”When exactly did this happen?” Nyx asked suddenly, after hearing about an angel looking for information on Dee. Nyx was assuming that Dee’s performance in the arena today might be the cause, seeing as Dee showed two wings that looked suspiciously like those that angels had.

“We first heard about it this morning, but when I looked into it some more, it seems the angel has been trying to look into Dee for several days now.” The Anshar representative said.

“Then this can’t be about what happened in the arena just a short time ago.” Nyx pointed out the rather obvious fact.

“Well?” The Anshar representative prompted, looking at Dee again.

Dee considered the situation. She could think of several reasons why the angels might be looking for her or someone like her. “Were they asking about me specifically, like they knew me personally? Or were they asking about someone who looked like me? If so, what features of mine did they describe?”

“It might be both actually.” Shioko replied instead with a small frown. “As I looked into it, I got told of an angel asking about someone with your general description, only they didn’t seem to know too many details. With your rather unique appearance, they didn’t need that many details, but they seemed to be working with a very old description of you. On the other hand, the one Smoky here was talking about seemed to be looking for you by name. I assumed they were the same angel since they were both asking about you and there aren’t all that many angels running around Pantheon. I assumed that they had found your name out in the meantime. Now I’m not entirely sure.”

“Then let me rephrase the question.” The Anshar representative took the lead again. “Is there a reason for more than one angel to be looking for you?”

“Well, I can think of few actually.” Dee has an inkling that the power hidden inside Croestia might have something to do with it but wasn’t sure. Did the angels even know about it? That pompous and girly looking archangel that visited her mother might carry a grudge as well. She had barely nicked the guy due to catching him with his guard down, but it was bound to be humiliating. In retrospect it was rather surprising she had managed even that, but it might have something to do with her mixed heritage.

There was also the fact that her heritage raised some questions. It had become rather apparent that Dee’s birth was anything but natural. It gave the distinct feeling that she had been designed as a weapon of sorts. And who exactly would the demons design weapons against, if not the angels? It also sort of explained how she had managed to nick the archangel as a child if the angels were the target she was supposed to be used against. Dee had no idea if there were more of her kind, and whether the angels even knew about the whole thing. Was it a new project? Was it something that actually expected good results? Dee had benefitted from her heritage, sure, but much of her current strength was also due to hard work and good teachers. She had an excellent growth rate for sure, but would that warrant angels trying to hunt her down?

“The first thing that comes to mind is this.” Dee replied, and displayed her angel wings. “One of them denotes a Fallen Angel, which seem to have disappeared for the most part. Maybe the angels had something to do with that? Maybe they want any sign of the Fallen to disappear, even if it is only a minor part of my heritage. I’m also a demon, and we all know how that went for most of the demons after the hells were destroyed. Then there’s the other wing.”

“I was wondering about that actually.” Nyx suddenly spoke up. “The angel wings have certain colors for a reason. I’ve never even heard about that color though.”

“I’m not entirely sure on the details actually, but from what I was able to find out, it’s supposed to signify an angel with a direct mission and the backing and blessing of Lumen. However, since the wing is attached to a demon and a part Fallen Angel, I doubt the angels would look at that and just go along. Even assuming they’re aware of the significance. As you know by now, I have Lumen’s blessing and I had to be told this by the goddess herself. She did mention that only a portion of the angels are even aware of the significance and even a smaller portion would go along.” Dee decided to go with the easiest to explain and swallow explanation.

“So you have a mission from the Goddess of Light herself?” Nyx asked with a raised eyebrow. “And what would that mission be?”

“Well, she made a request, but I’m not obliged to do as she asks. The mission itself is not relevant for now, and will not be for a long, long time, if ever.” Dee decided it might be better to not mention anything about burning down Paradisia on Lumen’s orders. That would likely not go down well.

“The gist of it is that the angel is hostile, though?” The Anshar representative confirmed.

“Well, he or she most likely won’t be an ally, but whether they are hostile is another matter. It depends on why they are here exactly and on the particular angel.” Dee replied with a shrug. Nine times out of ten the angel would be hostile, but no need to emphasize that. She was not planning on letting the angel live anyway. At least not if she couldn’t use the angel to her advantage. There was some room to try and convince the angel that she was the wrong person and it might be worth it to let them live if that got the angels off her back.

-----

With a little help from the Four Winds intelligence-gathering efforts and Moirai’s Mindscape, Dee had found the angel in question near a gathering of information brokers in the fourth circle. Or if there really were two different angels involved, then they had found the angel who knew more about Dee. This particular angel was an eight-ranked seraph, as denoted by his flaming red wing color. Seraphim were the Paradisia’s holy warriors, and as such needed to be strong in combat. That said, there were only so many immortals even among the angels and countless worlds to watch over. The war was waged on many levels of power, and an eight rank seraph was not something to scoff at, at least not outside Pantheon. An eight rank seraph was born for war and battle, and their natural abilities allowed them to dominate other beings of similar rank. This seraph was far from home, however. Here his rank carried less weight.

