Angel Of The Abyss [Hiatus]

Chapter 21

Almost a week later on Saturday night, Rahab was preparing to go with Anastasia to Lilith's castle before they went to the Rating Game. Rahab picked up his sword and put it in the scabbard at his hip and left his new house in the Fifth Tier of Heaven. He walked out and went to Zebel to find Raphael, Uriel and Michael already present. He gave a slight bow,"Everything in order?" Michael nodded a slight force in his tone that was not present a week back,"Everything's alright. If this pans out alright, we'll keep you incharge of the Foreign Relations. Also we'll need everything you can gather of the current power spectrum of the Devils." Rahab nodded in acceptance,"Alright. Anything else?" Uriel gave a reminder,"Check for any Devils in the age group that is watching Anastasia." Rahab nodded seriously,"Thanks for the reminder. Any messages to Azazel?" Michael nodded,"Warn him of the Abyssal whispers." Rahab raised his eyebrows,"Are you sure we should?" Raphael replied as Michael began to rethink,"Better get all the Angels alert, Pure or Fallen." Rahab nodded slightly,"Alright." As he replied Gabriel came accompanying Anastasia who had donned on the mask that Metatron had given her. Gabriel nodded to Michael and Rahab,"I've told her what to expect. It's better if she's introduced at Michael's or Raphael's daughter till the Peace Submit." Michael nodded with a slightly reddened face,"Better be it me. There are rumours already." Rahab smirked as Anastasia blushed. He asked patting her head,"All ready, Anastasia?" She nodded with a bit of hesitation,"Yes, Lord Rahab."

Rahab nodded and said,"I'll side teleport with her to the countryside then teleport to Lady Lilith's castle." When everyone nodded, he patted Anastasia's head and placed his hand on her shoulder, followed by two quick teleports. As they reached outside the castle door, he said to Anastasia who gave a slight shiver,"Relax Asia. Just bow respectfully when we see her. Don't copy what I do before her, do what feels right to you." Anastasia looked at her for a second then nodded as he knocked. When the door was opened, the battle maid, Alpha opened it fully on seeing him,"Lord Rahab, please come in." Rahab entered with Anastasia behind him,"I hope we're not late." Alpha shook her head slightly and said in a flat tone,"Not at all, my lord. My lady warned us that you may come a bit early as you did." Rahab sighed slightly then asked,"Her health?" The maid's tone denoted gratitude as she answered,"A lot better since you've arrived. She had begun overworking but Lady Arabella put an end to that." Rahab sighed in relief as they entered the elevator. As they exited they found Arabella waiting for them,"Lord Rahab and this will be your Saint." Rahab nodded and he patted Anastasia lightly,"This is Anastasia, we'll be introducing her as Michael's daughter for a few weeks, due to some minor technicalities." Arabella unable to find any humour nodded seriously,"As you wish then." As she led them to the room, Rahab asked slightly,"Did Azazel already come?" Arabella nodded,"A hour back, you're bound to find his companion... surprising." Rahab hummed as she knocked on the door. When the sound of 'come in' was heard Bell opened the door and Rahab along with Anastasia walked in. Rahab seeing Lilith sitting on the sofa kneeled on instinct,"Lady Lilith." Anastasia bowed seeing the beautiful white haired and pale lady wearing a White gown with golden linings,"A pleasure, Lady Lilith."

