Chapter 1: Archangel of Death
In the beginning there was one. A great Maker King who called forth all that was. The first of The Maker's creations was the glorious race of Angels. With none so bright as the Morningstar. But the crown of His creation was Earth where lived a race of mortal beings so like the King it maddened The Morningstar. Drawing to his side a legion of angels the rebel fought to over through the kingdom of Heaven. His rebellion squashed by the righteous guardians the Rebel fled to Earth where he found his opportunity for revenge. From that day to this a war has been raging for the hearts of mortals. One side bent on destruction the other, redemption. These are the Angel Wars!
The Archangel Azrael had never thought he would ever enter the Lake of Fire, or Hell as the race of Man had come to know it as, but he also never thought that the greatest Angel of them all would turn against their father. In his shining golden armor, with a large spear held in his right hand, Azrael looked on at the battle waging between Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels in the valley below. This was not the way that things were supposed to be, if only Lucifer hadn't of rebelled against their father then none of this would be happening! Angels, while being one of the first things the Maker King had created, were meant to protect the race of man and guide them at their King's command! Yet now there was war, a war that had thankfully not reached Heaven's gates, but so many on all three sides had died for no apparent reason and his infuriated Azrael to no extent!
"Lord Azrael, the Devil armies have broken through our left flank and many of our brothers and sisters have been cut off, we need you!" shouted a warrior Angel as he landed before one of the three Great Archangels.
"Do not fret for the Maker is with us this day!" Azrael shouted as twelve large wings unfolded from his back, an immense Holy aura surrounding him in pure white light, before he shot into the sky faster than anyone could follow.
Azrael was flying over the Devil army in only a matter of seconds, his mere presence and Holy aura causing some of the weaker ones to turn to ash, before he stopped just above the group of Angels that had been cut off from the rest. Pointing the tip of his spear down at the Devils, the tip glowing like it was just heated in a forge, before Heaven's Fire rained down upon the former Angels like divine judgement itself. The Angels down below weren't harmed by the fire, they were beings of light and so Heaven's Fire couldn't harm them, but the Devils screamed as their flesh was melted away like butter over a volcano.
"Lord Azrael has joined the battle! Come brothers and sisters, lets not let him fight alone!" shouted another Angel as hundreds of light spears suddenly rained down upon the other Devils, killing many of them and wounding even more.
This was the final battle, the one that would finally crush the rebellion Lucifer had created in his jealousy of the Marker's love for mortals. Lucifer himself sat in the stronghold ahead, letting his minions fight for him instead of facing their father's judgement himself. Wait, something was coming from the stronghold, Azrael could sense his elder brother's power rising and that could only mean he was planning on joining the battle. Only the three Archangels could match their elder brother in power and the other two were battling in different parts of Hell at the moment, meaning that Azrael alone would have to face the first born Angel.
"So it is you that father has sent to snuff me out, the one brother I loved above all others," came the twisted voice of Lucifer himself before both armies, Angel and Devil alike, turned to dust under their combined power increase.
Azrael slowly lowered himself to the ground, his armored boots touching without making any noise, and his spear lowered to a non threatening position. In a flash of light, Lucifer himself stood before Azrael in all of his former angelic beauty, because he was still the Morningstar even if he became a Devil. Lucifer was handsome in all way possible, a true testiment to what the Maker King could create with little more than a thought. Yet Lucifer held no rage in his eyes when he stared at Azrael, in fact he looked a little sad that he would have to face his younger brother in combat.
"I knew father would send you, Azrael. You were always so eager to please him," said Lucifer in an almost soft voice, despite how evil he now sounded.
"Unlike you...the rebellious son. Your wings, they would have helped you now," Azrael spoke as he noticed that his brother's wings were gone, signifying he was no longer an Angel.
"To not feel their burden is a dream."
"Do you think you could truly win against father?"
"It doesn't matter now, I have already unleashed a beast strong enough to kill father and make my dreams of a new world a reality. I've already won Azrael, don't sacrifice your life when there is no need. You can help as many Angels flee as you wish, but they will not escape," Azrael's eyes widened at this statement, for there existed no such creature that he knew of, this must be another one of his brother's lies.
Azrael took a few steps closer to Lucifer and says in a soft voice, "And neither will you, brother. I'm not running anymore."
Lucifer was visibly startled, doubt was clear on his face, this was far from what he had expected. The fallen son had managed to convince one-third of his father's loyal Angels to fall with him, that act alone was easy, but he had honestly expected Azrael to join him once he realized their father was about to be killed. This saddened the Morningstar, for he did not wish to kill his favorite brother.
"Join with me brother. You don't need to do this, there is another way," Lucifer pleaded with every ounce of humility that he still contained, but Azrael's features hardened and Lucifer knew his plea would not be answered.
