Chapter 181: Sacred Gear Isn't Enough, We Need More Treasures- Oh…
—
Azazel lounged lazily on a beach, under the shadow of an umbrella. Around him, the gentle breeze of the ocean danced, while he watched clouds stride from behind his dark shades. While the world was busy and shocked, this Fallen Angel was having the time of his life.
Of course, why should he care? He wasn't a devil, he didn't personally ally himself with that Aqua; if the world was watching anyone, it was that boy and the groups surrounding him. Azazel didn't want to have anything to do with that kid, nor did he want to.
Peace was finally here, and he also reached a breakthrough in his research. So he took some time off for vacation. Cool breeze in the morning, ladies and wine at night; life was good.
"Seems like Aqua's stirring the pot more fiercely than a witch at her cauldron," he mused, a grin playing on his lips. The ruckus with Vedas was a distant storm from him, although he was indeed curious about this 'foreign goddess', he let his curiosity die since it was related to Aqua.
Azazel didn't want to meet the same fate Surya had. On his beach far from both India and Japan, Azazel felt calm, disconnected from the storms that Aqua whipped up amongst gods and devils alike.
He stretched, considering the possibility of a quiet century or two, perhaps finally delving into those weird ancient texts he'd been ignoring; he wished he had a vampire subordinate, the text was hard to read for him as an Angel, fallen or otherwise. Since it seemed to come from some kind of vampiric origin, that would have been nice.
Whatever, I have time. I should wait for that Gasper kid to grow up. Azazel thought. It was alright to take time with this; everything was alright, he could relax. Just as he settled deeper into his musings, his phone buzzed—an irritating, discordant sound that shattered his lovely peace.
With a resigned sigh, he fished the device from his pocket, his brow arching in curiosity at the unknown number flashing on the screen. "Now who could this be?" he wondered aloud, thumb hovering over the accept button.
He answered the call, his voice laced with a mock sternness reserved for cold callers and unwelcome interruptions. "Hello?" He had just been made a fool out of by some kid earlier, he wished it wasn't that again. "If this is another one of those prank calls, I swear—"
But the voice that growled back was unmistakable, drenched in fury and impatience. "Azazel." It was Aqua, he immediately recognized. "You scamming bastard, where are my fucking Excalibur fragments."
Azazel's face dropped, his peace shattered, and cold sweat formed on his forehead. It seemed the storm was fated to pull him into it after all.
….
After a brief talk, he thanked the late Lord that although easily angered, Aqua wasn't uncooperative. Sadly, this matter was already out of his hands. Azazel felt bad for his old buddy, Michael, for what might come in the near future.
****
[First Person Point of View]
"Here, Aqua," Tsubasa handed me a wet towel, which I thanked her for and cleaned my face. I chewed on a piece of gum as I tucked away my phone and pondered what I talked with Azazel about.
"What did the call say? It looks like you got a lot on your mind," Tsubasa said softly, taking the towel from me and gently cleaning my forehead with it. I looked her in the eye and she blinked, blushing a little at my clear gaze. "W-what?"
Tsubasa, huh? Why did… she take this identity? Or was it not a manual choice? And why are her memories sealed? I had a lot of questions.
"Nyx," I looked at her.
"Huh?" Tsubasa tilted her head, and I found no deceit in it. It was a genuine reaction. She then frowned playfully. "Are you mistaking me for another one of your girls?
I smiled, "No, I was saying that I'd love to have an herbal mix of tea, I need my head to be clear. Would you make me one?"
She let the scowl drop and smiled, "Sure thing, whatever my lord says." And walked out of the gym, heading to the kitchen.
With her gone, I leaned against the wall and faced the rest of the gym. Everyone was busy on their own; the two exorcist girls were taking a break, drinking mana-enhanced energy drinks, while Kalawarna was in a corner, talking with Blue about something; seemingly a serious topic from the look on her face.
Asia and my Goddess were together, making small talk while observing others. Our eyes met, and the two of them waved at me. They kind of gave off a similar vibe…
Yuzuru and Ruby were sparring, and Shoko and Ai were talking about magic spells. Kana was there with Ai, although she just listened to the conversation. When our eyes met, she looked away immediately. To my surprise, she looked back a second later and waved slowly. I nodded at her and looked at Shoko and Yuzuru.
Those two sisters didn't receive any Sacred Gear, since the older one had one already, and the younger one wasn't really a choice in my head. Variant Detonation might have suited her better than Tsubasa, I guess. It'd have gone well with her Black Flames. But while I cared about synergy… I wanted my Nyx to be strong.
Tsubasa returned with a whole tray of tea not long after, and cleared her throat, "I got tea for everyone, grab a cup," she said, putting it on a table. She grabbed one of the cups from the tray, the best one I noticed, and walked over to me. "Here, for you."
