novelraw Chapter 405: Seven Archangels (5k)
Chapter 405: Seven Archangels (5k)
The seven entities before their eyes far exceeded the limits Fisher could imagine. Even with their auras restrained, they could incessantly stimulate one's biological instinct to avoid harm. One simply couldn't make eye contact with them, because it felt as if the moment one raised their gaze, death would swallow them completely. Even the rules of the world would distort before their ranks...
"Then let us begin. Helaire, you preside."
Under that extremely terrifying, prolonged suppression, the dazzling light on the elevated platform ahead gradually dimmed. Then, a flat, ethereal female voice came from over there. Fisher looked up; the one speaking seemed to be a female angel seated at the very center of the elevated platform.
That angel had a head of white hair. Her stature wasn't as tall as the other angels; conversely, she was quite "short", at least compared to an angel. She looked very similar to a human's body size, but the terrifying aura, the dazzling radiance, and the three pairs of massive, pale-silver illusory wings on her back all indicated that she was an Archangel with a terrifyingly high rank.
Surprisingly, however, her face had no "eyes". Where a pair of eyes should originally be, it was completely flat and seamless, covered only by two glowing patterns. Amidst the seven-colored halo above her head, countless leaping sediments seemed to twist.
She seemed to be blind.
Meanwhile, the nearby Helaire also nodded and stood up straight, beginning introductions to the seven entities on the elevated platform,
"Yes, Lord 【Sariel】. My lords, six days ago, this Whale-kin trespassed from the First Heaven's domain into the Second Heaven, attempting an audience with Lord Raphael, but was discovered and apprehended by our brethren in the Second Heaven. Four days ago, this male human appeared out of thin air in the Second Heaven, also caught by the brethren there. Yesterday, this female human likewise appeared out of thin air in the Second Heaven... Setting the Whale-kin aside for now, these two, like the one from before, should both be 【Transferred Persons】."
"So what if they are 【Transferred Persons】? They violated the divine laws, thus they should be executed. The previous one was already mishandled; if we repeat that this time, then we might as well just raise any random creature that manages to come up here as a Transferred Person."
The moment Helaire finished, the short black-haired angel seated in the second position on the left coldly snorted and spoke these words.The first and second angels on the left were both male, and they looked practically identical. The only difference was that one had golden hair and the other black hair. Furthermore, one kept a compassionate smile with a faint golden glimmer shining in his eyes; the other had eyes wide in anger, burning with the flames of punishment.
Hearing the black-haired angel speak, the similar golden-haired angel also spoke up gently,
"Although I do not approve of executing them, we indeed cannot allow creatures beneath the Sanctuary to wander into the other Heavens at will, otherwise it wouldn't be good if it caused trouble... The Gods' grace has already descended upon the First Heaven through the hands of Remiel. To advance further would be an act of overstepping... Michael, last time we gave that Transferred Person to you for your sake. Please don't make things difficult for Uriel and Raguel this time, alright?"
Transferred Persons?
There were other Transferred Persons in the Sanctuary?
Hearing this, Fisher's expression moved slightly. Beside him, Asuka Karasawa, who had been dry heaving all this while, also raised her head a little, supposedly hearing that there were others who came from Earth like her.
Upon hearing Raphael's words, the exceptionally handsome, androgynous tall angel with long red hair seated to Sariel's right closed his eyes. He didn't agree, but instead said,
"That Transferred Person has been quite helpful with our forging, so I kept him. You've seen his marvels before. I do not wish to explain further to you."
"I know, Michael."
The angel called "Michael" had an unfriendly tone, but surprisingly, neither Raphael, Uriel, nor Raguel—who had been covertly rebuked—refuted him directly. Even Raphael's tone earlier carried a hint of negotiation...
Fisher keenly realized there was probably a hierarchy among these Archangels; they weren't all equal.
So, considering what Renee mentioned earlier—that Pandora, or rather, Sariel, was the only 【God's Emissary】 capable of communicating with the Chain of Heaven, and even possessed the Holy Grail capable of granting wishes for the angels—then her status should be the highest. This was also the reason why she sat in the center of the seven. Following this logic, the ones seated to her left and right should be the second and third-ranked Archangels.
