Heaven
A vast room of pure white stretched across the Sixth Sphere of Heaven. Tall columns surrounded a circular table while golden light descended from above despite having no visible source. The great doors remained closed, and several seals extended across the walls, preventing any words spoken inside from leaving the chamber.
Michael occupied the main seat, dressed in his familiar white-and-gold robes. The kind expression that usually adorned his face had almost completely disappeared as he observed the screen suspended above the center of the table. The Demons Net broadcast was playing once again, although Michael himself probably could not have said how many times he had watched it since the first.
Even so, the images continued replaying constantly, showing the famous Damon advancing through Devil territory while the Maou remained incapable of stopping him, even when they were within their own domain and surrounded by a considerable portion of their forces.
Michael could not blame himself for analyzing the recording so many times. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the Devils were currently the most powerful faction among the Three Biblical Factions. They possessed vast armies, countless noble families, and several individuals capable of competing with some of the strongest beings in the supernatural world. Michael would never deny that within his own thoughts, although he would probably never say it aloud in front of the others.
That was precisely why watching Damon tear through them in such a manner was so unsettling.
Gabriel remained seated to Michael's right, her hands folded over her lap and clear concern visible in her blue eyes. Her appearance remained as beautiful and serene as ever, but none of those present who truly knew her mistook that gentleness for weakness. Gabriel might prefer peace and maintain an innocent attitude most of the time, but she was still recognized as the strongest woman in Heaven.
Raphael occupied the next seat. His back remained straight and his expression completely serious as he studied every detail of the broadcast. Jophiel, Chamuel, Zadkiel, and Sariel were also present, accompanied by several of the Seraphim responsible for maintaining the Holy System. However, the one who stood out the most among them was Metatron.
The member of the Four Great Seraphs who had replaced Uriel remained seated directly across from Michael. His eyes were fixed on the frozen image of Damon, and although his posture remained rigid, the contempt reflected on his face was impossible to hide.
"This cannot continue," Metatron finally declared. His voice was filled with anger and venom, accompanied by that judgmental tone so characteristic of the one recognized as the Hand of God. "How much longer will we allow that creature to walk freely through the world after what he did during the Great War? He murdered Uriel, our brother. He raised his weapon against the Holy Spirit, and now he has openly invaded the territory of one of the Three Factions, passing judgment as though all of Creation should answer to him."
No one immediately responded to Metatron's tirade, for they all knew his character perfectly well. However, some of those present wanted to agree with him. After all, Uriel's death remained an open wound among the oldest angels. Although many years had passed since the Great War, Heaven had never forgotten the brothers it had lost during that conflict.
However, the truth of what had happened had been carefully buried by Heaven's leaders. As generations passed, few angels knew all the details, and those who had heard anything considered it little more than a myth. To most, the idea that a single being had appeared in the middle of the Great War, killed one of the Four Great Seraphs, and directly confronted Elohim was far too absurd to be true.
Those present in that room, on the other hand, knew the truth very well. They also knew that, little by little, the rest of the supernatural world would eventually discover it.
Raphael continued observing the broadcast for several seconds before raising his voice. "No one in this room has forgotten Uriel, Metatron. However, allowing that loss to distort our analysis would mean abandoning the discipline our Father tried to teach us. The Devils were not attacked without reason. It is obvious that this is connected in some way to the Greek faction. Furthermore, the Shinto pantheon has already released a statement making its close alliance with the Greeks clear. Based on that, it is logical to assume that the Nekoshou incident also had much to do with what occurred, if the relationship between both factions is truly as close as they claim."
Metatron turned his gaze toward him. "And does that justify invading the entirety of Devil territory? Publicly humiliating their leaders? Damon is not a judge appointed by Heaven, nor does he possess authority over the rest of Biblical Creation."
"He is now the King of Olympus," Jophiel pointed out calmly. "That grants him authority over the Greeks and over any territory recognized as belonging to his faction. However, I agree that it does not grant him the right to impose his laws upon the other pantheons."
"That is precisely the problem," Metatron replied without looking away from the screen. "A being who was already capable of confronting our Father now controls one of the most important pantheons in the world. He possesses followers and a structure he can use to expand his influence. How long will it be before he decides Heaven has also committed some offense deserving of his punishment? What will happen if the Greeks decide to spread their ideals across the world once again? This time, our Father will not be present to intervene indirectly through humanity."
Sariel rested one arm against the table. His expression was far more severe than those of the other Seraphim. "Metatron is not wrong to consider him a threat. Damon has already demonstrated that he recognizes no authority above his own. It is also clear that his power has only continued to grow since the Great War."
