father, then again, my Domain had picked up that it was a bit deeper than that." Hestia revealed with a sweet smile on her face.
"Well. To put this bluntly, I am the new successor To God and the Angels recently found out." I revealed.
Medusa once again looked at me in disbelief while Hestia went completely blank. She could tell I was telling the truth after all.
"I see, so you created those Angels in the other room?" Hestia questioned.
"Yes."
"WAIT A SECOND. So how did you become King of an entire Faction? That's a serious change, Kai. That changes everything. The supernatural political side of this… Heaven is a prominent Faction. There's so much to consider." Medusa suddenly went on a rant.
"Well, to start, I was planning to reveal my status, but I needed to find a way to bypass Heaven's wards first. I wanted to visit you all." I explained and both of their eyes softened. "So I found myself down in Hell…"
Hestia blinked the fire in her eyes dimming. "Kai, you shouldn't joke around."
"No, I really did go to Hell," I revealed bashfully.
"As in the deepest part of the underworld." Medusa seemed close to having an aneurysm.
"Yes."
I would forever deny any claim that my voice went a tad meek for even a nanosecond.
"Have you any idea how dangerous that place is?" Hestia's voice wasn't loud but I could practically feel the worry radiating off her. "As someone with a younger brother who manages part of the Underworld, I know about Hell. Not even Gods go there Kai. Beings live down there, only restricted by the Seals placed by the Abrahamic God."
"I know, I didn't know much about it before. I won't be going down there again." I assured her.
She nodded.
"Yeah, and while I was down there, I encountered a Demon," I admitted.
Their reactions were instant.
"A Demon?" Medusa's eyes widened.
I noted her reaction.
"I see, so they were as rare as I thought. I hadn't heard any mention of them." I mused.
"Kai, no one has seen a Demon in centuries. Not since the old wars a long time before I was born." Medusa explained urgently.
Hestia looked just as shocked. "Are you certain?"
"Positive, but don't worry, I handled it." I waved off their concern.
"You killed a Demon?" Hestia asked quietly, instead of relief there was worry.
"No, but I did escape," I replied. "Though I don't think it was the only one."
A tense silence followed before I continued.
"When I teleported back to Heaven, the throne reacted to me. That's when my status as the Heir of God was revealed to the Arch-Seraphs."
Medusa ran a hand through her hair, clearly overwhelmed. "That's… a lot to process."
Hestia took a step forward. "When did this happen?"
I exhaled. "Just a few days ago."
That seemed to be the breaking point for Hestia. Without warning, she pulled me into a tight hug.
"You've been through a lot," she murmured. "It must have been a hectic few days. If God has been dead for so long, I can only imagine the reaction you've received from Heaven."
I smiled slightly, allowing myself to relax for a moment. "Yeah… they all think I am the reincarnation of the old God."
"Why's that?" Hestia questioned.
"Because his Essence somehow merged with me and I've been gaining his power." I let loose another reveal.
They both stared at me with wide eyes.
"Kai, not to alarm you but that's a big deal," Hestia muttered, protectively hugging me.
Her large chest was pushing into me and the smell she produced was filling my senses.
I took time to admire her new form. She was curvy, extremely so. Perhaps only overshadowed by the likes of Gabriel. She had an easy hourglass with visibly thick thighs.
I closed my eyes and removed my focus from that particular thought.
"I assume Tiamat knows?" Hestia asked.
"Yes, she figured it out. I don't think my Angels will care much. Besides considering Heaven mine." I replied.
She smiled, pulling back with a small blush. "How about we relax before you go doing anything about that organisation…"
She had worded that carefully.
Medusa still looked shocked, but she was sending me a smile. "I suppose it doesn't matter, you're still the person I've decided to devote myself to. I'll just have to get stronger."
Wasn't that nice?
"I admit, I do need time to process this though." Medusa revealed dazedly.
I chuckled.
I finally had a chance to relax.
We walked into the living room.
Tiamat lounged on a couch, spotting me and pulling me onto the couch next to her. She smiled, only for that smile to falter as we were joined by… everyone.
I sunk into the couch beside Tiamat, with Avael, Ariel, Zakiel, Tamiel, and Aurel who had all found their spots directly around. I noticed that they seemed to find a lot of comfort in physical touch.
Avael was already pestering Tamiel about something, while Aurel and Ariel had claimed the floor by my feet, chatting in hushed voices. Zakiel, the quietest of the bunch, sat beside Hestia, watching the chaos with a faint smile.
Hours passed like that, simply relaxing with everyone. We didn't particularly do anything. I mostly just listened as they spoke about training and learning tricks under Tiamat. Who had taken it upon herself to train them?
That did remind me that I needed to teach them how to use Angelic Spells.
Finally, I caught Tiamat's gaze.
Unfortunately, I couldn't sit around for too long.
I had taken up a throne that had been inactive for a very long time. There were many problems to attend to and I had only explored under a quarter of the entire Heavenly System.
