Water droplets gathered, grew into a ball, shined and an Archangel burst out of it, with a splash.

The moment Raguel appeared in Viviane's home, he instantly turned to face her.

"I need to go back!" He said in a panic.

"No." Viviane said in a calm, cold tone, yet Raguel could see it was just a mask to how she wanted to make herself act.

"Vivi, I have to go back." Raguel insisted, taking a step toward her.

"No, you do not!" Viviane stepped into his personal space. She wanted him see the worry in her eyes. "I felt that witch's power, her real power, when she finally revealed it. Your siblings, those Satans fighting in other lands, even some of the Celtic Gods I know, the Winter Queen, she dwarfs all of them. What was God thinking making someone like that?" Viviane shouted as she began to pace, her words going faster in her hysteria.

"Vivi..."

"Her magic? She doesn't have some coherent magic with it's own attributes, types and formulas, not even like Devil Magic that works from imagination. She wields magical energy itself, simply willing it and it becomes whatever she wants, even other types of magic. What the seasons is that!? She's basically a Magic Goddess in her own right. We can't win. The only chance is to wait for your God to deal with her Himself. Till then you'll be safe here-"

"VIVIANE!" Raguel cried out.

The fairy turned and went still at the look her fiancé's face.

Raguel's face was too soft for him to be intimidating, rather his effort just made him look more adorable. Right now, the sheer seriousness in his eyes, too away any humor.

"Viviane... I have to go back. How strong she is doesn't matter." His voice was calm and gentle, which just angered Viviane even more.

"IT MATTERS WHEN YOU COULD DIE!" Viviane shouted, and her magical energy began to leak into the surroundings uncontrollably. The air began to grow hot. "It matters when the one I love wants to throw himself into a suicidal fight. It matters when I could lose you forever, and not even your Father bringing you back. You felt what that field she made was. No Light can stand in that zone. The fight is over. Your duty is over, and I will not let you go and die for some war you were just born to join, all for a sense of obligation forced on you by the Angels and God!" Her eyes were watery.

Fire began to grow around the cottage, the lake water outside slowly began to boil.

Raguel walked toward his betrothed. The flames never touched him.

"No, no, you're not gonna convince me by..." Viviane went to take a step back but stopped herself.

Raguel took her into his arm, holding her against him.

"Vivi-"

"No!" She hugged him too, holding him tightly as if she could just change his mind through her will. She could do it, the debt wasn't over it, but her feelings warred within her. If she made that choice, she didn't want to imagine how he would look at her. "You're not going, you're not going, you're not..."

Viviane cried and repeated the words as she shook and kept holding her Archangel.

They continued like that for a while, just holding each other. Viviane telling Raguel not to fight, and Raguel silently rubbing her back.

After a while she stopped crying. Her magical energy calmed, and the fires went out. The silence stretched out.

Viviane opened her mouth to reject whatever reason he would give.

"They're my family, Viviane."

"..." And found herself unable to say anything.

"It's not about fighting or winning some war. I just want to protect them." His smile was resigned. She knew the power to was in her hand, but she hated seeing him like this.

"...And who will protect you?" The lake fairy said pleadingly.

"If I say 'you' then I would be a hypocrite, because then I would be putting you in danger." Viviane found herself chuckling with Raguel. "Since you're my family too." Raguel saw that familiar cute blush come to her face.

"B-But, we're not married yet." She whispered, while looking away.

"Vivi, marriage is just a confirmation if two people are ready to start being together. I already know I want you as part of my life." He said.

"Just a part?" She said back, half jesting, half annoyed.

"Well," Raguel rolled his eyes to look aside. "Beyond Father, my siblings and Heaven in general," He looked back with a smirk. "I do need to leave another part for our children."

"You really need to stop with that teasing. I'm spent enough time with you to not fall for it-"

"Oh I already decided I definitely want to have kids with you. Bit scary prospect, but definitely looking forward to it."

"Heek!" Viviane's cheeks were entirely too red. So red that she began to feel dizzy, and in her joy, her magic energy leaked again the house seemed to tilt.

"Woah!" Raguel caught Viviane, and flew with her to the couch and landed on it.

The Archangel laughed, while the embarrassed and snuggly Fairy composed herself.

"What's the plan here? Do you even have a hope of victory?" Viviane asked as she sat up facing him. "Should we just attempt to save your siblings and run to Heaven?"

"Yes, we just have to get them, get the box and run to Heaven. I have an idea how we could do that stealthily. If we add the Fae Glamour, then we could get everyone out of there before Lilith could even realize it." Raguel offered a solution, as he faced Viviane, sitting cross legged.

"No, she would notice my glamour." Viviane shook her head.

"Not if it's intended for her to notice. She's too confident, she would never think we are setting her up. She's more likely to think we underestimated her, and take advantage to mock our mistake." Raguel said back.

"And how would you get the box and everyone out of there?"

"I use her trick." Raguel formed a small magic circle above his hand, and a white seal chain grow out of it, waved and dispersed along with the magic circle.

"How...?" Viviane blinked in surprise.

"Learned how it works in a sense, as I was trying to undo it. Using it with Remiel's Delivery Feathers-"

"The what now?" A smirk was on Viviane's face.

"She named it, not me." Raguel smiled and continued. "I should be able to use the spell from it, and teleport the box away. It rejects things that would pull it directly to Heaven, but around the battlefield should be easier. Teleporting my siblings away should be easier. If we add in your glamour, it should be enough distraction." Viviane still looked unsure. "None of the fighting has to be directly." He added.

Viviane thought about it for a moment, then gave a reluctant nod.

"Alright, I will support you in this, H-H-Husband." Viviane tried to say the last part in confidence. Raguel's face stilled in this look of a slight surprised smile. "Y-You said marriage is just confirming if two people wanted to be together, and since I'm sure as well on position on the issue, I figured it would be fine to try saying it... Why are you looking at me like that?"

Raguel had a very odd intense look on his face, that sent shivers down Viviane's spine, but in a pleasurable way.

"...How far along are you to finishing your project?" He suddenly said leaning forward.

"Eek!" In that moment Viviane thought her Archangel reminded her of beasts staring at their meal.

Raguel laughed which prompted Viviane to smile in turn.

The two had finally reconciled and decided to work together.

"First things first, we should check on the battlefield at Orkney. We can't go into this blind." Raguel said.

"I..." Viviane held her chin in serious thought. "To cast a clairvoyance spell for such a long distance would normally be difficult, but if any of the water I used to escape is still there, I could look through it immediately." Viviane huffed in confidence. "In fact I would even say if its any of the waters of Britain I can project my presence through it."

"Yay~, my future wife is definitely the best!" Raguel threw his arms in the air cheering.

"Q-Quite." Viviane said with a smile, while blush at Raguel's words and childish display.

Viviane brought them to a pillar stand with a water bowl on top. She began casting the clairvoyance spell.

"Huh?"

It didn't seem to work.

She tried a few more times, making the location of the spell's target further and further away from the forest they escaped from.

Finally Viviane tried to 'see' through any of the rivers in Orkney close to the location they were in. The spell clicked into place.

A drop of water floated from the bowl. Another joined it, and another, and soon a large bear-sided water sphere floated in place above the divining bowl, and showed the situation at Orkney's Hoy.

The two's face turned ashen as they sat the battlefield they left.

Viviane grew worried. Raguel hadn't said anything since the divining spell activated. It was still going, Raguel just sat in a chair at the far end of the room observing it.

She wanted to turn off the spell, as seeing the situation his siblings-his family-was in can be nothing but torture. Yet, she found herself unable to say anything. How Raguel acted, how he looked at the moment, it wasn't a reaction she ever saw before.

He didn't go into hysterics or shout about wanting to run back immediately. He sat down hunched over, elbows on his knees, and fingers interlocked in front of his mouth, as he watched the ongoing battle with quiet focus.

He was angry, enraged even. Yet he didn't utter a single word.

"Raguel... please talk to me. What are you thinking of doing?" Viviane asked.

Raguel said nothing.

Unbeknown to her, Raguel had been silently praying to God for guidance the whole time, and while his Father's Light and love could be felt once more, He stayed silent.

"You can't let your emotions cloud you. At least let me turn off the spell, you shouldn't be watching-"

"Viviane." Cold. His voice was so cold, she had to focus to recognize it. "Please give me a few minutes, I need to think of a some way."

"S-Some way to what?"

"Win." The absolute conviction and certainty in his voice, startled her for a few minutes. He didn't have time to wait for his Father, he needed to act now.

For all Raguel knew, his Father might be busy at the moment reinforcing the Beast's Seal. The timing was atrocious, but given how everything was happening, he wouldn't be surprised.

Perhaps even the piece within the Box was in communication with the main body somehow. Raguel speculated.

"How...?" She looked back at the disastrous battle.

Even if none of the Archangels suffered a casualty, the normal angels that joined them all Fell. Not only did the Seraphs fight against the seemingly endless onslaught of Devils Lilith was brining in every minute, a Greek Goddess powered up by some unknown and vile weapon, but they also had to fight against their own siblings.

Calling it 'fight' however was a misnomer. The newly Fallen Angels, with the exception of a few that went insane, were not throwing themselves at the Archangels to fight, but simply to die.

Gabriel was known to hold held no mercy or quarter to her enemies, and so most of the Fallen focused on her.

They went to Gabriel to die.

It was a situation that could truly be called 'Hell on Earth'.

How would it be possible to win this fight? Viviane wondered.

"Okay." Viviane looked back to see Raguel stand up. Resolve set and determination shining in his eyes. "I know what we need to do." He walked.

"What is it?" She followed after him. Rageul was heading to her forge.

He stopped at the door as if remembering something, and turned to her.

"Vivi, I need your help."

"Anything."

Raguel nodded. Viviane didn't feel a debt bond form.

"I need Holy Swords of a specific ability. One that can force others to sleep, preferably blunt. The other can focus and charge itself with Holy Power before releasing it in a concentrated blast. Kinda like Durandal but more adjusted for multiple rapid uses." He told her.

"That's doable, but what are you going to do with two Holy Swords against, well, those armies, and a Greek Deity?" She asked.

"The sleeping sword would be to non-fatally defeat my Fallen siblings. I'm not going to kill them. I'll save of them what I can." Viviane pursed her lips, but didn't say anything. Given what she knew of Fallen Angels, saving them might not be a mercy. "The other sword is to defend Heaven. If Hell's attacks are this coordinated, then they would obviously sent some portion of their forces to Heaven while all of this is happening."

"Okay," Viviane said, her eyes widening at this possibility, as she hadn't considered it. They can't confirm this, as no one can really divine anything about Heaven, except the most powerful of Oracles and Seers, and well...things didn't go well for those. But unless they discovered otherwise, it would be best to treat that horrible possibility as real. "But how would two swords turn this around?"

"They can't." Raguel turned to the forge, taking off his shirt and throwing it to the side, as he walked in.

"...What are you doing?" Viviane asked, focusing on his action, and not his body.

"Vivi, with your permission, I want to use your forge with you to make the blades." He said.

"Raguel... Making swords for all of your brothers not just to halt an invading force from the Devils on Heaven, but also save your Fallen brothers, would take a colossal amount of time. A task like that could take ages, and we can't count on the nature of the Fae Realm. ...Unless your Father-"

"No," Raguel shook his head. "I don't know. Something feels off, He hasn't responded to me all this time, and I can't wait for answers or permission. I need to act now." Then he looked her in eyes and smirked. "And who said anything about making millions of swords. No, it would be much easier to make a sword that make swords."

"What?" Viviane blinked in confusion.

"I've watched how your worked these past years, Vivi. Helped you even. I have a solid grasp on how to forge blade too. You make the sword that makes swords can gather and blast Holy Power, and I'll make the sword that make swords that causes others struck by it fall asleep. Add in Arondight and Caledfwlch when you finish assembling it, and we have the beginnings of a plan."

Of course things did not go as planned.

In that Raguel was the one who was told to make the sword, that would make Holy Power blasting swords.

"The realm of dreams and fantasy are a specialty of the fae. Leave the task of making the sleep inducing sword maker to me. It requires a...gentle touch."

In short, Raguel was told to make the brutish sword instead.

It took them five days to complete the blades, and ensure they are functional. Raguel even managed to add a hidden ability to his blade.

"Now, to name them-"

"Boom Maker and Sleepy Shaker, come on let's go."

"W-What? NO! We're not naming them that!"

After that little disagreement between a hurried Raguel and an offended Viviane, the Archangel held Galatine (Boom Maker) and Clarent (Sleepy Shaker) to his sides, ready to depart.

Raguel found it sweet that Viviane used the artistic ceremonial sword he gifted her, to forge the sleep causing blade.

"Wait, you're not coming?" Raguel asked in surprise.

Viviane stood opposite to him holding Arondight and the completed Caledfwlch.

"I have to make adjustments to these. You go and I'll follow when I'm done." Viviane said in a pensive tone.

"But...they're done." Raguel gestured to the blades. Viviane shook her head.

"Yes, they are, but the circumstances have changed. Arondight's change shouldn't take too much, I'll just make it able to add the elegance effect to all the user's actions, not just swordsmanship. As for Caledfwlch," Viviane looked at the prototype of her future masterpiece in sorrow and acceptance. "It's a sword that I made intending for it to be wielded by the most number of people. Naturally this means humans, but it's imperfect as it can only be wielded by those with the Holy Attribute, and as for it's abilities..." She sighed. "It is can manipulate Holy Power in a variety of ways, not how I envisioned it. It is still too ridged, and..."

"And?"

Viviane looked up with a small smile. "It's not enough. Not for the battle to come, there are two abilities it needs for that. It's a sword made with humans in mind. Thus given the fight to come." Viviane's eyes lit with determination. "I'll make it a sword for angels." A sword for you.

Raguel was taken aback. "Viviane, but...this sword is... It's what you have been working for all this time."

"No," she chuckled softly. "Just the prototype, a proof of concept. It's not to what I envisioned just yet. Close, but not quite." She looked up, meeting Raguel's gaze and gave an encouraging smile. "Besides, the real thing will be much, much grander." She said with a proud huff.

Seeing her demeanor, Raguel sighed with a smile, accepting her answer. "Very well," he nodded. "One more thing, we need a way to talk to each other, so we could coordinate."

Viviane held her chin. "It...will be tough to make something that can deal with the time flux between the Fae Realm and the Human World, however..." Her eyes lit up. "We can use the rest of the debt to make a permanent mental bond between us. We can communicate instantly with that, no matter the distance." Raguel looked startled, his reaction gave the fairy pause. "You...don't like that idea?" She couldn't understand why.

"...Can you make it work by intentional mental messaging? Or if not that, then surface thoughts?" Raguel asked.

"Give how heavy the debt current is-and you really shouldn't have made it so-we would likely be able to exchange thoughts, emotions, things we see and hear, even ideas." Seeing the discomfort on his face, Viviane tried to ease his worry, although not understanding why he's worried. "It shouldn't be a problem, after Angels are beings of pure good, so I won't be harmed. Although, I guess, you might be worried about bad thoughts from my end-"

"We're not."

"What?"

"Beings of Pure Good." He elaborated. "You have interacted with me. You interacted with my sisters, and likely other angels in the past, correct?" She nodded. "We...have our own negatives, it just tends to be minimal due to the focus on our duties. Which includes being virtuous. But that doesn't mean we are perfectly good. A being like that is just an automaton, carrying out its instructions without thought. Angels can choose. The fact that we can Fall shows we have the capacity for evil." Raguel seemed to ramble.

"Why are you telling me this?" She said patiently, feeling something was bothering him.

"Recently, it has been...abundantly pointed out to me that, there are somethings I don't like about myself, I suppose you can think of it as a darkness, or just the bad parts. Things that I've buried so deep down, I would never think about them, and with that, I hoped I would even forget about them all together. But," Raguel chuckled with a sad smile. "I can't just ignore it, I can't just say it was unimportant or not worth introspecting. So...I'm afraid if we make this bond...you will come to see all of me, and...hate what you see."

"You..." Raguel felt Viviane's hand cup his face. "You are far too young to talk about a 'darkness' within you." She said with inquisitive eyes. "I always accepted how you act as normal. Given that you told me, you were 'created' not birthed, I assumed any knowledge or maturity you showed, was something you had from the beginning."

"Yeah. It is." He said back. "Angels are made with general knowledge about...a plethora of topics, enough to fill a library. However they aren't born with experience." He looked into her eyes, his fear naked. "I have a..." He couldn't say it. He didn't want to acknowledge it. There was nothing noteworthy in there. Just a dull apathetic life, regrets and 'could haves'.

"Raguel," she drew his attention back to her. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. That's what...husband and wife do, right? And if there is something a bit bad in you, I don't mind." Raguel blinked in confusion. "I don't need you to be perfect, Raguel. I just need you to be you. Perfection can be left for objects. As for any bad thoughts you have? I am not a child. I know thoughts don't define a person, but their actions. Although if you do think about other women I will hold it against you."

"That is literally the opposite of what you just said!" Raguel threw his hands up in disbelief.

Viviane giggled. "Huh, so that's what it feels like on the other side. Teasing you is actually fun."

"Why you..." Raguel had a mischievous grin that promised retribution, to which Viviane smiled innocently. "Anyways," Raguel shook his head, his smile coming back to him. He understood that Viviane was throwing him off his angst, and felt grateful for her. "Alright, make the telepathic bond. Let's go make Hell tremble."

A debt was fulfill with both parties consent.

Raguel cast the Salvation spell, to immediately appear in Heaven, saving time and knowing just being within his home, his reserves would be refilled near instantly.

The one worry he had, was that he didn't feel his Father's hand in his travel between realms as usual.

"L-Lord Raguel! You're back!" One of the angels cried out as Raguel appeared in the Second Heaven. "Thank Father, thank Father, we won't fail now." The angel appeared to be in near tears.

"Lord Raguel is back!"

"Father answered our calls for help!"

"We can finally push back!"

"Victory is at hand."

A lot of the angels were shouting and screaming in joy. Raguel could see that while they were fine in body, in mind they seem drained. It meant Father hasn't taken the field thus far.

Actually how much time had passed in the Human World? Raguel thought in dread.

"You have been observing the battle at Orkney from the start, right?" Raguel spoke with urgent command, that surprised the Angels that knew him, but they smiled pleased none the less.

"Yes, some of us were tasked with observation. Hariel here-"

"How long has it been since I disappeared from the field?" Raguel immediately question the angel pointed at, as he didn't have time for pleasantries.

"A-ah, it's been five days sir." Said Hariel.

"FUCK!" Raguel shouted, causing the angels around him to flinch, and some to even cover their mouths in shock. Why the hell did the time between realms synchronize now? Why didn't Father adjust it like usual? "Where's Father?"

"H-H-He secluded himself in the Throne, attending to his Great Task." Replied another angel.

They all knew that God had a Great Task that took him away from the battle at times, just not the details for what it was. They were given instructions to act as though he wasn't present in Heaven when that happened, and carried on their duties to the best of their abilities.

Right now they all were thrown off by how different the usual youngest Archangel acted.

"Okay..." Raguel held a hand to his face in thought. "Okay, okay, okay."

"Okay?" Said a hesitant nearby angel.

"Who holds command right now? We need to help the Seraphs and rescue our siblings right away." Raguel said.

"Rescue?" The angels asked in confusion.

"That would be me, Lord Raguel." A six winged angel arrived in a hurry.

"Six-wings?" Raguel asked in confusion. It should be someone of higher power and authority in charge of Heaven right now. His eyes widened at what might have caused this. "Wait, there is no one with higher wings?"

"There is no one else." Said Zerachiel with resigned firmness. "As per usual combat operations, those of higher wings took to the fields of battle first, to use their power and experience not just to grab enemy focus, but help those less experienced have some protection in battle. All...all Fell in the first wave. Other kept trying to aid them, but they Fell to that damnable witch's barrier." He gritted his teeth in anguish.

"Oh for Father's sake," Raguel facepalmed. "Okay, I have a plan on how to help the Seraphs and rescue our Fallen brethren. Yes I said 'rescue'." He stressed when one of the angels was going to point out that such a thing isn't doable. "They have Fallen because of trickery, not because they broke their oaths or duty. We will bring them back and reconnect them to God's Light. We will not abandon them due to a Whore Goddess and the Devil's machination."

"They have been aiding the devils and attacking the Seraph." Zerachiel pointed out.

"They have been throwing themselves to die to the Seraphs." Raguel growled back, causing Zerachiel to lean away. "So, we will go knock them out and take them back to safety."

"W-What about Lilith's damning field? If we face it, we'll, we'll be Fallen." Asked a frightened angel.

The look he got from Raguel had him and all the angels around take a step back.

Raguel took in a deep breath.

"YOU ARE NOT FALLEN!" His shout echo in all the Second Layer. "The Nehemoth Wasteland may dim God's Light but it does not cut you from it. You do not Fall from the barrier. Those that Fell were due to the damn trickery of the Greek Goddess. They Fell due to a moment of doubt, a fear that they were forsaken due to the Nehemoth effect. But is that true? NO! THEY ARE NOT FORSAKEN! THEY NEVER WERE!" The more Raguel spoke, a change rippled in the ranks of Heaven. The tired, worn out angels began to stand straighter. Their eyes shining with a will to fight once more.

"L-Lord Raguel..." Zerachiel stepped back in awe. He had thought Lord Raguel would return to aid them in defending Heaven, but he didn't expect him to start taking command, and inspiring the soldiers of Heaven doing so. He was one so young, he shouldn't have had the experience for such duty yet, but then again, he is an Archangel, regardless of wings count.

