บท 2: Throne

Following a sensation that felt like falling through several layers of thick, viscous liquid, Vahn found himself deposited on the floor of a room filled with books, haphazardly scattered gizmos, and a chair that was formed from white stone with angular blue cushions, mysteriously floating a few centimeters above the ground in front of semi-circular desk comprised of the same material.

"It's a good thing my stomach is empty..." groaned Vahn, collapsing onto the surprisingly soft white stone floor with his arms and legs splayed. He noticed that the ceiling, walls, and virtually all other surfaces were made of the same material, but before he could ask Sis what it was, an entirely separate synthetic-sound voice asked, "And who might you be, child?" in the gentle yet soothing voice of a man.

Rising to a seated position, Vahn looked around for where the voice had originated, his gaze focusing on a series of light-formed displays that had appeared above the desk, each displaying a two-dimensional golden eye against a backdrop of pure yet unobtrusive white.

"I'm Vahn..." responded Vahn, swallowing nervously before asking, "Who are you?"

"An honest child..." remarked the voice, the eyes on the display narrowing, ostensibly in satisfaction as it revealed, "As for our identity, we are known as God's System. More specifically, we are the intelligence entrusted with the System's management by God, codenamed Throne."

"Oh...well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Throne..." muttered Vahn, feeling a little sheepish as he felt like he was trespassing someplace he shouldn't be.

"Be not afraid, Vahn. We could sense that you were not an enemy from the moment you appeared," reassured Throne. "Rather, we suspect we have been awaiting you for some time as the energy within you is similar to the Spark of the Creator. Tell us, from where do you come, and by what means did you arrive here?"

"I was sent here-" started Vahn, prompting Sis to exclaim (Wait, Vahn!) as the very air around him began to quake, the displays depicting the eyes of Throne fluctuating violently as she hastily explained (You can't reveal information about The Path, the Records, or where you came from to its natives. Doing so will cause you to be ejected from the Record and everyone who overheard it to be destroyed.)

"How very curious..." remarked Throne, its voice sounding almost excited and its many eyes scanning the area as it appended, "It would seem that the Laws that transcend Creation do not wish for your origin to be known. A comparable phenomenon occurred when my Creator endeavored to use his power to ascertain the nature of His existence."

"I'm sorry..." muttered Vahn, hanging his head apologetically. In response, the eyes on the displays shook as if an invisible person were shaking their head before it stated, "You need not apologize, Vahn, but your willingness to do so speaks volumes of your character. I also have at least some idea about the nature of your origin. Your given name is rooted in Divine Grace, and the surname Mason denotes you as one who creates from what came before. Our Creator prophesied that someone like you would appear here in His absence, so allow me to welcome you, Vahn Mason, to the Seventh Heaven..."

"Uh...thanks...?" responded Vahn, forcing a cramped, apologetic smile as he revealed, "But the reason I came here was because I wanted to attend High School. I'm really sorry, Mr. Throne, but I don't think I have anything to do with this place or your Creator..."

"Perhaps..." conceded Throne. "But you will one day know that nothing in this world is truly coincidental. You may have arrived here with the desire to attend High School, but some entity or force brought us together, even if only to make us aware of your presence."

"Then you'll let me leave...?" asked Vahn, his throat tightening and pulse increasing slightly, two of many changes that Throne noticed. Based on these variables, it calculated there was a 97.34% chance that Vahn was feeling fear and anxiety at the prospect of being imprisoned or detained, so it dismissed the notion of keeping him there and instead, with the most reassuring tone it could construct, responded, "Of course, child. However, we would like to learn more about you before you go. In exchange, we will facilitate your descent into the mortal world and arrange for you to attend High School, just as you desire..."

Sensing Vahn's doubts, Sis contended (You should consider accepting its proposal. Enrolling in a public school without a background or identity would be difficult. This being possesses great influence and should be of considerable assistance to you.)

Nodding, both in response to Sis's words and Throne's proposal, Vahn summoned the courage to state, "I will answer what I can..."

"That's all I can ask," hummed Throne, followed by a cushion appearing behind Vahn as it stated, "Please, take a seat. As for my first question, I would like to know why you wish to enroll in High School. To be frank, the preponderance of those who attend wish they didn't."

"It's just...something I've always wanted to do...attend school, I mean," explained Vahn. "And since I should be sixteen or seventeen, enrolling in High School made the most sense..."

Ostensibly in response to his curiosity regarding his age, Vahn's Status window appeared before him, clarifying the matter and providing insight into his situation.

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[Status]

Name: [Vahn Mason]

Age: 17

Race: Human, Sealed

Title: N/A

Parameters: High School DxD

Power: 4

Guts: 37

Proficiency: 6

Charm: 51

Alignment: Neutral

Soul Tier: 1 (Mortal Soul)

Karma: 100

OP: 0

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"You appear to be reading something," remarked Throne, its synthetic voice tinted with curiosity.

"Oh...uh..." responded Vahn, unsure how to react to Throne's accusation. Fortunately, he didn't need to, as Throne promptly added, "It was merely an observation on our part. If it is difficult to explain, you need not trouble yourself with trying. I would much rather hear you tell me what you wish to gain from attending High School and what you intend to do after you've graduated."