I'm sure the meeting tomorrow would have me involved in these so-called political problems with Heaven too.
Even now, I was hesitating. If I messed up, I'd start a war… that's why Tiamat would be coming along.
She'd make sure no one escaped.
I needed to do this now.
We both took a step outside.
"I need your assistance," I stated plainly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I know that look. What do you need and what's in it for me?"
"An Assassination Organization dubbed Hydra has been after me for quite a while. I need you to come as backup and make sure no one escapes since it's in Devil Territory." I informed her.
Her face went from relaxed to downright vicious at the reveal. "Never mind about compensation, where are they located?"
I smiled at her words and relayed what the Assassin told me.
"When are we going?" She asked next.
"Now, I don't have much time before I should get back to Heaven," I responded.
She frowned in displeasure. "Are you going to be gone for a long time again after this?"
I paused.
"No. I have more freedom now and I'll be able to come back more often." I assured her, shooting her a smile.
"Ok." She replied, but I could sense her hesitation.
She didn't push any further.
"Are you ready to go?" I questioned.
Tiamat smiled. "Yes. Pyrelis is a moderately sized City under the leadership of the Phenex. It won't have any powerful figures we will have to worry about anywhere near it."
I put my mask on and concealed my presence.
Opening my inventory, something Tiamat knew to be some sort of Spatial magic storage. Which was incredibly rare in this world. I pulled out two cloaks, tossing one of them to her.
She caught it and shot me an amused smile.
"Can you teleport us to Pyrelis without anyone detecting us?"
She nodded.
I called Avael.
"My Lord?" She questioned.
"Avael, me and Tiamat are going on a quick excursion. We will be back in an hour at most." I informed her. "Make sure to tell your siblings and Medusa, ok?"
"O-ok," Avael confirmed.
I smiled, giving her a pat on the head for her efforts.
A rift formed and Tiamat followed me through it. We both stepped out of the rift created, exiting the sub-dimension so that Tiamat could teleport us.
Tiamat's hand barely moved but I felt the shift in space immediately. A dome appeared around us and the flash of a magic circle was barely visible before we teleported.
-{Dulio Gesualdo}-
The light died down around Dulio and he emerged from the teleportation circle just outside Kuoh, and more importantly the technical jurisdiction of the Devil's territory.
His form was obscured beneath a simple grey cloak.
Despite its simple look, this was actually an artefact. More specifically a Church artefact he carried, Veil of the Martyr, which concealed his holy presence.
He had borrowed it to ensure that neither Devils nor Fallen Angels would sense his arrival. Considering his strength he was politically considered a Heavy Hitter and was a presence that would be cause for alarm.
Dulio inspected the town before him, quiet under the evening sky. He adjusted the hood over his blond hair and moved quickly through the streets, keeping to the shadows as he searched for Asia Argento.
His eyes blurred as his sharp vision scanned the streets of Kuoh. Minutes passed, and he found something. He jumped and vanished from his position, reappearing a distance away.
Freed Sellzen.
His sharp mind vaguely knew of him. More importantly, there was a figure standing close to him.
Asia Argento.
Dulio's gaze locked onto an alleyway where the rogue exorcist was dragging a struggling girl. Asia's expression was one of quiet resignation, but even from a distance, he could see the uncertainty in her emerald eyes.
Freed cackled, gripping her wrist tightly. "Oh, come on, Sister, don't be so stiff! You're gonna love it with us. Way more fun than that boring old Church."
Asia's voice was barely above a whisper. "I just… I just wanted to help."
Freed snorted. "Yeah, yeah. You can help me warm up later. Now keep moving."
She was pure. Dulio could tell.
He jumped off the building top and landed on the ground gently.
Dulio stepped forward. "Let her go."
Freed froze for a second before turning with a sneer. "Oh? And who the hell are you?"
Dulio reached up, lowering his hood slightly, revealing golden-blond hair and piercing blue eyes. "I am Saint Dulio."
Asia gasped, her eyes widening in awe. "Saint… Dulio?"
Freed, on the other hand, burst into laughter. "Oh, that's rich! You expect me to care? There hasn't been a Saint in hundreds of years, idiot. The bitch stays with me."
Dulio considered what to do. He was so laughably more powerful that he simply felt bad. He didn't enjoy bullying.
Freed unsheathed his sword, swinging it with admittedly skilful precision. "Aren't you some Church bigshot? Think if I kill you the idiots will let me back in. All I did was kill a couple of sinners."
Dulio sighed. "I was hoping you'd be reasonable."
He moved.
In an instant, Freed's vision blurred. A sharp impact cracked against his jaw and he crumpled like a broken puppet, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
Asia stared in shock, her lips parted in shock as Dulio turned to her.
"It's alright now," he said gently.
Asia's hands trembled as she clasped them together. "Dulio… why are you here?"
He smiled kindly. "You must be very confused. You've been away from the church so I imagine many events have gone unknown to you. Do you know me?"
