Chapter 95: Inferiority Complex

(Thanks, that meant a lot to me Zadkiel. Then I got to go now, Sora has caused trouble in the lab, goodbye.)

(Yeah, goodbye Millie, stay safe.)

"Goodbye for now Millie..." Zadkiel finally eases up after talking to Millie, but he still felt something deep inside him. "What is this..? Is this what humans call inferiority complex?"

(Hey Jophiel, can you come here to my room for a bit?)

He was nervous upon asking her that, but he knew that Jophiel was also someone that can help him in some way to fix this complex that he's currently struggling with. "I wonder if it's normal for an angel like me to feel something like this?"

'An angel like me can't feel something like this, but at the same time I'm feeling it, I wonder why?' That's what Zadkiel thought

Knock! Knock! "Zadkiel I'm here!" Jophiel said on the other side of the door. "I'm going in!"

Jophiel entered Zadkiel's room and looked at Zadkiel who was laying on his bed; face-first on the pillow. "Is there something wrong Zadkiel? You looked a bit down, is there a problem that you're currently facing? Because if there is, remember that Jophiel is on her way to make you smile!" Jophiel said while striking a heroic pose.

"Actually Jophiel, I wanted to ask you... Why is it painful to feel weak? Why is it painful to compare myself to the other's strength and achievements?"

Jophiel could sense that Zadkiel was serious when he asked that to her, she could only feel pity for Zadkiel when he asked that. She clenched her fist and let out a deep sigh; she went closer to him and sat on his bed. "Zadkiel... You asked me that because you feel weak right?"

Zadkiel nodded back slowly, and he was a bit happy that Jophiel immediately understood what he's feeling and going through right now so he gave her a tiny painful smile.

Jophiel looked at the ceiling and touched her cheek. "I also felt something like that many times Zadkiel... Right here, this was the place of my cheek that Camael slapped at that time."

Zadkiel was reminded of that day when the other Gods came here in Heaven to have a meeting, at that time their rescue operation to save Millie and the others succeeded and they returned to Heaven.

And at that time, the Gods' meeting was about to start so the angels went to the dressing room to put on their clothes so that they'll serve the Gods who were coming respectfully.

During the time when they were putting on their clothes, Zadkiel along with Barachiel saw the exact moment when Camael got angry at Jophiel and slapped her on the face.

"During that time I felt weak... I was blaming myself for not stopping Camael from leaving Heaven, I thought to myself at that time 'If only I could have more power, if only I, the Archangel of Patience, Judgement, and Beauty, Jophiel could be more stronger, I would've been able to stop Camael from rebelling against us, and that's the same with the others. It was due to my weakness for being the angel that our Mother tasked to give love to angels, I couldn't stop Lucifer, Azazel, and Camael from leading a rebellion;.' That's what I thought, which is why..." Jophiel's voice was shaking and as she clenches her hands, her body started to shake.

She remembered what happened in the past, she was angry at herself for being weak at that time and couldn't stop everyone from either leaving or dying.

Just the thoughts of the people whom she calls her brothers and sisters dying right in front of her own eyes, she started crying from that pain. "Which is why I always compare myself to anyone of you... I'm not as good at healing as Raphael can, I'm not as smart as Uriel, I'm not as charismatic as Gabriel, I'm not good at defending people like Cassiel, I'm not good at assassinating like Azrael, I'm not as good in magic as Barachiel, I'm not as powerful as Camael, I'm not good at leading people like Michael, and I'm not as nice and forgiving like you Zadkiel. I'm just nothing but scrap..."

Zadkiel felt quiet upon hearing what Jophiel said, he was surprised and speechless when he heard what Jophiel said, he never expected that his sister who took care of everyone in Heaven and gave them joy was deep inside is feeling melancholy herself.

"Jophiel, I- I-"

"But..." Jophiel disturbed with a smile. "When Mother visited me in my dream and spoke to me, I was happy... Since she gave me a purpose on what to do, she said even if I can't be as strong, charismatic, nice, or smart as you and the others are I can still show the world what love truly is... Even if it seems to bring the world in peace and harmony because of the activity of the Gods and the devils, I'm not giving up until peace on Earth and Heaven."

Zadkieel's eyes brighten when he saw Jophiel smiling again, he was in joy seeing his sister finding a reason to be someone who can stand alongside them, their dreams of finding peace for the world is something that Zadkiel is proud of, but knowing that Jophiel's word for peace is different from what he wants.

"Which is why!" Jophiel stood up and pointed her finger near Zadkiel's face. "You better not give up easily Zadkiel! I know that it's hard to catch up to someone like Michael and Gabriel, but if you keep on being patient on getting stronger you'll catch up to either one of them someday, and as the General of Heaven that represents the Virtue of Patience, I will not tolerate for you to give up easily, hear that?!"