Lilith sighed as Azazel gave a smirk and his companion had a raised eyebrow. Lilith spoke sighing,"Rahab, I remember telling you not to kneel." Rahab got up and rubbed the back of his head,"Sorry my lady. Habit." Lilith looked at his Saint and asked,"And who would his child be?" Rahab pushed Anastasia in front of him and said with a small smile,"This is Anastasia, Michael's daughter." Anastasia lowered her head at Lilith's raised eyebrow as Azazel nearly flew from his seat to look at her. He bent down to look at her for at few seconds then shook Rahab intensely with a crazed expression,"At last! Who is it?! Brother, I need details!" Rahab finally lost his cool after a few seconds and started laughing,"By all that's holy. This was a much better response than I was expecting." Azazel stopped abruptly as he went over to his seat mechanically and said to his companion with a death threat unsaid,"Vali, this never happened." As Rahab's eye's went to his companion, he froze for a few seconds,"It can't be.." Lilith nodded as her giggles at Azazel's antics subsided,"One of Lucifer's defendants. His Great-grandson." Rahab stared at him for a few seconds as Anastasia looked at him,"He looks exactly the same, it's not even funny." Vali shifted in his seat a bit uneasy at his gaze. Rahab shook himself out of his thoughts as he led Anastasia to a seat and sat beside her. Lilith spoke after a small silence,"So what is your reason for informing Anastasia as Michael's daughter." Rahab looked at Vali for a bit before replying in a no nonsense tone,"Some minor technicalities, we'll introduce her as Michael's daughter whenever she's wearing a mask." Lilith raised a eyebrow but nodded. Azazel asked a bit surprised,"But an archangel? How?" Rahab said with a bit of pride in his tone,"Her Faith. And Purity." Azazel looked at Anastasia for a few seconds in concentration then nodded in reverence,"Truly. I didn't expect a human to reach such a level." Rahab nodded his head slightly then asked,"So I suppose he was the one you were trying to hide whenever I visited?" Azazel nodded abashedly,"I raised him myself. I couldn't take any chances." Rahab raised a eyebrow but nodded then asked turning to Lilith,"My Lady, any problems with the Council about the raid?" Lilith considered herself then answered,"None too worrying. They are tight lipped but they will break with time. How are the survivors?" Rahab nodded in thought,"Recovering but a few have become unstable. Amaterasu and Yasaka have been trying to drain the overload of Senjutsu and Demonic magic. In essence their bodies are frail and not able to handle the excessive amount as they were not devils." Lilith sighed lightly and nodded. Azazel asked with a cheshire grin,"So every faction has a Dragon with them at least." Vali looked up at him as did Lilith and Rahab had a raised eyebrow,"Pardon." Azazel chuckled,"The devils have the Red Dragon Emperor. The fallen have the White Dragon Emperor. And-" Rahab interrupted him with a steel in his tone,"That will be enough out of you...Azazel. I, out of heaven doesn't mean that I won't activate the Seal on your back if you intend to speak out of turn." Noticing his tone and his lethally calm voice Azazel shut up instantly. He asked without any amusement and a tone full of loathing,"You'll use Father's seal on me? What happened to you sticking by my side?" Rahab replied with a calmness that made everyone wince,"I will do everything for Lady Lilith and 'Severity' and Gabriel and My Saints; and then You. Specifically in that order. You forget just who you were about to threaten." Azazel looked at him with some pain in his eyes then averted them and replied solemnly,"My apologies. I shouldn't have joked about such stuff." Lilith looked at them once and asked after a tense few silent seconds,"So Lucifer's Great-grandson has Albion." Vali gave a slight nod with his head held high in arrogance. Rahab scoffed lighty after a second and muttered so that only Anastasia could hear,"There's Lucifer's pride, alright." Anastasia looked at him then expanded her senses as Gabriel had told her; Vali was practically radiating Pride and Blood thirst. Azazel was surprisingly radiating a strange nervousness and regret. Lilith was radiating contempt when she looked at Vali and a longing and motherly love when she looked at either Rahab or her. Rahab coughed to get attention of the people present and said,"A warning to you both My Lady, Azazel. The Abyss has been carrying whispers about a minor battle about something holy, at most 3 days before the Peace Submit. I suggest that this information be kept at the trusted upper echelons only so as to avoid panic." Lilith nodded with Azazel with all seriousness. Lilith asked,"Any other information?" Rahab sighed and shook his head,"My..the whispers have been broken. I was disconnected for a while." Anastasia could immediately tell that her patron was in fact lying but the other seemed to buy the excuse. Lilith nodded and said looking at the time,"Let us depart. I'll ask Bell to prepare a circle." As she left they stood up but Azazel stood and bowed deeply,"I'm sorry for what I was about to say. With everything going on I forgot that you were going to face the same situation as 'Severity'." Rahab waiting as he stood up and said calmly,"I told you that because I trust you. It's not a thing that is said without regard or restraint." Here his tone became dead,"And don't compare what is happening to me to 'Severity', there is none who will ever understand his pain." Azazel looked at him for a second then nodded. Rahab then turned to Vali and said amusedly,"Let us see in the coming years how much your sin has corrupted you, hmm?" Vali looked at him and bristled at his insinuation but simply nodded.