"The only way to save our brothers and sisters, is to face the damning field. To go in defeat them non-fatally and pull them out. That can't be done if you fear Falling. Choosing not to act out of fear of losing, is also a choice. A coward's choice! For in doing nothing, our brethren are still Fallen and die not saved. So what if you end up not feeling Father's Light anymore, you know you haven't broken your oaths, or forsook your duty. Are you telling me the soldiers of God are so weak-willed that once away from Father's presence, you will simply lose your hold to virtue? Abandon Father's teachings!?"

The rumble began spreading through the rank. Cries of 'no' went up here and there.

"Are you so pathetic that without Father's Light, His Love, you will simply Fall to any Love presented to you? The Love of that Sea Foam Ball Sack in Britanna!"

""No!""

"Because that's what that Greek Goddess is! Are you simply going to Fall due to the Love of a mangy wrinkled ball sack in a woman's form? Will you Fall for balls!?"

""NO!""

"Even if you Fall, even if you are affected by the field and the Greek Whore's aura, you are still the same. You are still Angels of the Lord, who will always have his Love even if you sin. As long as you seek Redemption if you sin. If you fall on the path of virtue, you don't allow yourself to plummet to depravity. You stand up and walk the virtuous path! Again and again! Our mission is to uphold God, His works and Mankind! These cherished things are in danger. Right now, down in the Humans World, our siblings are assaulted from all sides, the humans we're responsible for are also under threat from the armies of hell. Will you abandon them!?"

""NO!""

The shouts rose higher. The spark of determination burning brighter and brighter once more.

"Are you so afraid of dying away from His Light, that you would forsake your duty!?"

""NO!""

"Will you stop fighting just because the odd are difficult? DID YOU THINK CARRYING THE VIRTUES WERE MEANT TO BE EASY!?"

""NO!""

"SO WHAT IS IT? WHAT WILL YOU DO? WILL YOU FIGHT THE DEVILS EVEN IF IT'S HOPELESS? WILL YOU SAVE OUR BRETHERN EVEN IF IT'S POINTLESS? WILL YOU STAND UP AFTER FALLING, AGAIN AND AGAIN, ALL TO UPHOLD FATHER'S IDEALS AND WALK THE PATH OF VIRTUE? NOT FOR ACCOLADES OR REWARD BUT TO PROTECT THE THINGS WE CHERISH! TO SEEK HIGHER VIRTUE!?"

""YES!""

"ARE YOU READY TO FIGHT AS IF IT'S YOUR LAST DAY? TO FULFILL THE PROMISES OF HEAVEN! TO LIVE AND DIE AS IF IT'S OUR LAST FIGHT!?"

""YES!""

"THEN IN THE NAME OF GOD AND THOSE WE CHERISH, WE FIGHT AND DIE IN HIS GLORY!"

"IN THE NAME OF GOD AND THOSE WE CHERISH, WE FIGHT AND DIE IN HIS GLORY!"

A roar of willpower and fighting spirit echoed in all the Second Layer, and even reached down to the First Heaven.

Raguel felt his throat dry for a second before the effect of being in Heaven restored him in full.

"Now!" Raguel shouted to get their attention again. "I have two swords here that can make more swords. I need those with the highest Holy Power capacity to rotate on using them-"

"Lord Raguel!" Zerachiel called out urgently.

"What?" Seeing the angel flinch from his shouted, Raguel took a breath to calm down. "Apologies, what is it? We need to act quickly, so please be concise." He said.

"What about the First Layer, my Lord?" Zerachiel asked with haste.

"What do you mean?" Raguel's expression crunched in confusion.

"We have closed the gates and have a barrier on rotation, but there are two Satans there, and we don't have any Archangel to push the back. We don't know how long we can hold on." Zerachiel quickly explained.

If possible, Raguel looked more angry, yet his wings shined brighter rather than dim.

"Hey, they're been making a lot of noise for a while. What do you think that was about?" Asmodeus wondered, sighing in dramatic boredom.

"Probably some deluded worthless enthusiasm so they don't think about how they will all die soon." Beelzebub said dismissively.

"Well, anyways, I would say that barrier is soon about to be broken. Alright minions! You had your rest, now-"

A single angelic feather appeared outside the barrier, it flashed and an Archangel with his wings spread out appeared in its place, facing two Satans and their legions of devils.

"Helloooo~!"

"Gaak!" Beelzebub was startled by the divine voice.

"The hell!?" Asmodeus took a step back where he floated.

"Right, sorry, a-hem. So, Satans of Hell, not nice to meet you." Raguel said cheerfully as he look at both of them, see all that they are.

"Ah, you must be the one called Raguel, I've hear-" Asmodeus began his dramatic flair, intending to show the Archangel how pathetic his endeavor to fight is before killing him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, look normally I'm all about pre-fight banter, but I'm on a bit of time limit, and sooooooo not in the fucking mood to be merciful." Raguel cut him off.

Both Satans were thrown off by how fast Raguel was talking, and how he acted unlike the reports that mentioned his pacifism.

"Oh really? And what are you going to-"

"So to keep things short! You," he pointed at Asmodeus. "Will never feel your mother's love, because no matter how much you wanna fuck Lilith, she only takes daddy's dick." Asmodeus jaw dropped, and before he could even get enraged, the Archangel has move on. "And you! Yes, you are small, Lord of the Flies, because you know you'll never be enough, so your shapeshifting subconsciously made you that way."

"You will fucking die!" Beelzebub roared. "King of the Flies; Graveyard Wind!" Thousands of flies were summoned and a poisonous wind radiated out of them.

"I will have your fucking head, Archangel!" Asmodeus shouted equally angry. "Fire Bull of the Inferno!" A large mountain sized bull made of hellfire was launched at Raguel.

To Raguel's regret, he didn't have time to make a bull or bug joke.

"But me? I am made in His image!" Behind Raguel thousands upon thousands of thick blinding Lights shined behind the barrier. "SO EAT MY BIG, THICK, LONG FUCKING LASERS!"

The concentrated beams of all the swords the Angels of Heaven wielded passed the barrier, which was adjusted to let things out, but not in.

The numerous focused Holy Energy blasted through the Devils and their attacks, even slowing down the Satans ultimate technique.

Then the hidden feature of the blades came into effect, as any Holy beam that hit another wasn't weakened or destroyed in friendly fire, but rather combined.

In the second wave, the combined beams of 10,000 Holy Sword Lasers pierced right through everything the devils had.

"Okay, you all know what to do here. Rotate between attacking lines, and rotate between sword holder. The important thing here is attrition and to put the fear of God into anyone that steps to our gates. If you see so much as a tail or black feather in your blasts range fire at them. Make them doubt the very thought that we might be vulnerable." Raguel instructed. "If the swords seem almost spend, just overcharge them and use them as a Holy Grenade at the enemy before getting a new one."

""Yes, my Lord!"" shouted a group of angels before they went to carry out his order.

"Now, how is the situation in Orkney?" Raguel turned to the logistics angels.

"Still the same as when you left, my Lord." Said Zerachiel who had been by Raguel's side since he took control of the battle and helped them thus far.

"...Wait what?" Raguel looked on in confusion. "The Devils do have Pandora's Box, right?"

"Yes."

"And they haven't opened it?" It was a small mercy, but it was confusing. Why would Lilith and Lucifer use that advantage?

"No, my Lord. We're not sure why, but likely the box has a lot of seals and locking mechanisms to keep it closed." Zerachiel answered. "Thank Father, having to fight anymore of those demons would be just another nightmare."

Demons? That...doesn't make it sound like that big of a disaster. Actually his reaction makes it sound it it's not the Beast. Raguel noted. He also disagreed with the idea of seals, as he didn't feel any on the box those moments he was holding it. He did feel that shard of the Beast though.

"You said 'demons'. You were there to witness the first time the box was opened?" Raguel asked.

"Oh yes, they are quite horrible beings. Each one being in the range of a Satan Class Devil, what made them truly dangerous were the various abilities they usually had. And not one tended to have the same ability as another. Like one that possess people and makes them eat human hearts and with an annoying regeneration. Another that was something like a flayed centaur, if the horse head was still present." Zerachiel explained.

Okay, that is definitely not the Beast. I expect even a shard to be in the range a Super Devil at minimum. Also those monsters just sounds like a Wendigo and a Nuckelavee. Raguel blinked at the description.

"Ah, I should make an amendment. There is one theme present through those monsters." Zerachiel seemed to remember. "Those monster tended to spread diseases and decay in some manner where ever they went. It's why people associated them with pestilence of all kinds."

"Hmm." Raguel nodded as he thought about this new information. He definitely did feel the Beast in the container, did something change since then. "Was the box ever opened again, or was something added to it."

"No, my Lord. It was never opened since, nor was anything placed in it when it was opened."

That just raises further questions. Question that I don't have time for right now.

"Alright, I'm gonna head out with the legions, Zerachiel. Keep Heaven standing till we return." Raguel smile.

"Yes, my Lord!" Zerachiel cried out.

"...And I am not some dog that can be called upon to dance and entertain!" Viviane's tone was dreadful and icy, and if the messenger of the Winter Court wasn't shivering form the lake's water that now held them, they most definitely did from the cold rage on the Lady of the Gleaming Lake's face.

"B-b-b-b-b-but it's H-h-h-her M-Majesty's ball. T-T-The invitation is sent out to all, and t-the o-o-other Ladies of the L-L-Lake will be there like always!" The messenger in fear, utterly regretting trying to insinuate that Viviane's standing would look bad if she didn't attend, and her dismissing him saying she doesn't care as this one party would be one of many. Only for the messenger then to push further, and imply her reputation may become one as a reclusive lethargic lady, which lead to their current situation.

"I gave my answer. Swear you will deliver it in it's spirit correct and true." Viviane spoke.

"Y-Y-You can't tell a messenger how to present your ans-" The waters began to crystalize into ice, and water began to look like the messenger's mother come to eat them.

"Swear it, or I will sent the Winter Queen an ice sculpture as an apology."

"I SWEAR IT! I SWEAR IT! I SWEAR IT!" They shouted it and the Fae Magic click and held them to their word.

Viviane nodded. "Next time you have a message to send me, have someone else complete the task. Come here again, and the waters will devour you." Viviane didn't wait for them to reply as she turned, and the door slammed on its own. She paid no mind to the messenger's frightened shouts, as lake's water began shaping monster that scared and would bite pieces of the messenger off, if they stay too long.

There would be consequences for this. Viviane knew that messenger was worthless, and wouldn't cause her anymore trouble.

However the Winter Queen is likely to notice her absence, and be inquisitive about it.

Maybe the Fairy Queen wouldn't notice. Maybe if she did she wouldn't care as other Ladies of the Lake would keep her entertained.

Viviane didn't let herself hope, she didn't believe she would be that lucky.

She returned back to her forge. Thus far she finished Arondight without much trouble. Caledfwlch is what gave her a bit of trouble. She had made the blade with the idea of it fulfilling all needs when it comes to usage of Holy Energy. It had a cohesive sense to it. However, adding the two new abilities that she had in mind-which was more like on ability with two parts-had proven a bit irritating with how difficult the sword was being. One side of the ability she wanted to add, the blade didn't have too much of a problem with. It's the part dealing with Demonic Power that it utterly rejected.

That's why it's been taking her weeks to work out this issue, even though unlike before she's on a time limit, and aiming to a specific goal, rather than treating smithing like art, trying and discovering things along the way.

Viviane hoped she finished in time, but even more she hoped to arrive to her Raguel's side at the right time.

"Come on, men. Get the damned bastards that sneak through. You're not gonna let Kay do all the bloody work, are you!?" Sir Ector shouted, as he stopped another devil that dived on him, before feinting at attack, and stabbing it in the throat.

The defending knights replied Ector taunting with a warrior's shout, and renewed their effort.

Fuck, it really is the end of days. Ector grimace as he kept moving, staying light on his feet. His horse was ran ragged in the first few days, and he had to get off and fight without it.

This whole trip to Orkney started because Arthur wanted to visit his sister. He understood that he couldn't interact with her as her sibling, but he still wanted to visit her none the less. He wonder if the boy understood that Lady Anna isn't exactly that welcoming of him, but to that Arthur just said 'she's family'.

Ector remembered sighing. It was a nice sentiment, but not one that would aid him come the duties of kingship. Still, it wasn't his place to tell the boy how to feel about those of his blood, so he only hoped fate would be kind to him, and for no tragedies to occur. Beyond what already did.

Then they reached Orkney and within days it seemed as if they stepped into Armageddon.

It started as specks in the horizon, then as it neared, they saw devils had covered the skies. Bells were rung, alarms were shouted, people were told to hide in their homes, and ever able bodied man was called to defend the kingdom.

King Lot had thankfully acted swiftly, while listening to council of some clergy to place cross upon the castle gates, and order entrances and exits.

In the beginning the devils didn't seem to bother them, as they were more focused on a battle far away, but then things changed. At first there were a few stragglers that would swoop in to kidnap someone for their amusement, or just attack for the sake of frightening people.

Then the Angels of the Lord, and something wrong happened because then they began dropping from the skies, before the arrive of some...pagan goddess of some sort, and the angel Fell. At least that's what those who came seeking asylum described. They spoke of the land feeling evil and damned, some even going mad.

It was a horrific scene, and things just got worse from there. As the Fallen Angels seemed to be under the sway of the pagan deity that the clergy decried as a war demon.

Demon or Goddess didn't matter, what did was that with so many devils finding themselves unneeded in the far away battle, against the few angels that haven't Fell, they turned their sights to the humans.

Orkney was the biggest target, hundreds of devils would just fly by, attack and laugh at the terror and panic they induced.

Thankfully, the knights here were trained well. Beyond a handful that ran away, when the fighting began in earnest, the held on to their knightly oath. King Lot then commands those of his men bless by the miracles of God, two wielders of God's Artifacts, Sacred Gears, one that can shoot blue arrow made of light, and another that can do the same but colored green.

Ector then order his son not to hold back either, so Kay jumped over the gate and transformed. He began growing in form, as Gigantic Might activated allowing him to grow as tall as a castle tower. His armor and weapons also grew with him as well, as the longer he fought the more heat seemed to be expelled from him, till it was like scorching fires that burned the weak devils near him. The heat trick wasn't something of the original Sacred Gears abilities, but something Kay somehow came up with. It did cause his weapon to break more often than not, and needing to replace it.

At the start the tide seem to be in their favor. The more time passed however, the more uncertain things became. Ector didn't know how long they can hold out, for he didn't know how long the devils will keep fighting. At the very least he didn't have to worry about Arthur.

"Have at thee, foul beast." Arthur shouted as he threw the broken sword at a devil.

"I'm a devil you ignorant-FUCK MY EYE-AAAARGH!" The sword pierced through the hellspawn's eye, before stabbing deeper into it's brain, as Arthur punched the hilt in, and immediately jump away from a devil's claw and picked up another sword.

"I will eat your entrails humans!" Shouted the devil.

A threat Ector had been hearing too much off, as Arthur in his hurry to join the fight, defending the innocent, had forgotten to put the top half of his armor on.

"Come and get them!" He said with a devil-eating grin, and dashed forward unlike his provocation.

The devil didn't even have time to react, as Arthur sliced through him, as the air sliced by his swing continued forward killing two more incoming devil.

Ector noted that that sword wouldn't last longer than ten minutes before it broke, if Arthur kept using it to cut through the demons, rather than stab to kill.

"We need to go at the source." Arthur said in the lull of battle.

"What?" Sir Ector said, not sure he understood the boy's statement. Or rather hoping something else, then the terrible idea that came to mind.

"This battle isn't even here about us. They're just attacking because we happen to be here, we need to deal with whatever brought them in the first place." Arthur grinned at his own idea.

"Boy, we don't even know why they are here, other than something is happening far deeper south at Hoy." Ector objected.

"If that's what it takes." Arthur said with grim determination.

"For God's sake, you don't even have your armor on, and you speak of vanquishing what brought the demons here!" Sir Ector scolded.

"Ah, right." Arthur blinked in surprise, having seemingly forgotten that detail.

"I can get you a horse that could travel that distance."

The two blinked as a new voice entered the conversation.

They saw a boy, about Arthur's age, sitting on a barrel leaning against a wall. The boy was in a hood jacket and held a mage's staff.

"You can help?" Arthur smiled, immediately opening up to the stranger, while Ector scowled in suspicion.

"Yep, name's Merlin. Like you, I want to end this demon infestation soon." Said Merlin with a smirk.

"Why should we believe you, Magician? Your kind rarely bothers dealing with 'mortals'." Sir Ector spat the word, as he knew of the Magicians' normal arrogance. Not bothering to help you out the common people unless they gained something from it.

Merlin looked aside, as if he could see something far away. Three devils attacked uninterrupted humans. Ector and Arthur were ready to fight, except Merlin waved his hand, causing the three devils to see things and turn around. They flew away and went to attack other devils with violent fervor.

The knight and squire looked at the magician was surprise at this casual display of illusionary power.

"The Archangels are in trouble right now. Badly. I own one of them this life of mine, I want to pay back that kindness even if only a little." He said.

"Okay." Arthur said stepping forward, extending his hand. "Arthur, squire at the moment, future greatest knight. You can call me, Arty. Nice to meetcha."

"Arthur!" Said Ector, scandalous.

"It's fine uncle, I can tell he's a good guy." Arthur said with confidence.

"Thanks... Arty." Merlin smiled at the weird squire and shook his hand. "This maybe a temporary partnership, but I promise to get you out of there without a problem. Don't worry about this fortress, I'll place a barrier up to block the devils till we return. After that we need a small team of fighters to commence our heist."

"Huh? Heist?" Arthur tilted his head.

The conversation halted as the sky began to brighten, unnaturally so.

The trio turned to see a bright spot in the far distant sky.

"Shouldn't we engage now, Lord Azazel?" Asked Shemhazai, Azazel's second in command.

"Something is off." Azazel muttered.

"What, my Lord?" Shemhazai said.

"Call it a hunch but...things are going too well for Lucifer. This is usually the part Dad does something unexpected." Azazel mused.

"That...doesn't actually happen a lot, Lord Azazel." Shemhazai pointed out.

"Maybe...how are things in the Underworld?" He asked.

"Our forces are engaging the devils in many of their cities. Three cities fell under our control so far." Shemhazai reported.

"Lucifaad?"

"Too defended." Baraqiel, another of Azazel's generals answered.

"Lilith City?" Azazel threw a shot in the dark.

"Too deep in their territory." Shemhazai shook his head.

"No Satans?"

"No." Penemue, Azazel's secretary, answered with a sigh at her leader's sudden worrywart nature. It tended to come every once in a while, and while helpful, was a bit irritating.

"Hmm," Azazel nodded and turned back to the situation. "So they are too confident in their victory here, huh. Okay, then send our troops and go 'rescue' our brothers." He said with a smirk. "Might as well be nice to Michael, I'm sure he'd appreciate the favor of taking some of his enemies away from him." Laughter ran out in the group around Azazel, before he asked something on a whim. "Say, all the Seraphs are there, right?" As they began to fly forward.

"Only Archangel Raguel is missing, sire. We haven't confirmed if he died though." Shemhazai pointed out.

"Huh," Azazel clicked his tongue at the unknown factor before ultimately dismissing it. Raguel despite that first confrontation, hadn't made much military accomplishments. Many among the Fallen's rank took his first "victory" against Azazel as a fluke.

Then the confrontation with the Gremory happened, and many were screaming about a Dragon summoning angel.

After Azazel put those doubts to rest, and confirmed for his own piece of mind, and military information, he was sure that Raguel didn't have any such ability. He just bluffed the devils, like he did Azazel.

Funny, cute really, but while it was only two incidents, it gave Azazel a pattern.

Sure two incident isn't enough for a consistent pattern, but Father's angels tended not to change from how God made them, so one can relatively know what they are like from a few incidents.

It told Azazel that Raguel was just a paper tiger. Scary looking and that's it. Next time, he'll just end the kid if he ran his mouth.

"Very well, let's mov-"

Azazel looked up to see the sky shining. A shout for shields and defensive spells went up, and the magic spells followed as the Fallen army were trained to do.

"So, the old man is finally going to fight now, huh." Azazel chuckled. "How predictable."

The beam of Light that fell from the Heavens was of such width it could envelop and erase a mountain. The devils in the area in and around the beam were evaporated.

Something felt off with the Holy Light though. It didn't have the same potency as Father's. In fact the attack almost seemed like it was made up of hundreds of angels' Light rather than just Father throwing a metaphorical magic punch into the fight.

Then another waves of angels descended.

"Foolishness, do they never learn?" Baraqiel scoffed and chuckled.

The angel entered the Nehemoth Wasteland's effect. They started to drop.

And then right away flew again, still holding their determination.

Aphrodite Areia called to them and spread her aura, and their reaction was...

"SAVE OUR BROTHERS!"

"FOR GOD AND THOSE WE CHERISH, WE DIE IN HIS GLORY!"

"DON'T FALL FOR BALLS!"

The angels didn't fall, in fact they engaged the newly Fallen Angels, and seemed to take them out of the fight, before carrying them back to Heaven. Also that last battle cry threw off most of the devils or fallen that heard it.

Even Azazel was wondering what the fuck was happening.

"FUCK YOUR APOCALYPSE!"

And then a voice boomed across the battlefield, as Raguel arrived with the angels' chanting growing louder.

"Did...did he just say he'll fuck the apocalypse?" Penemue asked disturbed. "Is he saying he'll fuck the monster in Pandora's Box?" Her jaw dropped, before she turned to Azazel, looking like she wanted to scream. "Why hasn't he Fallen?"

