Metatron

"You have potential... and I shall not stand to see it wasted."

- Metatron to Issei, Life 01: The Card of Fate Metatron, once known by the name of Enoch, is a major character in the story, "Highschool DxD: Heavenly Dragon Emperor." He is arguably one of the strongest characters introduced to the series, and perhaps one of the most terrifying, despite his normally calm and worn personality. He is, arguably, one of the first humans to become an Angel, and had rekindled God's love for humanity for devoting his life to the ways of Christianity.

Metatron also acts as someone who reincarnates those he deems worthy, or at the very least, deserving of a second chance, as a Reincarnated Angel. He currently has four such people in his service, those being Issei Hyoudou, Irina Shidou, Asia Argento, and Rin Marya.

Appearance
Metatron, despite living for countless years, retains a youthful appearance, looking only to be in his early twenties, and bearing light brown hair, and odd-colored eyes; one gold, and one blue. He is noted to look very handsome, though Issei describes him as someone who looks "too" perfect, and often sports a sad, if not peaceful expression, and a calm smile at the ready. During his time at Kuoh, he wear the academy uniform, albeit with the addition of a small white rose brooch that was given to him by Rin.

His casual attire mostly consists of a tanned shirt and a dark brown business jacket, along with a pair of slender slacks and leather shoes. A silver cross also dangles around his neck, though he only wears it when entering the Church, or places of significant importance.

As an Angel, Metatron possesses a pair of wings that enable him to fly. However, despite his status as the new "God," he only has two wings, which are colored silver.

Personality
Unlike how he is described by many, Metatron is a fairly calm, composed, and worn individual that has seen war in all of it's entirety. The Great War has left him a saddened, forlorn person. In the past, he was perhaps the one who led the charge against the Devils and Fallens, scorning and damning them with all of his heart, though this was hinted to be on part of Lucifer, whom he greatly respected as one of his closest comrades, and perhaps even loved, having been smitten with her beauty. With her rebel against God, it left him bitter and angry, and the deaths of his fellow Angels during the Great War had made him bitter and angry, and took great pleasure in slaughtering them, hence earning his reputation as one of the most brutal, and strongest Angels in all of Heaven.

The death of both Lucifer and God, however, had erased this war-like personality. He had seen how the Devils wept and cursed the war for losing so many of their kin, and the Fallens weeping for the loss of their Father. These experiences had changed him greatly, enough so that he no longer wishes for war, and welcomes the current era of peace.

When he is introduced, Metatron comes off as a polite, kind-hearted, and gentle person, enough so that he is instantly adored by many of the girls at the school, and his desire to help others makes him very reliable. That said, he is immediately branded as a "bishounen" by the Perverted Trio, and is despised by them, sans for Issei, who notices how different he is from the rest. He addresses everyone he meets with formality, even to Devils such as Rias and Sona. He also laments how the Fallen still continue to exist, and tells them that they still have a chance at redemption. Few actually take him up on this offer.

History
Originally born as Enoch, he was a human that devoted his life to all that it entailed, enjoying it's brilliance and magnificence, and had taken up the bible. His strong belief and devotion to the Christian lore was so strong that he had somehow rekindled God's love for humanity, having lost faith in the after the death of Jesus Christ. His love for him was so strong that God had allowed Enoch to ascend to Heaven, and was quickly enamored by the Angels, fawning over him as the first human to reach the heavens. Since then, Enoch had trained in their arts of combat, facing against the darkness for years. He had eventually perished after sealing away Andromeda in the Abyss alongside Michael, succumbing to his wounds, but God would not allow his soul to be tarnished. After his body succumbed to death, he reincarnated Enoch into an Angel, and christened him with the name of Metatron.

