Cambrian
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The Sleeping Dragon Ch. 81 (High School DxD)
🕑 Added 2023-08-21 14:10:15 +0000 UTCA/N: Gabriel fulfills her purpose~
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Heaven was made up of Seven ‘Floors’ for lack of a better word. Each ‘Floor’ was called Heaven in its own right, and technically none were supposed to be lesser or greater than any others. But… well, there were always differences. Nothing in reality was truly equal, no matter how much one might have wanted it to be so.
First Heaven was often termed the ‘foyer’ of Heaven. It was where their first lines of defense resided. If anyone wanted to visit Heaven, they would have to go through First Heaven. If anyone wanted to invade Heaven, they would also have to go through First Heaven.
Second Heaven, meanwhile, was a place filled with darkness said to have been there before God said ‘let there be Light’. It was in Second Heaven that Angels liked to observe the stars. It was also in Second Heaven that prisoners of the fallen angelic variety were kept. No doubt if Michael had had the power, he might have smote Issei down and spirited Gabriel back to Second Heaven in some vain attempt to ‘rehabilitate’ her after her Fall.
And then there was Third Heaven, the conventional form of Heaven that most mortals who still prayed to her Father believed in. Third Heaven was where the souls of the dearly departed who had earned Heaven found their eternal paradise.
On the other hand, Fourth Heaven would have been a little bit harder for most modern day Christians to stomach. Because Fourth Heaven was where the Garden of Eden and the original human experiment began. As far as humanity was concerned, the Garden of Eden had been a place on Earth. Perhaps because it was easier for them to accept that they were merely thrown out of a garden, rather than Heaven altogether.
Fifth Heaven was Azazel’s old stomping grounds, where he and his Grigori had originally gotten their start as a sanctioned organization that called themselves The Watchers of the Children of God. They kept an eye on Sacred Gear Users… and ultimately fell because of it. Even though Azazel and the original Grigori had all become Fallen Angels however, Fifth Heaven was still filled with research institutes and what not to this day.
Of course, if you got past the first five ‘floors’, you would reach Sixth Heaven. Known as ‘Zebel’, this was where Gabriel had resided with her brothers, her fellow Great Seraphs, for the past several hundred years. Sixth Heaven was where Gabriel had lived while she was blissfully ignorant of how Michael had restricted her. Thanks to his actions, her interest in humans had been completely stifled, leaving her ultimately disinterested in leaving Sixth Heaven.
Of course… it was also where they’d entered Heaven from. Why would Gabriel bother going through the first five layers of Heaven when the Sixth Floor had been her home for oh so long? Fallen she might be, but she was still her Father’s daughter… and she still had access to everything he’d wanted her to. Gabriel had to wonder about that. If she were Fallen… was she still supposed to be able to do the things she’d done? Shouldn’t her access have been revoked automatically by her Father’s Systems?
That it hadn’t been… well, it spoke of interesting foresight on God’s part. Because the alternative was that he’d somehow dropped the ball, and God never dropped the ball.
“We made it…”
Issei still sounds a little surprised by how easy it all was. Gabriel smiles as her beloved looks around himself, wide-eyed and in awe of what he’s seeing. She understands full well that he’s probably feeling a little overwhelmed right now. After all, it’s not every day that you get to see the place where God of the Bible lived.
This was Seventh Heaven. The final ‘floor’. Beyond Sixth Heaven, beyond everything else… this was where God had resided when he’d still been alive. It was also where he kept his ‘things’, meaning the Systems that allowed all of his creations and projects to continue functioning long after his death.
Her Father was never one for too much luxury or opulence, but his very nature was… grandiose in a way. Look at what he’d done. Look at all he’d created and tell Gabriel that he couldn’t be a BIT extravagant at times. Still, he preferred to spend his time and energy on others, not himself. By comparison to where they just came from, her Father’s floor of Heaven could almost be called plain… if one ignored all of the marble pillars and vaunted ceilings and beautiful golden filigree that his children had insisted on installing when they’d found out how plain their father’s rooms REALLY were.
Still, they weren’t here for sightseeing. They were here for one purpose and one purpose only… and it was sitting right across the room, almost innocuous in a way.