"I...I have no idea." Azazel said back. Given how angels can't lie, Raguel was likely being metaphorical...at least Azazel hoped that was the context.

"This is fucking unfair!" Penemue shouted.

"Let's...Let's just go get the Fallen, at least while they are all distracted, we'll get the biggest victory out of everyone here." Azazel said with assured confidence.

The smiting Light from Heaven made from 10,000 angels that descended on the heart of the devil's army had made a clean hole in their formation.

The only thing left was an exhausted Michael whose hope rekindled, thinking his Father had arrived, but his senses of the Holy attack quickly told him, it was made by his brothers, not God Himself.

The other thing left undamaged in the attack was a fortress sided black sphere. After the attack ended, Lilith pulled back the barrier where Lucifer, herself and a battalion of devils that jumped in to be shielded by their mother survived.

"Okay," Lucifer looked up to the sky, with a annoyed and concerned look. Only he and Lilith on the devil's side could notice the attack wasn't done by God, due to their deeper understanding of Light, and what God's power feels like. "What the hell is going on? Even if the lesser angels can attack together, they never got to synchronize their attacks that well, to result in this. This felt like a genuine combined Light of hundreds of angels in a single form. What did they do?" While his voice was calm, the only feeling inside him was rage, at the possibility of his victory being stolen.

"M-Mother..." A rasby voice got everyone's attention as between Michael and the devils, laid the body of Satan Asmodeus.

Or rather what was left of him. His body was no more than his upper torso, and a single arm. His his skin, what's left of it, was deep red all over, one of his eyes had burst in his skull.

"Mother...help me..."

He crawled with whatever strength left in his body toward Lilith.

Lucifer frown at the implicated.

"They defeated two Satans without God or the Archangel's support?" He muttered to himself in irritation. "No, Beelzebub might have survived but need confirmation." He spoke to himself. "Asmodeus!" Lucifer said in a loud regal voice. "Why have you returned in this disgraceful..."

Lilith walked past the group, while handing off Pandora's Box to Lucifer, causing him to pause.

Asmodeus looked up in hope and awe to see his mother coming to aid him.

"M-Moth..."

"My child," she said in a calm tone, as she kneeled down beside the defeated Satan. "It seems you have suffered greatly." She cupped his face gently with one hand.

Asmodeus couldn't speak anymore, as his throat was too damaged, yet he cried in joy at Lilith's compassion.

"Devils," when Lilith spoke his time, he voice was magically loud heard by all the nearby devils. "You my children are meant to inherit the Earth. It's your birthright."

"Lies and blasphemy." Michael cried out.

Lilith ignored him and continued on. "You are not to be chained by 'Virtue', for you 'Sin' is your nature, do not lie to yourselves like humans and constrain it." Lilith smiled, showing her teeth. "However, for you, there is one thing that can be considered a 'sin', a 'Taboo' that you must never commit." Asmodeus's eyes widen, as his mother stabbed her hand through his chest and grabbed his heart. "Weakness is never accepted. To plea and beg for help? That! You must never do."

Asmodeus never had the chance to scream, to cut out, to beg forgiveness. His body crunched into itself, turning from flesh to spiritual components. His last thought was anguish at his mother's betrayal, at not being good enough.

Lilith stood up holding Asmodeus's soul, before erasing the bits that made up the ego of that last life, keeping only the power and potential. She closed her hand, and sent the Satan soul into her shadow pocket dimension to look at later, and see what changes she needed to improve, so the next Asmodeus doesn't disappoint like this one did.

"Brutal." Lucifer couldn't help but say with an approving smile, he stood beside her.

"They needed a reminder they are better than humans, and should never act like them." Lilith looked behind at the devils that stayed where the black barrier were. They all flinched and stood up straighter, trying to appear as strong as possible. "Beelzebub is alive by the way. Most of the flies making up his body were destroyed, but he separated a piece of himself, and sent it to the Underworld."

"Good to confirm." Lucifer nodded.

"Horrid." Michael said as he stood leaning on Durandal. His face was one of righteous anger "Absolutely horrendous. You praise vice and sin as a moral. You act like mercy and kindness are depravity." The Archangel pulled the blade up, shining with his fury and reignited will. "And you wonder why all of Heaven despises you." He said, his hands shaking a bit. Even if the spirit is willing, his body had been under much strife and stress, fighting constantly for the past days, without rest. "Today, you will be punished for your sins."

"Oh? Are you sure about that, dear brother? I would say, you're speaking of more than you can accomplish right now. That's almost a lie~."

"Even if I should be slain, I'll make you remember this day." Michael promised.

At that moment, another rally of angels flew down. Lucifer smirked, looking on in delight. Michael's eyes widened in sorrow.

"no." Michael whispered, not wanting to see another group of his siblings Falling.

But they didn't. Beyond a moment of entering the Nehemoth field, they didn't stop. When the Greek Goddess confront them, they shouted in defiance instead.

"SAVE OUR BROTHERS!"

"FOR GOD AND THOSE WE CHERISH, WE DIE IN HIS GLORY!"

"DON'T FALL FOR BALLS!"

"FUCK YOUR APOCALYPSE!"

Michael, Lilith, Lucifer and all devils looked on in shock.

"What..." Said Michael.

"...the..." Said Lilith.

"...fuck!?" Lucifer finished, as he held the Beast container to his chest. "What the hell is that, Michael?" He demanded.

"That..." Michael composed himself and stood with renewed confidence against the forces of Hell. "Was Raguel. The Last Archangel and as Father told me: 'His mind is well'."

"...That doesn't explain any-"

Sudden an angel feather appeared behind Michael. A flash and Raguel was there.

"SORRY! BORROWING HIM!" Raguel shouted, and teleported away with Michael.

Lucifer had throw a Light Spear on instinct, and Lilith had done the same with her black chains. All missed.

"Who was that!?" He shouted.

"Raguel." Lilith said in surprise. Last she saw him, his will to fight was but a small candlelight. Now it was more like a blazing forest.

"That's him!?" Lucifer turned to her with growling teeth. Lilith snorted finding it amusing. "That little pipsqueak!" He turned to the assembled devils, and any other in hearing range. "Bring me that little shit of an Archangel now!"

A few Devils that flinched at the word 'shit', but all complied all the same.

Okay, quick mental check. Just like the observatory from Heaven, Raphael & Uriel are keeping Aphrodite Areia focused on them. Gabriel is fighting the Fallen, gonna have to fix that soon. Are those other Fallen coming here? Is that Azazel?-No! Focus on the plan. Deal with that later. Now we have Sariel & Remiel fighting Satan Leviathan. So no grab now, and-Aha!

Raguel flew into the fight between Raziel, Metatron & Sandalphon focusing all the devils on them, still holding onto Michael from the back of his armor.

"Sorry, Raziel, please hold on for a bit! Here's a gift to manage and sorry Michael!"

Raguel shouted as he grabbed Metatron and Sandalphon with Light glowing chains, threw a Galatine Replica to the Archangel of Mysteries. He then grabbed Durandal with the Light chain from Michael and threw it to the surprised Raziel as well.

Teleporting to another feather, he jumped into the Leviathan fight using the Light chains to keep the Satan away, as she looked wary of the chains that resembled the weapon of the Great Mother.

"Sorry! Partner switch, here are some gifts! Bye!"

Raguel dropped Sandalphon with two Galatine Replicas, and threw another two to Remiel who caught them with a grin.

"Thanks, little brother!" Remiel said with cheer, and renewed her attack on Leviathan.

Before anyone could say anything, Raguel grabbed Sariel and vanished once more.

The four Archangels appear far above the battle, were a group of angel were waiting for them, and immediately set up a barrier around all of them, upon their arrival.

"Raguel, while I'm glad to see you, what are you doing pulling us like that!?" Michael asked, being the first to recover.

"Indeed, while making sure Remiel wasn't fighting was wise, it would have been better that I stay there, while you aid Raziel." Sariel said, with an annoyed look, but seem patient and happy to see his brother none the less.

"It's good to see you in these harsh times, Raguel, and I commend you on giving us some forces to begin fighting back. But I believe you brought us here for a reason, with time being of the essence." Said Metatron, quickly keeping everything on track.

"Yes! Thanks, Metatron. Brothers, I know how to fix this. We can save all our Fallen and bring them back." Raguel said with an excited grin.

Naturally the Archangels were elated with this news.

"That's stupendous news. Did Father give you a new divine artifact?" Michael asked with hope.

"What? No." Raguel laughed, causing them to blink in surprise. "Everything we need is here. First, Michael, you need to light up your Keter sephira. Metatron would then send my voice with a message to all the Fallen here, and Sariel would connect us all as I show them a memory."

Unlike what Raguel expected, his brothers seem disheartened by the plan, even looking away in discomfort. Only Sariel seemed contemplative.

"What memory would that be?" Sariel asked.

"Um, it's," Raguel recover after being thrown off by his brothers' reaction. "The one thing we all share. The one memory all angels have. The first thing we saw the moment we came into being. The first day we met Father." Raguel said with a sincere smile.

His brothers' eyes lit up in understanding, with Sariel and Metatron smiling in agreement, seemingly coming around. Only Michael seem to have a sad smile.

Okay, what the fuck is going on? What's up with there reaction?

"This can work." Metatron said as he gave a thoughtful nod.

"Will this barrier hold?" Sariel asked.

"For esoteric effects, like teleports and the like, it cancels them out, for actual damage against it..." Raguel looked to the angel around them putting everything into the barrier, and those guarding them with Galatine Replicas and Clarent Replicas ready to protect the magic shield makers. them.

"We can do this, then." Sariel nodded. "Metatron you begin your Divine Resonance spell, Raguel ready yourself. With this we should pull back the Fallen from Aphrodite's control, and force the Devils and Azazel's Fallen to retreat, before heading back to Heaven for Father to redeem our brothers."

"Very well, I'll-" Metatron began.

"Wait, Michael, what about you?" Raguel asked.

"Raguel, I'm...I'm sorry. I'll protect you in this endeavor but I can not do what you ask?" Michael said with shame.

"What are you talking about? Can you not access your sephira?" Raguel asked in concern. His plan had hinged on Michael's ability to project the Infinite Light to link all the new Fallen back to Heaven's system.

"Brother Raguel, the devils have spotted us, and heading toward us!" One of the barrier angels.

"Thank you! Carry on!" Raguel said and turned back Michael.

"Raguel it's not that..." Metatron said without elaborating.

"You don't know what you're asking of me, Raguel?" Michael said in pleading tone.

"No I don't. We have a chance to save everyone, why are you hesitating?" Raguel pushed.

"Because that's what Lucifer did!" Michael finally cried out. Raguel look on in shock. He stared at his other Archangel brothers to see them look back in resignation as they nodded. "Lucifer, he was..." Michael continued explaining. "Helel was the most gifted of us in the use of the Holy Light. He quickly learned how to use all of the Sephirot, before any of us could even figure out what sephira we each embodied." Michael's smile turned sad and cold.

"Michael, you..." Raguel struggled to find the words for this.

"However, the Sephirot operates off of our own Light. Not Father's. It made Helel think he was now equal to Father, that should rule the Heavens. You know the rest." Michael scowled at the memory. "I, and the other Archangels, refuse to fall to that same hubris. While I trust Uriel in the use of his, and if any of the others want to use their sephira I won't stop them, as God hasn't objected." He looked up to his youngest brother with resolve. "But I won't Fall like Helel-like Lucifer Fell. I will never abandon God's Light!"

Silence fell on the angels in the sky.

"Incoming!" Shouted one of the barrier angels, as demonic magic attack started hitting their shield. The Holy barrier stood. For now.

"Michael..." Raguel finally spoke. "Grit your teeth."

"Huh?"

A punch slammed into the Archangel Leader's jaw to the surprise of everyone watching.

Michael's head flinched back as...there wasn't much pain.

"Pretty weak, right?" Raguel commented.

"Brother, have you lost your-" Sariel began shouting.

"Wait until I'm done, Sariel! There's a point to this." Raguel said firmly, his eyes never leaving Michael's.

"Yes, that punch felt weak. I don't understand your intention with this." Michael spoke slowly, as explosion lit up around the barrier field they were in.

"That was the same strength the average human has. Look down," Raguel gesture to the far away villages, town, and castle kingdom, ravaged by the bored extra numbers of the present devils. "Those humans don't have God's Light. They can't feel it like we do, yet they fight on regardless." Michael looked back up to meet brother's determined eyes. "In your sanctimonious cowardice, you fail them. Our brothers and sisters that Fell in this battle, due to the Devil's trickery, can be saved, yet in your selfish hang ups, you abandon them. Haven't enough of them died today thinking Father will never greet them again?"

"Raguel, that's enough." Sariel began, yet Raguel wouldn't stop.

"Michael, 'who is like God?', tell me, what is the answer to that question!?" Raguel cried out.

"No one." Michael said with hard eyes. This conversation even if it's not the same, felt familiar to one he had so long ago with the most beautiful Archangel before he Fell.

"Correct! No one is like God, for all of us have yet to learn how to not fall of the path of virtue. We are imperfect beings seeking perfection in spirit. However, there is another answer equally as correct. Everyone!" Raguel gave a counterargument.

All three Archangel's stepped back from Raguel in shock.

"Do you know what you just said?" Asked Sariel.

"Raguel, those words...they are just like the Morningstar's!" Michael exclaimed.

"Wrong! I'm not saying some bullshit about taking over Heaven. I'm saying that as we are all made in His image, we are all like God! We are meant to walk the path of virtue, to fail, then try again over and over, till we get it right. What the hell kind of son should be happy to be a leech on his parents!?" Raguel shouted, causing his brothers to flinch back at the accusation. He continued, this time his voice calmer.

"Have none of you ever thought what lies at the end of virtue? At the end of chasing the Ideal that is God? Then I'll tell you, you'll be standing shoulder to shoulder with Father. Not as heirs to a throne. Not as successors or inheritors to a Great Work. But as Father and Son, where you can finally carry a bit of His burden. Not out of some prideful idiocy about wanting to rule. But for a very simple reason." Michael saw Raguel's eyes began to water, yet as he spoke his wings didn't darken or flicker black, but shined ever brighter.

"So you can turn to him and say, 'you raised me, loved me, strengthen me and now that I am here, I will aid you, my Father. You can depend on me, as I depended on you. Without witness, without reward. I'm here for you, because I love you." Raguel said with absolute conviction.

Michael felt his face was wet. He wasn't sure when he started crying, or if he just emulated Raguel.

Nothing more was said, Raguel swiped his face dry with his scarf, and turned away. Sariel and Metatron seemed to stand straighter with him, seemingly wanting to support him now.

Michael looked down in shame. Was he wrong? Had he actually been prideful this whole time? In fear of becoming like Lucifer had he been causing more harm, due not acting independently? Of course, Father wouldn't say anything, because how could He tell him to act more independent, without Michael taking that to mean being compared to Lucifer? How can He tell him to believe in his own strength, when Michael knew his power came from God?

"What the hell kind of son should be happy to be a leech on his parents!?"

The words shook something heavy within Michael, yet he didn't know what to do.

"Do you know Michael..." Raguel spoke, causing Michael to look at his back, dreading and anticipating his brother's words. "Why are older siblings born first?" Raguel turn his head aside, for his eye to meet Michaels. "It's so that they can take care and protect the ones that come after them... But you're not just our brother. You're our leader, and leaders lead by example. And if you're not gonna do that," Raguel faced and flew forward. "Then I will!"

Michael opened his mouth, trying to say something, but nothing came out. He started to raise a hand, wanting to hold his brother and tell him, he can depend on him, but found himself stopping. At this moment, those words will be a lie.

"Metatron! Sariel!" Raguel commanded.

"Very well, Divine Reverberance!" Metatron cast the spell allowing Raguel voice to reach the whole of the battlefield and beyond.

"BROTHERS, SISTERS, HEAR ME!" Raguel cried out, almost causing the whole battle to paused. "I know those of you fell to the Love Goddess have sinned, that you think you are no longer welcome, or worthy of God's presence. I just want to tell you... WHAT THE FUCK KINDA CHICKEN SHIT IS THAT, YOU IDIOTS!?"

The sheer absurdity of that speech now actually halted combat.

Far at the edge of battle, Azazel began to feel dread.

"Oh, you were shocked to not feel God's Love, and now some cum guzzling divine bimbo that lives in a whore house because she wants to return back to being the testicles she once were, comes rushing in to give you some worthless Lust and call it 'Love', and you immediately jump on that!"

Back at the fight with Aphrodite Areia, who roared in rage at what was being said, Gabriel helped join the battle to help contain the vile Greek Goddess.

"Are you all braindead? Because given how much of a threat the Grigori still are, I'm not gonna accept that excuse. You haven't change just because you Fell. You aren't a different person. So what if you made a mistake? The fuck do you think Redemption is for!? We are all flawed! We aren't perfect! But that also means we can improve! We can acknowledge our own wrong doings and seek to correct them! To act with virtue and redeem ourselves. You don't just simply go 'oh well' and just continue falling to hell. You stand back up! You walk again, fail again, try again and keep going. Have you all seriously forgotten why we accepted our duties to uphold the virtues of Heaven, without question even when we were given a choice!?"

The Fallen stopped fighting. Remorse filled them, yet also rage. Rage at themselves, rage at the one who Fell them, and above all, hope. A need to do what's right even if they are damn coursed through them.

Behind Raguel, Sariel place a hand on his little brother's back, as his turn came up.

"Lead by example, huh?" He muttered to himself and smiled. "If that fear will stop me from saving those I care about, then that fear is wrong." The Prince of God called on the Light within him, his own Light, and let his sephira shine. "Tiferet Heart."

A light shined from Sariel's being, and connected to Raguel, then in the speed light moved at, it connected to all the Angels and Fallen present, as Raguel brought up the memory.

"I AM YOUR CREATOR, GOD. I LOVE YOU, MY SON, AND I AM JUBILANT TO MEET YOU!"

The Angels and Fallen cried. Regardless of the animosity they felt, regardless of the hatred cultivated over the centuries, in that moment, they remembered.

They remembered their Father's Love.

"NO!" Lucifer shouted as he blasted from where he was toward Raguel and the others.

"We all first took our duties because we knew Father truly, completely loved us. Each and everyone of us are worthy in His eyes. We knew his Word, his teachings were right and Good. We knew the Virtues are worth all the effort, blood and sweat cast to uphold them."

All the angels that were present blocked Lucifer's path, pushing him back with everything they have, till their brother's words are over.

"So I'm reminding you now! If you made a sin, if you Fell, then stand up again. Fight beside us again! So you can face Father once more! Knowing that you are doing your best to better yourselves once more. No matter your sins, struggle, walk toward virtue once more and redeem yourself, for you are our brothers and sisters. And compared to Father's Love, the shallow pleasure of a broken goddess is nothing!"

Shouts of defiance and jubilation rang out across all the Orkney Isles, as the Angels, Pure and Fallen once more retook their duties.

Lucifer's cry of rage and indignation was swallowed by the cries of the righteous who opposed him, and all he represented.

"I really have been an idiot all this time." Michael huffed with a small smile. He moved and placed a hand on Sariel's shoulder. Seeing the expression on his elder brother and leader's face, Sariel smiled and nodded. "'Who is like God?', so that was the answer all along." Michael found laughter bubbling up in his stomach. Sheer relief and joy overwhelmed him.

"THEN I ASK OF YOU, EVEN IF THE PATH IS ARDUOUS! EVEN IF IT'S LONG AND YOU WALK IT WITHOUT KNOWING RELIEF OR REWARD-"

Lucifer seeing what's about to happen, exploded his aura just to push everyone away, break through any shield, all to try and stop the catastrophe that's about to befall him and all his works.

"Then it's time I act as befitting the name God gifted me, and be who I'm meant to be." Michael called upon the Holy Light, his own Light this time, as his Holy Spirit shined forth.

"WILL YOU UPHOLD THE VIRTUES Of HEAVEN!"

"I WON'T LET YOU!" Lucifer reached the barrier. All the angels not upholding it attack with all their weapons pouring everything they have into the blades.

Lucifer faltered.

They were a few moment and that made all the difference.

"Keter Brilliance."

The words were said softly, yet echoed in the whole battlefield.

The sheer Light the emanated from the Archangel Michael was not an attack. Not in the traditional sense.

Rather it was a connection. The first sphere that gave comprehension to the Boundless Energy of All There Is.

The Light acknowledge all that is Good and forgave all that is Evil.

In that moment the Angels were strengthened, their power renewed to heal themselves. The Fallen rejoiced in the Light of the Divine once more, and rose to their rightful place once again.

Azazel ran, terror gripping his heart as he saw his Father's Love, and for a moment his wings flickered white, before the shame and desire pulled him back.

When the Grigori returned to base in the Underworld, Azazel found out a third of his forces were gone.

"So just to make sure everyone understands their role in this, let's take a head count." Merlin said, as he and the group rode out on dark colored horses-except Arthur's, his was white and glowing for some reason-that seem to partially blend into water, as they moved.

"Why do you think you get to take command, boy?" Asked Sir Ector. "Also why are there six of these magic horses, when there are only five of us?"

"Come on, Uncle, just let him talk." Arty laughed sheepishly. "Although I am wondering about that." He pointed out.

"Our sixth we'll meet on the way." Merlin said. "As for the 'taking command' part, well, given the fact that I got us our steeds, because let me tell you, getting these kelpies to agree to work with us, cost an arm and a leg." Merlin rolled his eyes.

"No need for exaggerations, Boy Mage." Kay said in good nature.

"Who says I'm exaggerating?" Merlin raised an eyebrow.

