Chapter 82: Decisions Made
A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next four chapters are up on my for early access as well as the chance to vote on the direction of the story!
In which Issei's rule begins~
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This much power… it’s rather intense, admittedly. Issei had known that sitting on the Throne of Heaven would either kill him or make him God. But knowing was one thing. Experiencing it first hand was something else entirely. Still, Gabriel’s gambit had worked. Issei might not be as powerful as her father was just yet, but he’s powerful enough for this. And for so much more.
Still, as a result of his new level of power, Issei can see the shift in Michael in real time. He watches the Steward of Heaven’s disbelief and anger slowly fade away, to be replaced by horror… and self-recrimination. Looking between the two of them, Michael sinks to his knees, staring down at his hands.
“I… I did this. I kept you from your task, didn’t I?”
Issei watches as Gabriel’s beautiful features twist up at that, as though she just bit into a particularly sour lemon. The Fallen Seraph huffs and walks over to where Issei stands. His very presence would be dangerous to her now… if he weren’t making a conscious effort to make sure it wasn’t. As it is, Gabriel doesn’t fear him for even a moment. She hugs herself to Issei’s side as he wraps an arm around her and looks down at where Michael kneels before them.
“Yes. You did. Our Father’s Throne was filled in spite of you, brother.”
Her response is short and clipped, but also succinct and to the point… and it has a demonstrable effect on Michael, each word slamming into the blond Archangel and leaving him more distraught then before as he kneels there, looking up at the two of them.
“Then… I am nothing but a failure. I failed you, sister. I failed our Father. And I failed his Creation.”
Gabriel nods, her face smoothed over now, seemingly emotionless as she stares down at her brother.
“Yes. The only question is, what will you do next?”
Michael looks surprised by that. He stares back, seemingly confused and in disbelief.
“… Next? You will not push for my execution? I would deserve nothing less.”
But Gabriel is already shaking her head, as Issei knew she would.
“Perhaps if you had done what you did to me out of malice, I would. But as much as it pains me to admit it, you did what you did out of love.”
Michael’s eyes widen at that, and he chokes as he shakes his head in response.
“N-No… I did it out of duty, sister. I-!”
Here is where Issei steps in, his voice still overlaid with his new power.
“You might tell yourself that, Michael. You lied to yourself so effectively, just to keep yourself from Falling. But the truth is, deep down inside, you loved your sister and couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. So you acted, and though it was the wrong decision… it was in fact born of love.”
Michael shudders as the truth of Issei’s words washes over him. He looks down at his hands again for a moment.
“… Then… why have I not Fallen now? I know the depth of my folly now. I know the truth of myself, laid bare. I am a failure and a fool. Why… why do I not Fall? It would only be fitting…”
“Because I do not will it. And because the parameters within which Angels will Fall have changed.”
Both Michael and Gabriel look at Issei at that, causing him to smile slightly.
“No longer will ‘impure thoughts’ cause angels to Fall. Nor shall it be one punishment for all offenses, including the most minor. From now on, the only way for an angel to fall from MY Grace is to willfully betray Heaven, or intentionally cause direct harm to humanity. Everything else… will be discussed in due time.”
Issei peers at Michael at that, watching him closely. The self-loathing that the Steward of Heaven feels right now is so powerful and intense that it somewhat obfuscates his feelings towards what Issei just said. Even still, he can see Michael’s soul. Gabriel’s as well. And in their souls, he can see their true selves shining through. But that doesn’t mean he’s just going to take it for granted. He needs to hear it from Michael’s own mouth.
“What say you, Michael? What will you do now that you know the sort of Heaven I intend to lead?”
Knowing Michael’s response does not prelude Issei from needing to ask the question. Because both the question and answer being out loud and verbal are necessary for things to move forward in a satisfying fashion. Michael lets out a shuddering breath and bows his head low before Issei and Gabriel.
“… I swear myself to the Throne of Heaven and the one who sits upon it, as I did before long ago. I recommit myself to the pursuit of Heaven’s glory and the spread of your message. I… I will serve you, as I served my Father before you. Faithfully and truly, forevermore.”
Issei nods, before glancing in Gabriel’s direction. The Fallen Seraph huffs and pulls away from him, moving over to Michael and grabbing him by the shoulders. Her brother is startled as she pulls him to his feet, but even more so when-
SMACK!