“Do you see it, Issei? The Throne?”
Blinking, Issei looks to where she’s gesturing and slowly nods. He seems nonplussed and Gabriel giggles as they begin to walk over to it. It doesn’t seem like much, truth be told. At first glance, it’s a beautifully carved wooden chair with a high back and seat that are both cushioned with plush royal purple fabric. Of course, it’s also so much more than that. This… this is the Throne of Heaven. The Throne of God. Through this Throne, her Father could do anything he wanted to.
“Are you ready, Beloved?”
Standing before the Throne, Gabriel looks to Issei and then glances back to where they came from. They’d slipped in through Sixth Heaven and made it all the way to Seventh Heaven before the alarms could be raised, but as they were entering this place, she’d begun to hear the sirens. Which meant that Uriel, the only remaining Great Seraph, already knew she was here.
And yet… he hadn’t come chasing after them. And that meant… that meant he didn’t have access. It seemed rather silly, but that was God’s design. Seventh Heaven was made to be impregnable. Its defense systems were ineffable, and thus impossible to circumvent… unless you were granted access by God himself.
Gabriel was, of course. As part of her quest to find a worthy successor, she needed to be able to enter Seventh Heaven with a mortal at her side. But only one mortal. Even Fallen, she knew this to her core. Only one mortal at a time was allowed to join her in Seventh Heaven. Those were the rules by which Gabriel could pass through the defenses of this place.
Would Michael have access too? She suspected he might. That was why she’d worked with Serafall and even Azazel to provide a distraction back on Earth. Of course, neither of them knew what she and Issei were truly after… in fact, Gabriel had purposefully misled them into thinking that she was merely trying to get her old things from her rooms in Sixth Heaven. The equivalent of returning to your place after a bad breakup while your old boyfriend was away… or at least, that was how Azazel had phrased it.
They’d been all too willing to help her out and hadn’t even questioned why Issei was going along with her as backup. She’d make up the deception to them later. When everything was done, one way or another.
“… I’m ready. Boost!”
Gabriel watches as Issei’s power doubles. Of course, he barely wastes a second before saying it again.
“Boost!”
His power doubles once more. Such an amazing ability, Boosted Gear. Oh sure, Gabriel was aware that it wasn’t invented by her Father. That the Boosted Gear and the Dividing Gear were both only possible because of the dragon souls used to make them. Boosting was Ddraig the Great Welsh’s power… a power that had been used for great destruction in the far distant past.
“Boost! Boost! BOOST!”
And yet… watching Issei exponentially increase his power with every boost he does, Gabriel can’t help but feel like this might have always been part of her Father’s plan. Even if Michael hadn’t done what he’d done, would she have ever really found someone among humanity who could have sat upon her Father’s Throne without the assistance of Boosted Gear?
… More than that, would any of Ddraig’s previous wielders have been worthy of this in the same way she felt Issei Hyoudou was?
“BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!”
There’s a sense of rightness to this moment, even as Issei’s power overwhelms her own for the first time since they met. He’d grown past her a few boosts back, actually, but only now does he completely eclipse her. Only now does she begin to feel like an ant standing next to a mountain as his mere presence towers over her.
A small smile spreads across her face, and she lets her eyes drift shut as she basks in the sensation.
“BOOST!”
Perhaps this was how it was always meant to be. Perhaps her brother was always supposed to betray her. Perhaps she was always supposed to be waylaid for all these years. Perhaps her Father’s plan had always ended here, with her and Issei together before his Throne.
“BOOST!”
Opening her eyes, Gabriel looks upon the most beautiful sight she’s ever seen. Such power. Such strength… and all in the hands of her beloved. Issei shakes with the amount of power he’s currently using. And takes a step towards the Throne of God. And then another. And another. Gabriel wishes she could help him, but she’s pretty sure that getting within a foot of him would vaporize her at this point.
All she can do is watch. All she can do is wait. Issei reaches her Father’s Throne… and all but lunges forward. His hands grab at the armrests, gripping what looks like wood. He squeezes down hard enough that if it was wood, it would have disintegrated outright in his grasp. But of course, the Throne of God remains intact.