I accepted it with a smile, "Where is yours?"
"I didn't quite measure the water right and ended up being short of one cup. It's not a bad thing, you and I are yet to spar, I'd rather be hit on an empty stomach than a full one," she joked and I chuckled.
I took a sip of the tea, which tasted divine, as expected of her, and handed it to her. She looked at my extended hand, smiled, and accepted it. She twirled the cup to face the side I drank from, and took a sip. I chuckled at that while she burst out giggling.
"So what was the conversation in the call? I'm curious," she asked, handing the cup back to me.
I accepted it and took a sip, "It was the Governor of Fallen Angels," I handed the cup to her, but she adamantly rejected it this time. I shook my head and sipped, "Since he was sorry for what Kokabiel did, I think I told you about his case, he handed over the said Kokabiel and Kalawarna. But if he was truly sorry, he should have handed over the three, no, two Excalibur swords he had with him."
"Fair enough," Tsubasa agreed. "What did he say then?"
"He apologized. Turns out of the three remaining Excalibur pieces, he only had two. The other one was with the church; more accurately, the pure Angels." I said. "There was this Three Faction meeting recently, where the Angels, Fallens, and Devils came to a peace treaty, and Azazel returned the two Excalibur to the pure Angels' leader, Michael. So now, all of the remaining three pieces of Excalibur are with the Angels."
"Ahh, no wonder you looked annoyed," she said understandingly. "What would you do now? Give them up or contact the Angels?"
"If I contact the Angels, it'll be troublesome," I laughed, taking a sip. "I'm holding two of their exorcists hostage; not really hostage anymore, they've become loyal from all the sword techniques I taught them, and they know staying with me is the better choice after all the incidents I caused recently, but still. The Angel Faction will see me as a criminal, who not only kidnapped two of their exorcists but is also holding four of their Excalibur pieces."
"That does seem troublesome…"
"It is," I closed my eyes and sighed.
Seeing me gloomy, she chewed on her lips and blinked in surprise. "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, but there was an envoy from Olympus a few hours ago. You were locked in your room, deciding who to give the sacred gears to, so we didn't bother you. They left three boxes of gifts. I didn't get the chance to tell you since we all got busy with this Sacred Gear situation."
I looked up at her and heard her, the others also turned to me. Ai chimed in, "Ah right, they're in the living room, behind the couches. I'll go fetch them."
"It's okay," Ruby said, and when I turned to look at her, only purple mist remained on her spot. I blinked, and she was back, with three boxes around her. "I got them."
Good, she was learning to use her power better. I looked at the three boxes; they were sealed well, and they didn't leak magical energy unless I focused on them. No wonder I didn't notice it earlier.
I approached them and crouched down. "Let's see," I began to open them one by one, with curiosity flowing through my veins.
****
I was quite disappointed by the gifts. Although I'll admit I was biased since I did just give away a bunch of legendary class Sacred Gears right before, so my standards were a little high at the moment. If we put that aside, the gifts weren't bad.
They were healing potions, stamina potions; a bunch of them. Each could heal the lethal injuries of a mortal, give a 90-year-old the vigor of a teen, and so on. That's not all, of course, Olympus would be insulting themselves if that's all they sent.
There were some common protection amulets, as well as luck-boosting rings, as well as some other minor stuff. But the main course in the gifts were legendary artifacts.
The artifacts came with an attached note that explained their power. The three notes also came with greetings and such, but I ignored them.
===
Gift of Zeus, Life Artifact: Headband of Immortality
Description: A simple yet elegant headband made of celestial silver, adorned with small, luminous gemstones that twinkle like stars. The headband feels cool to the touch and hums with a gentle, otherworldly energy.
It's recorded in legends as a gift from God King Zeus, bestowed upon a mortal hero who performed great deeds in service of the heavens. It was lost after the hero's tragic downfall and has since become a symbol of hope and eternal life, sought after by many but possessed by few. The powers it grants are listed below.
Immortality: Halts the aging process, granting the wearer eternal youth as long as it is worn. Regeneration: Provides accelerated healing, allowing the wearer to recover from injuries at an incredible rate. Vitality Boost: Enhances the wearer's overall physical health, increasing stamina, strength, and resistance to diseases.
===
Gift of Hades, Soul Artifact: Amulet of Elysium
Description: A dark, ornate amulet with a central gemstone that shifts colors between deep green and ghostly white. It is surrounded by intricate engravings of vines, skulls, and ancient runes.
It's forged by a powerful necromancer seeking to bridge the realms of the living and the dead, the Amulet of Elysium was hidden away to prevent its misuse. It is said that those who possess it can unlock the secrets of life and death. Hades enhanced it and made it even more powerful, as listed below.