The third Archangel was Michael, who managed the forging and warfare affairs in the Fifth Heaven, and who was also the androgynous angel who just spoke with an unfriendly tone. Then, the one seated to her left should be the second-ranked Archangel...
Fisher peered through the gradually dimming divine light from above, carefully observing the divine visages of each Archangel. Yet he quickly discovered that the angel seated to Pandora's left was very strange.
That was a female angel with long pale brown hair. Behind her back, she didn't have pairs of illusory wings, only countless eye-like illusory halos floating in mid-air. What was even stranger was her posture.
She was almost lying sideways on her seat, her expression somewhat vacant, seemingly not listening to the arguments of the other Archangels at all. She simply sat there staring blankly beside Sariel, hugging an oddly shaped circular crystal.
"..."
Based on the ranking, she should be the Archangel 【Gabriel】, who presided over the concept of wisdom in the Sixth Heaven. But it was unknown why she appeared here in such a state.
"Stop. Stop arguing over such meaningless things. Let's just start the vote..."
At this moment, the cold-faced male angel seated to Michael's right spoke up. His tone was almost entirely devoid of fluctuation, popping out like precisely operating, eternally unchanging mechanical parts.
That was Raguel, the Archangel who presided over the laws and commandments of the Fourth Heaven.
He emotionlessly cut off the arguments among his fellow Archangels. Looking down from high above without compassion, without contempt, but simply calmly observing the three below, he continued,
"Those in favor of executing them, raise your hands."
Subsequently, he took the lead and raised his hand. On the left, Raphael smiled and raised his hand; Uriel, who so resembled him, coldly snorted and also raised his hand. Gabriel acted as if she completely didn't hear it, continuing to lie sideways and hug the crystal in a daze. Sariel and Remiel didn't move, bringing the current vote count to three.
The Archangels seemed to not count Gabriel's vote, so the current field should be a three-to-three tie...
But the voting wasn't over yet. Michael's finger tapped the elevated platform, hesitating for a moment before preparing to raise his hand...
Down below, Asuka Karasawa was so terrified she didn't dare lift her head, continuously keeping it down while silently repeating that "Namo Amitabha" Fisher had heard earlier. It was unknown if she was praying. The bitterness in Gou Wen's smile grew deeper, his whale tail swaying non-stop. Fisher narrowed his eyes as well, watching Michael's hand slowly rise.
Beside them, Helaire's smile deepened even more.
"Wait, there is one more thing I forgot to mention to everyone..."
Right at this critical hair's breadth moment, the exceedingly handsome angel with white hair and dark brown skin seated at the far right of the elevated platform suddenly spoke up, interrupting the ongoing voting process. Aside from Sariel and Gabriel, the other Archangels all looked at the angel who had abruptly spoken.
That was Remiel, the Archangel managing the First Heaven.
"Although that male Transferred Person was found in the Second Heaven, among the angels who discovered him, there was one from the First Heaven... When discovering him, that angel found another interesting thing..."
He reached into his white robe, and a continuously spinning book appeared in his hand. As the book's spinning gradually slowed down, a drake-like squawking sound suddenly cried out from the book,
"Ouch... I'm so dizzy... Wuwuwu, Fisher... Fisher, save me quick, wuwuwu..."
"Eimhart!"
Fisher down below immediately stood straight, looking at the square book swaying erratically in Remiel's hand. Who else could it be but Eimhart, who had been snatched away from him when he came here?
"Eh? Fisher's voice... where are you... Ouch, I'm so dizzy, I've been spinning for days, wuwuwu..."
Just as Eimhart spoke up in confusion, Remiel faintly slid a finger over his mouth, immediately rendering him unable to speak anymore. However, this also made his consciousness regain clarity, and he almost immediately caught sight of Fisher below the elevated platform, as well as the smiling, gorgeous angel with short golden curly hair standing beside him.