The present two knights-Ector and Kay-and two squires look on in surprise. They also seemed to consider the idea of jumping off the horses, but the creatures were running too fast for that to be feasible. Also their legs seemed stuck to the kelpies bodies. At least they were easily controllable with the bridles.

"You...you killed someone for these 'kelpies'," The 14 year old Gawain, Arty's nephew, and the other squire present asked with grimace, and almost seemed like he would draw his sword on the mage.

"No one human." Merlin said dismissively.

"Were they innocent?" Arty asked, his eyes harsh and judging.

Merlin smiled in approval upon the question.

"No, they most assuredly were not." Merlin said with all his sincerity.

A staring contest happened between Arthur and Merlin, one searching for something, and the other trying to show only openness. It was a very difficult staring contest to keep consistent though, as the kelpies were still moving, thus eye contact broke multiple times.

Arthur smiled, seemingly having found the honesty in Merlin.

"Alright, I believe you."

Sir Ector didn't bother chastise his ward this time, just shaking his head. Kay looked on with an amused huff.

"You can't be serious, Arthur." Gawain complained.

"Call it a hunch," Arthur shrugged. "Besides, we still have to stop the end of days here, we don't have time to argue every little thing."

"Quite so!" Merlin injected with cheer. "Now, in order to commence cancelling the apocalypse." He began, his listener mouthing the words 'cancelling the apocalypse' and how odd it sounded. "We are going to infiltrate deep into the Devil's camp, and steal Pandora's Box from Lilith. And yes when I say Lilith, I don't mean some famous succubus, I mean the First Woman."

"What!? Preposterous!" Sir Kay exclaimed. The other voice their disbelief as well.

"We're in a war between Heaven and Hell. Seriously, don't be that surprised." Merlin said nonchalantly.

"This is that box from that story about all the world's ills being contained within it, right?" Ector asked, calling on his worldly knowledge.

"Yes, but the real thing was a bit different." Merlin replied.

"So the box is open and we need to close, then hide it correct?" Asked Arty, almost seeming like he can't contain himself, and was about to direct his kelpie to move faster.

"No, it's not open, it's presence alone draw things of damned nature to it. And it's not really what we're after, rather it's our distraction."

"And what are we stealing like thieves in the night?" Gawain scowled before sighing. "Apologies, but thinking that we'll save all the realms of Briton and the world through 'thief' still feels wrong for me."

"'It is the small actions that damn or save the world'." Merlin quoted.

"I don't think that quote is meant for that." Kay offered with a chuckled.

"Tomato, tomahto." Merlin waved him off.

"What's a 'tomato'?" Arty asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Never mind," Merlin chuckled. "As for what we're stealing it's..."

He told them. They all shouted in outrage and disbelief.

"We are most definitely going to hell if we do that!" Sir Kay yelled.

For the past four years, Medraut had travelled all over the land of Britanna, never settling down in one place.

It wasn't because he wasn't accepted, the locals were pretty welcoming if he proved himself useful, like catching game, or cut lumber, or work in other tasks. Sure as he moved from villages to town, chances of finding work became a bit more difficult but manageable.

Yet, he couldn't find somewhere he belonged, or something that would fit him.

Maybe it was ironic that it was in the middle of combat in the end of days, that he found his place.

"Raaagh!" A demonic beast howled at Medraut, as it jumped at him. The boy jumped higher, stabbing the feline beast through the back of it's head, and jumping off of it, to a surprised devil, that though the boy was done for.

A slash and Medraut's blade dug into the devil's skull, fatally wounding it. Medraut pulled the blade out, kicked the soon to be dead devil away, and jumped from another claw attack by another devil.

"I will feast on your blood, for daring to fight us human!" Came the scratchy voice of the hellspawn.

"I'm afriad the only meal I have for you is iron, you dull-witted hell bitch." Medraut said back, as he took his stance. That taunting was how knights spoke, right?

Before fighter or devil could engage each other, a neigh that sounded like a drowning whale echoed, and a group of horses with riders on them, rose from a nearby pond.

"...What the fuck-" The devil didn't have time to be surprised, before a large blade the size of a tower body slammed it, then shrunk till it was a normal sword, held by a normal arm once more.

"Good job, getting the hang of that, Kay." Merlin cheered.

"It's...Sir Kay." The knight grimaced as this new use of his power was still unfamiliar to him.

Merlin whistled, and while the heist group were galloping on their magic horses, the last kelpie dashed toward Medraut.

The Saxon boy was still surprised by this sudden event, but tried to defend himself nonetheless. Hos sword passed through the watery horse like it wasn't there.

And then Medraut found himself picked up by the back of his shirt, and thrown onto the kelpie's back where he was stuck in place.

"Hello~ You are recruited to save the world from the end of days. Do not resist." Merlin said smiling.

"What!?" Medraut shouted, while the other riders-knights and squire-sighed in resignation. Arthur just laughed at the proceedings.

"We're gonna take the fight to the Devils, and ruin their day, and you get to be taken under a knight at the end. Aren't you glad, Medraut?" Merlin said, having entirely way too much fun.

"What's happening? Who are you? Why do you know my name? And just-what the hell!?" Medraut exclaimed.

"I'm Merlin. I'm magic. Yes, I'm kidnapping you but it's for a good cause. Now keep up." Merlin grinned.

"That's...not how anything works, Merlin." Gawain sighed.

"What?" Medraut was still confused.

A group of newly redeemed angels found themselves being approached and hailed by humans, and some boy mage, on a pack of kelpies.

It was a very odd sight, then it turned shocking when the angels flew down to the group only for the young mage to shout at them.

"We're on a mission from God!" Cried Merlin.

"Wait, what?" Sir Kay said.

"We are!?" Gawain shouted in disbelief.

Sir Ector facepalmed, Arthur grinned, and Medraut looked at the angel helplessly.

"I'm instructed to tell you, you need to make it rain!" Said Merlin, and the angels knew his words to be true.

"What?" They couldn't help but be confused though.

Raguel's speech had been heard by more than the Biblical Faction entrench in their battle. His voice had spread far and wide across Orkney, and to the north of Caledonia.

Christian priests that heard it were elated, and renewed their faith and resolve to combat the mass of wayward devils, even taking to fight directly at times. While those of pagan worship were confronted with something that was vastly beyond their limit view of the world, if not converting, then wanting to explore more of the world, they thought they knew.

The Light of Archangel Michael's Keter had touched all those feeling tired, wary or fear, be it of their living conditions, or the seemingly hopeless fight against the demons that seem everywhere in the Orkney Isles, and renewed them. Nay, it did far more, for those who fought for the sake of others, or defended the weak just because it's right, had been ignited with something new, yet they had all along.

Like Merlin's adventuring party for example, after going through the overwhelming emotions, they felt something rise up from within them. A Light of their own, that made them feel more alive and driven than ever before. It was the Light of their very soul, that belonged solely to them, their Touki.

All those fighting against the devils, whether protect others, themselves or to slay evil had their Touki awakened.

The memory of God's Love wasn't remembered by mortal beings, yet a feeling of complete acceptance filled them. They felt a tangible hope, not one that was a vague abstraction of thing magically being better later, but a feel, an intuition that if they worked for it, things will become better.

Not all felt these things, or were open to them. Some just scoffed in arrogance, thinking the whole thing a hoax or momentary delusion. Some raged against such feelings, refusing to believe them.

And then there was Lucifer who was in a shit ton of pain, and screaming bloody murder.

CRASH!

The Leader of Hell had broken the sound barrier multiple times over, as the release of Michael's Keter sent him rocking straight into the earth, reenacting his first Fall.

"This...damn..." He struggled to move, before a dark energy connect and reinvigorate him. His injuries began closing, and his burned red skin began clearing up to its normal blemish.

"Hello, dear. Had a nice flight?" Lilith said nonchalantly, having made herself an obsidian throne out of the earth. Pandora's Boss was placed on one of her seat's arms.

"You!" Lucifer rounded on her, a hellish glare on his face. "Have you just been fucking sitting there doing nothing all this time!?" He shouted. "If you had found them earlier, we could have stopped all of this!" He gestured at the sky full of white winged celestial beings.

"Raguel somehow hid from my Shadow Perception. I had to work backwards to find out where I couldn't sense shadows to find him. At that point he Michael and the others prepared that mental attack. Besides, it's not like I was doing nothing, I was doing something." Lilith said with a dismissive amused huff.

"Doing what!?" Lucifer growled, as he loomed over her.

"Look around." She said with a flat stare. Lucifer did and couldn't find anything of significance. "We still have troops." She told him.

Lucifer blinked in surprise as he realized that. "Keter Brilliance should have erased these poor fools." He noticed that like him, all the devils had lost their place in the sky, and hit the ground. Even the Satan Leviathan was just now starting to stand up again.

"Samael Depravity," Lilith said the name of the qliphia she had been empowering all of them with. "I'm afraid I could only connect and ensure the lives of the ones in this battle. Those further away from this fight at minimum lost their sight." She said, as that qliphia allowed her to create, modify and control demonic beings at will, thus she ensure that the ones present will survive.

"And at worse their demonic power burned them from the inside out." Lucifer concluded with a grimace. He looked up at the angels who prepared and readied to fight away, their wills reignited. A legion moved to aid in the fight against the Greek Goddess, while others prepared to defend the Archangels who had been fighting for so long.

The Satan saw that sans Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel-who were occupied with keeping Aphrodite Areia in place-all the Archangels gathered around Michael, as they regrouped, and to assure each other they were well.

"Besides, I was waiting for a reason" Lilith looked up at the battle with the Greek Goddess with a smirk. "I believe it's time Aphrodite pulled her weight. Also, our cute little Malebranche is nearly done gestating."

Back against Aphrodite Areia, the three Archangel were not only more easily able to contain her, but started to overtake her in battle.

"Damn," Aphrodite Areia growled out. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! You lower beings dare defy me this long."

"For a supposed divine being, you sure complain helplessly a lot, when things get difficult." Uriel commented, his aura burning away her Love aura effortlessly. The more his sephira stayed active, the more he seemed to grasp it's inner workings.

"Give up, accept you have lost. If you do so, we'll allow you to return to Olympus after speaking with Zeus about the damages you caused." Gabriel said coldly.

Aphrodite Areia's continued to rise, her divine aura pulsing with purpose for...something. Something dark, something sinister. In the Greek Deity's hand, the Satanic Arm continued to pulse with demonic energies of it's own, as the longer the battle went on, the more Farfarello synchronized. And finally it began to awaken.

[Reset Conditions] The Malebranche announced.

"Aaaargh you, you..." Aphrodite Areia words seem stuck in her throat from mere rage. Rage that she was being defied, rage that her strength wasn't enough to crush these 'angels", these 'messengers' of the Biblical God without a thought. If she was going to struggle, then at least it should have been against the Almighty Himself.

Aphrodite Areia let out a roar as her power exploded. Her aura was no longer one of Love, but of Violence. Her energy seem to instinctively injure others, and cause fear. The angels approaching to aid the three Archangels found themselves frozen in their tracks for a moment, before they slowly pushing through once more.

"Give up, huh?" Aphrodite Areia voice was cold and mocking, as the Archangels readied themselves for the next attack. "Like you accepted just killing your brothers and sisters? And what? Now that they are redeemed you're all a happy family once more?" She said to the nearest Archangel.

"That's..." Gabriel stilled, and in that moment, the Greek Goddess appeared in front of her, faster than Aphrodite Areia had ever previously showed herself to be.

The swung mace broke through Gabriel's guard, and cracked her breast plate. The Archangel was slammed back and far away from the fight.

""Gabriel!"" Shouted both Uriel and Raphael, as they saw blood pour out of where Gabriel was hit, as though there was no armor there.

"Raphael!" Uriel shouted.

"I got it!" Raphael had already moved to catch their injured sister.

Uriel dashed toward Aphrodite Areia only to suddenly find a thousand devils between him and the Goddess. Suddenly, because they literally just appeared, nay, summoned in the space between him and Aphrodite Areia. He made a quick glance down to see, Lilith smirking at them from her throne.

"So, she's telling me to get on with it, huh?" Aphrodite Areia's smile was one of annoyance. "Fine, a trump card is worthless if you wait too long."

"What are you speaking of?" Uriel simply dashed through the devils, slamming them with his flaming body and fists, without holding back. He noticed that their bodies were more durable for some reason. Or rather, even if they fight him, they were meant as meatshields to slow him down.

"It's time that I called upon my allies, and those that owe me favors!" She spoke and raise a hand in the air. A magic circle manifested in her palm, before it flew up and grew to a wide enormous size. "You didn't think I would attack Heaven alone with only Lucifer and Lilith by my side, did you?" She said with a cruel smile.

"Mage Child, while the words you say are true, please calm down and explain yourself." Spoke one of the angels that Merlin and his group met.

"I don't have time," he said with urgency, as he looked on at the sky with a troubled expression.

"What do you mean-" The angel patiently started again.

"I mean, we are literally out of time." He pointed at the giant magic circle in the sky.

It shined brightly, and then from it emerged the new foes of Heaven.

There was an aged man who the waters in the air and the sea below moved at his whim. The Primordial God of the Sea, Pontus.

Another looked like an old warrior past his prime, that seemed uninterested in the fight, but the feel of death surrounded him just the same. Primordial God of Time, Chronos.

Finally there were what appeared to be two similar looking deities, one a young man, and the other a cute, girl, their black hair and beautiful appearance made them seem disarming. Yet, the dark aura the naturally gave out put any thought of them being harmless to bed. They were the Primordial God of Darkness, Erebus, and the Primordial Goddess of Night, Nyx.

Merlin grumped and let out a breath.

"Now it's crunch time," the angels and humans around him didn't understand his reference, but his tone conveyed what he wanted all the same. "And we can't afford to make a single mistake."

"Finally!" Viviane whispered.

Held in her hand was the new Caledfwlch. The adjustment was complete, this sword would now be much more powerful in the hands of those with the Holy Attribute than any other wielder. She felt a twinge in her heart, as her change, at her added imperfection into her creation, but she soldiered on all the same.

Raguel would be safe with this. She thought with a feeling of content.

After changing her clothes, and drinking potions to restore her mental and physical state to full health, it was time to leave.

Viviane hesitated.

What if the time flux by the Fae Realm doesn't send her there in time?

What if she lands in the far future?

What if she lands in exactly in the 'present' of where she is? It's been over a month, nearly two, of her working on the blades, because she wanted to get everything just right.

"What do I do? This is the last thing, but I need to get this right?" Viviane muttered to herself.

She was standing outside at her front door. She had to go now, the uncertainty if she'll get there in the right time ruled her.

The more she tried to think of an answer, the more her thoughts went to Raguel. Of missing him, of losing him. Of wanting him back. She thought to the first time she prayed to God, and to what Raguel would tell her on his travels between worlds.

"Oh Father just adjusts the time so not much of it passes in the Human World for me. That way I can do my duty, and spend time with you without a problem."

Viviane chuckled at the memory. She wondered if Raguel was just God's favorite, or if He was just that generous to all his Angel.

What about his believers? She thought.

"Well, Father doesn't help those that don't help themselves. After you've worked hard, you just need to have faith." Came Raguel's words from that discussion.

"Faith, huh." She muttered.

There was nothing else. She had done her best. Now things are left up to chance, to fate. The time current between the Fae Realm and Human World can't be controlled, only guided, but Viviane wasn't sure she had enough power to guide it as she wanted to.

The only solution was to have faith in a higher power.

And so, Viviane prayed and accepted God.

A gentle light seem to come down through her lake and shine upon her.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

"Eeeek!"

"Very well done." Raziel said as she, Metatron, Sandalphon, Sariel and Remiel gathered around Michael and Raguel.

"Than..." Raguel yawned.

"I suppose this whole ordeal would be tiring." Michael chuckled.

"How...are you tired?" Remiel asked.

"I'm not, it's just...I feel like I should be, yet my body isn't because of Michael's Keter. But my mind decided to yawn anyways." Raguel tried to explain.

"Odd habit that you picked up." Raziel noted with and amused look and raised eyebrow. Had he lived with humans long enough to subconsciously emulate them? But when would he have the time? I doubt he met some in the Fae Realm. She wondered.

"Hehe," Raguel chuckled. "So Michael," he turned to their eldest. "What's the next step?"

"...You still trust me?" Michael asked.

"Obviously," Raguel laughed as he said without hesitation.

"Hmph, now that we are gathered together, nothing can stop us. Wait, what about the defenses of Heaven?" Said Metatron.

"The defenses are fine, I took care of it. Also we need to have a talk when this is all over, Brother Metatron." Raguel said in a dry voice.

"...Why are you angry, Raguel?" Metatron asked.

Then a giant magic circle appeared in the sky, and four Greek Primordial Gods appeared. Chronos, Pontus, Erebus and Nyx.

"I'll tell you after this whole thing is over." Raguel deadpanned.

"Everyone, prepare yourselves." Michael spoke. "Sariel, Remiel, switch with Uriel against Aphrodite Areia." Michael didn't voice with words, but 'spoke' through the bond made by Tiferet Heart. "Uriel, I know how you are feeling, but please switch with them, and after Raphael heals Gabriel, you two be ready to move on Pontus. Gabriel stay out of the fight for a while to recover and aid our angel siblings. Metatron and Sandalphon, focus on Chronos. Raziel, Raguel and I, will focus on Erebus and Nyx. Since they are siblings, they are likely to fight together."

Michael conveyed his order to everyone.

"I think Raziel should be with Metatron and Sandalphon against Chronos." Raguel offered through the link.

"Why is that?" Rather than dismiss his words, or be annoyed at the questioning of his order, Michael inquired with a curious tone.

"Chronos is a God of Time. I'm worried that he might do something...bizarre." Raguel said, his worry and hunch being conveyed perfectly through Tiferet Heart.

"Very well," Michael nodded, and a feeling of a call to action went to the rest of the Archangels. The Serpahs moved to position themselves to who their future opponents will be. "Am I to take your presence here to reflect Olympus's stance?" Michael addressed the newly arrived Primordial Gods.

Chronos felt frustrated to there, in this hopeless battle against the Heaven Faction. He knew no victory here would have a positive result in the long run.

He still remembered how the Biblical God used to fight in the days of old. The Olympians used to be criticized for how harshly they sometimes treated their worshipped, but it was usually one person, or in the extreme case a city of people.

The Judeo-Christian God however was different. He was unbelievably harsh with His people, holding them to insane standards on how to live. And many of the Pantheonic Gods used to find such mass displays of punishments amusing. After all, no one would follow such a God, and even more so, They must be so weak with so few followers.

Many had made that assumption, and then they all got to see how the Creator was like toward his enemies. How He fought in battle against other Deities, or how fierce He defended His people.

Chronos shuddered at the memories. Yes, these days, the Biblical God was far more 'mellow' than He was in the olden days.

Yet here he stood against his angels. Oh sure, Chronos alone was sure of his ability to take out a few Archangels, with the help of his other fellow Primordial Gods, victory would be assured, if there wasn't any Divine interruptions.

If only I didn't give that oath. He thought bitterly. Long ago he had suffered a crippling injury, one that would have him not just retire from combat, but also lose his power and standing within Olympus. Yet Aphrodite offered to share her Divine Power with him, due to his synchronistic link to Kronos. Not freely obviously, but for one-time aid that she would call upon later on whenever felt like it.

And she felt like entering the barrel of the Three Biblical Factions. Chronos tried not let his thoughts on his face, expression was already one of frowning.

"We have no need to explain ourselves to you, boy." Chronos answered Michael's question. Even if he's fighting against his will, and won't do anything but the minimum, that doesn't mean he would show kindness or mercy to a dead man.

"You have harmed Ares, you have humiliated my dear Aphrodite, you have arrogantly spread across our territories in Europa unchecked for far too long. Are you truly surprised that there are enemies that wish for you to taste defeat?" Pontus spoke.

"That's correct." Erebus spoke. "Today we begin taking back our territories. The Greek Gods will not fall into obscurity, to upcoming usurpers."

Nyx quietly observed the scene.

"That you fail to fulfill your people's spiritual needs is on you. Either way, we'll accept that as your answer." Michael spoke, and the Archangels moved to engage there targets.

The Angels acted as one, and moved to prepared to smite the Satan Leviathan back to Hell with their Holy Swords, while keeping track of the Devils to fight them, once they rejoined the battle.

Mainly the Angels joined those fighting Pontus, Chronos and Aphrodite Areia, as a feeling of assuredness that Erebus and Nyx would be easily handled spread across the Tiferet Heart, Light link.

"It doesn't make sense though." Raguel muttered. Only Michael heard him, and turned to give his little brother an inquiring look. "Why are Erebus and Nyx joining this battle, when your Keter will cancel our their abilities?" He wondered.

"My, my, that's quiet the assumption, you cute little angel?"

A voice spoke behind Raguel. Michael moved to act only to find himself frozen. His Keter was still shining, but his body wasn't moving.

In fact everyone on the battlefield, sans Lilith, Erebus and Nyx, weren't moving.

"Didn't you know?" Raguel felt arm encircle his neck, as he was hugged from behind by Nyx appearing from one of Lilith's shadow portals. Below on the ground Erebus was standing next to Lilith, a magic link between him, Lilith and Nyx empowering their dark aura ins a trinity. "The brighter the Light, the longer the Shadow."

"Raguel!" Michael's aura blasted and he pushed through the time freezing effect.

But it was too late, Raguel was pulled back and disappeared into the shadow portal.

Raguel fell on the ground, the moment he sat up, he found himself in black chains sealing his movements.

"So this is the one who caused all your problems?" Asked Erebus with bored amusement.

