"I am unable to chart this realm, this is a new occurrence." Vega told the Slayer as he walked.
Even though he was met with a sight he had never seen before upon exiting the portal, the Slayer still felt no suspicion and held no anger against the two shrouded figures who guided him. This place wasn't like any he'd ever seen even in Doom, there was a strange yet soothing aura that tried to calm him, keyword there being try. But what truly made him feel at ease and that he wasn't in danger, was the fact that as he walked he could feel everything watching him, the realm they traversed was alive. And this was something he knew very well, as Doom itself had once been a thriving sentience before taking shape as the Dark One.
Combine this with the aura that was doing its damnedest to try and ease the pain he was burdened with both in body and soul, and the conclusion he was left with was that it was she, the angel of death who these two served.
"Our master awaits you great Slayer..." The one from before spoke again, "A deal was struck between her and the archangel...she would be granted a visit with you before you are delivered to him...as for why she desires this...that is not our place to question..." It explained.
"I do not believe we have ever crossed paths with your master." Vega said, already knowing well they hadn't but had said so in the hopes of learning more.
"You and our master have been one for some time...any moment a soul is moved from life to death she is there...as are we for we are nothing but extensions of her soul...and while there have been many both corrupt and pure who have slain many souls...your life is stained in blood and brimstone...steel and bone...none have ever killed those of great power on their own such as you..." It responded.
"So she is curious then, of how one person not from divine origins has accomplished all that the Slayer has?" Vega suggested.
"Perhaps...as said it is not our place to question...only to carry out her will..." It repeated.
Unfortunately for the AI that would be the end of their conversation, for right after they came to a stop before a single massive door made from some unknown material.
"Our task is complete..." It told them as both figures turned to face the Slayer, "Once you enter you will be at our master's mercy...she will fulfill the deal struck with her kin...and thus we have carried out our order of delivering you to him...farewell great Slayer...may what awaits in
Heaven not add to your suffering..." It said before they then took their leave.
Remaining still as they hovered passed they would disappear into the empty void that filled this place, not too dissimilar from the soul harvester in his fortress. Once alone he would approach the door to which it opened, yet unlike all other massive doors he had encountered this one moved quickly, being pulled into the ground it came from within an instant. Walking into the fairly short corridor that awaited it closed the moment he moved passed the threshold, sealing him and ensuring that there was no going back.
"In addition to my inability to provide you with navigational information, I cannot begin analyzing the unusual energy signature that fills this space, I can detect a soul of ancient age, but as for the power connected with it I am unable to find anything in our archives that matches it in some way,
which at the very least would allow me to create a basic profile and begin running simulations." Vega informed him.
"Ancient age? My aren't you blunt." A woman's voice spoke to them as the Slayer reached the inner chamber.
Looking around he found nothing at all, no furniture, no people, just a decent sized room. But he knew that Azrael was there, whether or not she would take on a form that he could see was entirely up to her.
"Forgive me, I did not mean to be rude." Vega apologized.
"There is no need for apologies, I was not offended by what you said, after all you were only stating fact." She assured.
Even though but a few words were exchanged the Slayer was already growing impatient, making that known to her by tightening his fists.
"The Slayer wishes to inform you he would like this interaction to be over as fast as possible, solely because he wishes to arrive at the meeting and get it over with." Vega explained.
"Does my brother's summons annoy you great Slayer?" She asked receiving a nod in response, "I do not blame you, out of all my siblings Gabriel is the most...stubborn to be polite, so focused on his duties and his personal beliefs that he can't see or care about anything else, so out of respect for you and nothing more I shall make this quick." She promised.
"Before you do miss Azrael, would you mind answering one question I and the Slayer share?" Vega asked.
"Ask away." She invited.
"Why did you request this audience with him? Your servants suggested it was due to curiosity, and given that you and the Slayer have never crossed paths before, at least not as directly as this, we are unsure as to why now specifically did you wish to speak with him?" He asked.
"I told my brother I sought a private conversation with you solely because of the death you have wrought in your lifetime, but that was so he would not add me to his mounting suspicions and paranoias." She began as a small chuckle followed after, "But you see, while there are many perks to being the very embodiment of death, even more so than you, is that I see everything, even if you are newly born or made in any of the three realms, death is always at your side simply waiting to welcome you into its embrace, I have never in my entire existence not been in the presence of any soul...but then...you ascended...and now there was one..." She stated.
