The Seraphic System

The Seraphic System

Chapter: 55

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 :)

(The Shard's Quest?)

I sat cross-legged in the heart of Eden, the faint hum of its divine essence swirling around me. 

The forest was serene, the gentle rustling of leaves blending with the soft trickle of water from a nearby brook. 

It almost felt like time moves differently here, but by my count. I had been meditating just shy of an hour. I had been in heaven for just under five days by itself. 

My download should be nearly complete. Considering it hadn't been a particularly impressive download it wasn't going to take long in any case. 

For now, I was content. 

The solitude here was a rare reprieve and something I had come to enjoy, no wonder why some Angels decided to let themselves get lost in here. 

It allowed for me to reflect without the overwhelming attention of the Seraphs. I had only met one other Seraph in my time here due to the chaos Heaven was in. 

I considered trying to travel into my sub-dimension, but I decided to wait a bit longer. There was always the chance I was being watched or sensed. With Gabriel's attention fixed on me right now, it felt wiser to hold off and give her time to ease her worries.

As much as I wanted to see my Angels and the others, patience seemed like the better choice. My presence suddenly vanishing and Gabriel learning I could leave Heaven would be problematic. 

Though, that was assuming I could leave and come back from my sub-dimension. I needed to find a way to confirm that. 

I let my mind wander, turning over the angelic spells Uriel had shared with me. He had decided to teach me a few days as we also went over angelic history, according to Uriel knowing angelic history would help in connecting me into Heaven metaphorically. 

The spells were unlike anything I'd known before. Mostly because I had never used any spells and the spells my Angels had where kind of lame except the 'Holy Smite' which was definitely a High Class or even Ultimate Class spell. 

Apparently there weren't any tiers above that since spells became useless and manipulation skills were needed to truly hold your own. That was something I understood. 

That brief time in my semi-divine form had been so… fast. I had moved with a speed that was just insane. A spell at that point just wouldn't really matter unless it had a massive destruction capability or was enhanced by something else. 

They were still useful and some of them were simply more useful than pure destructive power. I'd spent hours perfecting them under Uriel's watchful gaze, he had deemed me a prodigy funnily enough which I attributed to my perk more than anything. Even if my system had disagreed. 

Even in his absence, I practised them in my mind, shaping the light and imagining its resonance.

My growth that had slowed down, had become faster again. Whether that was Heaven or even the two trees' influence back in my sub-dimension I had no clue as to. 

My angelic reserves were already at the high-ultimate class, which made me a true threat even if my physical needs were improving. Something Uriel had decided to involve himself into. 

And then there was Gabriel.

She had been... patient and kind with me, more than I probably deserved. 

The more time we spent together, the closer we became. 

Though being the person I was meant to be, I wasn't really sure what that closeness meant yet. It had only been five days but even with the chaos Heaven was in due to… me. 

She had been spending a lot of time with me. 

When I wasn't training she was more than open to spending a few hours with me and admittedly Gabriel had grown on me. I resonated with her on a level I had only with Hestia. So far, anyway. 

I sighed in my thoughts before I opened my eyes, letting the tranquillity of the forest anchor me. 

It was unnaturally bright but in a way that didn't hurt your eyes, the Forest of Eden was also incredibly colourful and weirdly enthralling. How Adam and Eve left this place was beyond me. 

Perhaps this was just my angelic instincts allowing me to enjoy it. 

The sunlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting shifting patterns of gold and green across the ground. I decided that was enough of that. I had been using this to increase my mana manipulation slowly like I had used to. 

That had gotten slowed down as I left the familiar forest and descended into a long series of chaos that hadn't stopped till now. Mana manipulation was helping with my quick learning in angelic spells and reducing the cost.

Both invaluable. 

While that was good, I needed to move. I decided I was going to explore, considering I was already lost which wasn't that concerning. I only needed to desire to get back to the exit and Heaven would somehow sense my will.

I had tried it once before, Uriel had been correct. 

How did that work? I couldn't tell you. 

I assumed this plane had thousands of wards or some other sort of magical features. Heaven showed itself to be a unique and downright scary place a bit more everyday. 

Stretching to my feet, I dusted off the robes I had been wearing since I got here and began to wander deeper into the forest.