After his ascension, Metatron was quickly recognized by his fellow Angels, and was highly respected. Since becoming a celestial host, he has accepted orders from God alone, and was often tasked with training the newborn Angels, soon establishing the many Orders within Heaven that would come to pass, with the Archangels and the Powers guarding the White Gates. He also established the Cardinal Archangels, those that would answer directly to him, and defend against the greatest of threats that would eventually make themselves evident when the time would emerge. He chose four Angels; Michael, who would lead them, Uriel, Gabriel, and Raphael.

Several decades prior to the fall of Azazel, Metatron would come to fall in love with Lucifer, an Angel known for her beauty and power. Like many, he had become smitten with her the moment he laid eyes on her, but would not engage in conversation with her, as he believed that he was not worthy to be with her. That had not stopped them from forming a bond of sorts, with Lucifer coming to admire him greatly, and often seeking advice from him. It was also partially thanks to Metatron that Lucifer was granted the title of Morning Star, a position that would soon become an important role in the human world below.

Sadly, Lucifer's role in Heaven would become short-lived, as her closest friend, Azazel, had become a Fallen Angel after he and his comrades descended into the human world to observe them in their construction of the Tower of Babel. Metatron was left in disbelief, as he could not believe that someone as devoted and respected as Azazel would fall. Unknown to him, however, Azazel had indeed fallen, as he witnessed the Tower of Babel shattered, and with it, the common tongue of man. Even worse, an entity which had addressed itself as God proved to be the one behind it's destruction, scorning humanity for it's arrogance, and divided their languages. In truth, however, it was Andromeda, who had begun to intervene in the world from the Abyss, in attempts to throw the world into chaos. The only ones aware of this were Metatron and God, both of which withholding this information, as they believed it would cause a panic.

It was not long after that The Fall had begun, with Azazel, who believed so deeply in human potential, revolting against Heaven. Metatron and the Cardinal Archangels, alongside Lucifer, were tasked with stopping him. However, Lucifer, who wished to trust in Azazel, begged that he stop this foolishness, and return home. Azazel, however, refused, and instead asked if she knew what had happened in the human world. Metatron withheld his tongue, and said nothing as Azazel told of how "God" destroyed the Tower of Babel, when it had been built because humans wished to become closer with Him. Lucifer, apalled by this, asked if what Azazel said was true. Metatron said nothing, while the Cardinals were inclined to believe that God must have had a reason, and tried to convince Azazel to lay down his arms.

The leader of the Grigori refused to listen, and Lucifer, now riddled with doubt, refused to listen. It was within that moment that Lucifer's wings had become black, thereby solidifying her status. Metatron, horrified, refused to counterattack while the Cardinals engaged in battle. In the end, the Angels won, but the Grigori had managed to escape, fleeing to the human world. Lucifer, however, who was now engrossed by the "truth," refused to believe in God's words any longer, scorning His name with hatred, demanding that He explain why He sundered the common tongue of man. When God did not answer, she denounced Him as her Father, and in turn, He casted her down into the Underworld.

In the time period between The Fall and the soon impending Great War, Metatron had become bitter and cold, and had begun to distance himself from his fellow Angels. Things had only became worse when he learned from God that Lucifer, in her hatred and rage for him, had been twisted and stripped of her celestial force, becoming a Devil in the process. Metatron had taken this as a sign of betrayal, especially when she had declared an all-out war on Heaven. With her proclamation, Metatron swore that he would be the one to end her.

When the Great War began, Metatron was the first to take to the field, the Cardinal Archangels following suit. In the early stages of the war, they had slaughtered many Devils and Fallens, though many reports describe Metatron as a man possessed, killing Devil and Fallen Angel alike with no remorse or hesitance, eliminating any that stared to stand in his way. In one report made by Kokabiel, one of the few members of the Grigori who had not yet Fallen, Metatron stood amidst a sea of flames, and around him, the corpses of impure beings. The war monger had come to revere this image of the strongest Angel, and followed him wherever he went, fully enjoying the slaughter and the joys of war.