"Honestly, to think you would have so much trouble, because of one tiny angel. Even an amateur demigod would be able to handle him." Nyx commented, but unlike her brother had a slight more interest in the little Archangel. "But maybe that's the point? If he's meant to be a strategist then there is no need to give him power."

"Quite right," Lilith spoke getting Raguel's attention, as he looked at her with a troubled expression. "Hello, Raguel we meet again. I have so many questions for you. Like how you reversed engineered my chains, whose design doesn't exist in this world, thus should be impossible, but I'm afraid there is someone else, that is truly eager to meet you."

"Hello~ Littlest Brother," The words were said kindly, and with such good will, that one wouldn't notice the threat of carnage laid underneath them.

Lucifer came and sat opposite to Raguel on a cushion to be at eye-level with the siblings that was a monkey's wrench in his plans for a while now.

Raguel got his first look at Lucifer's soul, unfiltered and without obscurity.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to rage. He had never felt so much disgust in his life.

Lucifer's soul was dyed so dark, that Raguel didn't have words to describe it, as comparing it to the color black was downplaying it.

Lilith at least had some spark of goodness in her. Something that can maybe, as a possibility, set her to gain redemption if she wanted it.

The Greek Deity's souls were bright and heavy, yet on the weight of their karma, they were like humans, with good and evil being mixed within them. They had their reasons to fight Heaven, even if Raguel thought their reasons were self-entitled.

Yet with Lucifer it's like he wanted his Self to be an absolute. To remove any Goodness from himself.

He chose this. Raguel confirmed to himself.Knowingly, willingly, all the pain and suffering he inflicted, he chose this.

To that Raguel only had one response.

He threw up.

"Eeew!" Nyx jumped back.

"Seriously?" Asked Erebus.

"...Son of a bitch, he got the first word in." Lucifer scowled in annoyance, as he erased the puke and smell with magic.

"What do you mean?" Lilith was about to comment, but wanted to hear what Lucifer meant.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is, to come up with a witty reply to puking?"

Lilith laughed. "Well, I think you two should finally get to know each other, while me and our friends here," Erebus and Nyx either smiled or rolled their eyes. "Adjust the," she looked up, taking in the war starting to pick up again above. "Playing field, wouldn't want to deny Michael a challenge now."

"What are you gonna-" Raguel began to speak, only for Lucifer to shake a finger in front of his face.

"Ah, ah, ah. Focus here, little brother. After all, we finally got to meet, and we have so much to talk about." Lucifer said with confidence, while flaring his aura to shut down any defiance.

Raguel was more annoyed, because he could see Lucifer just wanted to interrupt him, for "getting the first word in" as he said. Raguel didn't keep quiet out of fear, but because he didn't see a point in talking with the First Fallen Angel.

Michael's voice was also shouting for him from the Tiferet Heart link, telling him to hold on, and that they were coming to save him. Only for Raguel to shut that down, telling them to focus on Pontus and Chronos, before anything else, and he'll try to keep the attention of the ones around him where he was.

Raguel also dimmed the communication line as much as possible, as he worried that Lucifer would somehow detect it and infiltrate it.

Lucifer almost seemed pleased with himself, while outwardly keeping a neutral smile. Yet he noticed that Raguel didn't have any fear toward him. The Last Archangel wasn't putting on a brave face, he literally felt no fear toward the Satan.

Well, I guess that's something to take advantage of. Lucifer thoughts to himself.

"Raguel, Raguel, Raguel," Lucifer said testing out the name. The little Archangel raise an eyebrow at the tactic. "the Mysterious Raguel. So I guess the first mystery is your name. Odd name now that I think about it. 'Friend of God', how exactly does that work?"

He likes to hear himself talk, doesn't he? Also, is he jealous or something? He sounds butthurt he's not buddies with Big G. ...I better not think of ever calling Father 'Big G' even in my head, lest He invents rap music a millennia and half early or something.

"I mean, did he make you from his 'Friendship'? How would that work? Friendship needs two people, so the concept would be the same, but then if it's someone other than God, it wouldn't be 'Friend of God'. Quite the paradox." Lucifer smiled to himself. "At least with everyone else, it's clear what piece God made them out of. Metatron and Sandalphon are an obvious exception, since the karma from their time as humans elevated them."

Lucifer kept smiling, but Raguel could see his annoyance and frustration at that. "And Sariel was a little puzzle that took a while to figure out. 'Prince', not meant for 'heir' but for 'sovereign'. A power with absolute rule. Clever insult really. A replacement named as being His heir, without actually being His heir. Yet he's meant to have as much talent in controlling the Holy Light as I do. Sadly, he has yet to reach that point." Lucifer said, as he casually made a miniature of himself with Holy Light that solidified into, well, actual solid matter, with an intricate details, before he dismissed the construct.

Raguel however was more intrigued by something else.

"What do you mean a 'piece God made them out of'?" He asked.

Lucifer froze, his monologue thrown off once again, as he looked to Raguel with wide eyes. His expression fell to one of joy and rapture as he began to laugh.

"You hahaha, you don't know! Hahahahaha! Oh wow, that's just plain cruel of God." Lucifer laughed.

Raguel felt annoyed, but easily pushed the feeling away. He was curious in a clinical sense, than anything else, but the Satan's reaction slightly worried him.

"Tell me," Lucifer began once he regained his composure. "You know how powerful the Archangels are, sans you, but you have your role and specialty too from what I just experienced."

Raguel tried not to laugh at Lucifer's poor attempt at social manipulation. Maybe it was obvious to Raguel because he expected. Or because he just plainly didn't care about Lucifer's opinion or approval in any form-something he is glad to have fucking died off with his past life, as trying to seek approval even when he knew better was one of the things he hated about himself-Or the reason could be that, well, he could see Lucifer's soul.

"So ask yourself, why didn't God make a whole army of Archangels?" Lucifer finally asked.

"Too many leaders make it difficult for plans to be followed through and carried out." Raguel threw the first guess in his mind, with a bored tone.

"Huh," Lucifer didn't expect a quick reply. "Not a bad answer, but no." Then he smiled. "The reason is because whenever God created an Archangel, He literally made them from a piece of Himself, and thus lowering Himself for it." For the first time in that conversation, Lucifer's words had an effect on Raguel, who sat straighter with wide eyes. "Gabriel? 'Might of God'? Literally made from a piece of His 'Might'. Uriel? A piece of His 'Flame'; talent, power, versatility, etc. all broken off and used to make the loud flaming idiot." Lucifer's smile was down right malicious. "Just as I was made from His proficiency with using the Holy Light. The 'Light-bringer'. Which is why while insulted, I was glad He made Sariel, weakening Himself in that aspect further." He leaned back admiring his work.

Made...from a piece of God? Raguel's mind raced. How? Something like 'Might' I can get, but Uriel's 'Flame'? Or Remiel's 'Thunder'? Or heck, Raziel means 'Secret of God', how does that work? Raguel looked at Lucifer, then at Lilith and the two Primordial Greek Gods further away, working on a combined magic spell of sorts. He looked their souls, and could see the multiple parts that he knew, yet something was different. The divine souls seemed to have...more to it. Not just weight, but...layer? in some sense.

If he focused on their link between body and soul, he could actually see it expand into new meaning. Their essence was bigger and more complex. Is this how multiple gods in a pantheon can have the same domain? And how some gods can succeed others?

Raguel remembered his lessons, and one of the important things he remembered on souls was that they are made from multiple parts, yet one whole. Sort of like Schrodinger's many components of the soul.

If one thinks about it in that manner, and have complete understanding of their own soul down to the equivalent atom-like details, the soul would have a part for each one of a person's ability or talent. Is that why God doesn't fight personally anymore? Because too much of Him was used to make His children. But then, he beat Ddraig and Albion. I mean, he didn't seal them but it's the same result.

"There you go. Now you're getting it." Lucifer broke Raguel out of his thoughts. "Honestly, that's just a major oversight by the Creator. He should have known better." He smirked. "But maybe He's losing his grip on everything. Even with omniscience, if there are too many moving parts, the amount of things you can respond to, depends on to how fast you can react." He said waiting for Raguel's reaction for disparaging the Almighty.

Raguel said nothing. After all, the answer to any of his worries and doubts was to ask his Father when he meets Him later on.

Lucifer frowned at the silent treatment, before sighing sympathetically.

"Look," he said in a small empathetic tone. "I know how I'm usually viewed, but I'm trying to tell you, if God made a mistake about this situation, and don't tell me this was part of His Plan, look at the situation we're in. I didn't want this!" Lucifer gestured to the war above them. Oddly enough he was telling the truth, he wanted to rule all beings, but he was also glad for this result since he couldn't have his first wish. "So if God made a mistake as simple as not telling you the origin of what you are, what other things is He hiding from you. Simply not telling you because 'it's not yet time'!" He acted bitter drawing on his old memories of humiliations.

Solid method acting. 10/10, would applaud if I could move my hands. Raguel thought mockingly.

"You have to realize he's not All-Knowing, because if he is, can you truly justify what happened to today? That he let me make thousands of my brothers Fall, and send them to be slaughtered. Can you truly call such a God benevolent? Would such a God be worth following!? Either he's benevolent or All-Knowing, but the only answer given this war, is that He's neither!" He shouted in outrage. "This War never had to happen. If he actually cared he would have struck me down the moment I disobeyed Him!"

Lucifer cried out, and behind him Lilith, Erebus and Nyx finished their spell, and unleashed their magical power. A magic circle appeared above them expanding till it over the battlefield, and disappeared.

Day became night.

There was some tangential feel that it was still day, but the blackness that covered the world, seemed to made everything bleaker and more hopeless.

The effect was easy to understand. The damning field effect was increased thirty fold. Nehemoth Wasteland became a prominent disadvantage for the forces of Heaven once more.

"If he cared he wouldn't allow all this suffering, and I'm even being generous and focusing only the harm caused by the Great War, not the rest of the world's suffering. The harm caused to his chosen race. To the humans that suffer for His wars. To us, His very children, used as soldiers from the moment we are born. All of this has to stop. That's why I have to do this. Even if it's pains me." Lucifer looked Raguel in the eyes with an expression of regret-because he did dislike losing the angels he could have ruled over, but was fine with at least one surviving.

Raguel's rage and resentment build, but he kept his tongue. He waited to see what was the point of Lucifer's rant.

"You can make this stop," Lucifer said and Raguel gave a surprised look. "You're clearly a central piece in His plans. Unlike Him I won't espouse to knowing what, but I can at least see how important you are. Enough to tell you all of this, enough to speak to you as an equal." Lucifer placed a hand on Raguel's shoulder, and Raguel used all of his control of the Light within him to cancel his body's subconscious reactions. "If you give the order, I'm sure the fighting will stop. I can see how they all care about what you say. Give the word and this all stops." He pleaded. "We just want the box, if you know what horror it holds...if can't ever be opened. Not just that, what's within it must be destroyed." Lucifer looked Raguel in the eyes, as he spoke his next words. "No one else has to die today."

Lucifer kept his pleading gaze for a while, watching as Raguel looked from him to Lilith to came to stand a bit behind Lucifer, and the two Greek Gods standing next to her.

Raguel looked down as he thought on how to reply.

Lucifer removed his hand, and leaned away, to give the little Archangel some space.

Raguel looked up to see Michael focusing his Light onto every Angel. The damning field's strength grew to such a level that without Michael's Keter, Angels would not only Fall, but likely break on a spiritual level. The detrimental effect were unknown as Michael pushed himself to keep everyone risen.

Gabriel was being treated by Raphael, but her wound didn't seem to be healing.

Uriel, Remial, and Sarial fought Pontus to a stand still, but then Satan Leviathan joined him. While Raziel, Metatron and Sandalphon were forced to focus on Chronos as his time stop effect-now affecting only the Angels and Archangels-even if it lasts a small while, made the forces of Heaven into easy target. Conscious easy target watching their impending doom while in it.

And that left the Angels alone to face Aphrodite Areia. They fought with all their might as the crazed goddess killed them, and her weapon plunged their divinity from them. Even if they injured her, which they did from sheer number and ferocity if nothing else, the Malebranche healed and empowered the Greek Deity with every kill.

"You know Helel is right." Lilith spoke bringing Raguel's attention back to them. "Surely you heard the stories of God's punishments. The Ten Plagues. The 40 Years the Israelites were forced to wander the desert. ...Me." She said with a sad look. "All I wanted was to be equal to Adam, we were meant to be husband and wife, and yet for that 'crime', I was thrown away. Easily replaced. Damned forever as a 'witch'. Are those the acts of a just God...or a vengeful one." She ended on a dramatic note.

Raguel still said nothing.

Lucifer was growing annoyed. He didn't peg the Archangel for a 'true believer' and his actions didn't show as such. There were multiple points were he would have gotten angry, if he blindly followed the Creator. The quiet contemplative reaction shows he actually was thinking on his, and now Lilith's words. Anyone would have their faith shaken at that point.

But then maybe he needs a little push. Lucifer thought as he looked back to his allies, giving a 'sympathetic' look.

"You know, we're not here because we hate you." Nyx spoke, making Raguel turn to her.

"Your follower kept pushing their doctrine on our worshipers even to the point of violence. Eventually the Christians would drive our people from their homes, from their lands. Is that in any was 'Virtuous'?" Erebus said in a soft voice.

"We're fighting to protect our place in this world. To just keep the home we have." Nyx continued. "Can you honestly say we are wrong!" She demanded.

Raguel stayed silence. For the last time.

He didn't reply right away.

Because when he closed his eyes to think on everything he was just told, he couldn't help the laugh that began in his belly.

Lucifer blinked as the youngest and weakest Archangel began to chuckle, and then let out a single laugh before forcing himself to calm down.

"What is this 'sympathy for the Devil' bullshit?" Raguel finally spoke, holding a smirk of sheer disbelief and amusement.

Raguel turned to the Primordial Greek Gods, leaving Lucifer thrown off for a moment. "I'm gonna dismiss the two of you for this talk, as you're newcomers to this whole feud, and given what I've seen of Ares and her," He gestured with his head to the murder happy Aphrodite Areia and reign in his rage at her for now. "You don't have the best image and I'm plainly not inclined to believe you."

The two god's scowled is distain at the disrespect, but before they could say anything Raguel had moved on.

Also, Raguel noticed that there was a spark of dark magic within both, Erebus and Nyx that reminded him of Lilith, but seemed to feel like part of the sibling gods. It was something to look at later. For now, he had family issues to deal with.

"You," Raguel turned to Lilith, who saw him look at her with cold angry eyes for the first time. She found unlike the other angels, she couldn't just easily dismiss his judgment of her. "I'm not going to focus on you at the moment, as first, I think big brother here, needs an honest answer."

"By all means, Raguel." Lucifer spread his arms. "Even if you used your fabled 'barbed tongue'," he laughed at the title. "I'll take all that you have to say, my brother."

Raguel gave him a tight smile, and a measuring look, a sort of final warning before he truly spoke. Lucifer just smiled and waited, sure that the child Archangel's words would be just that, childish and easily dismissed.

"It must have burned you when you first realized it."

"What?" Lucifer blinked and leaned back.

"That you will never be God." Lucifer's expression fell as he found himself listening intently. "I wonder, what face did you make? There you are, the First Archangel, the strongest and most beautiful-I have no shame in admitting that-just flying about in the Garden of Eden, living the life, and ready to fight all the other gods and take over the Earth. You must have never felt want..." Raguel smiled, but didn't bother looking kind or sympathetic, as in his nature, he just let his true feelings open on his face.

"But then God tells you and all the Angels to bow to Adam. Bow to this creation made out of dust. Ooooh you must have been so mad. 'this is all insane', 'this is madness', 'it must be a mistake!'. I don't know what you thought or said, but I'm assuming it's something along those lines. Let me guess." Raguel leaned forward, and look far more sinister than he should have, making the divine being unconsciously lean back.

"You fought Adam at that point, to prove how better you are, how more deserving. And if he's anything like Lilith here, or powerful in an equivalent way, he must have thrashed you." Raguel grinned at Lucifer's expression of anger and contempt, before the Satan realized what he did, and focused himself to look neutral again.

Lilith gave an odd feel of pride and regret behind her stoic façade.

"Naturally you couldn't accept that and you Fell. Or maybe you Fell before fighting Adam and used that as an excuse for your loss." Raguel chuckled dismissively. "Then of course, the First Angry Ex, over came running out of the garden, and chased by other angels whom she pushed away, at least that's what I hope she did."

Lilith did. She hadn't outright been hostile to Heave at that point. Not yet.

"But you rejected them, thus were no longer welcome by Heaven. And of course Eve was made, just to add fuel to the fire. Or at least that's how you saw it, right?" Raguel looked to Lilith, before turning back to his main focus. "Then Lucifer found you," he looked to Lilith. "And thought ousting Adam and Eve from Heaven would be a great idea! And so he made a serpent linked to him, and had it tempt into Eve into eating the Fruit of Knowledge.

"Adam and Eve sin and...what is this? Their punishment is to leave the Garden and just live on Earth? They weren't rejected by God and His Angels? My, that is just unfair." He said toward them with a mocking tone. "Man, apologizing and owning up to your mistakes is just a mindboggling concept, isn't it."

Lilith snarled and stepped forward to say something, but Lucifer gestured for her to hold back for now. A serious look on his face, examining Raguel.

"So what happened after? I'm guess you two got together, Lilith sneaked back into the Garden to eat the Forbidden Fruit, just to show Adam and Eve weren't better than her...and I'm guessing it was at this point that you gained the knowledge to make Devils, and while you may have had the magical power, it was probably then that you got the magical knowledge." Raguel said, reading all this guesses as generally true by seeing Lucifer and Lilith's souls.

"So then you two made the Devils, a parallel to the Angels and obviously superior." Raguel said with another mocking voice, before asking Lucifer with a smile of a half guessed answer. "By the way...How long did it take Father to make the Holy Light deadly to Devils? Enough to destroy their souls?" Lucifer tried to hide his reaction, by clenching a hand at his side.

"I mean, no matter how egotistical you are, and wanting to have an advantage over your kids if they try get rebellious on you, I don't think that's a feature you two would actually put into them. Way too horrible for your side, and you want to prove the superiority of your 'children' after. Can't have them be defective against the Angels, right?" Raguel smiled like a shark.

"It was probably in the very first battle. If Father wanted to twist the knife, he probably would have done it in the second wave of attacks, just to show you how outclassed you are." Lucifer didn't bother holding back his frown. "There it is. Holy Light was made permanently effective against the masterfully crafted race you two could make. But fine," Raguel said in mock dismissal. "He's a master craftsmen, no biggie, no biggie. You'll prove to be better than him eventually, right?" Raguel looked the Satan in the eyes. "And how did that go for you, for all these years?" He said coldly.

"You made your race have 72 Pillar Families, each with a unique powerful and deadly ability. God's answer? King Solomon. Just to fucking slap you in the face. All the heads of those 'Pillars' were made subservient to God's chosen king to uphold His kingdom. You whispered into the Egyptian God's ears that their avatars on Earth, and what happened with Moses again? Ah, right, the 10 Plagues." Raguel said directly to Lilith, before continuing to them both. "And while I can and will confront Father on his actions then, you don't get to judge Him. You no longer have that right." The two blinked in confusion, startled at Raguel's words about confronting God.

"Finally you probably thought 'let's have a direct fight. Let's drag God down and use every trick to beat him'. So how did Sodom and Gomorrah go?" Even with all the control they hell, when directly question the First Woman and the Devil flinched at the memory of that event. "Erased from existence.

"Then there was Jesus." Raguel grinned widely in amusement. "I just have to wonder, how did you react when all the innocent or corrupted souls you been gathering for millennia, in the Underworld at that point, were just absolved and sent up to Heaven?" He couldn't contain himself and laughed. "I mean wow," then Raguel's expression turn back to cold distain.

"How long did it take before you had to accept then, that you will never be Him?" Raguel's gaze bore into Lucifer's and the Satan flinched. "Because weaken, parts cast off, power permanently used up for one reason or another in this war, or to protect humanity...and He's still beating you and every challenger that comes for His throne."

The Greek Deities frowned when Raguel looked at them, but kept quiet as the focus was between Raguel and Lucifer. Yet, it felt like their pride was constrained somehow.

"We both know, if He were to appear here and now, the one who will run is pretty obvious. And here is something else." Raguel's shoulder shook with a restrained chuckle. "I think all of this proves that your 'Sin'? It's isn't Pride, that's just what you hide behind the real deal. The Sin that defines you is Envy." Then when Raguel spoke once more, his tone turned the harshest it's been. "And even if somehow, somehow-I'll entertain your delusions here-you were to win, sit on the throne of Heaven, destroy and remake this world so every trace of His Works is gone, you will still. Never. Be. God."

The silence of finality landed after those words.

"That is what I think of all of this, brat."

The Greek Deities had divorced themselves from the discussion, simply looking from the outside in at the entertainment.

Lilith reassessing Raguel, wondering if he had as much understanding into her since they first met. Wondering why he was so kind all along their journey.

As for Lucifer "...You're made from His Insight." he whispered as if he grasped some piece of victory. "He's made from His Insight!" He laughed out loud. "Do you know what that means!?" He turned with a crazed joyous grin to Lilith and his Greek Deity allies.

"Beloved, are you sure?" Lilith asked, confused. "'Friendship' isn't directly connected to 'Insight'. It isn't likely that Raguel is made from God's-"

"Because God Lied!" Lucifer shouted in laughter. "In order to hide him," he pointed at Raguel. "For His subtle subterfuges, He lied! He's no longer infallible! The invincibility he always had, be it of power, timing or karma, it's gone!" Lucifer continued laughing.