"I do, y-you are the strongest exorcist." She replied, her face morphed in pure shock.
"I am." He smiled.
She lowered her gaze. "Why are you here? You do know I'm excommunicated. I'm worthless to you and our Lord."
"I don't think our Lord agrees with that, considering he sent me here to collect you," Dulio replied warmly.
"H-he sent you here?" She replied, dropping to the ground.
It didn't take any longer for tears to start streaming out of her eyes.
"You haven't heard since it's being kept as a secret but I have been elected as the new Saint of our Lord." He announced.
Her eyes widened even further.
"His first task was to bring you to safety, your excommunication was a mistake." He continued.
The words hit her hard and she couldn't handle it anymore, she broke down.
This was going to take a while.
-{Kai}-
For a split second, I saw nothing. No light, no dark. Just a void between places.
Then we were standing on a street.
The oppressive Demonic Energy didn't take its time making itself known, it was noticeably a few folds weaker than what the Depths of Hell had felt like. I looked up at the purple sky.
We were certainly in the underworld. Most of all, I looked out from the alleyway.
The city was alive with flickering lanterns and the distant murmur of Devils walking the streets. Devils walked around uncaringly, all around the low-class with a couple of mid-class Devils.
We arrived in the centre of Pyrelis.
We remained hooded, my mask concealed my presence and Tiamat's presence was also concealed.
No Devil would sense us unless they were actively searching.
Tiamat stepped forward and I followed in silence, my eyes scanning every corner.
The streets were pristine, lined with polished stone and gold-trimmed lamp posts. The Devils here were mostly well-dressed.
We slipped through the city, avoiding the main roads and taking the quieter paths. Each turn brought us closer. We knew the rough location of our target, and we knew the exact details of the Hotel that secretly served as a base for an Assassination Organisation.
It took a while of walking around until we saw it.
The hotel was unassuming as it stood three stories tall, its dark stone exterior blending in perfectly with the surrounding buildings. It wasn't a place that would be looked at.
Hidden in plain sight. I could respect the thought put into it.
The windows were curtained, the entrance flanked by two seemingly ordinary Devils who stood unnaturally still.
We stayed hooded, our presence hidden beneath layers of magical concealment. Even if a Devil stood right beside us, they wouldn't notice unless they were actively searching.
As expected, we hadn't encountered any Ultimate-Class or High-class Devils present.
Tiamat came to a stop beside me, her eyes narrowing as she studied the building.
"What's the plan?" She questioned.
"Can you isolate the building with a barrier, one that would prevent anyone from coming in or out?" I asked, turning to her.
Her draconic eyes peered from under the hood.
"I can." She replied.
"I want to go in alone. I'll call you if I need help." I replied.
I could just get her to do everything for me but I couldn't become reliant on other people's power. I had a feeling I would be subjected to that for quite a bit in Heaven.
Without a word, she lifted a hand and spread her fingers, a pulse of draconic energy that could only be sensed for a single moment, expanded outward before the energy signature disappeared.
My chakra eyes activated and I was blinded by the sheer power used for this spell.
A barrier formed, a nearly invisible dome that wrapped around the hotel seamlessly. To ordinary eyes, it was unnoticeable, but with my chakra-infused vision, I could see it clearly.
A dense network of layered draconic energy, woven together with precision. It was a barrier meant to block teleportation, suppress sound, suppress any energy signatures from escaping and prevent anyone coming in or out.
The two Devil guards jumped, only to promptly slump over. My Tempest Chakram came back to my hand, their heads disconnected.
I glanced at Tiamat, who smirked. "That should keep anyone from slipping away."
I nodded, my eyes locked on the hotel's entrance.
"Then let's begin."
A powerful blast of wind destroyed the entrance.
-{Grand Inquisitor}-
His eyes snapped open.
Something was wrong.
The explosion that rocked the entire building that followed a few moments later only solidified that.
Already, a lot of the magical defensive formations had been brute-forced through.
That meant he was dealing with an Ultimate-class being of strength at least, he conjured a circle and raised an eyebrow at the lack of connection.
That was bad.
A powerful barrier was set around the building.
What had happened? All of this must have occurred within the last minute at best. Meaning a coordinated assault.
The master wasn't going to be happy if he lost so many resources, especially with his plans regarding Heaven coming to fruition so soon.
Annoying.
Shadows came up to cover him.
An alarm rang out as the building's many backup defensive wards and traps came to life.
It seems he had somehow annoyed someone that shouldn't have been annoyed. Even when he had been so careful. His mind calmly went through the candidates.
The Angel.
The only target that hadn't died. Apparently, he had gone and gotten back up. Powerful back up.
His strength had risen incredibly during both encounters with his Agents. Last he was known to be at the low end of the ultimate class.
To be safe he would have to assume he had grown stronger.
He supposed it was about time he stretched his limbs.
The Lord wouldn't be happy if too much was damaged, especially if it cut into the profits.
-END-
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