As they followed Alpha who entered, Rahab muttered to Anastasia,"Don't expand your senses when we are present there, that much feedback will stun you." Anastasia nodded and said quietly,"Thank you, sir. Lady Lilith is different from what I imagined." Rahab hummed,"It's true that she exudes more, human emotions. Lady Lilith was a immortal human, allying herself with Lucifer was similar to that of Magicians. She wasn't cursed into a demon as people think." Anastasia looked at him for a second then nodded,"She holds sentiments. Towards you and somehow me." Rahab looked at her surprised for a second then chuckled lightly,"I do know she once considered me a son. Maybe a granddaughter, hmm." Anastasia looked curiously at him then gave a small smile to what he had unknowingly said,"Its a good feeling." Rahab just smiled and patted her head as they reached the Transportation room.

Meanwhile Vali looked at Azazel's solemn face and asked,"Might I ask what's got you so...calm?" Azazel looked at him with a sad smile and said,"I told you that the Creator had blocked most of my powers when I fell, right?" Vali raised a eyebrow and said,"Where are you going with this?" Azazel gave a self-depreciating chuckle,"That seal he talked about has the power to take more power from me if I ever spewed out the secrets of heaven. You don't think I can just get away scot free do you. And his remark to you was more personal than you think." Vali raised a eyebrow,"He was basically insulting me." Azazel gave a small chuckle,"Oh, you misunderstanding child. That was a compliment, however backhanded it might have seemed. You don't know but Rahab wasn't only a Angel of Death like Azrael. He was also a Angel of Pride like Lucifer. He has had more domains than normal archangels. You can't expect him to hold the Abyss without being one of the strongest Angels." Vali stopped and looked at him for a second before he resumed walking,"So he was saying that my Pride will corrupt me?" Azazel stayed silent for a second then said sadly,"You know Rizevim wasn't always such a disgusting creature. There was a time that he was a strong yet shy person like you. Pride corrupts more than most Vali. Father literally purified and recreated every angel of pride after Lucifer's fall. But the stigma remained."

As they reached the room, they were teleported by Bell after a few details were given. When they got out of the circle near what appeared to be a Ball room. Lilith spoke,"I took the pleasure of changing the venue for better security." Azazel raised a eyebrow as they entered,"An attack?" Lilith snorted,"Nothing like that, I'm more worried about what Sirzechs or his father would do to get Rias out of the wedding." Rahab raised a eyebrow but didn't reply and changed the topic,"So the match?" Lilith gave a smug look and replied,"One of my plans." Rahab replied blandly,"So basically a plan so convoluted that it will result in somebody's embarrassment without you trying....Wait are Azazel and I here to make someone faint?" Lilith gave a triumphant look as Azazel stopped mid-step,"Really..?" Rahab ran a hand through his hair and said,"Tell me atleast this plan isn't as convoluted as Lucifer's plan to get you out. Mine would have seen you both out before someone noticed" Lilith snorted,"Yes, your plan to push Azazel into the women's bath was amusing." Azazel looked at him and said shrugging,"I would have been all for that. Especially if Gabriel was inside." Rahab snorted,"That's why my plan would have worked, unlike Lucifer literally marching in and killing everyone. At most, you'd have been killed by the females, which I doubt you would have not accepted." Anastasia leaned to Vali and asked with little worry,"Do the people get weirder as they rise in power." Vali nodded sagely,"With the most people I've met." Anastasia nodded a tad bit relieved,"Thought so. They are literally talking about how devils were made without care." Vali chuckled,"I stopped questioning logic in this years ago."