Raguel frown at the Satan's words. Not because they offended him-which they did a little but that's easily ignored-but because something inside him made him feel Lucifer wasn't correct. That he struck close tangentially to the right answer, but was still wrong, and is now acting and building his moves on the wrong assumption.

"If we attack Heaven now He won't see us coming. Hell, even if He did, we can actually slay Him now." Lucifer muttered to himself, before focusing sharply on Lilith. "We need to finish things here and attack Heaven. How far along is the Farfarello's synchronization?"

Lilith cast a quick glance at the Greek Deities, before answering Lucifer. Erebus and Nyx suddenly felt on edge.

"Around 60%, 65%. The Malebranche contained too much Demonic Power, but," she looked toward Aphrodite Areia with a smile. "She's balancing things out by plunging Divine Power. If she keeps going as is, she should-"

"Hey," Nyx spoke, with suspicion, and an air of threat.

Lilith snapped her mouth shut, expecting what's about to happen.

"For a while now that weapon had been giving an off feeling. What is it doing to Aphrodite?" Asked Nyx, stepping forward.

"That disturbing weapon she's wielding is infecting her with Demonic Power? What the hell are you doing to one of our pantheon?" Erebus stood with his sister. "If your answer isn't satisfactory, then then alliance is over." He threatened.

Lucifer sighed in annoyance.

"Lilith," he said in a bored tone.

"A'arab Zaraq Madness."

The small bits of Lilith's demonic energy masquerading as part of Nyx's or Erebus's own magical energy started propagating rapidly within them. The two Primordial Gods summoned their power at full force to attack the Satan and his wife for their treachery.

However all that they did was help that Demonic Power spread faster till it enveloped their being, and the Primordial Gods of Night and Darkness became thralls of Lilith.

"Oh well, that's life. Sometimes partnerships doesn't work out." Lucifer threw his hands in a 'what can you do' gesture as he laughed to himself.

"How did you infect them?" Raguel asked looking at the lifeless eyes of Erebus and Nyx who walked to opposite ends of the mini-barrier they were all in, and used their full power and focus on increasing Nehemoth Wasteland's potency.

"Oh you know the usual. Gift, food, wine. Usual stuff when building alliances, and comparing who has better culture. They didn't expect or sense anything wrong in them. We only targeted the two of them and Tartarus, but sadly he was too big, and the energy dispersed before it took hold." Lucifer said dismissively, before turning to Raguel with a malicious smile. "Didn't think we would have to use it so soon, but thanks for the distraction."

Raguel never even noticed Lucifer move. All he knew after the fact from Lucifer retracting his wing, is that the Satan had smacked him away with the limb.

Raguel skipped along the ground before slamming into the chair Lilith's had building and breaking through it, thankfully coming to a stop.

"Also thanks for bringing the Fallen back to normal Angels I guess, since the pure version of the Holy Light is likely to speed up the synchronization at a better rate." Lucifer appeared before Raguel and kicked him away.

Still chained, Raguel slammed into the ground a few times like a fall, bruising and scrapping before Lucifer appeared in his path, and slammed his leg down on the Archangel's side, stopping his movements, and cracking his ribs.

Raguel coughed blood and shouted in pain, before gritting his teeth, and focusing on just the present to push pass the pain.

"You also really ran your mouth earlier. That kind of disrespect." Lucifer brought his leg up then down a few times. "Deserves punishment, little brother." He repeated the action a few times, while Raguel focused on minimizing the damage, and defending himself. He failed on both, but his efforts amused Lucifer.

Through the Tiferet Heart link, Raguel can feel Michael trying to push some message, but the feeling associated in it, were of worry about his wellbeing. Raguel knew he couldn't afford to act weak in this moment, and so kept the link down, so Lucifer doesn't, or couldn't, do anything to, or through it.

"So!" Lucifer kneels down, grabbed Raguel by the hair, and pulled him up. "I think it's time you saw how hard things are, on my side of the road. You know, walk a mile in my shoes, or fly one in my wings, so to speak. Lilith." He spoke nonchalantly.

Lilith stepped behind Raguel, gathered some demonic energy, and plunged it into his back.

"Golachab Decay."

Raguel's head snapped up, as he screamed.

Every bad memory, every regret, every moment of pain, every feeling of worthlessness and self-hate, almost all of it from his past life, came rushing back in an instant.

And something fundamental in Raguel broke.

"Huh, that was easier than expected." Lilith blinked, in surprise.

Raguel Fell. His wings turned black.

"Now, brother." Lucifer said mockingly. "You can feel a little bit of the pain, that I and all the other-"

"GO FUCK YOURSELF, YOU SELF-ENTITLED TWAT!" A shout broke through any thought Lucifer or Lilith had on Raguel's condition.

"Wait, what did you say?" Lucifer stepped back, with Lilith walking till she was by his side. They both stared at Raguel as if he was an alien creature.

"I said shut up." Raguel's power didn't change, or grow. In fact, it lost some of it's potency, due to no longer having a connected to Heaven. "Fuck me with a cactus, I'd rather deal with the actual devils in your armies trying to kill me, than listen to another word of your sanctimonious garbage, you self-hyped tutu fairy asshole."

"Those insults don't even-No, not important. You just Fell, how are you...how are you just talking like that?" Lucifer said, his tone disturbed, and almost...scared.

"Oh wow, you must be a special kind of retard, that Dad kept around, with everyone praising you, so you don't feel bad for how fucking dumb you are." Raguel spouted through his bloodied face. "I mean, good golly gee wiz, Mister 'I inhale Fairy Dust'-"I don't inhale" Lucifer tried to say-while you might have been dropped on your head, and told you were special and important as a joke, those of us with functioning brains, remember that we invented a method to Rise Angels that Fell, just a few fuckmothering minutes ago, you failed ass clown."

The two hell residents just stared at Raguel in silence.

"What...are you?" Lilith asked looking unsettled by Raguel's behavior.

"Okay," Raguel turned to her. "While I'm sure being a mind broken bimbo is yours and Lucy's bedroom fetish, I'd like to think you're not actually that fucking blonde in your day to day life. So clarify yourself!" Raguel shouted.

Lucifer kicked him in the face to get him to stop talking.

"Your..." Raguel forced himself to sit up, and spat out a tooth. "No matter how much shapeshifting magic you use, your small dick is always your truth." He looked Lucifer in the eyes.

Lilith stretch her arm out to stop the Satan from attacking Raguel anymore, and so the conversation would progress.

"Falling is a tragic event for Angel. It is an integrate part of them being lost forever. Even if intellectually you know you can return back to Heaven's side, that...doesn't mean you can just shrug it off like you did. That's not..." Lilith just kept looking at Raguel in confusion, giving a small head shake. "Your soul has just be violently altered. Why are you able to, to...think, to act? To instantly remake yourself, and be defiant again so quickly." She asked in confusion.

Lucifer was giving Raguel a measured look, wondering what made this weak, pathetic Archangel so different. Is it because God made him weak, while giving him such a valuable piece of Himself? Did that increase his will and resilience?

No, when I Fell...when any Angel Falls, that's not...He isn't acting. He is genuinely aware, angry and talking to us. Just...what? How?

"I guess that's what they call the power of rage. Oh by the way," Raguel turned to Lucifer, who was about to say some final words, and knock Raguel out, or kill him if he annoyed Lucifer too much, thus forcing God to use a lot his power to resurrect his newest piece. "When you and the rest of the failed boy band, called 'The Satans' die, after a bit of a civil war, your race not only become good guys, they become defender of the world, and ultimately through integration, become indistinguishable from humans."

"What?" Lucifer blinked at this sudden out of nowhere information.

"You honestly expect us to believe that?" Asked Lilith.

"Yeah, I could be lying, gosh is it just a pain to fight a Fallen. They must be a real inconvenient opponent for you. And no," Raguel shook his head, before Lucifer could get a word edgewise. "This is not a ruse so you'll Rise me back to Pure Angel status. I just wanted to tell you this before you killed me, so it would stay there. At the back of your mind. Fucking you up. Because yeah, God dies," Raguel took to grinning like an evil manic far too easily. "But so do you. And every single thing you ever built or cared about." He said slowly enjoying every words, and watching Lucifer's quiet distract reaction.

And Raguel's words were poison to Lucifer, as if the Fallen Archangel was even ruining the idea of killing God for him.

Never before had Lucifer felt so angry at someone. Except God.

"Wow, saying that just to hurt someone. That is just mean. Like, like horribly cruel. How do you sleep at night?"

"Hugging my wife as a body pillow, thank you." Raguel said automatically before blinking and turning to whoever spoke.

The other two Biblical creatures blinked and did the same, just to see a mage boy holding up Pandora's Box from where it was left next to the, now broken, Lilith throne.

"Got'cho box!" Merlin gave a wide devil grin, and disappeared in a splash of water.

Lucifer bellowed and flew after him.

A Little While Earlier

"We should have taken those Angels' offer for aid." Sir Ector did not whine, no matter what everyone may think. He was however pointing out a tactical disadvantage.

"It's fine, they need to focus on their job, and they would have cramped our style." Merlin said in a stressed bored voice, before whispering the last part.

"What was that?" Ector whisper shouted in alarm at the wizard kid.

"Uncle, please." Arty huffed in amusement.

The heist group were looking at the Archangel held prisoner by two Greek Deities, the First Woman, and Lucifer himself of all things. The hell leaders and Greek Gods were the middle of a empty dead land, with all the other devils having left to do their part in the battle in the skies.

The human group of knights, squires, vagabond and mage were currently hidden under a water-like barrier, a less than a half a mile away at the edge of a forest area, along with their kelpies. Merlin had explained it's some Fae Magic that made them technically, between world, and thus undetectable for now. Yet they couldn't get close yet as even if they stole the box, they would have to contend with four god-like beings. Thus they have to wait for now.

"Look, around us boy! We're in hell on earth." Ector said pointing to the sky.

"We just came from hell on earth." Sir Kay told his father with a cheeky grin, mentioning Orkney Castle.

"Well this is even more hell on earth." Ector insisted.

"What," Medraut cut in, before things could devolve further. He just decided to roll with the punches on the group that kidnapped him, since they are on a mission to save the world and all. "Are we actually hoping to do here? I know, you told us what we'll do? But how will you even get the box in the first place?" He asked Merlin.

"The chance should appear aaaaaaanything second now." The boy mage replied, while focusing on the interactions between divine beings in the distance.

"Okay, also what's with him?" Medraut pointed to Gawain who seemed to be hyper focused on the blade the Angel's gifted him, while mutter under his breath.

After Merlin asked the Angels, they didn't mind parting with Galatine Replicas for the whole group, as it didn't cost them much. Now Gawain seemed to look at his in awe. The actually doesn't have much to do with the sword itself, or that it was gifted to them by Angels.

While heading to their vantage point, the group had witnessed the battle between Angels and Devils, as well as Archangels and Greek Deities.

"GLORIOUS GREAT BLADE!"

Ever since Gawain had seen the Archangel Uriel create a giant claymore out of Golden Holy Fire to battle Pontus, burn through Pontus's hundred-fold water shields, even braving through the hundred of heavy water spears, and thousands of salt ice needles, the young squire had been enamored with the inspiring Flame of God.

The human warriors party had been told by the angels that, except for Ector and Kay, they all had the Holy Attribute, thus gifted each of them a Galatine Replica. Ector and Kay were given one simply for the durability of the weapon.

Now for the last leg of the trip Gawain had been trying to call upon the Holy Attribute within him, imaging Uriel's flames.

"Chokhmah Incandescence. Chokhmah Incandescence. Chokhmah Incandescence." Gawain kept muttering.

"Also Sir Ector, you need to use it." Merlin said, to which the others looked between boy mage and the old knight in intrigue.

"...You do not know what you're asking of me, mage boy." Ector said, suddenly reserved.

"This is literally a do or die situation. If there is ever a moment to use it, now's the time." Merlin insisted.

"What's he talking about Uncle?" Arty asked.

"Oh wow, is it finally time to bring out the Old Lady?" Kay said with a grin.

"'Old Lady'?" Arty asked. The other looked on with curiosity as well.

"Like Kay here, I was born with a gift from God, to strengthen me and let me be a shield to others. However," Ector frown. "Mine is different, it's not one I can control. It would be a danger to others." He said with a heavy tone of melancholic memories.

"He's lying, Old Lady is a sweet heart." Kay smirked, as he waved him off.

"You shut your mouth!" Ector rounded on his son, pointed a finger in his face.

"Wait, why are you talking about a Sacred Gear as if-" Medraut, only for Merlin to interrupt.

"Shush." Merlin said.

"Medraut," Arty waved for him to come look.

The saxon teen frown at Merlin's attitude toward him, but seeing Arty including him, push away any feelings of annoyance. The young squire was odd to Medraut, as he easily welcomed him into the group, while the rest, sans Merlin, was naturally wary of him. Even townsfolk of places he stayed in, took a while to open up to him. It was...nice.

The group watched as a fracture began in the damned alliance, with images and sound provided by Merlin's magic to watch the scene with clarity. They saw a rather scathing reprimand of the Devil, that some of them believed should seriously be in bible studies, as well as Lucifer's reaction. They saw as the Greek Deities suspected foul, and being back stabbed by Lucifer and Lilith, which wasn't a surprise.

"Okay, now we move?" Arty said, ready to step forward, only for Merlin to raise and arm to block them.

"Not yet." Said the boy mage.

Then Satan started beating up the chained Archangel.

All the warrior jumped to move.

"Not yet!" Merlin hissed.

"They are assaulting an Archangel of God!" Ector cried out.

"He's gonna be fine. Raguel is a lot stronger than he seems." Merlin hastily said, and for the first time, Arty felt the little wizard was lying.

"Merlin, if they keep going-" Arthur began.

"Soon, the chance will come soon. They'll be distracted, I'll get the box and we lead Lucifer on a merry chase." Merlin spoke, putting one arm up as if to symbolically hold them back-and given that he's a mage, he probably could with a spell-while holding his staff with the other, ready to pounce once the chance presented itself.

"What about Lilith?" Medraut asked.

"Don't worry," Merlin looked back with a grin. "A very scary woman is coming to aid us soon." He turned back to the biblical scene. "Besides, worst comes to worst, I do have a trump card on me. So don't worry. My promise to bring you all back still applies."

"We are knights, or knight-in-training. Death isn't what worries us, kid." Kay spoke.

Then Raguel Fell.

The group lunged forward and Merlin had to hold them back with telekinesis.

"You!-" Ector shouted, thankfully the barrier hid his voice.

"They just literally shown that they can Rise those who have Fallen. It is not the end of him. I'm sorry alright, but this is literally the best chance. I have to go now! All of you, prepare yourselves!" Merlin said everything quickly, genuinely looking sorry, before disappearing in a splash of water.

"He's right," Arty said after a moment, drawing his Galatine, and getting up on his white kelpie.

"Arty-" Kay started but Arthur grabbed his kelpie's girdle and prepared to move.

"Later whatever grips you have with Merlin can be addressed later. If we win, then Lord Raguel will be returned to Heaven as we saw, and as in the speech he just gave. We can ask for forgiveness for not doing anything later. We must fulfill our duties now." Arthur spoke.

The other stayed silent, before nodding and went to ride their kelpie to part. Gawain was more nervous about facing the Devil than angry at Merlin. Ector and Kat felt pride at Arthur, and pushed any other thought than their coming confrontation out of their mind. Medraut wondered if the Archangel would be alright, and thought that after doing his part, he can circle back, and see of the Archangel Raguel would be alright.

A loud wrathful shout filled the land, and Merlin appeared in a splash of water on his kelpie, before throwing his hands in the air, and now each rider had a Pandora's Box with them.

The party split and dashed at full speed in different directions.

"That damn fey child! Where did he even come from?" Lilith cried out, yet didn't run after the boy mage, like Lucifer did. "No matter," black seal chains rose out of Lilith's shadow. "I'll just simply-"

It's in that moment with her back turned, that Raguel acted.

He called up his Holy Power. Lilith noticed and before she finished turning around, Raguel unlocked the black chains, jumped into standing and summoned white seal chains, that seemed to emerge from Light shining over his skin.

Raguel's chains grabbed and immobilized Lilith's chains. For now, they were at a stalemate.

"Now, Lilith," Raguel spoke.

"You! Those chains..." She said with wide eyes. Lilith automatically summoned a few more, only for Raguel to match her, and hold those new ones too. She stopped summoning chains.

"Let's talk."

===x===

"Oh?" Lilith said with a mocking smile. "Haven't you already made your opinion about me clear?" While she did engage with the Archangel, she wanted to leave and aid Lucifer in retrieving the box.

However, Raguel's use of the reverse of her black seal chains means he could immobilize her if he actually grabbed her with them. Maybe she could unlock Raguel's chains, like he did hers, but she wasn't sure how long that would take, and didn't want to take the chance, thus she didn't turn her back on him.

She noticed how the Tiferet Heart link was lighting up a lot toward Raguel. His siblings must have felt his Falling, and are worried.

Good, I'll just use the moment he's distracted to take him out, and then teleport to-

A metaphorical blast of light went out from Raguel to everyone else, before he shut down the link for himself as much as he could, and focused on her. The message he sent 'felt' short, one word really, but somehow was heavy. Due to her magical mastery she could 'read' that message in a sense.

Permission.

Lilith didn't understand what Raguel meant by that, and didn't have time to think about it. All she knew was that she wouldn't get her window of opportunity to knock Raguel out and leave.

She didn't actually want to kill him, if she could help it. Not yet. Unlike Lucifer she didn't believe he was made from God's Insight. Raguel was a mystery she wanted to solve, before putting to rest.

"That was Lucifer. You, I said I'll get to." Raguel said with a glare.

It bothered Lilith. The look in Raguel's eyes.

It would be so easy to just summon up her magical might and crush him. Yes, he can match her sealing chains, but she doubted he had the reserves to do so for long, and that's if she only used the seal chains and no other magic.

Yet that look kept holding her back. Because if only he stared at her with hatred, with apathy, with disgust, with anything resembling the eyes of those of Heaven that she is used to. She could then just fight, without this annoying feeling in her chest.

Raguel didn't look angry, so much as frustrated and annoyed at her.

What gives him the right? Why is he looking at her like that?

"Oh really?" Lilith said playfully, but internally her emotions kept swirling. "So what? Are you going to redeem me, Raguel?" She held up a part of her clothing. "Even when I dress in your siblings' blood."

Raguel didn't flinch and his expression didn't change. He just kept holding her gaze with his own.

Lilith frowned at the non-reaction. No, she should just beat him and leave. "Sadly I have a war to win, and I'm not interested in entertaining-"

"Adam."

And everything stopped. All her thoughts, her will to fight, for a moment it halted at that name.

"I think I have you mostly figured out, but there is just one thing that doesn't make sense to me." Raguel's eyes narrowed. "Why are you working with Lucifer? Why did you start this battle? Why are you still on his side?"

"Jealous?" She said with a cheeky grin.

"He had your mind fractured Lilith!" Raguel said back, not pausing or reacting to her joke.

Lilith frowned, sighed...and then looked up with a casual confident smile.

"Because we have the same goal."

"What?"

"Lucifer feel inferior to me. He feels angry that I am not only stronger, but so vital to him." Her smile became a touch baleful. "And yet he has the same goal as me. The same will as me. The same drive as me." Lilith smirked. "That's why he deserves my love, my devotion. And if he asks me to become a husk of a person, a doll to fulfill her role, that's fine.

"As long as he fulfill his part of our contract-our marriage-to kill God and take His kingdom, show how our hand would make it better." She then lost her smile. "And then Lucifer will drag Adam's soul from paradise for me, bring him back to life and I will show that apathetic fool what hell is.

"How we may have been made equal, but I always could have been superior if I wanted. That contenting with that Lesser Woman, with Eve, and making this downfall of a race, make humanity the pathetic weak race that it is, is all his and God's fault.

"Had it been our children it would have been different. Each one would have been a god of their own." She shouted, before continuing in a quieter tone. "You know, you are right, you got a few of the details wrong." Her smile was a mix of sad and pitiful. "It's why I don't think you're made from God's Insight."

"Which were?" Raguel tilted his head.

"Helel didn't Fall from fighting Adam, no. God still kept him around, just mocking him and letting the defeat linger on him. No, it was when he made the serpent and tempted Eve to sin. When she and Adam ate the Fruit, that's when God Fell him, cutting him off from the Holy Spirit." Lilith looked aside in remembrance. "I found and healed him on Earth at that point, he told me what happened, and I went to see Adam.

"I saw him just living this happy little life with this, this..." Her expression turned ugly. "This stupid big boobed bubbly fatass idiot of a woman.

"Fuck! Just remembering her pisses me off. It's like everything about her was made to be a mockery of me. Even her hair color, yellow, was made to highlight how different she is from me. She was a literal fucking parody. It's, it's..." Lilith began to laugh. "It's like God and Adam were telling me that's what I should have been. This idiot that just keeps trying to talk and move around without end. And how did Adam react?

"He smiled when he was with her. He was happy when he was with her. He actually seemed alive because of Eve." She seethed. "I actually didn't understand what was happening then. I didn't understand what Eve was, or why Adam was happy around her. I literally thought she was some golem Adam made in order to laugh when remembering me." Lilith gave a bitter smile. "Then I remembered what Lucifer did, and I got him to sneak me into the Garden through a backdoor.

