"So, what was that?"
"What was what?"
Luma was ticked off.
"That whole thing that gave you 13 free levels."
"You mean when I blessed myself?"
"YES!!!"
"Oh, well let me put it simply."
I glanced at the angels surrounding me and smiled.
"The grace is a poison."
They blinked.
"To put it simply, it is a toxin that is so deadly that it will kill all but angels, who instead are blessed to instead adapt to it, evolve with it. That's why mine allows you to become so much stronger, because it is a much harsher poison."
Then Gabriel asked the question I was waiting for.
"That's interesting, but what does that have to do with your spontaneous impossible leveling."
I smiled.
"I consumed a grace."
Their eyes widened.
"I had to, of course, give myself a far more powerful blessing than I gave anyone else. That's why it echoed across the world. I actively created my body as I died. As a result, I gained this."
My feathered wings came back, but this time, they were silver.
"Grace, Queen form."
I began to glow, then my power echoed more and more.
It was as though I shifted into the basic Purity, but something was different. My robe now was embroidered with diamond and gold. It shaped with sleeves and draped off of me.
Two more sets of wings appeared, and they shone as one set formed into a silver crown. The second set shone and wrapped around me, forming a silvery armor that echoed with more magic than anything I held before.
Then my cat tail twisted and wrapped my blade which morphed into a darker blade.
My ears flipped down, then seemed to flow down my back and then they extended into a cloak of cat fur.
Human ears appeared on my head.
Upon touching my sword to my chestplate, golden light stretched out of it and wrapped me in gold. My armor now possessed golden lining. The crown now possessed a golden gem that glowed. My eyes, once brown, now shone with a golden light.
By instinct, I flew as golden slippers appeared on my feet.
I now looked like a battle queen.
"A… queen…"
Michael nodded.
"That's all I can describe this as."
"Nice, with this power, we can defeat Lucifer, once and for all."
Dallel popped a question.
"Are we all getting graces?"
"Nope. The only reason I could do it was because of my sword."
Everyone looked confused so I sighed.
"It's like a horcr*x."
"A what now?"
Erica, Amy, and Amanda all gasped in excitement.
"REALLY?!!"
"Yep, as long as this sword remains unbroken, I can't die. But, I added something better."
Everyone looked at me in excitement as I confirmed my power.
"As long as I am alive, it can't break."
Gabriel smiled.
"So, the only way to kill you now…"
"It to break the sword while killing me."
The seraph laughed.
"You just delight in making things harder for your enemies."
"Where's the fun if the battle isn't hard?"
"Well, you are almost my level now."
"I am… by the way, what level are you, Michael?"
"987."
"Nice… you and Gabriel aren't that far apart in levels."
"Well, as you may have figured out, the power difference in a single level at this stage is ridiculous. What you may not have learned is that the required experience difference is also ridiculous."
"Why wouldn't I have learned that?"
Everyone gave me a look. I snickered.
"Well, let's get ready."
Then Luma grabbed me.
"Rose?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you refuse?"
I smiled.
"I explained it out there. The Ruler made you and Sona, if I keep relying on you, then I'll never be able to sur-"
"Don't lie… you saw something."
"…"
Everyone looked at me expectantly.
"Lucifer is dying."
That was clearly not what they expected.
"What do you mean?"
"After he became a supreme being, he's started degrading. His willpower is all that is keeping him alive at this point."
"What does… no…"
I nodded.
"It's a trap. The Ruler created a lie. The ascension into supreme being is a death sentence. You gain more power, but it results in you slowly dying. I guarantee that the Author intended for me to gain it, then slowly die and become weak by the time I faced him."
I looked at them.
"As much as I hate to say it, unless it's a level up, or an evolution of multiple skills into a known skill."
I looked at Luma apologetically.
"I don't think we can trust your automated processes anymore."
She nodded.
"I… was afraid of that."
"Then what can we trust."
"Me, for one. I don't know if you noticed, but the Author is getting desperate. He revealed more of his hand."
"What?"
I gave a bitter smile.
"He still has influence here, he pretended so he was able to keep watching."
"That's not good."
"Indeed, meaning as of now, we have to assume he can still affect anyone but me."
"Why not you?"
"I've changed his story too many times. If he could influence me, he wouldn't have allowed it."
Luma nodded.
"After her surviving Lucifer, she defied the Author to his face."
"So, you and Luci-"
"No, Lucifer is also controlled by him."
"What?"
"He has the title, False Denier. I have the title, Denier. That title is what gives me my independence from him, besides, Lucifer hasn't explained why he abandoned the Ruler, and I think the Author is why."
"He wanted power. Everyone kn-"
"No."
Michael looked at me in confusion.
"When I discovered the Independence thing, which now I think was also a lie, there was also a book about Lucifer. It detailed why Lucifer left. It said he discovered something."
"Really?"
"Yes. Given the fact that the Ruler isn't God, that is a possible reason."
"But that didn't make me leave until I realized that he just didn't care."
"Yes… there is one other possibility."
"What is it?"
"I'd rather not say."
"In case he catches on?"
"Yes."
Gabriel sighed.
"Well, what next?"
"We follow the Author's plan."
"…"
"…"
"What?"
"Quite simply, we go forth and destroy Lucifer."
"That's not f-"
"It is. As far as I can tell, the Author wants us to battle then he will eliminate the victor."
"So, why go along with the trap?"
I simply smiled, Darsen caught on first.
"You're setting your own trap."
I nodded.
"The Ruler will show up, as he wants to deal with Lucifer. Thus, when the Author shows up, we will win."
"That is a good strategy. You and the Ruler can definitely beat him."
"…Exactly."