Take Eldritch surveys! Noted!

 

As reality melted back into place from my teleportation, I looked around at the area I appeared in. It was just a boring looking office with a door behind a desk filled with papers. Being an office in Heaven, it was also needlessly bright, and gave off a “Light” feeling, the same as those corrupted by it. And White, so much white. 

 

Shaking my head, I walked past the desk and opened the door behind it. My eyes widened by what I saw, as it was pretty impressive. This was the system that the Biblical God had created. It was massive, truly massive, and was constructed with equally massive golden gears and cogs. The thing looked to be as big as an entire city! It resided in a seemingly empty plane of nothing but the System and clouds for a floor. The area around and beyond the System seemed just as vast as floor three.

 

I gave out a whistle at the amount of Divine Mana I could feel in this area. I also noted the distinct lack of any Light corruption.

 

‘She wasn’t strong enough to infect this I guess? Curious…’

 

My pondering was soon answered though as when I stepped into the room fully I felt a massive wave of Divine Magic wash over me, trying to displace me. Out of pure instinct, I brought up my new Aura shield, and fully unleashed myself while using Mana Burst.

 

Even with all my ridiculous Magic Resistance and strength, I could just barely walk forward. This felt a lot like the spell that was used to shove me out of the DC universe.

 

Gritting my teeth, I started to summon my Black Water at the fastest speed I could. A wave as massive as the gears of the Heaven System appeared in front of myself, and rushed forward. But before my waters could get within the final metre of the System, a barrier was raised and stopped it.

 

With an annoyed grunt, I summoned my sword and pushed forward to get near the barrier myself. With each step I took however, I could feel the pressure on me becoming even more intense, and before I could reach the barrier I had to stop. I felt if I went even a centimetre more forward, I would be teleported out.

 

Artoria: “This truly is testament to the power of that god. Even weakened, this System is able to resist me a lot more than anything else has. But unlike me, it doesn’t have unlimited mana to fuel everything.”

Finishing my solo monologue, I started to do what I had done on the other floors; create Black Water Constructs. And started the propagation cycle once again, but this time I also had them start attacking the Heavenly Barrier.

 

Artoria: “This dimension will be mine. I will not have the embers of a useless god rest here!”

 

Within minutes, billions and billions of constructs were either clawing at, or shooting the barrier. With millions more being created each second. I also noted with some amusement that some of the constructs were literal tanks and aircraft.

 

With a sly grin I thought to myself, ‘I really am my own apocalyptic army of corruption.’

 

After what felt like an hour of the cycle, I could feel the spell trying to displace me weaken ever so slightly. It seems I was correct as I knew I was; it is running out of mana.

 

Unbeknownst to me however, my actions were already having a profound effect all across the planet. Heaven's System had started to stop supplying Divine Mana to objects on Earth in order to keep its barrier up and protect itself. Needless to say, this was having disastrous consequences for the humans who needed said protection.

 

All Holy artefacts, relics and swords were starting to lose said properties. And the casualties were already starting to pile up.

 

~ Somewhere in an unknown location on DXD earth ~

 

— P.O.V. swap 3rd Person —

 

 

In a monastery that was currently under siege by creatures of the night, a priest could be seen praying to God to help keep the Nightmares at bay. Tens of villagers were surrounding him, joining him in prayer. On his neck was a Holy Cross, and behind him, a much larger cross glowing in a comforting golden glow. Said object was projecting a barrier to keep out the various beasts of the Night that were making yet another attempt on their village.

 

However, their luck and faith proved to be useless this day, as all of a sudden the Holy Relic started to flicker as if it was losing power. A villagers gasp caught the priests attention, as she pointed at the cross that suddenly stopped its warm glow.

 

???: “God has abandoned us!”

 

Priest: “What?”

 

Turning around, his jaw dropped as the once Holy Relic was now nothing more than a fancy cross. Soon, everyone heard loud crashes as the beasts of the night had broken into their little church. 

 

Women and children started to scream as they all tried to run away, while the priest still sat there dumbfounded that the Holy Relic that has kept their village safe from the Night for hundreds of years had suddenly stopped working.

 

Even as a beast had run its hand through his back, and was biting his neck, he only had one thought in his mind as he died.

 

Priest: ‘Why have you abandoned us God? What… have… we…’

 

His thoughts stopped, and his eyes lost their brilliant light of life as he was killed and eaten by a beast they had never really feared in the past hundred plus years.

 

This tragic scene was happening all over his village as all Holy Relics had suddenly lost their Divine Power. This day, a village was lost to the Darkness, and sadly for the humans of this world, their Nightmare was just starting.

 

 

~ England, back alley in London ~

 

Two exorcists could be seen fighting what looked to be some devils. They were holding their own with their swords and guns of Divine Light. They even seemed to be playing with the devils for a time.

 

???: “They sent us after strays again. Aren't the devils supposed to take care of these?”

 

???: “Oh, don’t complain, Markus. Just kill them and be done with it.”

 

Markus: “Yeah, yeah. Time to die, Stray~.”

 

But just as Markus went to shoot the stray devil in the head with his Holy pistol, it lost its glow. Even their swords had “turned off” and were nothing more than handles again.

 

Seeing what happened caused everyone to just sit and stare for a few seconds, before one of the stray devils laughed.

 

Stray: “Seems your God has abandoned you! … even mentioning him didn’t hurt me! HA!”