"Sadly, it's removed now, but I got what I needed. I ate the Fruit of Knowledge, and I gain all magical knowledge there is, now about to give any form to my power, but...I also gained knowledge of the past. I knew what God did, of making Eve out of Adam's rib, of Adam accepting that lower woman as a wife...and of him eating the apple and following her, even while knowing they would be punished by God!" Lilith shouted. "Oh he didn't know that eating the apple was bad, or a sin or anything. He just knew he would be doing something against God's command, and that Eve would likely to be punished.

"So he ate the apple so she wouldn't be punished alone." A hysteric laugh left her through. "I made my first creations then, you know." Lilith said with a lazy smile. "I made beings that literally surpass anything that exist today. Even the Satans are a joke in comparison. I made Demon Gods." Her voice rumbled and echoed. "And sent an army of them after those two idiots to show them terror." Lilith pouted. "I wouldn't have killed them you know. Well, maybe Eve. But I would have definitely stopped before the two died, since that would defeat the point of showing them how wrong, weak and pathetic they are...

"But Adam slew them." She shook her head and let out a sad chuckle. "Adam...fought. I still can't believe my eyes when I remember. That man, who cared for nothing, who never took action beyond the exact required amount, actually jumped in and fought. His eyes were lit with such ferocity, his roar holding such rage, and he attacked without thought of self-preservation or mercy...

"My creations learned fear before they died." Lilith almost seemed shocked as she stared at nothing. Then she blinked and regained herself, looking at Raguel with a sad smile. "Helel was furious and terrified of me then. He saw what I could make, and while it intrigued him, it also scared him. I could see deeper into living beings at that point thanks to my magic. I could see his soul and how he really felt about me.

"...And that was fine. Because it didn't matter that he wanted to use me, I wanted to use him. So we created the Devils, we launched the biggest, longest war in this world's history. Shame that almost all the Fallen, Lucifer got with him or seduced later, immediately separated and went with that pervert crafting idiot, Azazel. I mean you dissect one disobedient Fallen to make some new use or discovering about the Holy Light, and sudden you have a whole new Faction fighting you." Lilith chuckled. "Do you know why I'm telling you this?"

"No," Raguel kept his answer short.

"Because you're different." Lilith smile was warm. "You helped me when Angels would ignore me, since illness even of the mind is part free will. People like that are suppose to expect help from their fellow neighbors. What a load of wasted blood. But you...

"You just came and aided me, and even more when you learned who I am, you hugged me, saying you should have saved me earlier. You knew who I am and still showed me kindness. You're not like the angels, who just condemn and judge thoughtlessly." She gave him a sad look. "Please, I don't want to fight you. I'll even let you run away from here." She said. "Please don't make me kill you."

Raguel stayed silent from a moment. Then he took a deep breath, and let out a sigh that annoyed Lilith with how it sounded. It sounded like a parent listening to a kid making a mistake yet standing by that mistake, like the few times she watched humans do.

"Look," he finally said. "I'm just, gonna straight up tell you this, so there is no confusion between us, and you don't think we can lie to either me or yourself, while we're talking." Lilith blinked, taken aback at that. "Lilith, I can see souls."

Lilith stilled for a moment, then her eyes widened. "What?"

"I can see souls. I could long before I met you. I could see what kind of person you were before I even healed you. Yeah, I was under the wrong assumption that your darkened soul was due to how you acted while out of your mind. My bad, I was wrong on that, however," There was a rumbling in the skies. "I most definitely condemn the actions you've taken since."

Lilith's expression fell into disappointment. "So, even you will cast judgement on me, for deceiving you, even thought I confess-"

"I don't give a fuck that you lied during our trip!" Raguel shouted, to the startled Lilith. "So maybe you were afraid, or you wanted to focus on your objective to getting Pandora's Box and thought to use the ignorant angel, we were enemies in your mind at that point, so fine. But then when you told me who you were, you could have just turned around and left this whole war.

"Hell, you could have taken the Box and left, but no you kept going on with your plan, with your cruelty, but you know what, even at that point, even then I could have forgiven you. Any harm inflicted could have been taken back, till that point." Raguel gritted his teeth. "But then you had to go and continue acting like how you always did, from your very first mistake."

"HA!" Lilith laughed. "So that's it? At the end, even you think my defiance of Adam and leaving the Garden was a sin," Yeah, this was the same in the end. Time to end this farce. "I guess even the merciful Raguel is-"

"That wasn't your Sin, your Sin was being a coward!" Raguel shouted, and Lilith froze. For the first time since she could long remember, something that reminded her of fear pulsed in her chest. "You didn't care when you left Adam and the Garden. You didn't even care when Adam remarried. No, what enraged you was Eve, because Eve did the one thing you refused to do, what you couldn't do. And no, it's not submitting to Adam."

"...shut up." Lilith didn't even notice the words leaving her mouth.

"Eve was brave in a way you never were, and it infuriated you." Raguel cried out.

"Shut up." Lilith began pushing her chains forward, only for Raguel's chains to push them back.

"Eve loved Adam first and he reciprocated. She took that first step, unlike you who ran away." Raguel said. "The worst thing about all of this, is that you never stopped thinking about the choice you made. You're either trying to justify that you made the right one, or trying to show how Eve went about it is wrong. When you should have just accepted that you and Eve made different choices and move on!"

"SHUT UP!"

A loud bang echoed in the heavenly battle. Pontus fell and with his defeat came the rain.

"That was your sin, and you refusing to confront and accept it, well," Raguel spread his arms. "It lead to fucking this." He pointed to the fighting.

"I wasn't wrong!" Lilith shouted. "Adam was closed off from everything, always bored and apathetic, don't you think I haven't tried to love him?"

"Lilith, I can see your soul." Raguel stressed again.

"Well fine!" She cried out, throwing her hands in the air. "Maybe I didn't put the best effort, but I still took that first step, even before Eve, and he did nothing, felt nothing, so why should I have bothered. He should have at least put some token effort back, rather than do nothing. We were made equal, I shouldn't have had to-Neither of us should have had to do anything!"

"Life isn't meant to be fair!" Raguel shouted, and Lilith would have done so back, but seeing pull back, and cover his face with his hand, and sighing gave her pause. Raguel's reactions annoyed her, his words frustrated her, why couldn't he just understand? "Lilith," he started. "You don't know what would have happened if you did as Eve did, and opened up your heart to Adam. You don't know if he would have accepted your love or rejected it. You're assuming the worst, so you just hate Adam more and reject humanity and all their works. Here's the thing you can't find that answer anymore. Adam is dead. Eve is dead. Their story is over. You should have just accepted the choice you made and...

"You know," the sudden understanding tone, with held back anger, threw her off. "...Just telling you...what you should have done." He kept moving his arms, grasping air, as if unable to find the words. "I can't." He gave an annoyed disappointed smile, as if no word he could use felt right. "Because no matter what I say...you'll just twist...you won't listen.

"Because I could say 'you should have taken the more difficult option', or the 'right' one, or the 'brave' one, and you would just say leaving the Garden was all of those, and not just..." He paused again. "The meaning and intent I want to send you," Raguel shook his head. "You don't...you'll just reject it."

"Finally succumbing to your Fallen nature and just insulting me? Or was that who you are all along, rising to the surface." Lilith said back with a bitter smile.

"..." Raguel looked aside, his hand covering his mouth in thought, before his he blinked, and seemed to have something new to say. "Do you know why, we have the expression 'falling in love'?"

Lilith was throw off by the question.

"I mean, for Angels, 'falling' has very bad connotations. But Angels do fall in love, and even have families with humans or other beings without actually Falling." Raguel began to say. "For humans the expression is one of joy even.

"Something to be celebrated. Someone falling in love." He repeated. "The reason why we say that, is because when you fall...you don't have control." Lilith's breath hitched. She didn't want to hear this, but couldn't stop. "When you open up your heart to someone, your opening up yourself to the possibility of a great pain, and yet." Raguel smiled. "If you're lucky, if you put in the effort...you can gain something far more beautiful and worthy than all the world's treasures. The thing about love...it's a leap of faith."

"But Adam-"

"You act better, Lilith." The certainty of his tone stopped her. "It's not about what's fair. You just act better. You don't keep score. You don't look at everything like a competition where everyone has to have the same numbers." His sigh was more tired this time. Lilith could see holding up the chains for so long was tiring him. "You just act better, without praise or reward. That's what Eve did, wasn't it?" Lilith frown. "She opened up her heart to him, without hesitation or doubt, and Adam could do nothing but reply the same." Raguel had a sad look.

Lilith looked down, her mind racing.

I'm not wrong. She thought. Raguel got it wrong. He makes it sound like Eve was Adam's equal. She wasn't! He's wrong.

She looked up to see Raguel falling on one knee, trying to support himself. Yet his heavy breathing and sweat showed that his stamina was running out.

"I'm sorry, Raguel." I am not wrong. "If your idea of redemption is acknowledging Adam and Eve, their relationship, how it was built was right, then I don't want it!" She raised a hand, and summoned dozens of magic circles aimed at the Archangel.

"Your heart will never stop hurting, Lilith." Raguel said, and to Lilith's frustration, he did so with kind, accepting eyes. "Even if you achieve your goal. It will only do so, if you stop fighting, and then learn to move on."

Her eyes felt damp. Damn this rain.

She charged up her magic attacks, yet her heart wasn't in it.

"Good bye, Raguel. I hope you survive this war."

It was as if time stopped.

No, it was only Lilith's advanced heightened senses that let her notice, when it happened.

All the water around her, now had a tingle of Fae Magic.

The rain water gathered and condense at hyper speeds in front of Raguel.

In a splash Viviane du Lac appeared, a blade in each hand.

She sliced the black seal chains, and launched hundreds of water spears destroying the magic circles.

The moment passed, and time seemed to continue.

"...You?" Lilith said in surprise. "You actually came back?" She blinked at the new arrival. "You will fight me?"

"Vivi!" Raguel shouted in happiness. The Lady of the Lake gave Raguel a look, her eyes lingering on his black wings. "That's her fault." He pointed at Lilith like the little snitch he was.

A Little While Earlier

It felt like hope was being extinguished from the Angels' side piece by piece after they finally grasped it.

When the Greek Deities arrived was wary, but the tide was turning for Heaven, it just meant the fighting will last a little longer.

He naively thought his Keter would be enough to hold back the power of the darkness power-themed Primordial Gods, but Nyx quickly showed him how arrogant that thinking was, by snatching Raguel right from under his nose. His ego was struck in that moment, Michael had committed the same sin as Lucifer. His pride made him underestimate the enemy.

The moment he thought that, feelings of comfort and reassurance swept to him from the Tiferet Heart link by his siblings, and a feeling that gave the impression of someone smacking him up the back of his head, from Raguel. Michael smiled at that. Raguel kept telling them through the link that he would try to occupy Lucifer, Lilith, and Erebus & Nyx, and that they should focus on taking out Chronos and Pontus first.

The angels still felt hope at that point. That the light at the end of this road, call victory, was still visible.

Michael held back a laugh at Raguel's criticizing of Lucifer. He was sure to make a recording of that, and leave it up in Heaven for anyone to see.

Then blows after blows of despair came, and that light of victory seemed fainter and fainter.

The Nehemoth Wasteland was empowered to such a degree that Michael had no time to do anything else, but keep his siblings from Falling.

Gabriel was out of commission, as her wound was inflicted with such concentrated demonic energy, that somehow bypassed any and all divine blessings and protections, that she could only recover naturally. The weapon seem to also have laid some poisonous-like effect that made the wound fester more easily. Raphael was doing all he could to keep Gabriel's state from deteriorating, or worse.

Uriel, Remial, and Sarial engaged Pontus and Satan Leviathan to a stalemate as the devils were aiding the Satan and the Greek Deity maliciously, feeling victory is on their side now.

Raziel, Metatron and Sandalphon fought Chronos but literally could not land a hit on him, as he used his time power to simply reverse his opponent's positions to a few seconds earlier, and move away. The devils taking cheap shots, were the only causalities in this fight between Archangels and Primordial God, thus far.

And then there was Aphrodite Areia, delighting in her slaughter of the angels, even if they were making her pay for every second of it. Yet, what did it matter when she grew stronger, and more difficult to harm with each one of Michael's siblings she's slain.

Then Raguel's Fell.

All the Archangels and Angel's had felt it through the Tiferet Heart, and at the moment Michael mentally cursed himself for not understanding Raguel's intent with closing off his side of the Tiferet Heart link. He could already see what will happen, the feelings that will come from Raguel's side, the shock, the guilt, the despair, and it would infect the network of the Tiferet Heart taking down every angel whose will was frayed from this battle down with it.

Except...that's not what happened.

What came through the link, was annoyance. There was anger, there was a slight hatred, but annoyance was the main emotion felt from Raguel's side.

"Oh wow, you must be a special kind of retard, that Dad kept around, with everyone praising you, so you don't feel bad for how fucking dumb you are. I mean, good golly gee wiz, Mister 'I inhale Fairy Dust' while you might have been dropped on your head, and told you were special and important as a joke, those of us with functioning brains, remember that we invented a method to Rise Angels that Fell, just a few fuckmothering minutes ago, you failed ass clown."

Raguel's words were...well, they were far more vulgar than Michael or anyone had ever heard them, but they can excuse that on his Fallen stat, but it showed something important.

Raguel was following through on his declaration. He wasn't succumbing to despair just because he Fell, but immediately went back to fighting in his own method. That renewed the the will of the angel's side, but the situation was still dire.

After that Raguel just lied and a horrible way, just to be cruel to Lucifer, which made Michael worry for how Falling had affected his youngest brother.

Then Pandora's Box was stolen.

"What?" Michael was bug-eyed as the box was stolen right from under Lucifer's nose, by a human magician, nay a boy at that.

Michael kept trying to communicate with Raguel again, to ask if he was well without Lucifer now there, and if the humans stealing the box was his doing somehow.

Immediately Raguel broke himself from of the black chains and confronted Lilith, sending one last message to Michael and everyone else, before shutting the link from his side again.

Raguel's last message was one word "Permission", and due to how the Tiferet Heart communicated based on intent, attached to that word, was a picture of a written poem.

["Our greatest fear is not that we are inadeqent, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It's our light, not our darkness that most frighten us...And as we let our own Light shine, we unconsiouly give our people permission to do the same...our presence automatically liberates others."

P.S. Don't ever speak of this poem, as the person who wrote it isn't born yet, and don't give me credit for it either, as I didn't come up with it.]

A poem about not holding back one's light, and with the word 'permission' it became obvious what Raguel was trying to say.

It was a simple solution, yet it took Michael so long to push through his own self-made mental barrier to open up his sephira. He wasn't sure if his siblings would simply get over that mental block that had been made and held over for centuries now. Michael was able to do so, but he couldn't ask that of them.

"Binah Radiance." Raziel's voice echoed in the battlefield.

And for the first time, Michael witness his petite sister punch someone in the face.

"GAAAAAH!" Chronos shouted, covering his bleeding eye.

Raziel's extended fist held the same concentrated condensed Light, that Gabriel was known to use as her signature move. "You impotent little slut! You dare-"

"No more," Raziel no longer held a calm or stoic smile. There was just a cold rage in her eyes. "No more will you harm my bothers and sisters. I can see now into your divine magic, in all phenomena, and I won't let your time stopping affect us anymore."

"Ha, worthless bark. I would like to see you try! Time Halt!" This time the Primordial God exploded his aura from his body with power and focused intent.

Raziel raised her arm, the aura passed over and stopped many angels in place till it reached her.

The spell touched Raziel outstretched hand...

And every Devil and Greek God in the sky were frozen in time, fully aware of what's happening.

"Gabriel," Raphael spoke.

"It's fine, Raphael." Gabriel spoke, her face starting to pale, with sweat falling down her heated face. "You should go, your powers are better suited to help our siblings, rather than focus on one-"

"I mean, about not doing what I should have right away, and aiding you as I should." Conviction entered the Angel of Healing's voice.

"Raphael?"

"It seems Michael wasn't the only one held back by Lucifer's shadow." The Archangel's being began to shine, as they called upon their own light and focused it into their Self. "No more, just like Raziel said." He smiled to his sister, telling her that all will be well. "I will save everyone, no more Angels will die today, and if I fail, and I keep trying again and again with the same conviction." Raphael spread his wings, and his own Light radiated to all angels. "Chesed Mercy."

The Light of Chesed gathered into Rapahel's hand, then burst outward into the Tiferet Heart network. Chesed's Light was originally a barrier, but Raphael change it to function as a river through Tiferet, as water does in tunnels.

Raphael's Light imbued with mercy, any harm would cease in contact with it. Any ill, any injury, any pain, all would disappear, even death can not exist under the gaze of that Light. Death would be denied and Life would be exalted.

Finally, unburdened by ails and fatigue of this long battle, Gabriel had a moment of clarity.

She no longer wants to fight.

No, I just want the fighting to stop. I just want peace. And yet Raguel's words came back to her, to keep going, to keep striving for virtue even if you don't know the end, because it's the right thing to do.

For all the war, she had been running herself at full pace, because she wanted the end to arrive already. She wanted peace to be achieved and be here. There were even moments were she thought it arrived. Those moments of lull in the Great War, not of armistice or ceasefire, but simply quiet moments where it seemed like all sides had simply stopped fighting each other.

Gabriel though peace was achieved, but it was simply the calm before the storm arrived again.

It's why she got tired. It's why in her heart but never acknowledged was bitterness.

But...maybe I was going about this all wrong.

Gabriel wasn't sure if Raguel knew his words to Lucifer, to Lilith, were heard by all. Yet his own battle was aiding morale among the soldiers of Heaven. It showed them the one who called for them to Rise, even Fallen, hasn't lost his will.

"You just be better because it's right and good, without reward, huh." Gabriel.

"Gabriel, are you well now?" Asked Raphael concerned. It seemed like, the Archangel of Healing won't join the battle any longer, as he was now carrying the lives of all angels on his back. Any who were injured, wounded or suffered what should have been a fatal hit, were instantly made well, as if they had not entered battle yet.

"I am," Gabriel smiled. "And you're right, Raphael," her eyes began to shine with Light.

"Gabriel?"

"You were all right." She said, thinking of her brothers and sisters, and everything that happened since this battle began.

All the siblings slain by her that she will mourn, all angels slain by the madden Greek Love Goddess, all the suffering caused by Lucifer and Lilith's machinations.

"No more."

Gabriel vanished...

And appeared before Aphrodite Areia tanking a blow by the demonic morningstar, meant for one of her angel siblings, with her body.

"Gevurah Valor."

"You!" Aphrodite Areia's shock was such that she was thrown out of her bloodlust. "How are you still standing? No," The Greek Goddess pulled the weapon back as it shined with divinity and darkness, swinging it once more, with all her might at Gabriel's head. "This time I'll make sure you never fly again!"

CRASH!

"Wha, what?" Aphrodite Areia looked on in confusion slowly leading to terror.

Gabriel had caught the morningstar by the head, crushing the spikes under her hand.

"I see, so it's only the first hit that bypasses defenses and durability." She said with calmness and tranquility even.

The Light of Gevurah was simple. One's Light becomes as dense and heavy as their willpower.

"H-How? That's impossible, even without the effects of the First Strike, you shouldn't-"

BANG!

The sound barrier was broken over a hundred times from Gabriel's single action.

The Might of God swung her fist, and Aphrodite was in that instant knocked out, her face caved in, as her body rocketed away.

And slammed into Pontus.

The Greek Deity was focused on Uriel, Remial, and Sarial, and Satan Leviathan should have aided him. But Leviathan never had the chance to act.

The Primordial God of the Sea barely had time to react, shout or register the pain, before another another explosive punch that shatter the air, and slammed into his face...

Through Aphrodite Areia's torso.

For the Primordial God of the Sea, Pontus, he didn't join the damned alliance with Aphrodite Areia against Heaven, to repay a debt like Chronos, or for some ideal like Nyx and Erebus.

He did it out of Why? devotion.

Aphrodite Areia was born in his waters. To others she might have been a remnant of Ouranos, or just the Goddess of Love, but for him, she was more than that. She was akin to his occasional lover daughter.

Her visits were rare but her presence was always foretold trouble welcome. If only she wasn't a damn good fuck so mischievous.

Lately her visits were more frequent, which ominously worrying warmed his heart.

When she told him of her troubles he was thinking of talking to Zeus concerned.

When she outlined her plans, he was supportive? supportive.

He was willing to No. Why was he doing this? help her as any parent should, even fight help the reckless fool run away against the Biblical God Himself.

Thus when Pontus faced three Archangels, whose names he didn't bother to remember, with Satan Leviathan by his side, he had no fear. He cared not for the consequences of this fight, as he wanted to protect NO his No beloved no Aphrodite.

Leviathan was excellent additive to his abilities. If the Archangels avoided the sea swirls he'd throw at them-or the Flame of God burned them-or the ice needles from the moisture gathered from the air, Leviathan could generate water from her power for him to use for his own techniques.

Although her Sea Serpent of the End grated on him. How dare this impudent child take command of the sea before him?

However, before he could make his displeasure known, or just stop that bloody loud boisterous fire using Archangel from overcoming his divinely commanded waters, Pontus was struck most heavily from the side.

He barely had time to turn, to see the body of that his Aphrodite Areia had slammed into him, before a fist pierce through her body, and slammed into his face.

Pontus began to fall to the sea, he woke up after a second to see his daughter's body fall next to him. There was a hole in her stomach, her face was badly damaged with blood dripping up from it.

"Aaahr, aaagh..."

She's alive! Pontus's wide eyed in joy. He needed to help her. He needed to save her!

It began to rain. Pontus didn't question this stroke of luck as he, somewhat slowly, began to heal, and extended a hand with a healing spell hoping to push death away from his beautiful warrior child, enough to get her back to Olympus.

