Chapter 97: A Messiah's Test. (Patreon)

Author’s note:And with this update, I can finally say I’m back.

This semester was rough, and writing had to take a back seat for a while, but exams are finally over. Thank God.

I’ve got the outline for the next three arcs finished, and I’m genuinely excited to return to Celestial Ascendancy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Thank you for sticking around.

Celestial Ascendancy

Chapter 97: A Messiah's Test.

Elias Black.

Kuoh, Japan.

Grinning, I waved at Sona, earning a slight nod in return. She was a bit preoccupied with her own thoughts.

I didn’t fault her at all. Rias and her peerage were noticeably stronger than the last time she’d trained with them.

And honestly… I wasn’t paying much attention. Too busy with my own giddiness from today’s rolls.

Having accumulated 800 points since the last time I rolled meant that I was in for a treat, and treat it was.  I could see how Hermione was grinning from ear to ear with her new glasses.

Seraph's Embrace- League of Legends (300 Points)

This winged staff is infused with benevolent magic. It gives its bearer a great reserve of magical energy to draw upon and, in turn, increases the potency of their magic by allowing them to burn more energy on it. The staff can also be invoked to create a magical shield around its user or an ally within 5 meters, protecting them from harm. This shield can only be summoned once every 2 minutes.

Crystalized Wisdom- Fate/Legends - Voyage to Valhalla (100 Points)

Being able to throw a punch is one thing, but a true Legend knows more than just that. Fortunately, that is what you have this draconic-looking Mask for, though if you prefer, they can also shapeshift into a set of stylish glasses. Appearance is secondary, however, compared to what they grant. Wisdom. These glasses allow you to take in and process all kinds of vast information, to the point that a lesser man would get a headache if they tried. The enormous flow of data also allows you to quickly find the most effective course of action or way to use something. You may find that punching a certain sword is more effective than using a beam, for example.

Crystal Aegis- Diablo 3 (400 Points)

Your diamond resolve seems to have paid off. You can now create extremely powerful crystals that can withstand an extreme amount of damage. So much damage, in fact, that even Baal in a rage would not be able to shatter them completely. You can create spikes out of them to attack enemies, but then they will be just as brittle as normal crystals. Use them as a shield and/or to protect people from incoming attacks. They will be like a diamond wall, capable of withstanding significant damage. You can also use them to encase yourself or an ally (one at a time) in it to activate a stasis. Inside it, time will not pass, which in turn makes anything incapable of affecting the one that is encased, but also makes them incapable of affecting anything else. The crystals have one weakness, however. They get way more brittle the longer they are unbroken. Without training, you will only be able to hold them up for at most 2 seconds. With training, that time can be extended to about 1 minute.

I would never say no to more defensive spells, and less to one as strong as this one, since it wasn’t tiring to cast, unlike Rho Aias. I didn’t have enough time to try them all, since we were already pressed for time. Still, it was strong enough to block even Rias' Power of Destruction, and that was enough to make it worthwhile. While the time limit was a bit bothersome, it was at least something, and I didn’t have much to do around this time.

Mione did look hilarious with the dragon mask, though.

As for the staff? It was a shame that it didn’t mesh well with the Devils. We tried, but it turned out that ‘benevolent’ magic wasn’t that benevolent with dark-aligned creatures. It wasn’t as alive as the Aetherius to see that my girls weren’t bad even when they were devils.

For the moment, it stayed inside my hollow. Might give it to Xenovia, since I doubted Asia wanted it.

Turning my head, I observed the group as everyone talked animatedly to each other. Sona and her peerage, Rias and hers, along with Latia. And finally, Iris, Ross, and Nym speaking in hushed whispers.

My cousin loved the new wand, and it was strong enough to not burst into cinders when she allowed her new power outside of her body. But even the wonder of it lost its shine pretty fast when she remembered why she was accompanying us to the Underworld.

She was a tiny bit afraid of Ajuka probing her with needles or something absurd like that. But at least she was returning to her previous self, little by little. Being with her parents helped a lot, and knowing that they were staying in perhaps the safest place for wizardkind did the rest.

As for what we were doing? Waiting.

“Eli, don’t you have something pressing to do?” Mione touched my back with one hand and the other on her hips, looking as bossy as she used to be years ago.

Smiling at her, I kissed the crown of her head before nodding and walking outside Sona’s house.