Animals followed me as I walked through the forest, looking at every tree which seemed to be of a different species. If I looked around I could probably find five more that belonged to the same species before I couldn't find any more. 

As strange as it sounded, the mix of all those different tree types worked surprisingly well together. 

You wouldn't expect such diversity to look so harmonious, but it did. I wondered if I could replicate these trees using my mokuton. 

Some of them had to be magical, right? If so, they might offer some advantage in battle or perhaps I could even create one capable of producing a healing sap.

Regardless. Even if they didn't, being able to add some of these to my sub-dimension would be amazing. 

I rounded a bend and stopped abruptly, my thoughts coming to a halt. 

Before me stood a massive tree, Its trunk was impossibly wide, its bark shimmering faintly. The roots sprawled across the ground in tangled, sinuous patterns and the branches stretched high into the sky, heavy with fruit that glowed faintly in the dappled light.

It was in a small clearing and the tree itself was massive compared to the other trees that surrounded it. 

"How did you find this place?" The voice, sharp and laced with hostility, cut through the silence like a blade. 

My head snapped to the side, finding a silver-haired angel standing a few paces away.

"Not sure" My words were calm. "What is it?."

Her eyes narrowed, a spark of suspicion flaring within them. 

A bit hostile for an Angel.

"Leave."

Well… if she wasn't going to tell me.

'Appraisal'

"The Tree of Knowledge," I murmured, the words tasting foreign on my tongue.

My eyes widened slightly as I was forced to dodge a half-hearted light spear. That was to say, it wasn't fast at all or even that powerful. 

I honestly wondered what would happen if I just stood there and accepted the spear into the gut, considering light couldn't hurt me. 

'Appraisal'

[Name: Raviel}

{Title: Cherub}

{Race: Angel}

{Power level: 5,880}

Nearing the peak of high class and a Cherub. 

"Leave." Raviel firmly ordered. 

I stared at her silently.

The Garden of Eden was still locked. Meaning this was one of the Angels who had let themselves get lost. Unless they had opened it up while I was meditating. 

I stood there, unsure whether to move closer or retreat, my mind racing with questions I wasn't ready to answer.

"Leave." She ordered firmly. 

The strange angel I had found continued to glare at me, her silver hair catching the dappled light. It was becoming increasingly obvious she was one of the lost Angels. 

She was tense, like a bowstring pulled taut.

A part of me was fascinated, Gabriel had told me the Garden had been shut for a while. So she had probably been in here for decades or even centuries like Uriel had told me about. 

"I'm not really feeling the whole 'leave' vibe," I said casually, tilting my head. "Besides, you're not exactly explaining why. Aren't we siblings? Why the hostility?"

She flinched visibly, her face softening and her eyes becoming apologetic. Before she shook her head and her face became cold once more. 

Her grip tightened as a light spear formed in her hand, her wings flaring slightly behind her. "This place is forbidden."

I sighed. "You think I came here on purpose? I was just wandering around, I didn't even know that this Tree of Knowledge was here until two minutes ago."

Raviel's sharp gaze faltered briefly, but her stance remained firm. "T-that doesn't matter. Leave now."

She decided to try to scare me off once again. 

A second spear formed next to her faster than the first and was sent streaking toward me in a beam of light. Again, it was easily dodgeable.

I decided not to dodge this time. Instead, I stood there, watching it approach.

The spear struck my chest with a flash of angelic energy. It was absorbed into my chest easily enough and I sent the small residue energy into powering my Semi-Divine Form. 

Raviel's expression shifted instantly. Her eyes widened in pure shock and fear? Her demeanour shattered as she rushed toward me in a burst of speed, panic flashing in her silver eyes. 

"What are you doing?!" She shouted in a panic and she reached for my shoulder, examining where the light spear had struck. "Are you okay?"

Her voice softened dramatically. 

I could see a soft glow start to emanate from her hand before she paused. Her hands froze midair when she realised there was no wound or even a mark. 

So it was just an act. 

I couldn't help myself. "I mean… it tickled a bit?" My tone was light, bordering on teasing.

Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and she quickly withdrew her hand, as if touching me had burned her. She stumbled back. 