The instant he saw that beautiful angel with golden curly hair, Eimhart's pupils immediately shrank, as if he had seen something extremely terrifying. Almost completely subconsciously, he tried to frantically run back to the sleeve that Remiel had spun him in for days, only to be grabbed by Remiel single-handedly in mid-air, making him struggle and squeal,
"Wuwuwuwu!"
"Everyone, please look. This object possesses its own consciousness. This is a goal we could never achieve, regardless of how many times we tried to forge it... yet this Transferred Person carried this item on him. It is highly likely he knows how to forge such items capable of developing self-consciousness. Based on this point alone, I believe the methods for disposing of them require further discussion."
Fisher froze on the spot, completely at a loss for words upon hearing Remiel.
Isn't this something built by you angels?
And you're asking me how to forge it?
Wait...
Fisher suddenly realized a possibility: at the time he traveled horizontally across here, the angels didn't know how to create conscious relics like this.
Meanwhile, Michael, who was just about to raise his hand to vote, also had his gaze drawn by Eimhart in Remiel's hand. He casually beckoned his hand, and Eimhart completely uncontrollably flew from Remiel's hand and dropped into his own. His energy instantly permeated Eimhart, making him cry out in pain like a howling dog, his body continuously flashing with golden light while spawning a myriad of words.
"Wuwuwu!"
"..."
Fisher down below squeezed his fists even more tightly. Asuka Karasawa beside him also seemed to feel a turn for the better, finally daring to lift her head and look upward.
Only several seconds later did Michael release Eimhart, and speak,
"Interesting... He has no soul, yet he can speak on his own, and he even possesses the 【Gospel】 of a Holy Artifact..."
As soon as Uriel heard this, he was not having it.
Last time when someone trespassed, you said it was a Transferred Person and took him away. This time is even more outrageous. Three arrive at once, and you want to shelter them again. Next time, will you organize a Transferred Person tourist group passing from the First Heaven all the way to the Seventh Heaven?
But he didn't directly express his dissatisfaction. He merely said,
"Even if that is the case, since we have the object in hand, couldn't we just research it ourselves? What's the point of needing them? Weren't we progressing at godspeed with the item from the Transferred Person last time, regardless of whether he was there or not?"
Remiel didn't answer. Instead, Michael, who was clutching Eimhart beside him, shook his head and said,
"Last time is last time. I could already naturally research the object from the Transferred Person last time. I just kept him around to evaluate the craftsmanship from another perspective. And when I'm done with him, I'm done with him... But this thing, I completely cannot see through how it was made; there's not a single clue. I want them to stay."
The moment his words fell, Sariel, seated in the center, smiled slightly and proposed,
"Then, those in favor of keeping these people, please raise your hands."
After speaking, Sariel and Remiel immediately raised their hands. After fondling Eimhart's leather binding lovingly, Michael also raised his hand.
Consequently, the current votes were completely tied. Three were in favor, three were against.
Originally, this exact situation shouldn't have occurred, because there were seven angels and abstaining was forbidden when deciding matters, so a result would be reached no matter what. The reason for this outcome was unequivocally related to the almost transparently present Archangel Gabriel.
"In that case, let me take the liberty of querying Gabriel's opinion..."
Sariel sighed helplessly and turned her head to the female angel beside her, who was lying sideways and hugging the crystal, entirely immersed in her own world. Sariel lowered her head slightly and moved her lips close to her ear, whispering something so low only the Archangels up above could catch the specifics.
Under such questioning, it was as if Gabriel finally awoke somewhat. However, her pale blue divine eyes still remained lifeless and dull. Very slowly, she turned her head a fraction and gazed upon Fisher and the others down below. Unlike the Archangels who each restrained their auras for fear of crushing them before their trial, this Lord Gabriel seemed to have no mental clarity whatsoever.
The moment she cast her gaze down, Gou Wen and Fisher instantly felt their bodies sink, their brains feeling almost like they were going to explode straight from their skulls. Asuka Karasawa went directly bloodshot in the eyes, suffocating for air.