Taking out my phone, I called one of the few numbers saved.

If someone told me years ago that I would be calling an angel that appeared in the bible, I would have hit them in the stomach for speaking nonsense. But here I was.

“Hello, Lord Elias,” The serious voice of Metatron greeted me after a couple of beats, “Did you need something? I’m afraid I’m quite busy at the moment.”

“That’s why I called you, Metatron,” I smiled even if he couldn’t see it, “We’re back in Kuoh and have some information that is quite pressing for your faction. But you weren’t here.”

“The serious-looking nun was quite unhelpful with your whereabouts,” I murmured.

“Gricelda can be like that,” he huffed out a laugh, before turning serious. “Something came out with the devils, and I had to return to the seventh heaven for a meeting with Michael, lord Elias. And I don’t think I’ll be able to return before you and your group leave for the Underworld, if I’m not mistaken.”

Sighing, I dragged my hand through my face, “I don’t know how secure this device is.” I admitted.

“I never studied them, and while I know we’re all allies, I think you would prefer to deal without the other factions hearing about this.” I finished softly, looking around.

I doubted anyone was eavesdropping, but better to be safe than sorry. And maybe I was acting too secretive, but I didn’t want to put the angels in the spot for something like this.

Hearing Metatron sigh from the other side of the call, I grinned. I loved when Angels and other mythical beings acted so… human. It showed that they weren’t that different from us.

“If it’s not one thing, it’s another,” he finally said, before saying something too low for me to hear, but sounded like a conversation, “at least I have some good news for both of us, then. Raphael is currently in the Underworld, and you will meet him shortly since the situation affects all of us. You can speak with him, and he will pass the message.”

“Any heads-up?” I frowned.

“I’m afraid not, Lord Elias,” he sounded sheepish, “Michael and the rest would prefer for you to act unbiasedly. It’s not pretty, but I know you’ll do the right thing.”

That didn’t help at all, only making me frown harder.

“Fine,” I rolled my eyes, “I’ll speak with Raphael, then. See you later, Metatron.”

Metatron was quick to say his goodbyes and cut off the call. He really must have been busy.

Shaking my head, I returned inside, not bothering to focus too much on what he was talking about. It’s not like I could magic the knowledge inside my brain.

“Is there something wrong, Lord Elias?” Asia asked adorably, making everyone glance at me.

There were frowns around the room, but I just waved them off.

“Metatron had to go back to heaven,” I shrugged, “But it seems like there will be something else waiting for us in the Underworld. Are you sure you want to come with us? What about you, Xenovia? Don’t you prefer to stay with Sister Gricelda?”

The blue-haired nun perked up, looking as if she was mulling it over before shaking her head determinedly.

Asia, for her part, just tugged on my hand with an adorable pout.

“I’ll go with you wherever you want, Lord Elias,” Asia exclaimed softly, a blush rising on her cheeks.

“I will, too.” Xenovia nodded profusely before looking ashamed.

“I don’t know how to face Sister Gricelda,” she murmured, “Even that brief moment made me feel… something.”

Sighing, I walked toward the latest member of our group. While she didn’t mesh well with some of us, she wasn’t a bad girl by any stretch of the imagination. She was really trying to avoid painting everything with the same brush without getting to know them better, and I appreciated that.

Patting her head, I allowed some of my light to enter her body.

“You don’t have to be ashamed of your decisions, Xenovia. We can't tell if you made the correct choice, but I’ve seen how… freer you have been lately. And it’s not like you are chained to me. If some day you decide that you wish to return to the Church, I won’t block you.”

Some tears escaped her eyes, her hand cleaning them before they could fall.

“Thank you, Lord Elias.”

I was about to answer, but a bright blue magical circle appeared on the far corner of the room.

Someone I had not seen in a long while.

“Grayfia!” Rias smiled widely as she glomped on the maid.

 Grayfia's cold eyes warmed up for a second as she patted Rias’s back with surprising fondness before the neutrality returned.

“Your brother sends his regards, Lady Rias.” Grayfia had a tiny smile on her face, one that disappeared when her eyes glanced around the room.

“We were supposed to teleport into the avenue first, but something happened, and your presence has been requested by Satan Leviathan and Satan Beelzebuth. We will relocate to Satan Beelzebuth's castle.” She continued seriously, earning nods from all of us.