Falling silent after that, the Slayer and Vega watched as a being slowly formed in front of him, the one thing they noticed immediately was that the title, "Angel Of Death", was in no way accurate to what they were witnessing. There were no wings, no bright radiance, nothing that any Heavenborn even the Maykrs possessed to establish them as holy, her body was long like a serpent's yet there were many limbs that stretched from it, all ending in hands whose fingers were positioned to make them resemble claws. But as it continued to appear more remarkable details could be seen, such as how the body though entirely black had what seemed like veins that were spread throughout the form which pulsed with dark violet light. Though it was the final piece of this visage that drew their attention the most, a head while round and seemingly smooth also had defined shapes and structures to give it some semblance of a face, yet there were no places for a mouth or eyes.
"After your ascension you were incapable of death..." She resumed speaking, with her body now complete she approached him whilst wrapping it around the room, "No mortal made weapons could ever harm you, even the strongest of Doom's legions at worst could make a light gash upon your flesh, you put such fear into them that their only method of stopping you was to seal you away, hoping within their ravenous souls that you would never awake to resume your cleansing..." She described as she now towered above him, tilting her head downward despite not needing to, "You are the only one I have seen who walks without me, there are no moments that I am able to meet you, if you did not come here to speak with me personally we may never have seen each other or been as close as we are now...so...please forgive this." She finished with a request.
Before Vega could voice a question of any kind the center of her head would instantly open, and from the hole now present a blinding light was cast onto the Slayer. Within seconds his entire being was enveloped, he felt a comforting chill as well as a relaxing warmth, this light that she produced was the light all souls see upon death, cast by her and her servants to help guide them to where they belong. Much like the fabled Gorgon of Greek legend this light is meant to paralyze the soul, to render it helpless and susceptible to all suggestion by the caster, as such only she and those made from her are able to wield it. Yet as she exposed him to it, far longer than any soul in all history had ever been, he simply stared at her with that unwavering gaze of focus and determination, proving that even she and her power were no match to his will.
"It is as I expected..." She spoke after several minutes of exposure, the light slowly fading and the opening starting to close, "Despite being born a mortal...despite being made a god solely from the addition of more purity to your already incorruptible soul...your will is unrivaled by even those of ancient age such as me..." She said as her body began to disappear, "I am grateful we were finally able to meet again...ever since that day when you witnessed their spite I have been unable to see you or walk with you great Slayer...but now I shall grant you passage to the meeting as promised...I hope it goes well..." She told him.
Hearing the sound of a portal open behind him, as he turned to face it he could see through it the realm of Heaven, it being fairly obvious due to the immediate light that shone from it. But before he stepped forward to leave this place behind he gave one last look to Azrael, only to find that nothing of her form remained.
"Her soul though still surrounding us is no longer concentrated in this room, she has spread herself throughout the realm once again." Vega informed him.
Nodding to show he understood, he then went through the waiting portal, and once he was gone it closed immediately.
Much like the meeting before so too was this meeting beginning in silence, though where as previously it was caused by the warning of Gabriel from the very first, this time it came from anxious anticipation. Every heavenly body that waited for the meeting fidgeted and squirmed, the only exceptions being of the Khan Maykr, her seraphim, the group of Exterminators that he had spoken with who sat with the rest, and Gabriel who looked down at them all from his stand. They were neither nervous nor worried, for they due to their experiences up to this point had become more familiar with the guest of honor. This is why even as footsteps could be heard approaching them from the other side of the main entryway, they did not flinch or jump in their seat before turning to see him.
"Finally, you have arrived." Gabriel spoke as he came to a stop at the entrance a few angels so overcome with tension they had to turn away, "Come, stand before me, then we shall begin." He instructed.
Following his order the Slayer walked down the aisle until he was in the center of the room, no one could avoid looking at him now less they wanted to miss what might happen.