Slowly, still holding onto all of that power, Issei turns around. Their eyes meet for a moment and Gabriel graces her beloved with a wide, adoring smile. It’s all she can offer him. She wishes she could give him more, but this is all she has. Fortunately, it is all Issei needs. He smiles back at her, a savage grin that shows his teeth grinding together and blood pouring from his gums.
Then… he slams himself down into her Father’s seat. He sits where God sat, upon the Throne of Heaven.
Gabriel watches with bated breath as Issei’s back goes ramrod straight. She watches as his head presses into the back of the chair, his eyes widening. She watches as he grips even harder at the armrests, his feet planted firmly on the ground.
As she’d told him, all he needed to do was sit down, take her Father’s Throne, and gain access to its power. Then, he would have the ability to maintain the strength his Boosted Gear was granting him right now… indefinitely.
However, there was one part of that that was decidedly easier said than done. The bit about ‘gaining access to its power’. Don’t get it twisted… if she didn’t think he could do it, Gabriel wouldn’t have suggested this course of action. But just because she believed with all her heart that Issei COULD manage the impossible, didn’t mean he would. There was every chance that-
“Gabriel. What have you done?”
Whipping around, her blackened wings come out immediately, spreading to either side as she shields Issei and the Throne from anything Michael might do. However, the Great Seraph doesn’t look like he’s going to launch an attack. Instead, he looks stricken.
“Sister… you… in your madness, you have cost your mortal lover his life. Why?”
Ah. That was why Michael wasn’t attacking. Because he’d arrived and seen Issei upon the Throne and assumed that the young man was already dead. To be fair, he would be correct ninety-nine percent of the time. Still, his assumption was born from a place of ignorance. Of arrogance. Straightening her back, lifting her head, and thrusting out her chin, Gabriel smiles a cold, mirthless smile.
“What have I done, Michael? Why… I’ve fulfilled my duty to our Father after all these years. I’ve done what you unknowingly stopped me from doing centuries ago when you crippled me. When you lobotomized me.”
She positively hisses out that last part. Michael looks saddened for a moment, before shaking his head.
“Gabriel… what are you even talking about?”
She opens her mouth to tell him all of it. To finally confess the truth of their Father’s last orders to her after all these years. Would he believe her? Would he decry her as ‘mad’ as he had mere moments before? Either way, at least the truth would finally be out there. And maybe, even if all of this failed, he would find himself thinking on her words in the centuries to come.
… But Gabriel never gets the chance to throw her last mission in her brother’s face. Because before she can get even a single word out, Issei’s overwhelming presence behind her simply… vanishes. Eyes widening in horror, heart dropping out of the bottom of her stomach, Gabriel whips around. She’s half-expecting to see a burnt out husk upon her Father’s Throne, just starting to flake away into so much dust right before her eyes.
What she gets instead is Issei’s smiling face as his eyes glow bright gold and his equally glowing body relaxes into the Throne. He chuckles at the look on her face, even as Gabriel and Michael both gawk at him. Only belatedly does Gabriel understand what she was feeling. It wasn’t Issei’s presence vanishing… but rather, it was his power harmonizing with the power around him. It was him becoming one with God’s System and with the Throne of Heaven. His presence hadn’t gone anywhere… it had simply grown so vast and so plentiful that Gabriel could no longer perceive it without looking for it.
“She’s talking about me succeeding your Father, Michael. She’s talking about a new God upon the Throne of Heaven.”
Issei’s voice booms out just like their father’s used to. Michael flinches back, his entire composure shattered in an instant.
“N-No… that’s not… that’s not possible.”
Puffing out her chest, Gabriel smirks as she interjects.
“Not just possible, brother… but always the plan. This was God’s last task for me before he died. To find the single mortal in all of humanity able to replace him. You nearly ruined it in your hubris, Michael. But even your failings could not stop God’s ineffable plan from coming to fruition in the end.”
Issei stands… but the power of the Throne stays with him. He is not as powerful as God himself necessarily, not yet anyways… but he has the potential to reach that point eventually. One day, he will fully step into the shoes he has just begun to fulfill.
“You have a decision to make, Michael.”
Gabriel tenses at that, waiting for Michael’s response.