It was easy to see how Rias got a bit nervous. At the same time, Sona looked like she was trying to deduce something from the brief, unhelpful explanation.

Latia just looked confused.

I just nodded at her, and we walked next to her.

She didn’t explain anything, just teleporting us once more into the meeting room we had previously been in when he took out Iris Horcrux.

The air felt tense, with hints of both demonic and holy power. With Raphael, Sera, and Ajuka glaring at each other quite heatedly.

The giddiness from the rolls disappeared, whatever had happened, it had to be bad to put these three to the edge of a fight.

Asia Argento.

The Underworld.

I wasn’t sure if I liked being here.

The last time I had accompanied Lord Elias to the Underworld, it had been because I didn’t have anywhere else to be. Back then, I had simply followed, afraid of being left behind more than fearful of where we were going.

My life had changed so much in the last few months that it was sometimes hard to keep track of it all. From living inside the Church, sheltered and guided at every step, to the freedom I now had. Freedom that still felt strange, and sometimes overwhelming, even now.

I had learned so many things about the world in such a short time. Things the Church had never spoken of. Things it had kept hidden behind their secrets and carefully chosen lessons.

It was… shocking.

Understanding why they did it didn’t mean I had to like it.

The Lord preached about freedom, about allowing His children to walk their own paths. But the Church hadn’t truly allowed us to see what existed beyond its walls. It had decided, instead, what we were allowed to know.

That way, we would not know better or even have options.

Living with Lord Elias and the girls had shown me how much larger the world truly was. How many different kinds of people lived in it. How many ways there were to care, to believe, to hurt one another.

And somehow, I had ended up in the middle of it all.

Someone the Church would now give anything to reclaim. Someone they would parade proudly if they could.

A saint. A living, breathing saint.

It still felt unreal, even to think about it. Something I had never believed could exist.

Something that had only been made possible because Lord Elias had reached out his hand to me when no one else had.

Much of who I am now would not exist without him.

That was why I still couldn’t bring myself to call him by his name. Not out of distance, but because changing something that had once been a prayer felt… wrong.

There had been a time when I had truly been lost. When the Church excommunicated me, I didn’t know where to go. I had accepted a strange invitation to Japan because there had been nothing else waiting for me.

Looking back, it had been dangerous. Iris, Hermione, and Fleur had made sure to tell me that often, laughing as they explained just how foolish I had been.

But they only laughed because they cared.

They didn’t keep me close because they needed me. Not because of my powers, or my faith, or what I could do for them. They kept me close because they couldn’t imagine leaving me behind.

That warmth had been something new. Something I was still learning how to hold.

Still, there had been one moment in my life that shaped everything that came after.

Back in Kuoh, when Kokabiel told us that God was dead.

That He wasn’t there to hear our prayers.

That the angels were weakened, unable to answer every cry for help.

It had hurt more than I thought something like that could. Because it had made sense. I had prayed, so, so much. For help, for guidance. And none had come.

Until Lord Elias had appeared in that park.

Until his light had reached me.

He hadn’t replaced my faith. He hadn’t taken it from me. He had simply reminded me that kindness could still exist in this world. That someone could choose to protect instead of judge.

I followed him now not because I was commanded to, but because I wanted to.

Even so, standing here, in a place filled with beings who could decide the fate of others with a word, I felt something old stir quietly in my chest.

Not doubt, but fear.

Watching Lord Raphael, an Archangel of the Lord Himself, glare openly at two Satans with unmistakable anger was… terrifying in a way I hadn’t expected. I had seen devils in a rage. I had felt killing intent before.

This was different.

An Archangel’s anger did not burn. It didn’t roar. It pressed down on the soul, as if judgment had already been passed and only the sentence remained unsaid.

“Here they come, Lord Raphael,” Lady Serafall sighed lightly, motioning with her eyes toward us. Lady Grayfia offered a brief nod before stepping toward the back of the room and disappearing from view.

Lord Elias slowed, his expression tightening as he took in the room. His eyes moved from Lord Raphael to the Satans and back again, sharper than I had ever seen them.

The rest of us followed, and I forced myself to move with them. Not because the fear eased, it didn’t, but because stopping felt unthinkable.

Lord Elias inclined his head toward Lady Serafall and Lord Ajuka, then turned fully toward the Archangel.

“Sera. Ajuka,” he greeted calmly. Then, more respectful, “Archangel Raphael.”

There was a brief pause.