"Before we begin I wish to state the following, that regardless of what is learned here, regardless of what responses are given and what actions are taken, this WILL be the last meeting held to discuss this matter, for all that will be left to follow after shall be actions." He made clear before continuing, "Now then, if you'll recall from our last meeting I made requests of the Maykrs, that all information recorded of their personal history and that of the Sentinel people be given to me for examination, I also requested any information from the Slayer should he be in possession of any not found in their texts, but I discovered this was not needed, the purpose of this meeting now is to reveal my findings and my opinions regarding that information, however one thing that has changed since our last conference is that I now have questions for him, so unfortunately this will take some time." He told them as he looked to the Slayer, "Vega shall speak on his behalf due to his mute nature, and I expect even from the great Slayer total transparency, is that clear?" He asked.
"Yes sir." Vega answered.
"Very good, to begin I shall summarize my findings from reading the shared history of the Maykrs and Sentinels, this will more than likely be the briefest matter of this entire meeting, when I compared them not only together but also with official records from our shared archives I found no discrepancies, this of course does not free the Maykrs from any guilt or potential punishment just yet, that will depend on what answers I receive from the
Slayer." He explained, "With that established I shall begin my questioning, Slayer, what are your true intentions? I know you seek to purge corruption from creation as a result of what Doom and its demons did to you, but how far are you truly planning to go to ensure this outcome is realized?" He asked.
"Though the Slayer stands firm in his crusade, due to his recent interactions with those within Lucifer's circle, he has come to realize that even if a soul is corrupt this does not necessarily make them a monster, however this is not to imply that he will lessen his advance, once he has finished aiding Lucifer and his family he will move onto the next circle, and he will not cease until all are sorted or even cleansed completely." Vega answered.
"That is what I feared you would say." Gabriel admitted as he leaned forward, "Slayer, there are rules and laws in place to ensure a greater balance is maintained, even with your actions thus far that balance has not been affected, however should you continue down this path you will jeopardize it, a series of unprecedented changes and misfortunes shall happen as you press on, surely you can understand that though your intentions are noble they affect things far greater than you?" He asked.
"Indeed, unfortunately archangel the Slayer does not care, he sees this balance that you speak of as a failed attempt to manage the evil within creation, and since Heaven refuses to acknowledge this and deal with it themselves, he will simply do so regardless of how you feel." Vega answered.
Upon hearing this every soul in attendance minus the Maykrs would be horrified, to hear that even if it meant going against the will of Heaven that he would persist in his crusade, made them all for next few moments wonder if a fight would ensue. Yet to their amazement Gabriel did not react, he did not grow angry or say anything in response, all he did was lean back into his chair before continuing.
"Tell me this then, are you alone in this crusade? Ignoring your history with the Maykrs and the Sentinels, do you believe or are you certain of any who would stand beside you without question? Even if the full force of Heaven's might should appear to impede your
progress?" He asked.
"Yes, if we are to assess the likelihood of the Maykrs and Sentinels lending their aid should he proceed on just their species alone, both the Slayer and myself are certain that they would assist, the Sentinels are a people who value proving one's worth through actions rather than words, so seeing the Slayer stand even against Heaven itself to do what must be done would show them all they would need to know, as for the Maykrs their culture and society is based almost entirely on logic, I of course would know given that they made me, and so in this proposed situation their assistance would be a product of assessing every possible option, evaluating the impact both positive and negative, and even when that is done they would arrive at the conclusion, that breaking your laws and being branded as traitors would be an acceptable sacrifice." Vega answered.
"What of those who become your allies in Lucifer's circle? Do you think they would stand beside you as well?" He questioned.
"They would have no need to-"
"That is not the question." He interrupted, "What I asked is whether or not they would volunteer to assist you, do you believe that they trust you enough or have enough faith that you could protect them that they would be willing to die for you?" He clarified.
For the first time in countless millennia the Khan Maykr and Samur would be shocked by what they saw the Slayer do. Instead of not reacting and allowing Vega to answer for him, he would clench his fists and tilt his head upward so he could stare directly at Gabriel.
"Archangel, I advise you to be careful." Vega warned.
"Oh? Is the Slayer planning to become violent?" He asked as he raised a brow, "Surely my words could not have upset him to such a degree, I mean after all he has known Lucifer, his family, and however many others there are for such a short time, that it shouldn't be possible for him to care deeply about them." He said.