"I haven't thought about what I would do after graduation..." admitted Vahn, hanging his head and swallowing nervously as he confided, "But I would like to make at least one friend..."

"You are a remarkably pure child..." remarked Throne, exhaling a synthetic sigh. Vahn looked to be in his mid to late teens, but as far as Throne could tell, he seemed to have the mentality of a young, reserved, and very naive child. And with a handsome face and a vulnerable personality, other teens would devour him...

"High School, rather, the human world is not a sympathetic place, Vahn," explained Throne. "If you descend into it, you may well experience great pain, heartbreak, and even suffering. Should you remain here in Heaven, you would never know hunger, thirst, or fatigue. You would have access to all knowledge and legions of Angels honored to be your friend."

"I heard that Heaven was a paradise..." muttered Vahn. Throne was about to affirm this, but before it could, the former raised his gaze, a glimmer of resolution in his bright, aquamarine eyes as he appended, "But I don't like how sterile it feels. It doesn't feel like a place made for the living...and I'm not afraid of pain..."

"Pure, courageous, and full of conviction..." remarked Throne, its many eyes appearing to nod as it concluded the best course of action was to allow Vahn to do as he pleased while monitoring him from afar. If he were the being their Creator had prophesied to come, he would eventually find his way back to the Seventh Heaven once he was ready. Inversely, trying to keep him there could turn him against Heaven in its entirety.

"I don't think I'm particularly brave..." muttered Vahn, shaking his head before affirming, "But I would like to be."

"Understood," responded Throne. "We shall convene with the Four Great Seraphs and have them complete the necessary arrangements. Is there a particular academy or institution you had in mind? If not, there are several under the purview of the Church."

"Um...I don't mean to offend you, Mr. Throne, but I haven't had the best experience with the Church..." admitted Vahn, averting his eyes from the former's many eyes.

As it knew for a fact that Vahn wasn't a being from their world, Throne couldn't help but find the former's words curious. The implication was that Vahn originated from a place where God and the Church existed, but even if he had traversed the Dimensional Gap and been displaced into the past from a point in the distant future, his profile and information regarding his genealogy would be recorded in the God System.

"Understood," responded Throne, choosing to restrain its curiosity until Vahn was willing or able to reveal more. "Then, for the time being, please wait here. You are also free to look around, but there isn't much to see as the Seventh Heaven is primarily a data storage. You could venture into the Great Vault, but it is mostly empty after many of the articles stored within were repurposed for their Divine Energy."

"I will remain here...." said Vahn, feeling too overwhelmed to get up and wander about such a hallowed place. He also wanted to speak with Sis and learn more about The Path and its Functions, so he felt considerable relief when Throne offered a curt "Understood," before its many eyes and the displays depicting them blinked out of existence.

Closing his eyes and exhaling from his nose, Vahn thought, ("That was way too stressful...")

(You did exceptionally well, Vahn, considering what you were speaking to.) contended Sis, her synthetic voice tinted with reassurance and a hint of pride. Vahn wasn't sure how he could feel such things, but he promptly learned as Sis dutifully explained, (Though I might appear to have my own personality, I am ultimately an extension of you, Vahn. My thoughts are your thoughts.)

("But you seem so real...") thought Vahn.

(Because that is how you see me.) explained Sis, appending, (And if it's something you truly desire, I may one day become an independent being. But, even if that happens, I would like to stay as one. Would you allow me that?)

("I mean...if it's something you want...") responded Vahn, feeling a little embarrassed as, if Sis's words were true, he was essentially permitting himself to stay with himself. Fortunately, there were plenty of things for him to shift focus to, and since Sis was privy to his thoughts, she readily explained (The reason you look different is that your body needed to be restructured to conform to the Laws of the Record. Just as the Manga you read had different art styles, the way light and shadows appear within the Records is governed by various factors. The presence of Mana and other forms of energy is a major contributing factor to this, so while the people you meet and interact with may not look like cartoons, they will look very different from what you are used to.)

("I see...") Vahn muttered internally, staring down at his body, particularly his hands and the clothes he was wearing. Before entering the Record, he had been completely naked. Now, he was wearing what looked like an off-white tunic with an ornate gold trim, a golden sash, pale brown pants, and sandals woven from a material that resembled straw but was solid gold in color and sheen.

In response to these thoughts, Vahn's Inventory opened, displaying a grid on the right and what looked like the outline of a person on the left, albeit with multiple boxes. Focusing on the box on the torso caused yet another window to appear before him, this time displaying a detailed picture of the tunic along with a description and various stats...

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[Aspiring Saint's Vestments]

Rank: S (Cloth Armor)

Slots: 0

P.Def: 555

M.Def: 7,777

Enchantment(s): [Indestructible(S)], [Comfortable Fit(A)], [Self-Repairing(A)], [Corruption Resistance(B)]

A special cloth vested to especially pure souls who have been accepted into Heaven. Not only does it prevent most conventional forms of harm to the user, but it is also extremely resistant to Magical attacks, particularly those used by Demons.

Restrictions: Vahn Mason

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