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A/N: Alright guys, we're very much in the endgame here now. I'm envisioning 5-10 chapters more of this fic. That said, whether it's closer to 5 or closer to 10 will be entirely up to you guys.
Basically, what scenes/characters do we HAVE to see before the story ends? Scenes like Yasaka getting brought in to find out her new ally is suddenly God. Scenes like Ravel getting brought under Issei's protection up in heaven so no one can use or abuse her. Scenes like Rias and Sona getting one last threesome with Issei, with Rias just starting to show maybe.
Obviously I have ideas, but at the same time there's too many girls for me to keep track of all of them, so consider this your opportunity to put forward your own thoughts on who should show up.
Comments
Colin Peden
I just joined the Patreon, but have been reading this fic for over a year now. I hope we get at least 7 more chapters, with Yasaka having a threesome with Issei and Venelana Gremory. I also think it would be interesting for Issei to change the system and make the angels no longer be fallen or not, but instead all be one family again. Lastly, I think an orgy with all his girls would be awesome. Just some food for thought.
Dogan
My brother in Christ, we're paying money for early chapters for this 'fictional storyline' to dictate where it goes; we're ALL invested in it. As for me being 'a condescending hothead,' the idea that 'Michael was just being a loving, overprotective brother :(' is so painfully dumb that I don't even know HOW you'd think someone wouldn't reply to that negatively. For that matter, YOU replied to me by browbeating some bullshit about how 'people should be more forgiving' and then skirted past what I was even saying to tell me what ISSEI should do. How else should I have replied to someone being THAT demeaning and dismissive of my thoughts? ( ... That was a rhetorical question; please don't give me another sermon.) But hey, now you've turned to him being punished instead of him being 'forgiven,' so... glad to help. Moving on, I never even implied that Gabriel WOULD want Michael dead—just that she wouldn't (and SHOULDN'T) want to mend their relationship after what he did to her, to which you hit me with the ole "holding bitterness and resentment is unhealthy" shit... I digress. I mean, fuck, I even VOTED for Michael to KNEEL, but you somehow came to believe I voted for Michael to ask to die... which wouldn't even necessarily result in him dying anyway—just that he would ASK to be killed, mind you. As for Issei... I honestly can't fathom why he should give a fuck about doing anything 'godly' when he's supposed to be a dragon, but I'll just grant you that he's operating under that mindset suddenly, just for the sake of argument. Though, again, Gabriel likely won't even ask him to be killed anyway, and that's probably still going to be the deciding factor in what happens to him, so... whatever. And you know what? Yeah. That's a decent enough 'punishment,' I guess. I don't know if Gabriel would actually want him to have the same shit happen to him that he did to her, but maybe she would. Hell if I know. And, I don't know about you, but Michael directly enslaving his own family member and thus inadvertently staving off the inheriting of God's throne for... what, literal millennia(?) seems like it would have a LOT of cascading, negative effects, namely a LOT of death and suffering. But sure, let's just say he's not as directly responsible for deaths as Hitler or Stalin... I mean, he wasn't 'ordering' angels to kill people, at least... right? ... Though, he DID 'order' Gabriel into a lobotomy, preventing any new God from taking the throne, so maybe closer to Stalin than... bah, fuck it; who cares, right? 'Big' bro just wanted to look out for 'little' sister but made a few 'mistakes' along the way—end of story, right? ... Whatever. I honestly don't care enough to find out how much of a fuck up in your eyes Michael would have had to have been to deserve to just get killed off for being a worthless piece of shit. But, personally? You're right on the money. I DO think Michael should just be killed for being as shitty as he is, because I don't give a damn about him being redeemed—not even slightly. But I don't think Gabriel would think like that or that he would even ask for it, hence my voting for him to kneel. Though, again, it's still just how MICHAEL reacts, not necessarily the outcome of what happens to him.