"You-" Her voice faltered and she looked everywhere but at me, her embarrassment making her face burn bright. 

Before I could say anything else, she turned abruptly, her wings unfurling. Six wings appeared behind her. 

"Forget this happened!" she snapped, her voice slightly higher-pitched now.

With a powerful beat of her wings, she was airborne in an instant disappearing into the canopy in a blur of silver and white. There were a few beats of silence after her abrupt departure. 

"Well," I muttered, brushing invisible dust off my robe, "that was interesting."

I hadn't exactly expected that to happen. 

Finding the Tree Of Knowledge hadn't also been my expectation, my eyes looked at one of the fruits on it. I wondered what would happen if I ate one. 

I walked closer to the massive tree, placing a hand on its surface. 

A pop-up appeared a moment later. 

[Quest Generated]

[Quest]

First Step to Inheritance

Description: The tree of knowledge has provided you with a task. You have obtained a mysterious shard containing the inheritance of Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh. 

Clue: To walk the path where he tread,

Seek not for glory, but where others have bled. The hand extended, the burden shared, Align with His will when the brave have not cared. The greatest need hides in plain sight, lifting the fallen and showing them light.

In word, in deed, let light abide,

Through faith and action, the shard shall guide.

Objective: Progress your shard's completion rate to 5%

Reward: ?

[Accept/Decline]

"…"

A riddle? 

It was better than nothing, this quest confirmed what I had known. 

At least I had something to off instead of the useless little tests I had been doing to try to see what would work towards progressing with the divine shard. 

I pressed accept, having a quest and an actual clue to look back on was valuable. 

"Seek not for glory, but where others have bled..." I muttered under my breath, leaning back against the trunk of the tree. 

My gaze flickered upwards, tracing the intricate web of branches reaching toward the heavens. 

I tried to solve the riddle. 

The line sounded straightforward at first, but this was divine inheritance we were talking about. It wouldn't be as simple as visiting places where people had died like a graveyard right? 

"The hand extended, the burden shared..." I repeated, narrowing my eyes. 

That had to mean offering help, right? Something selfless. Maybe even healing? But healing who? I didn't have any healing spells or power. I knew that having access to holy power would allow me to learn though. 

"Align with His will when the brave have not cared."

That one was trickier. Align with His will. Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh. God. I was supposed to align with the divine, but the part about the "brave" seemed almost… sarcastic? 

Like it was calling out those who acted boldly without actually caring. Or maybe it was warning against prideful acts.

I spent a few more minutes trying to figure it out before I decided to stop for now.

From what I knew, I needed to perform acts that aligned with God to progress the shards percentage? I was still a bit iffy about what I was meant to do but that was the assumption I was going off of for now. 

I frowned, I couldn't exactly do that in Heaven. I mean, kind acts? Yes, but nothing that would be meaningful. I didn't interact with many humans and being polite didn't feel like it would work either.

That meant my plan to find a way to leave and come back for short periods of time was even more important. I doubted the new downloaded skill would work but it was worth a shot. 

I also needed to find a way to conceal the change that could potentially come about with progressing the shard. I would eventually let it be known but I wanted to be stronger to deal with whatever that might entail. 

For now the download should be done in the next few days. 

"Hey!" Raviel's voice called out.

I looked up to see her peeking out from a branch, her silver eyes stared at me warily. 

"Leave already!" She growled adorably.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. Placing a silent marker spell I had learnt from Uriel. It was basic, allowing the caster to place a mark on a location to come back to.

As long as the Cherub didn't suddenly throw up a bunch of formations or wards I would be able to come back. I had decided to practise that spell specifically more which allowed me to cast it silently. 

How could I not want to come back to such an interesting place? 

"Alright, I'm leaving." I replied, moving to leave the clearing. 

She frowned, her eyes becoming conflicted. "R-really, already?"

I sent her a flat stare. I was getting mixed signals. 

"I mean, yeah. Don't come back. I, Raviel, am the sole protector for the Tree Of Knowledge!" She declared. 

I left.

"H-hey!" 

I will visit her later, for now. My session with Uriel would start soon and I didn't want to miss it by spending too much time here. I couldn't exactly fly on the risks of getting caught with my special angelic form. 

So I had to run instead, which while fast wasn't nearly as fast as flying. 