“What’s going on?” Lord Elias asked.

“It’s a mess, Eli,” Lady Serafall sighed, dragging her palm through her face.

“A mess is an understatement,” The Archangel snorted, “What your kin did was inexcusable, and the only reason we aren’t pushing harder is…”

He didn’t finish his words. It looked as if he couldn’t finish it, that his anger was so vast that he didn’t know how to voice it out himself.

“You already said it, multiple times, Raphael.” Lord Ajuka looked tiredly at the Archangel, “We know that it is a mistake; we came out with it instead of hiding it. We aren’t your enemy, nor do we want to be. You need to understand that we are doing our part with the alliance.”

“Will any of you explain what’s going on?” Lord Elias asked dryly, looking between the three leaders.

“Diodora, my cousin,” Satan Beelzebub replied in annoyance, “His actions are… something we can’t allow to continue.”

The way he said the name made my stomach tighten, even though I had never heard it before.

“We didn’t know,” Lady Serafall added quickly, but firmly. “You have to believe us, Eli. This wasn’t hidden incompetence. It came to light after the peace talks ended.”

“We investigated the Underworld. Thoroughly. What we found… necessitates your presence,” She continued, “We, as Satans, had to allow certain things when we pushed for the Evil Pieces. One of them being the King allowed to do anything they wanted to their peerage.”

“We were coming out of the civil war, and our power wasn’t accepted by everyone,” Lord Ajuka stepped in, “They were never… observed, not punished for their actions. Until now.”

“Follow us,” the Archangel ordered. I could see Lord Elias’s impatience reaching his limit. Still, he complied, and we all walked behind them to another room.

The devils in my group were sharing worried glances. Rias, Sona, and Latia were confused, and an uncomfortable expression appeared on their faces.

I didn’t know what to think. The only devils I personally knew were these three, plus Sairaorg and Seekvaira. And none of them mistreated their peerage.

Rias and Sairaorg treated them like family in a way that, in the worst times of my life, I would have joined. And perhaps even live happily ever after. It was the same warmth Lord Elias showed me.

I hadn't interacted with Sona and her peerage that much, but she didn’t look like someone who would take advantage of them, and Seekvaira only had her queen, who was like a friend to her.

But inside, I knew that every race had bad apples. Even the Church.

The only problem was that the uncomfortable feeling in my chest kept rising.

The room next to the one we were in was quiet. Not the calm kind of quiet, but the kind that pressed against my ears until it hurt. There was a vile feeling everywhere.

And in the corner of the room, fifteen people stood together.

Their hands were at their sides or folded limply before them, staring at nothing. Their eyes were open, but empty, as if whatever had once lived behind them had been peeled away.

They wore the remnants of nun clothes, torn and stained, barely held together by simple cloaks placed over their shoulders.

Dried blood marked exposed skin and cloth alike.

Something inside me recoiled so hard I had to take a step back.

I didn’t know why yet. I only knew that my chest felt like it was burning. That I wanted to cry, and not from pity.

I wanted to heal them.

The urge came instinctively, in a way that reminded me of my panic during Akeno’s injury. My hands twitched at my sides, my holy power rising without permission as I searched for wounds to fix, injuries to mend, bones to knit back together.

But when I looked closer, I couldn’t see anything I could heal.

No open gashes. No broken limbs. No bleeding wounds. Not even one.

Only… broken people.

Lord Elias hadn’t moved.

He stood utterly still, his gaze fixed on the group with an unreadable expression. But the air around him was changing. It shone gold, warping the air slightly, as if heat were rising off stone. The demonic power lingering in the room twisted and thinned, purified in streaks where his presence pressed against it.

His third eye was open.

And he was crying.

Not from pain, or even from anger. But from sorrow.

For these women he'd never met. For suffering that wasn't his own but that he felt as if it were.

Tears slid silently down his face, and they didn’t look as if they would stop anytime soon.

My throat tightened painfully. I hated seeing him like this; it hurt to the very depths of my soul, thanks to the connection between us. His pain, his panic, his regret. I could feel it all.

He must be seeing it all. Everything they had suffered. As if he were suffering himself.

I took a shaky breath, opening my mouth to say something to Lord Elias. To help him, but…

“There’s more.”

Archangel Raphael’s voice cut through the room, sharp and filled with anger.