When Metatron and Lucifer met on the battlefield, the two had changed. One had scorned the other, wanting nothing more than to kill them with their own two hands, and the other disgusted with them, insulting them by calling them a misguided fool, but still recalled the respect they had. Lucifer had given Metatron an offer where, if she ended the war, she would allow God to live, but only if he sided with her. Metatron refused, claiming that she was no more than a "filthy Devil" now, and swore that she would die by his hands. Afterwards, they engaged, and leveled the entire battleground. They were so engrossed in their duel to the death that they had not even paid attention to the sudden appearance of the Heavenly Dragons, Ddraig and Albion.

Eventually, however, Metatron and Lucifer were forced to retreat, but the former swore that he would kill her, no matter what it took. It had not been until the final battle at the end of the Great War that he and Lucifer met again, this time with the strongest beings of their factions standing against one other:

The Devil Faction, led by Lucifer and her generals, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Asmodeus,

And the Angel faction, led by God, Metatron, and their strongest warriors, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael.

The battle that ensued, to present day, is recorded as "Armageddon," as the earth was torn asunder, the skies bleeding, the waves evaporated, and death cascading the very battleground. Both sides had engaged in naught but a battle to kill the other entirely, with Lucifer scorning his name for trampling upon human potential that Azazel believed in, and God calling her no more than a misguided child that had gone astray, and eliminated. Their battle was interrupted, however, when the Apocalyptic Beast, Trihexa (666), appeared, as a result of Andromeda manifesting a creature of nothing but her innermost desires and power.

Recognizing Trihexa as a threat, God immediately put the battle aside, and focused on defeating the creature. Metatron and the Cardinals joined him, though they were easily overpowered. Andromeda laughed at their efforts, claiming that Trihexa was nothing but than destruction incarnate, and that only God Himself held the power to defeat it. She also mocked Lucifer, informing her of the truth behind the Tower of Babel, of how she wanted to throw the world into utter chaos. Lucifer, shocked and mentally destroyed by this revelation, became distraught and fell to her knees. After learning the truth, she entered a mental breakdown, and began begging her father to forgive her, and end her life to atone for her sins. God, however, told her that there was nothing to forgive, and while she had become a Devil, she was still His child, and that as the Morning Star, it was her duty to bring forth a guiding light to humanity.

Andromeda continued to mock them. Metatron once again tries to intervene, but is again defeated by Trihexa, proving superior to the strongest Angel. Realizing that it cannot be destroyed, God proceeds to try and seal it, though the beast resists him, and tries to kill him; only to be stopped by Lucifer and her generals. Metatron and the Cardinals also assist, creating the second instance in which two major factions come together.

Sadly, the demon generals were killed as they sliced off Trihexa's arms, and Uriel and Raphael soon followed after they bound the beast in chains. Metatron and Lucifer aided God in the sealing, finally locking it away at long last. However, the sealing had left God drained of all of His power, and Metatron, no longer able to fight. Lucifer, however, had suffered serious injuries. Metatron, realizing how close she is to death, tries to save her, but no avail. He becomes frustrated as tears fall from his face, shouting and demanding as to why he is crying for her when he wanted to kill her. Lucifer answered him by saying that it's not him who is crying, but rather the human within him. In her final moments, she smiles at him, and to his shock, kisses him, saying that she had waited so long to do that. In truth, Lucifer had also fallen in love with him, but because he was one so close to God, and she, a meager Angel with nothing but her beauty, she believed that she didn't have any chance. When she was granted the position of Morning Star, Lucifer believed that, finally, she could confess to him, but after Azazel's subsequent Fall, everything had spiraled out of control.

Metatron weeped at their final moments together, cradling her now lifeless body, unresponsive to the sudden arrival of the Fallen Angels. At first, Azazel is confused and shocked by the sight of the dead Lucifer, as well as the corpses of two of the Cardinal Archangels, along with the demonic generals. Everything suddenly becomes worse when God is stabbed through the chest by Kokabiel. Michael, shocked and horrified by the sight, screams in anger as he tries to attack the angel. Azazel soon joins him, and demands to know why he has done this. Kokabiel responded by saying that the war was far from over, and he had not yet had his fill. Gabriel, Michael, and Azazel join together in order to defeat the now Fallen cadre, but only succeed in cutting off two of his wings, making him a Cherubim.

