"Phew! It has been a long time since I participated in such a grand occasion. I am really not used to it."
Elise had not participated in many ceremonies of this scale. She had only held a few in the first world, and there had been very few in the worlds afterward.
"I truly did not expect all of you to choose to do this."
Indeed, the ones who had initiated this ceremony were not Elise, but the four Archangels!
Moreover, this was not something they had decided immediately.
After Gabriel brought Elise to Heaven, the first thing she did was arrange a meeting with the four Archangels.
Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.
Of course, the most important meeting was with Michael, because he was currently Heaven's supreme ruler.
Ever since God fell, all of Heaven's responsibilities had rested upon Michael's shoulders. He had grown from a legion commander capable of campaigning in every direction into Heaven's world-renowned sovereign.
This also created a problem. Michael now had far more matters to consider and could no longer make decisions casually.
Every action he took could affect Heaven's future. A single misstep might send them tumbling into an abyss beyond redemption.
Had it involved only himself, there naturally would have been no problem.
But what about Heaven? What would become of Heaven?
Thus, although Michael immediately made a decision when he first sensed the Lord's aura, he did not completely believe that the person emitting it was truly God.
Michael had to meet Elise personally before he could make the correct judgment. After all, no one could entrust their faith to a complete stranger, even if she possessed the same radiance as the Lord.
Even with the support of the four Archangels, the current Heaven was still at its weakest point in history.
Part of their combat power was directly linked to God. With God gone, they could no longer display their full strength.
Although they could suppress the fallen angels and devils with light and holy power, achieving victory remained nothing more than a fantasy.
Not to mention that the devils had developed at a rate far beyond imagination in recent years, even producing two beings who had surpassed their limits, Sirzechs and Ajuka.
The pressure currently weighing upon Heaven was unimaginable!
And it was at this very moment that Elise appeared...
...
"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Michael, leader of Heaven!"
The angel before her possessed a beautiful appearance and a gentle demeanor, while sacred radiance emanated from every part of his body.
But...
Was Michael not supposed to be a military commander?
Moreover, as the embodiment of "absolute justice," he utterly rejected all evil and eradicated it without mercy... yet he had a face like this?
Perhaps years of constant overtime had worn away all his sharpness?
That was the only explanation Elise could come up with.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Elise Holiness. This is indeed our first meeting."
Having sensed the goodwill emanating from Elise, Michael naturally would not behave rudely.
"Please take a seat first. There are certain matters we need to discuss properly."
Perhaps because he was worried that Elise would not be comfortable with an overly grand setting, Michael had chosen a relatively unusual location within Heaven.
There were grassy fields, a stream, and flowers. It looked just like a garden.
However, this was the Sixth Heaven!
One had to understand that Heaven consisted of only seven layers in total. The Seventh Heaven held the Lord's throne, while the Sixth...
No matter how she considered it, this had to be the Seraphim's residence, did it not?
Even if it was not, this could not possibly be an ordinary place. Michael must have had some special reason for bringing her here.
"I have already learned part of the situation from Gabriel. Thank you!"
With that, Heaven's leader lowered his head directly toward Elise and bowed deeply.
Heaven had already reached a moment of existential crisis. Every angel who fell was one fewer angel, and every angel who died was also one fewer. If nothing changed, their destruction would only be a matter of time.
Yet Elise had chosen to join Heaven without the slightest hesitation!
Her actions were undoubtedly like delivering coal in the midst of a snowstorm or sending a boat to someone stranded at a river crossing. She had given Heaven new hope.
That was not all. During his conversation with Gabriel earlier, Michael had even learned that Elise had no desire for authority over Heaven!
Heaven's leader would remain Michael!
Although he did not yet understand her well, Michael had already developed an initially favorable impression of Elise.
"There is no need for this. No matter how you look at it, I am using the Lord's power, so helping all of you is only natural."
Although she was smiling cheerfully on the surface, Elise actually had her own private calculations.
Authority over Heaven?
What would I need that for? So I can work overtime?
Has he not already worried himself into this state?
Uncle Ben once said, With great power comes great responsibility.
Authority was essentially the same, but Elise had always left management to the people beneath her. Asking her to personally worry over the affairs of an entire faction was out of the question.
However, serving as the highest-level combatant and intimidating outsiders would not be a problem.
Besides, there were not many things in Heaven that interested her. The most important one was that system.
"I cannot thank you enough!"
"Then, is there anything you wish to ask me?"
Since Michael had invited her here, that meant he still had doubts. Especially given the current scene...
All four Archangels were present, but they merely sat silently to the side and observed Elise. Michael still held the initiative in the conversation.
"We wish to know how you obtained the Lord's power."
"This matter is truly extremely important to us!"
Michael's eyes were filled with seriousness. The Lord's power was not something just anyone could obtain, nor was it something just anyone could wield.
Yet Elise used that power so naturally that she seemed no different from the Lord of the past. This completely overturned their understanding.
"How did I obtain it...?"
Elise extended her right hand, and a speck of holy light condensed within her palm. The four Seraphim focused their gazes upon it, their expressions becoming solemn.
It still carried the feeling of the God of the Bible, exactly the same as before!
This question was somewhat difficult to answer. She could not possibly tell Michael and the others that she had simulated it through the power of faith, could she?
Therefore, she needed to give them a vague answer and allow them to reach their own conclusions...
Still, guiding them in a particular direction would not be a problem!
"I never met the former Lord. In fact, I had no connection to Him whatsoever."
"Nor did I obtain this power from anywhere..."
"I simply wanted to use it, so I did."
"That is all."
She had to admit, the art of language was truly frightening.
Elise had not spoken a single lie, yet when all those statements were placed together, they suggested something entirely different.
After hearing Elise's answer, all four Archangels, including Gabriel, widened their eyes because the same possibility had occurred to all of them at once!