Chamuel frowned slightly. "Recognizing that someone is dangerous does not mean we must immediately turn ourselves into his enemies. Damon has not threatened Heaven since the Great War."
Metatron looked at him in disbelief. "Then should we simply remain here and wait until he does?"
Gabriel gently raised her gaze. "I do not believe that is what Chamuel meant." Her voice was kind and calm, but the atmosphere in the room settled slightly the moment she began speaking. "We must be cautious, of course. Damon possesses immense power, and ignoring it would be irresponsible. However, neither should we become his enemies based solely on what we believe he might do out of fear of his strength. Fear has already caused enough wars."
Sariel lightly tapped his fingers against the table. "He killed our brother. That is not some future possibility, Gabriel. It is something we cannot ignore."
Gabriel's expression saddened, but her gaze did not lose its firmness. "I have not forgotten. None of us have. But the truth is that it happened during a war. If the circumstances had been reversed and Uriel had been given the opportunity to kill Damon, I have no doubt he would have done so. The reality is that Uriel will not return if we begin another war and send more of our brothers to die."
The tension around the table began to rise as the discussion grew more heated. Some Seraphim appeared to share Metatron and Sariel's position, while others looked toward Michael, waiting for Heaven's current leader to make a decision. Michael had remained silent since the beginning of the meeting.
Finally, he raised one hand and the broadcast stopped. The last image showed Damon standing among the ruins of the Devils' defenses, completely calm while several of the most powerful beings in the Underworld remained defeated around him. "What exactly are you proposing, Metatron?" Michael asked.
The Seraph did not hesitate. "Declare him a threat to the balance of the world. Inform the other factions that Heaven will not recognize his authority beyond Olympus and begin the necessary preparations to contain him before his power continues to grow. Damon must be properly sealed, just like Trihexa, the 666."
Metatron's words caused several gasps around the table. Everyone knew that comparing Damon to Trihexa was not something to be said lightly. Michael, for his part, observed him in silence for several seconds. Honestly, comparing Damon to the 666 was already crossing a line, the leader of Heaven thought before speaking. "Contain him?"
"That is correct," Metatron affirmed immediately and with obvious agitation.
"And how exactly do you expect us to do that, brother? With what army? Who will be responsible for facing Damon?" The question left the room completely silent. Metatron frowned, but Michael continued before he could respond.
"Do you intend to send our forces against Olympus? Or perhaps you wish to face him in human territory and endanger millions of innocents? Do you truly believe that, simply because our Father was the Creator, we can march directly into Olympus and demand that Damon surrender?"
"Michael, I am not saying we should do it without any preparation," Metatron attempted to defend himself before being interrupted by Heaven's leader. "Then what are you saying?" Michael asked with his usual kind expression, although slight irritation was beginning to enter his voice. "Because publicly declaring the King of Olympus a worldwide threat is not something simple. It would be a direct provocation, a declaration we would be forced to support with actions."
Metatron tightened his jaw. "I am saying that we cannot allow fear to paralyze us."
"Have you lost your mind?" Michael interrupted, raising his voice for the first time.
An intense golden light briefly swept through the room as Heaven's leader spread his twelve wings behind him. The warmth that normally accompanied Michael disappeared completely, causing even Metatron to fall silent. "Do you want us to end up like the Devils?"
Several wings around the table tensed. Michael slowly rose to his feet and placed both hands on the surface before him. The pressure of his power filled every corner of the room, reminding everyone present that he remained the strongest angel in Heaven.
"Did you not just see what happened to the Devils? Do you want Heaven to be destroyed? Because if they could not defend themselves, what makes you believe we will be able to?"
Metatron clenched his fists. "Our power cannot be compared to that of the Devils."
"That is no longer our reality, Metatron," Michael replied firmly. "We no longer live in the days when we could force any faction to submit with a seemingly endless army. Our forces depend heavily on the people we are able to reincarnate, and that becomes increasingly difficult as humanity's faith continues to decline with each passing year. Our numbers are no longer the same, and we cannot continue behaving as though we are still the undisputed judges of the world. And above all else, our Father is no longer here."
The final sentence caused the hearts of several of those present to twist, because they knew Michael was right. Although the angels had managed to keep the Holy System functioning after Elohim's death, none of them could truly replace his presence. Michael had assumed a large portion of his responsibilities, but even he knew that he could never take his Father's place.
Michael looked directly at Metatron. "The last time Damon appeared, our Father was still beside us. Even then, we lost Uriel, and Elohim was forced to confront him personally. Now Damon is far more powerful. He possesses domains he did not control during the Great War, rules Olympus, and maintains close ties with the Shinto. Furthermore, his position as the God of Order within that faction makes it perfectly clear how deeply they trust him. We cannot take him lightly; although the Shinto are peaceful, they possess beings who stand far above the majority of factions. Meanwhile, we are weaker, and we no longer have our Father to protect us from the consequences of an impulsive decision."