-Scene Break-

I found Uriel waiting for me near the place we were supposed to meet five minutes ago, his golden wings folded neatly behind him. 

"Kaiel," he greeted, his voice steady. 

I smiled faintly at the use of my new Angelic-given name. 

"You're slightly late, is everything okay?" He asked, crossing his arms. 

"Not exactly," I said, slowing my steps as I approached. "But I did find someone that made me curious. A silver-haired angel by the name of Raviel. I believe she may have been one of those Angels you spoke about being lost in Eden"

Uriel's expression didn't change, but I noticed the faintest flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Raviel?"

"Yeah. She wasn't exactly friendly," I added. "She was a bit hostile."

Uriel nodded slowly. "That would make sense. Raviel has been here for centuries, isolated from the rest of Heaven. She has been upholding the last task set by Father before His… death. To guard the Tree of Knowledge and the death of him made her lose herself in the forest.."

I blinked. "Centuries? How can she be lost if she's guarding the Tree Of Knowledge?"

"Yes," Uriel confirmed. "Kaiel, not a lot of people can find the Tree Of Knowledge. In fact, I'm surprised you stumbled upon it."

"Really?" I asked confusedly. "I hadn't exactly been looking for it, I had just decided to take a stroll in the Garden."

Uriel observed me, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Interesting." 

"Let's continue with training shall we?" Uriel moved on. "While finding one of the lost siblings is most certainly interesting, I don't have much time." 

I nodded easily. An excited smile making its way onto my face.

He laughed. 

"Let's have a spar to change things up today, shall we?" He asked, his eyes glinting with challenge. 

-{Sirzech Gremory}-

The grand hall of the Satan Conference was a towering chamber carved from obsidian and lined with intricate demonic runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. 

Four thrones of varying designs dominated the space, each crafted to reflect the essence of its occupant. 

Sirzechs Gremory, clad in his crimson robes, stepped inside with hurried steps, his aura carefully restrained to avoid unsettling the room. He had long since managed to conceal his considerable demonic power. 

Sitting on the far-left throne was Ajuka Beelzebub, his piercing emerald eyes scanning through floating glyphs of demonic script. His lips creased slightly which Sirzech immediately noticed. 

That wasn't a good signs 

His calm demeanour and analytical mind made him the most intellectual among the Satans, though his tendency to prioritise logic sometimes distanced him from the emotional concerns of his family and friends. 

Besides most devil Lord's consider him a sociopath due to this. 

His throne was sleek and metallic, almost mechanical. 

On the opposite side sat Serafall Leviathan, her normal vibrantness and cheer gone. Further indicating that there was a serious topic to be spoken about at least she was still wearing her magical girl costume or he may have assumed that a war was about to be waged.

She only wore a suit when meeting with other Faction representatives. 

Her throne was an ice-blue masterpiece, adorned with swirling frost designs. 

Next to her sat Falbium Asmodeus who was reclining lazily, his disinterest in most matters evident in his half-lidded eyes. 

Despite his indolence, his tactical mind and ability to remain impartial in disputes made him a valuable voice in their deliberations. 

His throne was more simple in design compared to the other thrones. 

As Sirzechs took his place on the fourth throne, crafted from crimson and black. He exchanged brief nods with the others. The atmosphere grew heavier as the doors sealed behind him. 

This meeting was serious. 

Ajuka was the first to break the silence. "We all felt it, didn't we?" His voice was cold, his hands still weaving through the floating glyphs. "The holy energy that had practically exploded throughout the human world from the Vatican two days ago."

"I thought I was imagining things at first. I had been merely travelling through at the time and had been caught unaware so I didn't know it was from the Vatican… that's concerning. That energy wasn't just powerful. it was… divine." She replied. 

"It wasn't normal," Falbium added with a nod, though his tone carried a rare seriousness. "It felt like a supernova of light."

Sirzechs leaned forward slightly, his brows furrowed. "Do we have any reports from our informants? Any indication of what might have caused it?"

Ajuka shook his head. "Our informants in the Vatican reported chaos. Even the humans in the area were affected by visions, mass faintings, and an inexplicable sense of euphoria. Though we didn't get much else since war formations appeared after. Rome is closed as a whole as of now." 