Kaijucifer
You're being way too heated about this fictional storyline, I didn't reply yesterday because I didn't want to engage in a hostile discussion with someone who's too busy being a condescending hothead to consider the obvious: character growth, and consistency. Gabriel isn't bloodthirsty. It would be out of character for her to wish death on her brother because of this. She quite literally took the higher road to achieve God's will, why would she wish for Issei to kill Michael, and why would Michael insist on being smited when they both just wanted to go about fulfilling God's will, though Michael never knew what it truly was. Plus, it'd be great for Issei as a Character to not literally give Michael what he wants and killing him, and it would be very godlike to have him learn from his mistakes and be better. It's not like he's Stalin or Hitler. He's still capable of redemption. That which God is best known for: salvation. Furthermore, the punishment would be something incredibly humbling. Such as Michael being forced to live for one million years among humanity to understand them and why God did what he did and why he chose them as his successor. With a catch: he is not allowed to partake in hedonism of any kind, or he will be stripped of his autonomy and sealed like he did to his sister as penance for his presumption on her behalf. A punishment much more fitting for his crime that doesn't unreasonably demand his death as payment, rendering the "punishment" pointless since he wouldn't be able to redeem himself for his actions (again, he didn't do something unforgivable like genocide or subjugation of the masses). Is it wrong to want something hopeful than as bleak as a death sentence? From what I've gathered from this, you would rather him be dead and wash your hands of it which I find to be, narratively, shallow and anticlimactic.
Dogan
Honestly though, "A brother loving his sister too much and wanting to keep her by his side"? Seriously? That's what I would expect MICHAEL to have said to justify it to himself, not a human being looking at what he did. How the fuck do you look at what he did and actually say he was just 'a brother loving his sister too much'? God damn, I'm curious to know what exactly you think his 'punishment' should be if THAT'S how you view what he did. A slap on the wrist? Maybe tell him "Bad Michael" in a reproachful tone? Put a sticker on his shirt that says "Goofy Brother"? Really, tell me: what do YOU think should happen to him as 'punishment' for 'being a loving brother'?
Dogan
Fuck that. I don't care if he lives, but he doesn't deserve reconciliation—not by a long shot. He deserves to be their bitch and ran ragged, wallowing in regret over his lost family, at best.
SpectralTime
...I'm not gonna lie, I'm suddenly tempted to switch my vote in light of that...
Kaijucifer
Glad to see the votes have changed to reflect how it should go. Michael will kneel.
Dogan
Guess that won't be necessary if the current lead sticks... for the next 12 days.
Dogan
Cute sermon, but now you're changing the argument. I said SHE, Gabriel, doesn't need to forgive him, not Issei. Issei can do whatever he wants. Cucking himself down to whatever 'principles' a corpse decided on...? Yeah, fuck that. Unless that chair is going to force him to follow the corpse's principles—and those principles actually align with your little sermon—Issei is almost definitely going to default to Gabriel's wants on how to handle him because SHE was the one who was wronged, not him. I doubt he would kill Michael if Gabriel didn't want him to, and I also doubt he would keep Michael alive if Gabriel wanted him dead. So now, on to the real issue: what the fuck has Michael done to make himself worthy of her "forgiveness"? Nothing. All he did, right now (given the poll stays the same), is give up.(.. maybe. Cambrian said something about mixing the choices, so who knows, but let's operate under that assumption for now.) He enslaved and lobotomized her for god knows how long, plain and simple, and it would have NEVER been "reversed" without Issei, because he thought he was doing it 'for her own good.' But let's assume that Michael DID remove his enslavement, as impossible as that may be. Even that still doesn't "reverse" the damages he caused; it's just the start of 'making up' for what he did to her. "Reversing" this would require him to literally rewind time to the point that he never did any of it... so I don't even know what the fuck you were thinking with that one.
Kaijucifer
Heavily disagree. The world could use more forgiveness these days. Too many people hold grudges for too long these days. All that bitterness and resentment is unhealthy. If the damage is reversible then forgiveness is completely on the table. You can still forgive someone and give them punishment for their misdeeds as God. God hates the sin, not the sinner. Issei doesn't have to be exactly as God was, but he has to retain God's most preeminent traits, and one of them is being the being who offers redemption. Through whatever form that takes.
Dogan
Bleh, screw that. "Forgiveness" can suck a fat one. She doesn't need to forgive him to make use of him.