The Four Winds had sent some support just in case, but Dee had instructed them to stay at a distance, which would allow her to talk to the angel alone. Assuming talking was in the cards. The others would also make sure the area was protected from collateral damage, just in case. She was hiding her presence, and while the seraph were great warriors, detection and scouting were not their forte. With a small shake of her head, Dee gave a sharp whistle from her perch on a nearby roof. “Hey, pigeon! I hear you’ve been looking for me.”

The male seraph whirled around and noticed Dee in a crouched position at the edge of the nearby roof. His eyes seemed to register a level of recognition. He could sense the hostile air around Dee, and could also sense the aura of death on her. She didn’t give a very welcoming impression. “You seem rather hostile.” He stated, buying time to get a better read on the situation.

“Well, gee, I wonder why that would be? Could it have something to do with someone snooping into my affairs? Or might it have something to do with me being a demon of sorts and you being an angel? Say, have you feathered freaks done anything in the last few decades that might cause hostility in demons?” Dee replied with her voice dripping sarcasm. She rather liked the direction this encounter was taking.

The angel scoffed. “I say we’re doing the universe a favor. If you ask me, we should’ve finished the job.” The angel could not feel Dee’s strength, but if she really was the one he was looking for, then she couldn’t be more than a couple decades old. Besides, he couldn’t see or sense any reinforcements. That didn’t mean there were none, but it did mean he might be able to kill Dee and fly away before they got here.

Dee really liked where this was going. “Oh, I’d like to see you try, boy. Your precious armies can’t save you here. In fact, no one except your kind will give a rat’s ass if one of you ends up dead in Pantheon, especially at the hands of a demon. Even better if it’s self-defense, and I’m pretty sure I can sell that if someone bothers to ask. A warrior angel searching for a young demon girl? Yeah, that sounds like something you sick fucks would be into.” Her grin was turning downright predatory.

In the past demons and angels had both only been given limited access to Pantheon, but with the demons no longer being part of the war and coming here as refugees instead, only the angels were barred from coming here to pick fights. The angels, on the other hand, had to be responsible for their own safety. They had an embassy of sorts in the fourth circle of both cities where they held power, but any angels stepping outside did so at their own risk. There would be some hassle with a dead angel, but a lot less than one would expect.

“Bring it demon bitch! No seraph will yield to demon cur like you. I’ll take your head as a present to Empyrean.” The seraph really didn’t understand his position, partly because on other worlds angels were either objects of worship or conquerors to be feared. That would be his last mistake. His words also confirmed at least part of the reason he was here.

----------

Araqiel couldn’t hide her grin as she approached the communications room in the angel embassy. Since there was a lot of information flowing between the different angel factions and their agents on Pantheon, the array within the embassy was in heavy use. Especially today. The array was the only way to securely communicate with other worlds, that included Paradisia, and Araqiel had been forced to wait. She was not among the highest ranking members in the embassy, not officially at least. Even the long wait time didn’t dampen her spirits.

She stepped into the room and channeled her mana to form a certain set of runes, and the array formed a secure connection with another array of similar type in Paradisia that matched the set of runes. Soon the transparent image of an archangel appeared in front of her. “What do you have to report my daughter? I assume you wouldn’t contact me without reason.”

The term daughter was often used by archangels to address female underlings, though in this case it also happened to be accurate. Angels didn’t breed exactly like other races, although they could. Such practices were considered hedonistic and were thought to lead one becoming Fallen. There were still sires involved, and the archangel in front of her had “birthed” Araqiel. That’s part of why she was such a trusted agent. “I have two pieces of news, both of which I would classify as good. Also, one weird detail that might or might not be important.”

“Go on.” The female archangel prompted the now kneeling Araqiel.

“First of all, I have found clues when it comes to our elusive prey. What we managed to glean from Empyrean’s agents wasn’t much, but I’m fairly confident that I’ve picked up the trail of the being they are searching for. The demon in question does not match the description we got exactly, but that is most likely due to the time that has passed. If the information we got was correct, the being was a child when Empyrean ran into her, but she could be considered adult now so changes are expected. Demons are volatile, this individual especially. I’m fairly confident I’ve got the right being, though I still don’t know why we are looking for her. It would help me in the search if I knew more?” Araqiel tried to pry for more information.

She was an excellent agent, but part of what made her so good was her ability to work with few details. That, unfortunately, caused her mother to reveal only the necessary information, as that was all that was needed. In this case, she had been given just a description and an old one at that. Luckily white full demi-human kitsune-rakshasa-werewolf hybrids were not exactly common. Surprisingly there had been some very similar looking beings with some of the races, so the look wasn’t entirely unique either. Pantheon was also a really big place, so that had hindered the search.

‘Lumen bless the fact that their target had gained fame in the arena! Lumen also bless the fact that most of the other angels didn’t pay attention to such things’. Araqiel thought to herself as she had only heard the description in passing.

“I’m afraid I have no more details on the individual, and the reason for the search is limited to the archangels only. Simply find her. You had other news?” Araqiel’s hopes were dashed again.