"Then what?" Serafall asked, her fingers drumming on her icy throne. "A new weapon? A relic activating? Or…" She hesitated briefly. "Could it be an angel?"

The suggestion made the room grow colder despite the magical wards. The rise of a new angel, especially one of that kind of power would be a direct threat to the balance. 

As hypocritical as that may sound, the Devils only trusted themselves to not start up a war. By extension, having two superclass Devils was a deterrent. 

The balance between Heaven, Hell, and the human world was precarious enough without the sudden emergence of a figure that could make the thought of finishing up the long war emerge. 

"Michael hasn't made any moves and has stayed up in Heaven as per usual," Ajuka pointed out. "At least, none that we've detected. But if this is the birth of a new super angel we can't exactly just ignore it."

Sirzechs nodded. "We need answers and preferably fast. I'll dispatch a team to investigate discreetly. In the meantime, we should prepare for the worst. If this energy belongs to a new angel, it may lead to a new boldness on Heaven's part. We have been pushing them a bit too much as of late regardless." He said, "Not by choice, but we need to reign in some of our more troublesome Devils and take finding stray devils more seriously."

"And if it's not an angel?" Falbium interjected lazily. "If it's something else entirely?"

"Then we adapt our stance to Heaven and try to push negotiations of peace a bit more," Sirzechs replied, his tone firm. "But let's not waste time on speculation. Until we know more, we treat it as a potential threat."

The others murmured their agreement. 

Ajuka dispersed the glyphs around him. 

"There's another issue," he said. "The demonic beasts in the Pits. Their behaviour has become increasingly erratic as of late, the same time as the holy power appeared from Rome."

Serafall tilted her head. "Erratic how?"

Ajuka conjured a small holographic projection, displaying distorted images of the Pits. 

The deep, shadowy abyss where the most dangerous demonic creatures slept, which was why they hadn't explored it considering they didn't want the potential of any ultimate class beasts awakening. 

Normally, demonic beast attacks happen every month or so. It was the problem of whatever House was nearest to the demonic pit to deal with the incoming demonic beasts. 

Now though, they could see massive gatherings of demonic beasts moving through the underworld. 

Their attacks on outlying territories would be outright dangerous with the sheer quantities Sirzech could see. 

"We've had three major breaches in the past month," Ajuka explained. "It's as if something is agitating them. Stronger demonic beasts are coming out of the pits along with more demonic beasts in general."

"Could it be connected to the holy presence?" Serafall asked. "A reaction, maybe?

"It's possible," Ajuka admitted. "But feeling that all the way in the underworld is impossible, the pits radiate too much demonic energy. Yet, the timing is too convenient to be a coincidence.

Falbium scratched his chin. "Or something else entirely is stirring them up. Either way, this isn't sustainable. If the Pits continue this projection we are going to start having problems."

Sirzechs frowned. 

The Pits were already a volatile element of their world, If they failed to contain them, the resulting chaos could destabilise the entire Underworld and beyond.

It was rare for an ultimate class demonic beast to rise but with all this chaos multiple may begin to awaken. That was assuming the limit of the demonic pits was the ultimate class. A Satan-class hadn't been registered but with the sheer size it wasn't out of the question. 

"We'll need to reinforce the cities immediately and get the underworld's adventuring guild to put up quests to push them back. That'll make the high-class devils playing adventurers get involved" he said. "Ajuka, can you oversee that personally? Use whatever resources you need."

Ajuka nodded. "I've already started preparations, but we'll need a long-term solution. Reinforcing the forces opposing the demonic beasts is a stopgap at best."

"Agreed," Sirzechs said. "But until we identify the root cause, we don't have much choice."

Serafall sighed softly "This is too much all at once. A possible super angel, the Pits acting up… What's next, humans gaining a superclass protector?"

"We'll manage," Sirzechs said firmly. "We always do. But we need to stay vigilant. No assumptions, no distractions. Focus on containment and gathering intel."

As the meeting drew to a close, 

Sirzechs couldn't shake the feeling that these events were merely the beginning. 

Something larger was at play and the ripples were already spreading. 

For now, all they could do was prepare for the storm and hope as per usual that they were strong enough to face it. 

-END-

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