She slaps him across the face hard enough to turn his head. Michael brings a hand to his rapidly reddening cheek, before smiling somewhat wanly.
“I most certainly deserved-!”
Before he can finish the sentence, Gabriel has him in a hug, pulling him in close and even manifesting her blackened wings to wrap around him alongside her arms. Michael, after a moment of hesitation, does the same with his own white wings, hugging her right back. Issei smiles at the sight, looking on for a moment, but eventually the embrace comes to an end.
As they pull back from one another, Michael furrows his brow and glances to Gabriel’s dark wings before looking at Issei.
“If what you say is true, then should not my sister be restored already? After all… she never betrayed Heaven. In the end, she was the most loyal of all of us.”
Chuckling, Issei shakes his head.
“Restored? What is there to restore? Gabriel chooses who she is. As she always has.”
When Michael looks back to his sister in confusion, Gabriel smirks… and then flicks her wings out, turning them pure white for a moment. But just as quickly, she returns them to their ‘fallen’ state of black. Of course, at this point Gabriel isn’t truly Fallen. Not anymore. But…
“It’s merely a preference, brother. I know this is all new for you… but we can have those now. And I find I prefer the color my wings took when I finally found my beloved after all these years.”
Michael flushes a bit at the light admonishment in Gabriel’s tone, before slowly nodding. After a moment, he gestures to her wings.
“They look… good on you?”
Letting out a peal of laughter at his hesitant compliment, Gabriel turns this way and that, posing more for Issei than for Michael, even as her eyes glitter with amusement.
“Thank you, brother. I completely agree.”
With that exchange done, both Archangels turn back to Issei… as he retakes the Throne of Heaven, sitting down in God’s chair once more. His chair now, Issei reflects. He has the power wherever he goes now, but not the access. Not yet anyways. He has to be seated on the Throne to properly access God’s Systems.
Still, once he is… it takes but a mere second of concentration to open two portals. One portal opens to a certain Meeting Room back at Issei’s mansion… another opens to a certain laboratory. As they open, Issei’s voice booms out, a message sent through each and only heard by their respective recipients. The first is rather simple, with a note of… domineering affection given who’s hearing it.
“Ravel Phenex. Come through the portal, my dear.”
The other is a bit more complex and… ceremonious.
“Azazel, Governor General of the Grigori. Serafall Leviathan, Great Satan in charge of Foreign Affairs. I would entreat with you both regarding your two factions. Approach.”
To Ravel’s credit, she doesn’t hesitate. The young Devil steps right on through the portal into Seventh Heaven, her eyes going wide once she realizes where she is… and then positively bulging out of her skull when she sees Issei sat upon a throne. He gives her a smile and beckons her over to him, making her blush as she scurries to his side.
Every fiber of the young devil’s being is strung tight, as if she expects to be obliterated in a second. And to be fair, if not for him… she would be. His predecessor’s construction is not at all kind to Devils. But then, Issei could have guessed that from the fact that using the Lord’s name even long after his death caused Devils literal pain.
That wouldn’t be a problem for Ravel though, because all Issei had to do was whitelist her and she would be fine for as long as he kept her on said whitelist.
Of course, through the other portal there’s a bit of a heated debate going on. After all, the Meeting Room had had three occupants today… and Issei had only invited two of them through the portal.
“You can’t possibly mean to go through that thing, Serafall. It’s reeking holy energy.”
“Of course I’m going, Sirzechs. You might not be very familiar, but that wasn’t just any big booming voice… that was the Red Dragon Emperor’s voice. And if he and the Fallen Seraph had wanted me dead, I would already BE dead. This is my job, Sirzechs. I’m supposed to be in charge of Foreign Affairs.”
“… You weren’t supposed to really take it that seriously, Serafall. It was just something to assign you so we all seemed to have our own duties…”
“Well you should have thought of that before you gave me the title, Sirzechs Lucifer. And if you think we aren’t going to have a LONG conversation about all of these talks you’ve been having with the other faction leaders behind my back, think again. Going over my head is one thing… going over my head without telling me? You’re in the dog house, Mister.”
“Serafall-!”
“Nope! Go back to the Underworld, Sirzechs! This is a job for the Satan in charge of Foreign Affairs and that’s not YOU!”