Aaron Hardin
I kind of want to see a teenage Kunou “seduce” Issei and have sex, in what she thinks is behind Yasaka’s back, but is in fact done with her knowledge when she joins in in the middle of it.
Kaijucifer
Ah so you just happened to be the biggest target for this time's chopping block. Shame.
Cambrian
Nah its all about plausible deniability and making money. By saying they don't allow that content they can have underage users on the website. By welcoming underage users, they can make a ton more money from having more eyeballs on their shitty advertisements that they like to stick everywhere. And all they've gotta do is nuke a smut writer every now and then and they can say they're 'trying'.
Cambrian
If the vote stays this close (currently 41 to 40% as of the time I'm posting this) I'll have to come up with a super special mystery option that mixes one and two I think...
Kaijucifer
Damn lol. FFnet needs to update the site rules to include lewd content on God, they acting like the site would be able to survive without it
Cambrian
Lol, my entire account got nuked off of FF back on August 8th yeah. Admins straight up deleted me off of the face of their website. All of the content on FF (plus more than FF ever had) can still be found on HF and QQ tho. This story in particular can be found on HF, QQ, AO3, SH, and WN heh.
Kaijucifer
But yeah, we need the full 10 chapters, and the story got nuked off of Fanfiction.Net
Kaijucifer
Michael doesn't deserve death for what he's done. A brother loving his sister too much and wanting to keep her by his side is not punishable by death. Worse shit has happened in the Bible, it wouldn't be Godlike to execute Michael. Forgiveness is the way. But only if Gabriel agrees.
Dogan
Honestly, if the story is wrapping up in like 10 chapters, the last thing we'd need is another loose end to think about... Unless "Book 2" comes out at some point, though I have no idea if that's even in the cards or how much there would even be to justify doing that. Either merc him or make him subservient.
Pedro Jose Bello Belen
Pity there’s no option to Genderbend Michael and fuck her silly
DualEquinox
I wouldn't mind seeing a scene where the shift in God's System awoke Runeas from her slumber and she insitigates a Gremory orgy (Her, Rias, Grayfia and Venelana) with Issei upon his next visit.
Jane Sullivan
Katase and Murayama should show up again-they we’re the first members of Issei’s horde we saw, we should see them again before the end.
Cqys
I don't think this Gabriel wants her brother to die. Yea he did some misguided shit but he's redeemable. Also kinda need a known leader.
Bellerophon
Damn people seem to have a murder boner for Michael
Sootythunder
Maybe not 15 maybe 5-6
Sootythunder
You know I really hope to see the final chapter be like a 15 year later thing where we see an adult Issei and his very very VERY large family
SpectralTime
I always liked his sad, tired eyes…
Fenrir44
Christ people are bloodthirsty for Michael's dead just let him bend the knee and reconicle with his sister guys
Shikaze
Michael falls. I mean, you could go for poetic justice and have him fall because Gabriel explains to him in excruciating detail what he had done to her, and to her goal.
Frostcore
Maybe a Gremory foursome with Rias, Grayfia and Venelana? That and more Yasaka. Also would those last chapter also include some of the female characters that haven't appeared yet like Ingvild Leviathan (Issei's Queen later in the Light novels)
Jackson Mccormack
Maybe a scene with Xenovia finally getting pregnant?
Zitronen tee
Micheal becoming the First Fallen of the new Heaven would be kinda poetic though. But it seems to be an unpopular opinion.
Phraxius
Very nice. As for ideas, I'll respond with a question - aside from Gabriel, are there any other hot angels? If yes, there's a great way of signalling the change in management style, lmao.
Nanaya7Nights
Can't see why Michael would resist heaven having a new God. Also, with Issei as God, sins that lead to falling should probably be changed. In Issei'a heaven I would guess that betraying heaven or endangering humanity would lead to falling rather than lusting after someone or having sex with a devil.
Kuroshiki
I really want so see some Gabriel pregnant sex maybe even with her back at being Seraph because it should be in Issei's power to "unfall" her.
Keeper
Hmm, flashforward to a scene with Yasaka and Kunou? Dunno what else to really do. I guess a big family dinner with some of the pregnant ladies setting up the not yet pregnant ones to be impregnated in one night?