Soul Binding: The amulet can capture and bind souls, allowing the wielder to communicate with the dead or ask for their powers. Earth's Embrace: Control over the soil and the ability to raise dead plants from it, including causing rapid growth or decay and manipulating the ground. Necromantic Aura: Grants the ability to raise the dead as loyal servants and can siphon life energy from foes to heal the wielder.
===
Gift of Poseidon, Battle Artifact: Deep Sea Volcano Dragon's Gauntlet
Description: A fearsome gauntlet forged from the scales of an ancient underwater dragon that dwelled in volcanic vents. The gauntlet is a dark, iridescent red with veins of molten gold running through it, emitting a constant, subtle heat.
Created by a legendary blacksmith who, with the Sea God's help, tamed the furious dead body of an underwater volcano dragon and forged a gauntlet out of its scales. This gauntlet is said to have the power to reshape the landscape of the ocean floor and command the fiery elements hidden beneath the waves.
Lava Manipulation: The gauntlet allows the wearer to control and create lava, summoning it from the depths of the earth to melt mountains. Draconic Strength: Enhances the wearer's physical strength and resilience, imbuing them with the power of a dragon. Thermal Healing: Heals wounds by applying controlled heat, cauterizing, and mending injuries with fiery precision.
===
They might seem strong from the description, but the first two weren't really that big of a deal. Eternal Youth? I could reverse age with a simple pill like I did with Shoko's grandma. Necromancy? Get the fuck out of here, I revived a billion bodies during my life as the Eternal Sorceror, to train my proficiency to revive my mother.
…Well fine, I guess they're not bad for my girls. I changed my pessimistic mind after taking a better look at the artifacts. I wasn't going to use them anyway, judging them by my million-year-old standards wasn't wise.
The Headband could give a Deadpool-like regen from what my senses told me, that wasn't bad. The Amulet could raise anybody below Ultimate-Class, which was a pity but I could get around that if I mess with it a bit. The juiciest was the Gauntlet, it was really powerful. I owe Poseidon a thanks; thankfully the little notes had contact info, so I could send back some powerful Talisman as a thanks.
A plus point was, since these weren't Sacred Gears, I could give them to anybody, no matter if they already had a Gear or not. I immediately knew who to give these to.
"Yuzuru kid," I grabbed the two gauntlets and tossed them over. Her face brightened as she caught them, immediately crashing onto her back due to how heavy they were. I let out a chuckle, knowing it would happen.
"You knew! You should have warned!" The little girl yelled, while her sister helped her up with a laugh. I ignored her and grabbed the Amulet.
"Shoko," I walked over as she helped Yuzuru get up. Yuzuru raised an eye while her older sister looked at me with a surprised blink.
"Erm, Aqua, I don't need it..." She protested, but I put the headband around her head. It shimmered and registered her mana, beginning to circulate through her body.
"Of course you do. Your body isn't sturdy, so you need other means to survive; super regeneration is a good solution." I said, ruffling her hair as she nodded meekly.
I walked back to the boxes and grabbed the Soul Amulet. I raised it high and watched the chandelier's light reflect against its pearl. "This one deals with souls and death," I looked at the girls around me, "I don't think any of you are confident dealing with it. So I'll be a little brazen and," I walked over to my Goddess and raised it toward her. "I apologize for offering such a weak artifact, my Goddess, but Death Divinity will help you now that Ozriel is no more."
My Goddess was the sole Deity of Pangeal, so while she may be a Voidborne she still ruled over the Sun, the Moon, Life, and Death, among other stuff. But she had divided those divinities among her Archangels; the Angel of Death, Ozriel being one of them.
She has… passed away in her fight against the Outer Gods, protecting my Goddess, which meant my Goddess had lost her Death Divinity. This artifact barely contained any, but it would be a start to regain her former authority over Death.
"I shall accept it with grace," she accepted and gently touched it against her heart. We all watched, as she focused with her eyes closed, and a purple deathly aura leaked out of the amulet. It illuminated the entire room as if a purple sun had risen, and the wind flapped against my hair. The light, the aura, all of it rushed toward my Goddess' heart a moment later, submerging into her flesh.
She opened her eyes a long moment later, her purple eyes now a bit more vibrant.
I smiled, content with that. It's not been a week, yet we made a lot of progress. I have a lot to do still, and deciding on Excalibur was just one of them.
My days grew too busy to count before I knew it.
**
**
**
Author Note: Come on and vote, if we reach Top-3 you get 2 chappies tomorrow!!
Read the next chapter right away along with this entire month's, on my Patreon.
Link: Patreon.com/Master4thWall