And with that… Serafall Leviathan steps through the portal and into Seventh Heaven. An amused and quiet Azazel steps through right after her, causing the portal to close behind him.
Of course, Serafall’s defiance in regard to Sirzechs lasts all of a second before she realizes where she is, her eyes going wide and her jaw dropping open in disbelief. Likewise, Azazel’s amusement vanishes the moment he sees Issei upon the throne, his own eyes bugging out in exactly the same way Ravel’s had.
Then, the Governor General throws an altogether pouty look towards Gabriel.
“Really, sister? ‘Oh, I just need to get some of my things from my rooms. Can you distract Michael for me while I pop up with Issei for a second?’. What a load of horse shit!”
Unrepentant and grinning wickedly, Gabriel holds her head high as her eyes twinkle with impish delight.
“And you fell for that load of horse shit, Azazel. Hook, line, and sinker.”
Huffing, Azazel crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head.
“I suppose I did…”
Finally getting over her own shock and awe at being where she is, Serafall focuses on Issei… and on Ravel, stood next to his throne.
“How am I here, exactly? And is that… Ravel Phenex? How is SHE here? What’s happening?”
Azazel immediately begins hopping up and down as he throws a hand into the air and waves it about.
“Oooh! Oooh! Pick me!”
As Gabriel and Michael fondly roll their eyes in unison, and Ravel stares at Azazel as if shocked to see a Faction Leader act like he is, Issei just smiles and points at the Governor General.
“Go ahead, Azazel.”
The Grigori Leader pauses as Issei’s reverberating voice washes over him, causing him to shiver for a moment. But then he gets over it and looks to Serafall.
“That, my dear Satan, is the Throne of Heaven our Red Dragon Emperor is currently sat upon. Otherwise known as the Throne of God. And this isn’t just Heaven you’re stood in… this is Seventh Heaven. Otherwise known as my Father’s personal quarters while he was still alive. Basically… Gabriel pulled a fast one. A prank within a prank, if you will. And now… everything changes.”
Serafall looks to Issei on the Throne with fresh eyes, her mouth opening yet again… and then closing just as quickly. It’s clear that the Great Satan is incredibly overwhelmed by all of this. So Issei decides to give her a little breather and focus on Azazel first.
“You’re reinstated, Azazel. So long as you want the posting.”
Even as Issei speaks, he’s pushing his new rules the Governor General’s way. Azazel pauses for a moment as he considers the far less restrictive guidelines that Heaven will be operating under going forward.
“… I could work with this. I could definitely work with this. And I’m guessing that those fools in Fifth Heaven have been lost without me, probably. Though… not all of the Grigori will be able to abide by these new rules.”
Issei nods.
“I am aware. There is likely to be a schism. Can you accept that?”
Another pause, as the compassionate Governor General struggles for a moment with having to leave behind the worst of the Fallen. Then, his resolve firms up.
“… I can. These new rules are so much more freeing. If they can’t abide by them, then… then much like Kokabiel, I’m not sure there’s any saving them.”
Issei nods and then looks to Michael.
“As I understand it, you two have been talking for quite some time about a permanent peace between the Grigori and Heaven, right?”
Both Michael and Azazel hesitate, a holdover from how secret they’d had to keep their peace talks. But the cat’s thoroughly out of the bag now, so there’s really no helping it. And Michael DID just swear his loyalty to Issei, making it even harder for the Seraph to lie to his superior’s face.
“Yes, that was the case, my Lord.”
Waving a hand at Michael, Issei shakes his head.
“You can just call me Issei. I can feel your reverence in every word you speak as it is, titles are ultimately meaningless at this point.”
Michael is quiet at that, radiating his recalcitrance to follow that order. After a moment, Issei just laughs and waves again, this time waving him off.
“The two of you can figure out the logistics of welcoming back those in the Grigori who have not and will not betray Heaven. Go ahead and start that now. I’ll… negotiate with the Leviathan in the meantime.”
There’s a brief pause, with everyone in the room catching the double meaning to what Issei is saying. But in the end… he is sat upon the Throne of Heaven now. So even though Michael is struggling to get over his prudishness, the Archangel nevertheless leaves the room with Azazel in tow. And that means Issei finds himself alone with Serafall Leviathan, Gabriel, and Ravel Phenex. Technically… a match made in Heaven.
[ ] Focus on Ravel sexually in the ensuing negotiations - 28%
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