Fortunately, the smiling Helaire moved right in front of them, silently dispelling the pressure of the Archangel's gaze.
"Haha..."
Asuka Karasawa lay on the ground, bathed in sweat. Gou Wen and Fisher weren't feeling much better either; their whole bodies ached terribly.
Gabriel only gave one glance below before losing all interest, leaning against the chair sideways again. She hugged the crystal closely and spoke softly,
"Stay..."
Raphael sighed and closed his eyes. The expressionlessness on Raguel's face also seemingly developed a slight crack. Uriel was almost spewing fire. Leaning against his chair, he looked down at the trio below and said,
"Even if so, just keeping that one person is enough. Kill the other two."
This time, the other Archangels on the platform stopped speaking. It seemed to them that as long as they kept one person able to speak about the creation method of this Relic, that was enough.
Fisher, standing behind Helaire, froze slightly. Suddenly recalling the sentence Helaire said before bringing them up, his pupils shrank slightly, and he rapidly looked up, saying,
"I indeed know how to create this kind of conscious item. However, the process of forging it is extremely complex and complicated. I need many precious materials and assistance... This girl comes from the same place as me, and this Whale-kin is a doctor well-versed in the life theories of various races. I concurrently need their help. Otherwise, I cannot forge this kind of item."
Gou Wen looked at Fisher in surprise, but sensibly didn't utter a word.
"Human, get this clear, we want the method, not for you to build it for us."
"With all due respect, even if I tell you the method, you cannot forge it."
Fisher's expression was stern, but a layer of cold sweat inevitably broke out on his back, almost completely soaking through the white shirt Renee had gifted him.
Exactly how high were the ranks of these Archangels before his eyes?
Eighteenth-Tier? Nineteenth-Tier?
Regardless, they were unimaginably powerful existences. Therefore, telling this monstrous lie in front of them inevitably induced an indescribably tremendous amount of pressure.
But Fisher had to do this; otherwise, the two beside him would instantly be executed by their vote.
Uriel said no more. Instead, he simply looked at Michael beside him. Michael stroked Eimhart, terrifying him so much he shivered non-stop, but he couldn't fly away no matter what.
Upon hearing Fisher's words, he glanced down at the male human below, and casually said,
"Fine, then keep them all. For this period, Helaire will watch over them; there's no need to lock them in cages anymore. Later on, bring them over to the Fifth Heaven."
Helaire smiled faintly, bowing her head in acknowledgment,
"Yes."
Uriel and company were left completely speechless. The expressions on all their faces distinctly became rather unsightly.
"That's all for today. I'm going to take this thing back to research it thoroughly."
Clutching Eimhart with a single hand, Michael stood up from his seat. The illusory crimson wings behind him gradually began to shine brilliantly as he prepared to leave and return to his Fifth Heaven for research.
Yet right at this moment, Sariel, seated next to him, didn't move but suddenly spoke up,
"Michael, I'm afraid it's inappropriate for you to be taking this thing back. You took away the Transferred Person last time, and we all tacitly agreed. Even though you manage the 【Sun Ring】, you're not the only one forging in the Sanctuary. Taking him away independently... if there's any damage done, I fear it would be inappropriate."
Michael's androgynous face stalled slightly. Smiling, he looked at Sariel and asked,
"Is this the 【God's Oracle】 too?"
Upon hearing this, Sariel turned her head for the first time. Even with no eyes, she still looked toward Michael, saying,
"No. But if you wish, we can decide this matter with a vote."
Hearing this, Michael looked over at the several seated angels nearby. They all completely averted their gazes. Clearly dissatisfied with the earlier events, if it came down to a vote, the outcome would be self-evident.
"Fine. Since that's the case, then hand this item over to Gabriel. That's best for all of us here."
Remiel opened his eyes, silently observing Sariel. Seeing her almost imperceptibly shake her head, he closed his eyes again without uttering a word.
Sariel also turned her head back to position, and said with a smile,
"Good, then this item will be kept under Gabriel's guard. This is best for us all."
"Helaire will handle the rest. Everyone, that will be all for today."