Back in the new Kent House in Sanctuary, Zack Kiehl* is visiting Grandma Rory there as he also meets with little Raquel*. The two had laughs as they met but after some time.
" What is it? " Grandma Rory asks Zack, as he feels something.
" No..., no no no... " Zack says as he stands up from his seat.
" The Barrier has been breached and... " Zack looks at Rory as he then tries to leave, but...
" Zack, what's going on? " Grandma Rory asks him.
" Rory, are you and Raquel the only one here? " Zack asks Grandma Rory nods.
" Good..., now do you remember where the way to the house's hidden bunker? " Zack asks as Grandma Rory realizes something as soon as Zack asks that.
" Are we in trouble? " Grandma Rory asks while Zack just looks at her with an expression that clearly says " You should go there, now. " before leaving her.
Zack goes outside, he rushes outwards as he can see some things in the skies, small from his sight, but he can tell that it's not good.
" No... " Zack says as he sees the incoming breach.
..
...
[ Unknown Fortress inside the Dark Forest, Weapon's Section. ]
" Hraah! " Carla uses her strength to hit Seraphim as hard as she can, combining the power she currently had within her Soul as well as the power and strength provided by Battle Maiden's body.
Carla hits hard over the Archangel, hitting hard even more whilst Seraphim deflects it with her [Wings of Radiance] as well as using [Purifying Light] to heal herself from the previous damage.
" Not if Carla could help it! " Carla immediately used some of her inherited traits, something she somehow brought forth from her Physical Body in each timeline, that is.
[ White Blizzard ]
Carla uses the Blizzard to freeze Seraphim, using it to stun her body's healing process.
" Eat this! " Carla hits Seraphim hard into the corner, which makes the Archangel impressed.
" Impressive..., that was your Grandmother's- "
" Do not speak of her, Seraphim! " Carla attacks Seraphim, but as soon as Seraphim tries to deflect it, Carla's fist immediately releases and instead grabs an item that was actually behind Seraphim the whole time. Something that even Seraphim failed to see despite her fighting around the place.
* Carla swings the weapon onto Seraphim. *
* Slash! *
* Seraphim's wings get frozen and some of it cracks. *
" To think Grandad spares some space in the System's Storage to keep this one. " Carla says as she holds a broad claymore-like sword.
< [Item: Sword of Winter Nightmare, Yukikagura (+4) ] >
< Item Class: SS >
< Type: Sword >
" This will level up the playing field, does it, Lady Seraphim!? " Carla attacks Seraphim but Seraphim decides to throw her sword and begins to summon another weapon using her Divine Might.
< Weapon Name: Divine Arch-blade of Radiance, Rhitta. >
< Type: Legendary Item. >
The Arch-blade began to radiate Yukikagura with its radiance and heat, countering its hellish freeze with the great heat of its radiance.
" Such weapon... " Seraphim says it while looking more into Yukikagura.
" To think you would wield such a weapon, Divine Hero? " Seraphim praises despite her current position.
" I am sorry if me and my son might replace you in Ragna's heart. "
" But know this, despite any betrayal Ragna did to you and your Grandmother..., he still wants you in his life, in every timeline..., your strength, your prowess, your capabilities... "
" For that, he- "
" Shouldn't Grandpa tell Lady Seraphim about those things already!? " Carla says while increasing her pressure during the sword clash.
" Praise Carla in any way you want, Carla's still not happy with the fact that Lady Seraphim and Grandpa are having Uncle Warwick behind Carla's back in the 100th Timeline. "
" Grandpa might be the one who proposes things, but Carla will always blame Lady Seraphim who accepted it despite knowing everything! "
" Krah! " Carla pressed even further, she released much of her anger at the time, and all energy and rage were used to press on the sword clash, a pressure so heavy that Seraphim had to use both hands to prevent her sword's blade from hitting her body as she slowly loses the clash.
During the losing grip of things, Seraphim began to clench her teeth as she remembered the past when Ragna Twelve first told her about the proposal. At the time, Twelve proposes the idea to the Angelus, saying that the only to win this war is by doing things outside the book.
" Angeluses! "
" You are all part of the Divine, part of the Heavens above! " Ragna Twelve says at the time.