"No Lucier, there is no other way now," Azrael said as he steps back and the tip of his spear begins glowing again; the time had come for brothers to fight.
It was spear against sword and strangely enough, it seems under Azrael's deft control, the spear is the vastly superior weapon in close quarters fighting. With the aid of his twelve mighty wings, Azrael moves with staggering speed, defying gravity to move around Lucifer's precise sword strikes with ease. The area around them is being destroyed just from the very auras both brothers were giving off. Lucifer leaps from a slightly elevated position as Heaven's Fire shot from Lucifer's spear tip, turning the very ground into molten lava. Lucifer continues to jump around the area, avoiding Azrael's constant stream of fire, until he suddenly shot forward with his sword aimed right for his brother's heart. Yet Azrael spun out of the way just in time for Lucifer to skewer himself on his spear.
"A-Azrael," Lucifer whispered weakly as he slowly reached up in an attempt to cup his brother's face, knowing the pain that he felt was nothing compared to the pain his brother felt from performing such an act.
"I'm sorry brother," Azrael whispered just enough for Lucifer to hear him.
"Do not think me so weak!" Lucifer suddenly ripped himself off Azrael's spear and began attacking the Archangel like a man possessed by rage itself.
Lucifer was relentless in his attack now, his strikes were continuously beating down Azrael's already weakening guard. Sword continued to pound on spear until the spear itself, a weapon created by the Maker, cracked and broke in half under the strenght of a Devil. Azrael's stunned face was enough for Lucifer to drive his sword right into his brother's shoulder and the wing behind it. The Archangel cried out in pain as the corrupt blade set his very blood alight, but Azrael saw through the pain just enough to grab Lucifer by the throat and throw him several yards away.
"Do not forget, brother, that I am the first Devil to have ever been created. My power nearly rivals that of our father and he knows it; that's why he banished me from Heaven! I tried to give you a chance to join me, to survive what is to come, but your blind loyalty to the Maker King has forced my hand! Know that I take no pleasure in striking you down, but I will not hesitate in the slightest!" Lucifer roared as he got back to his feet just in time to watch Azrael pull his corrupted sword out of his shoulder.
"You've gone drunk with power, that is why you fell, but if I must kill you to end this meaningless war that I shall not hesitate any more than you," Azrael spoke in a soft and controlled tone, the complete opposite of his fallen brother, as he formed a spear of light in his hand.
"Then so be it, I'm done being the nice big brother."
They charged each other once more, resolve clear in their eyes as light spear met a black sword made of fire itself. No more strength was held back, no more thoughts about what could have been went through their minds, only the desire for their side to win was present. Azrael, who wanted for there to be peace once more, and Lucifer, who wanted to rule everything their father had created. Lucifer jumped back, gather demonic energy in his right hand, before unleashing an immense blast of raw power at Azrael. Seeing the blast would be strong enough to end him right then and there, the Archangel formed a barrier of pure Holy energy just in time to shield himself. Yet, the moment the blast subsided, Lucifer himself came crashing through the barrier of Holy energy while ignoring the burns it marred his body with.
Lucifer grappled with Azrael, sending them both to the hard ground of Hell, but what he didn't expect was for Azrael to form another light spear in his other hand and shove it right through his gut. Blood shot from the Morningstar's mouth, splattering his brother's face crimson, but the desire to win still burned within his now black heart. If he was to die, if everything he sacrificed was to be wasted away, then he would deprive his father of another one of his Archangels! He would kill them both!
"Come brother, we shall face oblivion together!" shouted the mad Devil as his body glowed with Devil power and an explosion nearly destroyed the Lake of Fire itself, killing thousands of Devils and Angels alike.
When the dust finally settled across the barren wasteland, only one figure remained standing and that figure was the mighty Archangel Azrael. Despite his injured state, with his armor being nearly completely destroyed and his flesh burned black, Azrael stood tall while his brother was nothing more than dust in the wind. Then a flash of Lucifer's words went through Azrael's mind, a creature strong enough to destroy their father. While such a creature could not possibly exist, Azrael has never known Lucifer to lie to him about such thing and this could only mean that there was indeed a creature of some power on its way to Heaven itself. Stretching out his twelve mighty wings, even the injured one, the Archangel shot into the sky towards Heaven itself.
When Azrael did come upon the Gates of Heaven, he only found slaughtered Angels and the very gates themselves having been turned into molten slag. Slowly he walked through the once mighty gates, trying to get a feel for what kind of creature could breach the White City itself, but he could find nothing.
"Lord Azrael," a half dead Angel whispered out, just enough for Azrael to hear him, and the Archangel was at her side within the time it took to blink.
"What did this, sister? What has breached our gates?" Azrael asked as he supported her head with his hand and tried to save her life with the use of his Holy energy.