Zadkiel smiled happily and replied with joy. "Ma'am yes, ma'am."

"What did you say? I can't hear you! Speak louder!"

Zadkiel sighed and stood up. "Ma'am yes, ma'am!"

"Hehe! Now I'll show you how to stop this inferiority, be ready okay! Teehee!"

***

[Haruki Hotaru POV]

When I woke up I saw that it was already a new day, the sun was already bright and everyone was gone except for Zephyrus.

"What are you doing here alone Zephyrus? Where are the others?"

"*Sigh* Lucas went training early with the Gods, Homura, Asahi, Miyu, and Ayame are gonna spectate Lucas, and it looks like Dawn found out where Luna is hiding and she's currently talking to her right now."

"Oh really..? I hope Luna's safe..." I'm happy that Dawn has finally found out where Luna is hiding, so I hope I can talk to her and say that to her that it doesn't matter that she's an angel. "*Cough* Anyway, what about you Zephyrus? What are you doing here? Aren't you gonna train with them?"

Well, I'm gonna be happy if he says that he's waiting for me, but there's gonna be more than that right?

"Actually I was waiting for you to wake up Haruki because there's something I want to speak to you about privately."

"What is it?" Just from his voice, Zephyrus looks serious about this. It feels like he's been hiding this from us for a long time now.

"During that time when we investigated the God Sun Wukong's movement when he attacked Tokyo and you fainted when his staff crushed on you, we fought..."

"I can see that... But I guess that it's amazing you got out of there without dying, but is there something about your fight with him bothering you?"

"..." Zephyrus went quiet when I asked him that, his face was in pain and he clenched both of his hands angrily; he was gritting his teeth and he stood up and looked at me. "I don't want to say this but I feel like the God Poseidon and the Japanese Gods are enemies..."

"Enemies..? What do you mean Zephyrus?" I was in disbelief when I heard him say that, even if it's already weird that devils like us are helping the world with the Gods, it's still an achievement that we can proudly display.

"At that time when Sun Wukong and I fought, he seemed nice to me... He was asking me to join him and wants you and the others too..."

"But that doesn't make sense Zephyrus! Why do you want to join a God like him who doesn't give slight care about this world at all!?" I was already shouting at him without noticing it because what Zephyrus is saying is complete nonsense to me.

Gods like Sun and the others don't deserve our help, so why does he wants to help them? They're the ones who are destroying the world, it doesn't make sense for him to want to join them.

"The God Sun Wukong asked me why we joined Gods like them, he said that he can see kindness and potential to us, but it was all wasted when we joined Poseidon and the Japanese Gods. He said to me 'I know that devils are evil by both blood and soul, but when I saw you two, I knew that you had the potential to change the regretful past of the devils. So why didja join the Gods who want to destroy this world?' That's what he said to me..."

"You know that he could be lying to you right? With Talya's skill to see someone's memory, we have enough proof that Gods like them are planning to destroy the world, so why believe in his lies?"

"It's because when he spoke to me, the God Sun Wukong felt innocent, his voice and emotion weren't that of a liar, but more like a God who wants the best for his world, I sensed that from him when he wanted to protect both of us from the God Susanoo and Bishamonten..."

"What do you mean Zephyrus? Are you sure that he didn't use a skill to trick you?"

"Yes... I'm a hundred percent sure that the God Sun Wukong didn't use a skill on me... The only thing I know is that the Monkey King Sun Wukong is a God who truly loves this world and has no reason to join the Gods who wants to destroy this world that he loves."

Zephyrus was serious when he said that, I don't know if I should believe him or not, but I guess he's right though.

When Sun and I were fighting at Homura's house at that time, I can't sense any hostility in him, overall he's just a nice guy who truly loves this world and its people.

Even if it's only a gut feeling, I still believe that there's got to be something more to this that we don't know, maybe he has his reasons for joining Zeus' side.

Like something he's gonna does to stop them or something is restricting him from fighting against them.

"Zephyrus... I want to ask you, who do you think is our true ally at this point?" Lugh is now suspicious, the same goes for Poseidon and the Japanese Gods, but Sun Wukong has a chance of just pretending, and right now Lilith, Baal, and possibly Hans is currently someone I suspect to be traitors too.

This is hard to completely swallow, everyone I met is either just a pretender or a fake, and in the end, my friends and I are gonna get hurt again.

"Right now the Gods are very suspicious, they could be using us right now or not, but we can't get our hopes up of them being allies with us and the God Sun is still a 50/50 for me right now, and currently as we speak Lilith and Baal might be doing something back on Hell that the Gods might've tasked them to do..."

Zephyrus could only sigh from thinking about our enemies right now, it's currently overwhelming that we have that many suspects of being traitors, but betrayal is inevitable at a war.

"My answer is none, we could only rely on each other in the younger generation at this point."