In the aftermath that followed the Great War, the three factions are now trying to determine their losses. A listless Metatron watches as both Angels and Fallens weep over God's corpse, which is being engulfed by a brilliant golden flame, as to not allow his sacred Body to become desecrated, and the Devils mourning over their dead. He is approached by Michael and Azazel, the latter of which asking what had happened before his arrival. Metatron explains the appearance of Trihexa to him, and how he, God, and Lucifer sealed it away, albeit at the cost of Lucifer herself, and two of the Cardinal Archangels. Azazel, despite having hate for his Father, comments that it's "just like his old man to fight for what He believes in," before asking why he would try and save humans when he sundered their tongue.

Unable to lie to him any longer, Metatron tells him the truth, that the being responsible for the destruction of the Tower of Babel was not God, but rather Andromeda, posing as their father, who wanted to throw the world into chaos. Azazel does not take the truth well, as he grows hysterical and angry, and demands to know why Metatron and God kept this hidden from them. Michael tries to calm him down, but the Fallen dismisses him, as he wants to hear the truth from Metatron's own words. He tries to explain, but Azazel does not accept them, and yells at him, claiming that if he had just told the truth, then Lucifer wouldn't have become a Devil, and that so many of their brothers and sisters wouldn't have had to died in the war. He even shouts that if he had told the truth, the Great War would never have happened in the first place.

Metatron is too emotionally exhausted to defend himself as Azazel drives the proverbial nail in further, telling the Angel that it's his fault that their Father is dead, and that Lucifer is dead. Metatron calls out to him as brother, but Azazel slaps his hand away, screaming that he has no right to call him brother, and that he should have never have been allowed into Heaven before flying away. Michael tries to console him, saying that what Azazel said was not true, that everyone is just too on edge after what had just transpired, but Metatron responds by saying that Azazel was right in his accusation that, if he had told the truth, then Lucifer and God, along with so many others, would still be alive.

Afterwards, Metatron and Michael begin rebuilding Heaven, though they have lost a great deal of their brothers and sisters. As Metatron is the one closest to God, he is the one to inherit the Heavenly Throne, despite his protests, claiming that Michael would be a better leader, though the Cardinal Angel leader insists that he be the one to take God's place as their will of guidance. Metatron begrudgingly accepts, and begins doing what he can to repair Heaven. In the following years, relationships between the Fallen Angels, which is governed by Azazel and the Grigori, and Heaven have improved. At a certain point in time during a Conference Meeting, Azazel and Metatron met by chance, with the former expressing regret at what he had said, wishing he could take it all back, and tells Metatron that, after some thinking, he understands his reasons now. Metatron still thinks he is unfit to lead Heaven, though the Governor tells him to cheer up, saying that God wouldn't want him to be sulking.

Heaven and the Underworld have also begun establishing relationships after the Civil War came to an end. Sirzechs Lucifer, upon meeting Metatron, expresses his gratitude for accepting his help in rebuilding the Underworld, and offers to give him a tour. It's through this that Metatron meets the other Great Satans, and quickly becomes intrigued by Ajuka Beelzebub's idea of reincarnating humans into Devils. After a long debate with Michael and Gabriel, and some feedback from the other Angels, Metatron begins making changes to the system, and with the help of Ajuka, establishes the Brave Saint system.