“Well, it seems one of Empyrean’s agents had a little mishap.” Araqiel grinned at the misfortune of their main rival faction. “One of his seraphim apparently ran into some wrong people, my guess is vengeful demons and was met with a very unfortunate end. We found most of his remains nailed into the outer wall surrounding the embassy, and they’re still finding pieces of him around the place. Whatever killed him did a really thorough job.”

For the first time in a while, the archangel’s image displayed a smile of her own. There were deep divisions in the ranks of the angels. Normally it would be unseemly for an archangel to take joy in the death of another angel; however, every supporter of Empyrean that ended up dead was a relief to their faction. Especially when it was one of Empyrean’s seraphim, as they were the enforcers of the Archangel of Order. There had always been a balance between the light side of the angels and the order side of angels, but the eternal wars had turned the previously kind and benevolent angels more and more authoritarian and tyrannical. And Empyrean was the worst of the lot.

“That is good news indeed. This will bring shame to him, and I can use it in our next debate. Good job daughter. I hope the rest of his lackeys on Pantheon find themselves lost in the same neighborhood as this one. Which reminds me, what are the odds of our target being responsible?” The archangel asked.

“There’s little to indicate she was responsible, though it can’t be ruled out entirely. I would assume she has plenty of reasons to strike at angels, but then again so do all demons I’m afraid.” Araqiel said. She might be one of the few angels to realize their target even had the strength to do this and planned to keep that to herself. Her mother was not likely to leak the information, but someone else under her might. Once more than one person knew a secret, then it no longer was a secret. Not for long anyway. Good thing the angels were not into gladiatorial fights, even the warlike seraph. Those were considered base and hedonistic as well.

“As to the weird detail I mentioned earlier, it seems our target has at least some angel blood in her. She displayed her wings in a recent fight but usually keeps them hidden. One of them was black, signifying a Fallen as you might expect, but one of them was a color I’ve never even heard about. Is there a significance to a lavender colored wing?” Araqiel asked. She wasn’t sure if this information was relevant, but decided to mention it anyway.

The image of her mother was silent for a long time, apparently considering the implications. The frown on her face worried Araqiel. “This changes things, for many reasons.” Unknown to Araqiel, the archangel realized the significance of the races in their target’s heritage. The unnatural mix and the addition of angel blood indicated Dee’s status as a weapon to be used against the angels. Angels had several combat techniques to use against demons, but those would not affect another angel, even those with impure blood. She also knew the meaning of the lavender wing. “Observe her and relay everything you find out to me. Oh, and I need to add another detail to your mission. If you notice any other angels getting wind of her, kill them immediately.”

“Excuse me?” Araqiel looked at the image in shock. It was one thing to take pleasure in the death of another angel. It was another matter entirely to kill their rivals.

“You heard me, and I will not repeat myself. Just realize, this mission might be the most important thing you have ever done or will ever do. There’s no room for mistakes. I’d send you help if I wasn’t worried that would lead to the information leaking out. When I said any other angel, I meant it. Any. Other. Angel. Even if it is our allies.” The archangel emphasized her instructions and cut the connection, leaving behind the shocked Araqiel. What had she gotten mixed up in now? The Archangel of Mercy had just instructed her to murder her fellow angels…

----------

Dee had finally decided to start taking lessons on playing music herself. She had already been leaning that way, so when Moirai pointed out that it might be good training for her telekinesis if she used those powers to help her play, she had run out of excuses. Mina had been all too happy to take the chance to give Dee some lessons. With the mind and memory of a psion, it had not taken that long for her to pick up on the way to read sheet music and to figure out how to produce all the notes involved. However, there was a leap from simply being able to produce notes on demand and actually stringing them together to play music that sounded beautiful.

Nessera was currently laughing at her latest attempts, which was a little unfair. She had not done all that badly, and all she needed was some experience. She had hit all the notes; it just took her a bit of time to get them all because it didn’t quite come naturally yet. She decided to turn the situation around. “So you’re staying here permanently now?”

The succubus almost choked as her laughter turned into a cough. “Well, with all the things going on, this place seems a lot safer. Besides, someone has to look after you. No one has tried to shoo me away so far, and they’ve even taught me things. I think they like the fact that one of your friends is around.”

Suddenly Nessera noticed Dee’s eyes glaze over as if lost in thought. She had intended to say more, maybe even crack a joke, but could sense the serious air around Dee. “It’s time.” Dee suddenly said. “It’s a little early, but not too much so.”

“What is?” Nessera asked eagerly, as she could already guess.

“I’ll be becoming immortal in a few days. Relay a word to the others. I’ll be going somewhere remote in case things get a little explosive.” Dee confirmed Nessera’s suspicion while standing up.

“Wait, where exactly are you going?” Nessera yelled after Dee who was already walking away. She thought it might be better if someone like Nyx were to go along to protect Dee.

“It’s better you don’t know, so no one will try to follow me. I was given the impression it would not be safe to be around me when this happens.” Dee replied over her shoulder. She had a couple of places in mind actually.