“They are currently restrained by Lord Ajuka’s magic,” he continued in a neutral tone. “They attacked us when we approached. What remains of their will responded with violence.”

My breath hitched.

“They were once members of the Church,” Lord Raphael went on. “Our faithful. The most devout. Some of them were famous around the world for their deeds.”

My stomach dropped. It sounded just like me when I was part of it.

“Until they were excommunicated.”

The world seemed to tilt. Everything turned; I could feel my breath coming out erratically, and cold sweat appeared on my neck and lower back.

“Accused of fabricated crimes. They were shamed by everyone, then cast out.”

I felt my hands begin to shake. No… it couldn’t be like this.

“They were taken by this monster,” Raphael continued, unmoved as if my panic attack didn’t matter. “Raped continuously. Beaten until they had no tears to cry. Tortured, hundreds if not thousands of times, until they broke and were remade into this heresy.”

I couldn’t breathe.

Until they became what you see now. He didn’t need to say it, my mind continuing for him.

My vision blurred, my tears falling freely until I could see no more.

I sensed Raphael’s gaze shift.

And settle.

On me.

“And this,” the Archangel said evenly, “is precisely what he intended to do to you, Asia Argento. He is the devil you healed before being excommunicated.”

The room exploded.

Holy power surged violently outward as Lord Elias lost control for a single, terrifying instant. The air boiled. The demonic residue in the chamber evaporated in a hiss of light, leaving scorched lines across the stone floor.

I froze.

Cold fear locked my body in place, every nightmare I had ever buried clawing its way back up my spine all at once.

At least until some strong arms wrapped around me. Iris, whose glare could freeze even the Archangel for a second.

She pulled me back against her, one hand cradling my head, the other tight around my shoulders as if shielding me from the entire world.

It was this devil.

The one bound at the center of the room.

It was him.

Big, shuddering sobs wracked my body as the truth slammed into me.

Everything. The accusations I suffered from. Exile. The loneliness I had to live with until I met Lord Elias.

The near destruction of my life. When at my lowest point, seeing no answer, no help from God… I almost ended it all.

It all traced back to him.

Raphael continued speaking, as if nothing had happened.

“The common solution would be execution,” the Archangel said coldly. “Public presentation to the Church until we extracted the information from him about the corrupted clergy.”

He gestured dismissively toward the nuns.

“Mercy killing of the victims to prevent further suffering.”

My head snapped up.

Lord Elias turned slowly.

The look he gave Raphael was not holy.

It was furious.

Raphael did not flinch.

“Heaven,” the Archangel finished, “has instead elected to allow you to decide.”

Understanding passed over Lord Elias’s face. I didn’t understand what the Archangel meant until Lord Elias continued.

“…You want to see what makes me tick,” he said softly.

Raphael didn’t deny it.

Lord Elias stepped forward.

He didn’t look at the devil yet.

Instead, he knelt before the nuns.

He raised one hand.

Light poured from him. Not a blinding light as when he fought, not violent at all. Just a hug, an act of acceptance. It washed over the fifteen broken women like a tide, sinking into their skin and soul alike. Layers of filth burned away. Chains I hadn’t seen snapped silently.

Some of them gasped. Others screamed.

Some cried. And the rest fell to their knees, praying, in a way they hadn't done in years. Each of those wincing in pain from muttering the Lord’s name, and yet, they continued, uncaring.

Behind me, the devil laughed. An ugly, taunting laugh sending a shiver down my spine.

“You think that fixes them?” he sneered. “After what I made them do? What I made them into?”

His smile was as ugly as the rest of him.

“They’re mine. Forever. Heaven will never take them back. The Church will never accept them again.”

Lord Elias stood.

He looked at Archangel Raphael.

The Archangel lowered his gaze.

The expression was blank, but even I noticed the shame and anger he tried to hide. How his eyes and knuckles tightened.

“Then they’re coming with me,” Lord Elias said quietly.

“If Heaven won’t have them,” he continued, turning back to the nuns, “then Sanctuary will.”

My heart cracked open.

My breath hitched. Through the tears still blurring my vision, I watched him.

Lord Elias had offered them shelter when Heaven wouldn't. He had chosen to protect them first, before punishment, before vengeance.

That was the man I followed. The Messiah I believed in.

But when he turned toward the devil...

Before the smile I wanted to give him finished forming, Lord Elias’s eyes turned red.

For the first time since we entered the room, he smiled.