Silence fell across the room as Michael kept his gaze fixed on Metatron. Metatron held his stare firmly, showing just how stubborn he could be despite everything he had just heard. Finally, he narrowed his eyes and spoke again. "I am not saying we must face him alone. I am suggesting that we recognize the danger before it is too late. If other factions align themselves with us, not even Damon, with all his power, will be able to stop us," the angel stated seriously.
"Everyone in this room recognizes the danger, Metatron," Raphael replied with his usual restraint. "But you must understand that the scale of what you are suggesting is absurd, especially when you are implying that we should attack the Greek pantheon because they attacked the Devils, who have been our sworn enemies since ancient times."
Zadkiel slowly nodded. "Exactly. Brother Raphael is entirely correct. Although Damon killed many of our own in ancient times, I cannot help thinking that, instead of plotting against him, we should consider the possibility of forming an alliance with him. After all, Devils are still Devils. Furthermore, although Damon's methods may be questionable, that does not represent sufficient reason to declare war upon him, especially when he acted for valid reasons rather than out of simple whim."
At the words of the two Seraphim, murmurs erupted around the table. Many of those present could not help recognizing the logic behind their arguments. Sariel, however, was not willing to accept them so easily and quickly turned his gaze toward Zadkiel. "Are we now supposed to accept any execution without questioning it? That is not what our Father taught us," the angel hissed with obvious displeasure.
"No, it is not what our Father taught us," Zadkiel replied without losing his composure. "But he also taught us that we must adapt to changing times when necessary to ensure our survival, rather than provoking a war that could destroy us."
Raphael nodded, showing his support for Zadkiel, before turning his gaze back toward the paused broadcast. "Furthermore, there is another difference we cannot ignore. Damon could have exterminated the Devils and chose not to."
Metatron let out a humorless laugh. "Then should we thank him for his restraint?"
"No," Raphael replied. "But we must take into account that we are observing someone who knows exactly how much damage he wishes to cause and when to stop. It is clear that Damon is not controlled by his power in the way Trihexa is. Therefore, comparing him to the 666 is completely absurd."
For some of those present, that conclusion was even more unsettling. An uncontrolled enemy could make mistakes, surrender to instinct, and become easier to deceive. Damon, on the other hand, had demonstrated that he could maintain a clear mind even while destroying the defenses of an entire faction.
Gabriel turned her gaze toward Michael. "Do you believe he intends to attack Heaven?"
Michael remained silent for several seconds before slowly shaking his head. "We have no evidence of that. And if Damon truly wanted to begin a war against us, we would not be gathered here wondering when he might do so. He would probably already be standing before our gates."
Chamuel released a small sigh. "Then there is still a chance to preserve the peace."
"As long as neither side chooses to destroy it," Michael replied seriously. Metatron looked away, clearly dissatisfied. "Then we will do nothing."
"I did not say that, Metatron," Michael replied. "Everything will depend on who he attacks and why. Heaven will not sacrifice its inhabitants to defend a faction merely because it belongs to the Biblical world. However, if Damon truly reaches a point of no return, neither will we ignore a direct threat against innocents or against our people. Every situation will be analyzed meticulously before we decide how to respond."
Metatron did not answer, although he showed no acceptance either. Michael knew that this discussion would not end with a single meeting. Many angels would never accept Damon's presence while remembering the brother he had killed. Some would even view any attempt at peace as a betrayal of Uriel's memory.
However, allowing that hatred to dictate Heaven's actions would condemn their entire race. Worse still, it would make them no different from the Fallen Angels and the Devils if they also allowed resentment to govern their decisions.
Michael leaned back in his seat before continuing. "Until Damon gives us a genuine reason to become his enemies, Heaven will not be the one to take the first step," he declared while observing everyone present. "You will not provoke him, you will not attempt to stop him without my authorization, and you will not use Uriel's death as an excuse to begin a war we cannot win."
Sariel remained silent, clearly displeased, but eventually inclined his head slightly. Zadkiel, Chamuel, and Jophiel accepted the decision without protest, while Gabriel showed a small smile of relief. Raphael simply closed his eyes for a moment, satisfied that reason had prevailed, at least for the time being.
Metatron kept his fists clenched beneath the table for several seconds. Finally, he bowed his head before the authority of Heaven's leader. "As you command."
Michael released a sigh of relief before turning his gaze back toward Damon's silhouette frozen on the screen. After observing it for several seconds, he murmured seriously, "Let us hope he also understands that the world would not survive another Great War."
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P@treon: Brotato
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