Ten years prior to the start of the story, Metatron, after having been forced to go on a vacation by Michael due to his tireless hours of work, goes down to the human world to enjoy some peace and quiet at his brother and Gabriel's behest. While there, he encounters a young girl sleeping out on the streets, clad in only a tattered old cloak. To his utter shock, the girl greatly resembles Lucifer, possessing her long white hair, and her mismatched eyes. When he calls out her out as Lucifer, the girl stirs awake, asking who said that before noticing him. She asks who he is, leaving Metatron to snap out of his shock, and tells her that he's simply a passer-byer. The girl then asks for his name, and he refers to himself by his human name, Enoch. The girl smiles, and then introduces herself as Rin Marya. Metatron inquires as to why she is living out on the streets, only for Rin to reply that she has no home to return to, and that she was regarded as a "demon child" by members of her family.

Metatron, touched by her story, offers to take her in. She asks if there is food involved, and when he replies there is, she immediately accepts his offer. Upon returning to Metatron's current place of housing, he finds her some suitable clothes for her to wear, as she is completely naked underneath the cloak. Afterwards, he fixes up some food for them to eat. Soon afterward, Rin instantly falls in love with his cooking, commenting that if she could, she'd marry him, saying that he would make a good housewife. Metatron accepts her praise and asks why she was called a demon child, if she had no problems speaking about it. To his surprise, she explains that her father was a Devil who raped her mother when she was young, and impregnated her. When she was born, Rin was, at first, seemingly normal, despite her odd-colored eyes, but as she grew up, her mother and her grandparents began to notice the signs of demonic power emerging. Because her mother was Catholic, she began to ostracize and torment her daughter, even trying to kill her on multiple occasions.

Metatron, horrified by this, asked how she could speak so casually about this, to which Rin replies that she didn't really think much of it, as her wounds usually healed in no time at all. She also responded by saying that, despite what she did, Rin loves her mother dearly, enough so that she recognized that her being in the same house as her caused her nothing but pain, and left, promising that she would come back once in a while to see she was doing, and that, hopefully, by then, she would not see her as a demon. Metatron was deeply touched by her devotion to her mother, despite how horrible she was, and then thought of the idea of reincarnating her as an Angel. Before actually going through with the idea, he asked her how much she knew about the supernatural world.

Rin responded that she knew a little bit, having met a Devil calling himself Riser Phenex, who tried to make her a member of his peerage, only for her to fend him off, successfully managing to escape him. Metatron then began to fill in the gaps, bringing up the history of the Great War, but leaving out crucial details, such as Andromeda, Trihexa, and God's death. When Rin asks how it is that he knows so much, he shows her his wings, calling himself by his angel name and status. Rin becomes ecstatic and overjoyed, asking if he's seriously an angel, which he confirms. She quickly becomes excited, saying that her mom was going to be happy when she learns she met an angel. Metatron then asks her if she wants to become an angel herself, halting her excitement, and asking for clarification. He then explains how the three factions lost a great number of people, and have begun doing what they can to repair. He also explains how both Heaven and the Underworld have developed a system that allows them to reincarnate individuals into their respective races.

Seeming to get a grasp on it, Rin asks if Metatron is asking her if she wants to become an angel, which he confirms for her. Smiling, Rin accepts his offer. Afterwards, she is made into his Queen of Hearts, and has since then lived with him in Heaven.

Trivia

 * Metatron's original character design was him being described as an angel who loved humans, tolerated Devils, but immensely hated Fallen Angels with a passion. In addition, Lucifer was supposed to be written as a male, but the idea was scrapped in favor of the current design.
 * Metatron's suit in the Brave Saint system is the only one to have multiple decks.
 * Issei Hyoudou is his Ace of Spades.
 * Asia Argento is his Jack of Clubs.
 * Irina Shidou is his Ace of Diamonds.
 * Rin Marya is his Queen of Hearts.
 * The term, Lesser Tetragramaton, is usually referred to those who are ranked below that of powerful, primordial beings. Metatron, alongside Trihexa, are the only known Lesser Tetragramatons in the story, as they are ranked directly below God and Andromeda respectively.
 * Metatron is ranked as one of the Top Ten Strongest Beings in the Universe.