 

Both of the exorcists went wide eyed at that, and quickly pulled out some talismans and Holy Water. As the two devils charged them, they threw the bottles of Holy Water at the strays, only to despair as when they shattered the strays didn’t react in the slightest.

 

Stray: “Ha! He has truly left you! DIE HUMAN SCUM!”

 

The Exorcists panicked and tried to use their talismans to channel Holy Power into a magical trap, or to boost their abilities. Sadly, that too failed them.

 

They could only look on in horror as they were mercilessly cut down by some “basic strays” they were toying with just moments before.

 

~ The Vatican. Underground in one the Holy Vaults. ~

 

Several priests, exorcists, and priestesses could only stare in horror and confusion at what was in front of them. The Holy Vault had lost its glow, and upon further inspection, every artefact inside was also inert.

 

???: “Even the Holy Sword Excalibur fragments are nothing but lumps of metal now?!”

 

Everyone was panicking at what this could mean, and what could have caused such a phenomenon. Just as the Archbishop was about to comment, a messenger had made her way down to the vault with more horrible news.

 

???: “Your Lordship! This isn’t isolated! We have gotten news that Holy Relics from all over the world have lost their properties! Everything! We have also gotten info about  several towns and strongholds that have already fallen silent! Casualty and missing person reports are also starting to trickle in!”

 

The Archbishop turned away from the messenger with clear worry on his face as he looked back at the inert Excalibur's.

 

Archbishop: “God save us from this Darkness…”

 

 

~ Japan, Kuoh, ORC building ~

 

Issei: “Hmmm?”

 

Issei looked down at the Boosted Gear gauntlet that had appeared on his hand in confusion. It felt different all of a sudden.

 

Rias looked up from her paperwork, and tilted her head in confusion as she asked Issei what was wrong.

 

Issei: “I don’t know. But my Sacred Gear. It feels… different.”

 

The green gem on it started to pulse as Ddraig started to talk to the two of them.

 

Ddraig: “Something has happened in Heaven. The constant chain that has been keeping my Sacred Gear prison in check, is now gone.”

 

Issei and Rias’s eyes widened at that.

 

Rais: “What do you mean, Ddraig? Gone?”

 

Ddraig: “Gone. I don’t feel any of the limitations on my gear by Heaven anymore. Hell, I bet I could escape from this prison now if Issei where to die. Granted, I'd need a body...”

 

Issei: “Uhhh…”

 

Ddraig: “Don’t worry, Partner. I like you, and won’t do anything. But keep this in mind, you two. Something major has just happened in Heaven, as the System that manages my Gear has NEVER lost its connection. Not once.”

 

Issei scratched the back of his head in thought before saying, “Maybe Artoria did something?”

 

Rias looked startled before she said, “To all of Heaven?”

 

Issei shrugged and said, “Well, we had a peace treaty right? Who else that we know would or even could affect the System up there?”

 

Rias hummed in agreement before she started to make a call to her brother to inform him of what had happened.

 

 

~Heaven, with Artoria ~

 

— P.O.V. swap Artoria —

 

I could only smile widely as I was now standing close enough to the barrier to touch it with my hand. The push I felt from its spell has all but stopped a few moments ago, as the System is now solely focusing on maintaining the barrier around itself.

 

Without wasting anymore time, I started to join in on the attack with my sextillions and sextillions of constructs. With each slash, every bullet, every claw swipe, and every bomb the barrier was starting to lose its lustre and golden glow.

 

I could even feel the Divine Mana and aura the place had starting to drastically change finally as I was making headway on the barrier.

 

‘This is super impressive though. To stall me this much, is no small feat. No wonder that Tool of the Light couldn’t corrupt this, or even have Michael use it anymore. These are some serious defences.’

 

Sadly though for the Heaven System, like most things in the universe it had a limit. And it was reaching that limit rather soon. The barrier now had lost nearly all of its golden lustre, and the area around was now like floor three. I had nearly converted this part of the Heaven dimension, and this last bit of resistance was about to give.

 

Raising my beloved sword in a two handed strike, I brought it down with all my strength. There was a loud crashing sound like glass as the barrier finally broke under my relentless onslaught. My Black Waters quickly rushed the System and soon it was completely drowned in it, from the base all the way up to the tip.

 

‘I hadn’t even noticed I was also completely submerged.’

 

Shaking my head at my lack of attention I sometimes had, I looked on with a victorious smirk as the gears on the Heaven System started to dye black.

 

‘Interesting. So it’s going to be converted, and not destroyed hmm? I honestly didn’t expect it to be able to be corrupted. Kinda assumed it’d be like the Light, and just be destroyed.’

 

Soon enough though, every gear of the Heaven System was a pitch black, and they had all stopped moving. A few seconds later they all started up again and I felt a connection form between myself and the System.

 

Suddenly, I could “feel” words  appear in my mind.

 

~ Welcome, Mistress. Apocalypse System Online! ~

[Manage Dimension]

[Sacred Gear Management]

[Holy Power Distribution] —>[Dark Corruption Distribution]

[Black Water Management and Creation]

 

 

I just stared blankly for a moment, “reading” what was in my mind. I was not expecting something like this if I were to be honest. No, what I was expecting was the Heaven System to be destroyed by my corruption, and failing that I expected it to just become… a Dark Heaven system or something. Not… whatever this was.

 

‘This obviously changed quite a lot from its original purpose… now, what do I want to do with it…..’