" Just like your conflicting brethren, you soar above your own Divine Rules, making rules that are only meant to work for your benefit! "
" I'm not complaining about that, for I never will dream of this complaint would even move you whenever you listened to it, but... "
" For the fight with the gods, for our purpose's sake... "
" We must change our approach to things and accept many innovations that would help us. "
" And I..., Ragna Orion 'Mamory' Kent, a survivor mortal being from the Previous Timeline, had come to propose a certain project, a project that you all knew and I knew you still wanted to make one... "
" That is... "
Seraphim remembers the whole thing, remembering how this 'project' is simply the 'another approach' on how they will go to war with the Diviners.
At this moment, she felt regret for her choices but also couldn't blame herself for that proposal that happened to be accepted by the other Angels at the time, forcing her to do it as the majority voted to do it.
" This is how it shall be done... *sob* " Seraphim shed tears.
" I'm sorry, Carla..., I... " Seraphim says this but as the deadlock between her clash begins to end.
* Senses tingling. *
" Mmm... " Carla and Seraphim instantly stop their clash, the two look at each other as the two converse silently over what's happened.
Carla looks at Seraphim which Seraphim responded by giving her a confused look as well.
" This..., feeling... " Seraphim says as she feels it.
" It's them... " Seraphim says it while slowly shaking her head.
Carla sees Seraphim's action, she withdraws her blade from Seraphim as she looks up, sensing accurately what's coming.
" Demons, no... "
" Carla sensed Valkyries and..., wait. " Carla begins to think, after sensing both the presence of the Valkyries and Demons, Carla immediately realizes that it's not a coincidence.
" If the Valkyries are accompanying the deviant's demons..., that could only mean one thing. "
" For only in the direst of situations, the Earth's Pantheons would ever do this... " Carla says it as Seraphim stands up beside her.
" My fellow Angels are intercepting them as they came. "
" Zack..., Zadkiel was the one who sensed it first before telepathically telling me. " Seraphim tells Carla more about the situation.
" Tch, even the might of your fellow angels is still not enough to face them, especially since they had the Valkyries accompanying them. "
" Those slaves of 'Tartarus'. "
" ... "
" Will Lady Seraphim come? " Carla asks Seraphim, but Seraphim silently shakes her head as she looks over the place where her son is placed.
" Uncle might not be awake even after the battle is over. "
" Uncle's waking up process is around 90%, but hours past is not enough to make it past 92. "
" Guess, I had no choice but to entrust uncle to Lady Seraphim, then... " Carla says it while preparing to leave.
" Wait! " Seraphim calls her, which makes Carla stop.
" What is it? " Carla asks, and Seraphim then decides to show her something before she leaves.
...
( At the same time. )
[ Unknown Realm.]
Ragna Twelve and Hundred quarrel over their current situation, after constantly getting lost. As the two debated, Ragna then approached them again.
" Ah yes, finally you came, where were you!? " both of them asked him, but Ragna responded to them in silence.
" I'm simply having a time out and also... "
" I wonder if the guidance from the 'Twelve Eye' is needed at times like this. " Ragna suggests which Twelve does it as soon as he heard the suggestion, wondering why he didn't do it earlier.
" Tch, you're right Current One, why did this ol' Twelve didn't use his 'Twelve Eye' to guide us all out, perhaps with that we-..., umm... " Hundred sees Twelve's face as it changed so drastically than before. He sees the face filled with nothing but fear and worry.
" Ol' Twelve...? " Hundred asks as he then looks at Ragna.
" After getting lost, I simply had a feeling, call it a hunch of sorts... " Ragna tells them.
" Wondering if the reason we're getting lost is purely accidental or... "
" An intervention from those above... " Ragna tells his thoughts, but Twelve sees the visions as he then says this.
" Carla..., Carla is in danger. "
___________________
Extra:
* Zack Kiehl.
Zack Kiehl is Zadkiel, the one who watched Ragna in Chapter 173: Previous Time Retribution Part 2 and knows Grandma Rory like in Chapter 77: Tower of the Abyss.
* Raquel.
See Chapter 394: "Day -1: Sanctuary Part 1".