"We cried out for our father to save us from the beast, but he did not. Why, Lord Azrael, why did he not save us?" she asked in an almost desperate tone, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that their father did not save them.
"Be still, your injuries are grave but I can save you."
It was already too late, the Angel now lay head in his arms with her blood coating what remained of his gauntlets. This was not right, so many Angels had died this day, and still the war waged on as if no great crime had been committed. Azrael's very blood boiled at this cold fact, how he could not even save one of the younger Angels from oblivion and how this all could have been avoided! So Azrael took off into the sky again, his mind focused completely on the simple objective of killing whatever had breached Heaven's Gates. When Azrael finally laid eyes upon the monster, he could not believe that such a creature could have ever been created.
The creature's size alone was several hundred meters long and it was even taller than the few remaining mighty dragons, but that was far from the worst part. The monster looked to be made up of several different animal parts, including a lion, leopard, bear, and even a dragon. It had seven necks and seven heads and ten horns, as well as seven long thick tails in different shapes, it had four stout arms and two legs that are even thicker than its arms. Its main body is that of a primate leaning forward covered in black fur and what appears to be scales all over its body. However, all Azrael could process was that this was the creature attacking his home!
Even in his weakened form, Azrael gathered as much power he could into his body and charged the evil creature, fully intending to blast a hole right through the middle of it with his own body being used as a weapon. The sight of an Archangel's true power was something to behold, causing even the beast to stop its attack and turn to face the higher threat. When Azrael struck the beast all of Heaven shook at the power he unleashed, yet still the beast did not fall. So Azrael looked on, his body battered and broken from over taxation, as the beast continued on its path to face his father. Yet he could do nothing, for he was about to join oblivion itself.
(Many Thousands of Years Later)
Issei Hyoudou honestly didn't know how to process the rage boiling in his blood at the moment, for how could you handle something that burned inside you like a wildfire? Asia Argento just wanted to help people, she was a literal Angel in human form, and those damn Fallen Angels used her before throwing her away like a piece of trash. It was unforgivable, even as a Devil Issei felt no desire to do such an evil thing!
"Why? Why? Why does this girl have to get hurt like this? Why does she have to die?! Hey God, you're there right? Please answer me! Don't take this Angel away from me, I'm begging you! This Angel just wanted friends...I want to make her smile a lot more. Please, don't take her from me," Issei cried out as loud as he could, hoping beyond anything that God would answer a Devi's prayer.
"My my, a Devil praying at church, is that also repentance?" came a cold and taunting female voice, a voice that Issei had come to know almost all too well.
"You, I will never forgive you!" Issei shouted as he shot to his feet and stood before Raynare, the Fallen Angel who had tried to kill him on several occasions.
"Like I care, with the power at my fingertips nothing can stop me now. My position in the Fallen Angel ranks can only go up from here and it was all because of that little girl now dead just behind you. You don't have to worry though, I'll kill you too just so you can be with her," Raynare laughed as she formed a spear of in her right hand.
"I'm going to kill you!" Issei roared, but was suddenly thrown back when a spear of light was shoved right through his chest and it pinned him right to the wall.
Just to add insult to injury, Raynare shove two spears through his hands and one through both his feet, pinning a Devil in the shape of a cross. Even a Devil as strong as Issei could not withstand such an attack from Holy energy, and so Raynare turned to leave the boy she had toyed with for so long. Now she simply had to kill the rest of those Devils and everything would be all nice and covered up. What Raynare failed to realize, as she walked away with a wicked smirk on her face, was that she just unintentionally woke up something that had been reborn inside the young Devil. The Holy energy, even if it was from a Fallen Angel, was enough to ignite something much stronger; strong enough to change the Evil Peace within Issei's heart.
Issei's form began to glow like the sun itself, illuminating everything in the room and drawing Raynare's attention once more, until it finally faded to reveal someone new standing in Issei's place. For instead of a Devil looming over her with overflowing power, it was a mighty Angel that she had only ever heard about from legends of the Great War. It was Azrael, the Archangel of Death that had fallen in combat when the 666 beast attacked Heaven, he had been reborn within the very boy Raynare had just tried to kill twice. Azrael's power was overwhelming to Raynare, with the twelve mighty wings on his back showing just how far above her he really was, and he just simply stared down at her.
"You dare," Azrael whispered as he took a single powerful step forward, the act alone was enough to make Raynare's very legs give out and any words to be caught in her throat.
Yet Azrael did not attack Raynare, instead he simply moved over to where Asia's warm corpse still lay and knelt down next to it. He was the Archangel of Death, a position given to him by the Maker King himself, and such a position came with a few bonuses. The boy of whose body he inhabited wished for this girl to live, his caring for a complete stranger had moved Azrael in a way that had only happened a very small amount of times, so he would bring her back.
"Live."