"That is not the issue, your question implies that in the event of any conflict that should occur between Heaven and the Slayer, those you would have carry out acts of violence or aggression would do so against those who could not hold their own, the Maykrs and Sentinels are different for they have experience in dealing with beings of great power, both from the war as well as their association with each other, but if any angels as evidenced by the Exterminators were to arrive and were given orders to kill everyone there, none of them except for Lucifer and his family would have any real chance of surviving, so it is now that you must answer a question archangel, would you be willing to kill those who would have no stake in this conflict, even if their connection with the Slayer is as little as knowing who he is?" Vega asked.
"He would be the one to blame for their deaths." He answered immediately not even needing think about it, "He started this whole mess when he set foot in Lucifer's circle without permission from the Exterminators, any higher power such as myself, or even permission from our creator, we would simply be carrying out the appropriate punishment should he choose to escalate this any further, the only one guilty of bringing death to innocent souls is him." He explained.
"Even children? Based on my personal examination of Lucifer's circle, whether you are Hellspawn such as the imps or some of the demons, or you arrive a former human, there is nothing that keeps you from having offspring, so even if they have nothing to do with the Slayer would they too be targeted?" Vega asked.
"Yes, as tragic as it would be no one would be shown any mercy if they are caught in the midst, if you incur Heaven's wrath then all that stands between us will be affected, details of who or what mean nothing, only that the guilty are punished in the end and balance is maintained, besides, Lucifer's circle is not the same as Doom, even if every Hellspawn, human made demon, or even Lucifer's family were to die the circle would survive, souls from the earth it is tied to would still arrive, and we could easily replace any ruling powers who maintain order should they be lost." He answered.
His response to that question would change the entire mood of the room, as now everyone instead of feeling anxiety or fear now felt sick. The killing of demons was nothing new even if they looked passed the Exterminators, but there were standards they abided by to ensure they never betrayed the purpose of these cleansings. Only those who had already lived their sinful lives would be targeted, as well as any Hellspawn who had been alive for a fair amount of time, but under no circumstances were their offspring or any other special cases to be targeted. So hearing that Gabriel for the sake of preserving the balance would be willing to kill EVERYONE in Lucifer's circle, no hesitation at all, left everyone uncertain of what to think or how to feel.
Except for the Slayer, who as he listened to each word continued to tighten his fists, to the point he actually threatened to break his own gauntlets from the pressure he was applying. This is when the Khan herself would leave her place and go to stand beside him, her presence first felt from the aura she possessed. Once their eyes met he saw on her face an expression she hoped would calm him, one that while sharing his disgust and anger urged him to continue restraining himself, as nothing good would happen if he didn't.
"Is everything alright Khan Maykr?" Gabriel asked as she now stood next to him.
"Yes great angel, I just decided to move to my champion's side, is there any issue with that?" She asked in return.
"No, there isn't." He replied, "But now that I have answered the Slayer's question we must continue with mine, is he ready to answer?" He inquired.
"Yes sir." Vega assured.
"Good, my next question is this, given your willingness to oppose Heaven, how far would you be willing to go in the event of conflict? At what point would you cease to stand against
us?" He asked.
"Until you surrender." Vega answered.
"But that would not happen, those who become our enemies will be hunted until they are punished, so how many Heavenborn would you slaughter? Would you even be so bold as to kill a high ranking official within our order? Perhaps even me?" He questioned.
"Yes." Vega simply responded.
"What of our creator? Would you fight them should they appear?" He pressed even more.
"Yes." Vega repeated, as no matter who was the recipient or how many times he asked the same question, the answer would never change.
It was then, that for the first time Heaven's history that the stalwart Gabriel adorned a look of utter bafflement, for what he just heard was highest form of heresy. To think that this former mortal would so easily state that he'd have no issues with challenging the creator, it was enough to actually ignite a spark of anger within him. But it was only a spark, he was not the archangel of justice for no reason, he extinguished it quickly and recomposed himself before speaking again.
"I believe I have heard all that I must." He informed the court as he looked back down to meet the Slayer's gaze, "It is clear to me that you, despite being of mortal origin, are by far the single most determined soul to ever enter creation, once you have set a course for yourself you will do all that you must to arrive at its end, and even now after all that has been learned, all that I personally have witnessed, I still cannot keep myself from admiring and respecting this quality of your person, it is truly remarkable." He praised before closing his
eyes, "Still, what you have just stated cannot be ignored, you have without wavering admitted to a willing participation in a duel against our creator, who without their existence nothing including you would exist, and while you may be expecting my verdict to label you as our enemy, given this information and everything else that has been discussed, I instead wish to offer you great Slayer a deal, one that not only will grant me peace and fulfillment, but you as well." He revealed.
"He is listening." Vega replied.
"Doom is dead, and while I understand that there are still circles that exist that are heinous, some more than others, and this in turn means that you seek to deal with them as well, what I propose is that I and the rest of my kin who are the highest authority after our creator, shall carry out far stricter punishment and supervision in these circles, we will learn from your example and better our conduct to meet the standards you have set, allowing you to finally be free of the shackles of your armor, to shed the weight of your weapons, and to once again breathe easy, that is our side of this bargain." He explained, "As for your side, obviously the biggest sacrifice is surrender, allow us to take over this crusade that you began, but what you gain from such a personal loss is what you have been fighting for this entire time, your past actions will be removed from our archives a first in Heaven's history, and as a result you will be allowed to join those you lost, your friends, your family, and of course Daisy in paradise, you will never want or need anything, your story will have a happy ending at last." He told him.
As the archangel finished talking everyone looked to the Slayer, where instead of seeing and feeling his usual anger they found...nothing. He just stood there though this was different than before, he looked to the ground and his hands were now open, and any trace of his anger was somehow gone. Though it wasn't hard to understand why, this offer came not from some human hoping to get on his good side, nor the former lords of Doom trying to deceive him, this was coming from Gabriel himself who represented justice, so there was no way it was a lie or trick. The Slayer and everyone else knew he would uphold his end, despite the clear animosity that both had just shown for each other that was certain, so for the first time since this all began back on Mars he faced the possibility that this...could actually be the end.
"One more question archangel, after which the Slayer will give his response." Vega spoke as he still stared to the floor.
"What is it?" Gabriel inquired.
"If he should accept this offer would any punishment befall Lucifer, his family, and the circle as a whole? To be more specific, would their current hope of redeeming the sinful souls that populate their domain be allowed to continue, along with any further plans they may conceive?" Vega asked.
"No, even before the Slayer's arrival we knew of Lucifer's daughter's plans, nothing about them goes against any rules or laws we have, if they sought to continue in their efforts to try and save their people no matter how they choose to do so, they would be allowed and perhaps even receive support, another benefit I could add to the bargain if it helps you decide." He answered.
"I see, thank you." Vega replied, taking a brief pause to allow the Slayer to give him a response, "Then in light of that information, and the addition of Heaven's support for princess Charlotte Magne, the Slayer would like to request a reasonable period of time to make a decision, he proposes one full week exactly based on the passage of time in Lucifer's circle, and if he should fail to respond by the time the seventh day is over, he will allow the servants of Azrael to bind him in their chains and bring him before you." He stated.
"That is fair, I understand the significance of this decision, when the current day in Lucifer's circle ends your week shall begin, this way you have a few extra hours to perhaps get your affairs in order if you accept the deal, or if you choose to spend that extra amount thinking, either way it is up to you." Gabriel replied as he looked to the court as a whole, "This concludes our final meeting on this matter, within a week's time once the new day has begun I alone shall return here to speak with the Slayer, not even the Khan and her Seraphim will be allowed entry, and the same is applied for the rest of you." He told them before finally bringing down his gavel onto the podium.
The Slayer would be the first to take his leave of the court even as the Khan tried to convince him otherwise, wanting to bring him back to Urdak so they could offer counsel. But with a quick summon of his portal he would be gone, soon after they and the other Heavenborn would also depart. Yet as the court emptied and even Gabriel had taken his leave, as the Maykrs opened their own portal to return home they would be approached by several different faces. Though all hidden behind masks the Exterminators were the only ones who remained, and the one who stood in front of them spoke with a voice that Samur knew personally.
"We've made our decision, we and our Heaven stand beside all of Urdak and the Maykrs, may we come with you and continue this discussion in your domain?" Greta asked.
Even after all they had been through, this one display managed to create smiles on Samur and the Khan's faces. Responding with a simple but polite gesture they allowed them to go first, the courtroom finally vacant once they followed and the portal closed.