"Aph..Aphrodite, I'm here. I'm here!"

"Uu..."

Wait, where did that devil lent weapon she was holding go? What is that flesh armor on her arm?

The arm covered in demonic metal snapped forward, and grabbed Pontus by the throat.

"Aagkh! Aphrodite...what are...you...snap out-"

""UsELeSs."" There was an echo to the Greek Goddess's voice.

Then Pontus began to scream as Farfarello awakened to unleash its aura...and began to feed.

The Archangels didn't have time to celebrate their victory, even the enraged Chronos halted as he witnessed the scene before him.

A dark purple aura covered the Primordial Sea God, then rapidly that energy sphere shrunk and was sucked into Aphrodite Areia's body.

CRUNCH! SPULETG!

""Aaah. Aaah. ...AAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHhhhhHHHHH!""

Aphrodite Areia's eyes snapped open, her face breaking and reforming itself to how it normally looked. The hole in her stomach pushed blood and flesh into itself and fully healed.

All while a shout of pain and ecstasy screamed out of her, and the aura of dark divinity exploded out of the Greek Goddess.

Purple flame-like aura cover the goddess, and grew and grew, before bursting outward, the sheer force of it, pushing devils and angels back, as they struggled to stand against that force.

What came out of the near black aura was a grotesque creature.

The goddess's upper torso was present, and beautiful as ever, yet everything else contrasted that beauty. Her lower body was serpentine, her arms seemed to enter this flesh-like extravagant coat, only to emerge as giant demonic arms. A specter of a devilish goblin can be seen behind the reanimated goddess.

""OnCe MoRe I'vE hAVe dEfIeD wEaKneSS aNd rOsE tO mAjEsTy. I aM Aphrodite Farfarello, BeAuTiFuL AnD tErRiBlE, aNd aLl Of yOu ShAlL bOw As I TaKe AlL tHAt yOu ArE fOr My GlOrY. bOdY aNd SoUl! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!""

The twisted goddess roared as she rose up, her power dwarfing that of the Satans by leagues.

Before the forces of Heaven stood a Demon Goddess.

The roar of Aphrodite Farfarello echoed and reached even those on the ground.

"What the fuck?" Raguel said, looking up at the Demonic Greek Deity.

"What...in...God's name?" Even Viviane seemed thrown off by the Love Goddess's sudden transformation.

"Seems like Farfarello started the transformation early. I guess Aphrodite was about to die, huh." Lilith sighed. "I guess I shouldn't have expected much for just a love goddess. No, she was also partially a war goddess. Maybe there was some incompatibility? I genuinely thought she and Farfarello would be suited for each other. Both thieves using all tactics-cruelty and deception or otherwise-to devour others for their strengths" Lilith held her chin. "Maybe it was just bad luck that she was fatally injured." She shrugged her shoulders.

"What the hell did you do?" Raguel turned back to Lilith, as he pushed himself to stand. Viviane offering him a hand, which he accepted, the sword she had been holding, floated to Raguel's free hand. "What is that? What's Farfarello?"

Upon grasping the hilt, instantly Raguel felt the effect of Caledfwlch, but did his best to not show it. He felt reinvigorated, his Holy Power reserves refilling far faster than he ever felt them do so. It took Raguel a while to figure out what the blade was doing in detail.

The blade...actually looked remarkably normal-Unlike Viviane's Arondight.

Other than the fey writing down the sword's fuller, it didn't seem any different than other blades. At least when it comes to looks. The sword was unnaturally shiny and sharp, there was a feel of bliss and holiness around it.

The effect the weapon had upon wielding it however...

"God created Sacred Gears for his weak humans." Lilith gave a condescending smirk. "The Longinus Sacred Gears supposedly allow those humans to be able to fight gods. Lucifer and I figured we would created something that could do the same. Malebranche," she said the word with a purr. "Evil Claws that would slash Heaven and all its beauty." She sighed. "Sadly making those weapons not only powerful but under our control was such a taxing job. The materials for their creation was very tiring to find.

"And then, not only do they require a lot of power to awaken, they require a high compatibility with the user or they'll run amok. Aphrodite was a test to see how adjusting a Malebranche to suit a user would go. Thus far it seems to be working well." She gave them a small smile. "I can still control them of course. I can get them to stand down, if you just let me have Pandora's Box, Raguel." She actually gave the Archangel a concerned sympathetic look. "You have no idea what's within that container, Raguel. You're better off never knowing."

"Again and again, you just lie over and over." Viviane spoke. "To others, to yourself. You had the box for days and you could have left. In the end of it all, you just want to throw vengeance against the Archangels." Her eyes narrowed. "In th end the only solution to the chaos and destruction you bring where ever you go, is to stop you here and now."

Raguel gave Viviane a sharp look, while keeping his head turned in Lilith's direction.

Lilith sighed and let out a playful smile. "Ah, you're always so serious, always the humor breaker. It's so cute...Viviane." There was an echo of magic, when she said that name, which made Raguel's eyes widen.

"Run!" He quickly said to his wife, but Viviane didn't seem perturbed at all.

"Don't worry," Viviane sent through their mental bond. "I'm fine. Trust me."

"I mean," Lilith continued. "With magic, I can see people's souls, like Raguel here," the Archangel felt she was wrong about that estimate. It felt like she takes longer to achieve the same result he does. Not only that, it felt like she doesn't see souls in that same-how to describe it-depth or measure as he does. "Is it any wonder that I can read your true name, upon your soul?"

Viviane took a fighting stance and held up Arondight.

The blade was shorter than Caledfwlch, but was more elaborate in it's design. Adored with gold and gems, with it's edge giving off a blue water like shine.

"Prepare yourself." Viviane said with finality.

"Really?" Lilith asked, feeling amused at the futile resistance.

"She's not alone." Raguel placed a hand on Viviane's back, sending a link from the Tiferet Heart to her.

They nodded at each other, and looked back on Lilith each taking their battle stance. A short message was sent between Viviane and Raguel. It ended with Raguel looking at Viviane in worry, before taking a breath, and focus on Lilith again, reassured that his wife knew what she was doing, and is going to be fine.

"So, you really will push me to this?" Lilith gave one last warning. She was met with resolute glares. "Fine!"

Raguel and Viviane moved.

"Viviane du Lac!" Lilith called out. "Obey me and slay Raguel!"

A sword formed behind Lilith.

The First Woman quickly jerked her head aside as the blade cut her cheek. Her eyes widened as she saw it was the same blade Raguel held. The sheer Holy energy within it was staggering.

In that moment Lilith's eyes was off of them, Raguel had burst into speeds he never displayed before.

Toward the automaton-like Nyx and Erebus.

"No!" Lilith called on her chains.

They zipped faster than a blink of an eye to grab Raguel.

The black chains grabbed nothing, for the Archangel was a mirage.

"What!?" Lilith shouted. It shouldn't have been possible for Fae Magic to trick her when she's looking out for it.

Yet it did, and in that time, Raguel had grabbed the two Primordial Gods of Night and Darkness, and with a glowing feather connected to somewhere far away, the three vanished in a flash of Light.

"NO!"

Lilith looked back to see another sword in Viviane's hand, not designed like the two she brought. It gave an aura of deceit, shadow and trickery, before it vanished into the air like mist.

Lilith turned her full focus and rage on the Lady of the Lake.

"Aaaaand wake!" Raguel said as the two Primordial Gods blinked back into consciousness.

The end of a white seal chains was touching their foreheads, and pulled back upon the deities regaining their mind. Raguel nodded to himself, at a job well done, as he had used the white chains to remove the destroy the demonic energy within the Greek Deities.

"You..." Erebus said with his eyes narrowed.

"Brother," Nyx said in relief and awe, and she looked at herself then her brother. "He saved us, we're free us from her."

Erebus's face softened, as he hugged his sister, before turning to Raguel with a more polite grateful look. "Thank you for saving us."

"Thank you, Angel of the Biblical God." Nyx nodded with a smile.

Erebus then gained a serious look. "Where is she?" Who he was speaking of, didn't need to be specified.

"Lilith is being managed, but I have to go back to fight Lucifer. I hope we're not enemies anymore and good luck." Raguel turned to fly away.

""Wait!"" Both Greek God siblings said at the same time.

"Yes?" Raguel looked back.

"Aren't you going to call on our life debt to aid you?" Nyx asked, while Erebus frown as he wanted to bring up the topic in a subtle way to get it resolved.

"Huh, what 'life debt'?" Raguel looked at their souls and his own, and found it. "Ah, that. Your thanks and gratitude is payment enough. I free you from your debt." He spoke with intent, and the debt vanished to the utter shock of the Greek Deities.

"Do you know what you're done?" Erebus asked, flabbergasted.

"Wouldn't you have wanted us to fight for you? Isn't that why you freed us?" Nyx asked.

"What? No. I freed you because you shouldn't be enslaved to anyone's will. That's a fate no one should suffer." Raguel then remembered something. "Uh, actually, can you take away your support from the Nehemoth barrier?" He asked with a sheepish look.

The two Greek Deities stared at him in disbelief for a moment, before Erebus covered his mouth, and looked to the side, chuckling. Nyx had no such restrain as she just laughed out loud.

"You should have just told us to do that, before letting go of the debt." Nyx took a breath, and regained her composure. "Unfortunately, it wouldn't have worked. It seems while we were under that witch's control, she changed the ritual spell, so a permanent piece of our power would be absorbed by the barrier to keep it's current strength indefinitely. I don't think this barrier will be gone even after this battle is over." Nyx looked at the world around them with a conflicted expression. "This land is dead now and forever."

"...Oh." Raguel looked down in disappointment, before taking a breath, and a determined look entered his eyes once more. "Welp, I'll figure something out later."

"You're going to fight Lucifer by yourself." Erebus made is sound like a question, but he was actually making an observation.

"A group of humans stole the Pandora's Box, sooo yeah. Someone has to, or he'll kill them." Raguel said with a shrug. "It's going to be difficult but, you'll fail if you don't at least try."

"Facing Lucifer is something far more than 'difficult'. Dying would be the merciful outcome." Nyx stated plainly.

"Maybe," Raguel gave an accepting smile. "But I'm here, and I can, so I will. Whether I will fail or not isn't my focus."

"You angels of the Creator are odd beings." Erebus shook his head. "Fine, we will not fight you in this battle anymore. Nyx?"

"No... but we should-" Nyx wanted to say more, to offer aid to the Archangel that saved them without asking for anything. No his request afterwards didn't count.

Yet before Nyx could say anything, a distorted twisted echoy roar rang out in the sky.

The recently healed gods began to regain their senses and abilities, and they looked up. Their eyes widened in horror.

"Aphrodite...what happened to that child?" Nyx said in shock at her vision.

"It's that mace, Lucifer and Lilith gave to her. The Malebranche Farfarello, it's a living weapon." Raguel then did his best to explain and summarize everything he knew, while opening up his Tiferet Heart connection again to tell his siblings, that he's sending help.

"It seems we will aid you after all, Archangel Raguel." Erebus said formally, his restrained anger focused on what became of his fellow Greek Deity.

"Thank you for everything, truly." Nyx smiled at Raguel. "This situation is partially our fault, so we'll do our part to fix it."

"Thank you, Nyx, Erebus!" Raguel smiled widely. Nyx found herself amused by how bright and cheerful the Archangel acted. "I have to go now, good luck to the both of you!" He turned and headed off to where he felt Pandora's Box laid.

Nyx's eyes linger on the flying Raguel.

"Nyx, no." Said Erebus.

"W-What?" She turned abruptly to her brother.

"Let's just go stop that brat, Aphrodite." Erebus jumped and flew upward at great speeds.

"No, explain yourself! What's objectionable about him?" Nyx flew after him.

"Well, I suppose I can understand the appeal in someone that has such darkness in them, yet can be so bright, but," Erebus looked back at where Raguel left, before focusing on the Devilish Aphrodite once more. "Left unacknowledged for a long enough time, and that darkness will remove any of the vibrancy you see in him now."

Nyx flew next to her brother as they neared the Archangels, and Chronos, surrounding Aphrodite-Farfarello who couldn't seem to focus, either roaring, attacking once and then stopping to examine herself.

"It doesn't have to be like that." Nyx finally said, before they reached the heavenly battle.

"Why are you still here, Lake Fairy?" Lilith said with a bored look. "You know you're not gonna win in a fight with me, right?"

Viviane stood defiant.

"I mean, I don't know what trick you used, for me knowing your name to not work, but you do understand I can still crush if I so choose." Lilith gave a lazy smile as she tilted her head. "And I'm choosing to give you the chance to run away. You should take it."

"When you thought you had power over me, you ordered me to kill my husband." Viviane said in a oddly calm voice.

"You would have resisted." Lilith shrugged. "That would have given Raguel enough time to run if he didn't want to kill you, or die by your hands. Then I would have rescinded the order, thus both of you avoiding a tragedy."

"...Ha," Viviane let out a disgusted laugh, making Lilith frown. "More than a cruel mistress, you're just a callous idiot."

Lilith sighed. "Child, if you're going try and hurt me with words, don't bother. I've been cursed at for millennia, and those that did so, were all fell by my hand." She said lighting up her hand with electric fire for emphasis.

Viviane stared at Lilith's eyes that viewed her as insignificant and no threat. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and resigned herself to what comes next.

The Lady of the Lake opened her eyes as they glowed with power, and she released all her magic aura, ready to fight to the death.

"My name is Viviane du Lac!" She declared.

"Are you serious?" Lilith snorted.

"Wife of Archangel Raguel." Viviane continued.

"By your name I command you, obey me." Lilith spoke, and felt her magic hold nothing.

"Blacksmith of the Briton Isles." Viviane's aura rose higher.

"By my hold of your name, I will thee to serve me!" Lilith shouted and the Fae Magic did not respond, or latch onto anything.

"Lady of the Gleaming Lake!" The rain itself seemed to echo with Viviane's power.

The First Woman was irritated and had enough. She cast a spell on her eyes to see magic and souls, to find out what's happening. While her ability to see souls was more accurate with direct contact, using a sight magic, allowed her a good enough look. Her eyes widened in shock upon seeing Viviane's soul.

The reason why fae can easily have their names taken, just by being known, and used against them, was due to how amorphous it was. If a normal soul was metaphysically akin to a solid, then a fae soul was more akin to a semiliquid, semisolid-or in extreme cases, even gas-parts of it can just be easily taken out, or put back in. Like one's name, and with it, control of one's being and action.

Viviane's soul however had changed from when Lilith first saw it.

Her soul was solid, as if the outreaching parts were covered in a membrane of Holy Light, now making it whole and complete.

"Ordained Saint of the Winter Fae, first of the fairies to follow the Almighty God," Viviane stretched her hand at Lilith. "And we are standing in the rain."

One moment passed. The First Woman blinked.

When Lilith looked around her, all rain drops in for hundreds of meters were turned into holy swords.

All aimed at her.

Lilith moved, her every steps, every move, even flying through the air, was a thunder clap. Yet booms of the sound barrier breaking and explosions of metal radiating Light echoed for miles in all directions.

Black seal chains exploded from every darken surface one and around Lilith, each chain having two mini-magic circles on either sides. One chain would fire hundreds of elemental spells to deflect the blade rain.

Thundering detonations were heard as the spells and holy swords clashed. Lilith looked around to find her opponent, only for Viviane to have disappeared. Lilith kept twisting and spinning as she flew, her chains meeting blades, sometimes their sheer magical energy in them, broke the blades, but the holy sword more often than not exploded taking out the chains with them, forcing her to make more, or to Lilith's annoyance, outright broke through her chains.

Lilith senses screamed, and she turned to see Viviane behind her in the air, having appeared for a floating gate of water.

Bringing her arm up covered in hellfire, she swung widely at the fairy, only for Viviane to bend, crouching to the side, while slashing Arondight that shined with a blue glow, and water drops trailed along it's edge, like they were a part of it.

Avoiding that slash in a normal situation would have been easy for Lilith, but she was a bit injured, and disoriented from all the exploding swords that radiated Holy Light that damaged her even passively by hitting her with that holy aura. Multiple that by thousands of thousands of swords, and the small injuries were bound to add up.

"AAARGH!" Lilith shouted as a clean slashed was made along her torso, only for the blood that gushed from her wound to burst outward and try to stab Viviane.

Viviane's eyes widened as the spikes of blood stabbed through her. Lilith smirked in victory, enemies never expect an injury to turn into an attack. The First Woman's eyes widened as the Viviane before her turned into mist.

Lilith landed on the ground, cracking the earth, all her wounds already healed as she was back to full health. The blood fell no longer under her control, the rain having purified it.

She looked up realizing the rain itself was holy in nature. Lilith then looked around spreading her senses, only to find Viviane standing right where she was in the beginning.

"Cute," Lilith said, as she understood the mental game of the fairy's plot, making her think she never moved from her spot.

Except she did. The body I stabbed was definitely real, she's not the illusion-focused type. Did she just become one with the rain to achieve that effect? How? Shouldn't she be afraid? Being one with a surrounding element for so long would risk her washing away with that element, or lost her chance to reform, or outright forget how to do so-She can do so without worry because her soul is more solid now! She has an anchor to use to return to "normal". ...And converting to worshipping God gave her soul that solidity.

"So, you became one of His sheep now? Lowering yourself to another master? How would the Winter Court take it?" Viviane said nothing. "I suppose that explains the body double trick, but the swords? You shouldn't be able to do that. You don't have the reserves for it." Lilith continued unabashed.

Viviane chuckled in amusement. "You know," she began. "I hate ephemeral things." She said, which caused Lilith to raise an eyebrow at the statement. "I know, I recognize the irony. Fairies are such fleeting existences, we don't really die, we just fade away once we have no more attachments to the land of the living. Like fog lifting in the sun's rays." Viviane's eyes gained a hard edge. "I never liked that. I never liked things that exist only for a moment, that's why I forged swords rather than study spells." She raised her blade, and pointed at Lilith. "However, that doesn't mean I can't created ephemeral things if I wanted.

"And you? I had nothing before meeting Raguel. I was so alone, all I looked forward to was my eventually renown so my name can't be used against me. But with him? I actually look forward to everyday now, I had a small piece of warm happiness. ...And you tried to take that from me. Kill that from me!" Viviane growled, as all the rain drops once more became Holy Swords, except ever hundred seem to be a different type. "So now I will bring upon your head every blade I've made or even imagined."

Lilith's eyes hardened in response. The blades all glowed with holy aura, before launching at Lilith.

"A'arab Zaraq Madness." Demonic energy exploded off of Lilith forming a barrier that stopped the holy sword rain. Until some ordinary magic blades went intangible, passed through the barrier like it wasn't there, and stabbed Lilith multiple times over. "You think you understand pain, child?" She spoke with controlled rage, standing upright even with her body pierced through. "You think you know loss or fear of it? Fine! I'm not letting you walk away from this fight, not anymore."

The qlipha allowed Lilith complete control of demonic energies and creations of it. Her body shined with dark light, and the blades were absorbed, before a dark purple magic orb gathered in Lilith's hand and a Demon Sword formed out of it.

Lilith swung her blade, and an omnidirectional blast of destruction went out, breaking the attacking blade storm, giving her reprieve for a moment.

The witch looked for a fairy, only to find her right in her face.

Lilith slashed with her Demon Sword upward, Viviane slashed down. Lilith's arm rocked from blocking the hit. Her eyes widened as she saw seven afterimages following Arondight's arc when ever the blade moved, before combining with it whenever it laid still. The afterimages were made of water, that in motion temporarily became solid copies of the blade.

Every swing of Lilith's blade sent an omnidirectional demonic wave, pushing the endless holy blade storm back. Only the point where Arondight existed was free of the demonic wave, as it had cut through it, like water split in half to two streams by a sharp bank.

Viviane attacked from the left, Lilith parried the swing upward. Viviane went with the momentum, spinning and turning the parry into an upward diagonal slash. Lilith blocked, her hands trembling from the eight fold hit, before Viviane twisted her sword and cut up Lilith's arm, then dodged away.

The blood trick didn't work a second time, and the rain made the blood fall down disempowered after that one attack. Lilith noted how she would need to actually expend more energy than she instinctively does, to keep using blood as a medium of attack in this rain.

Lilith was bombarded by the holy blades again, the swing of Demon Sword held the wave back again, only for Viviane to be back upon her again, only now holding a copy of the blade she gave Raguel in her other hand.

With two blades, one expected the fighter to slow down somewhat, but no. Viviane's attack didn't falter in any capacity. Calling her swordplay a dance, regardless of it's beauty would be truly erroneous.

The sheer ferocity she displayed was an awing terror to behold. Viviane swung her blades not giving Lilith a chance to breath, summoning holy swords on any chain the witch made, while emulating a hurricane made of iron and metal.

Rather than elegant, ever move seem designed to be a kill hit, ever action was a dance on a razor sharp high ropes, as the Lake Fairy knew, any mistake would mean her death.

Lilith took too many hits, attacks from Holy Swords leaving injuries that took longer to heal than others. Those she let herself take were of ordinary magic swords, but those attacks were to hide the crucial ones by Arondight, or Caledfwlch copy.

Lilith pushed through, focusing massive power in her Demon Sword, and appearing to attack recklessly forward. Viviane dodged only for Lilith to fall into her own shadow, appear from Viviane's own shadow, stabbing the fairy in the back.

Viviane fell into mist. Lilith was already on the move, as a dark wave burst from where she stood and hundreds of Demon Sword exploded outward to meet the onslaught of Holy Swords. Lilith turned to look for Viviane.

Except Viviane was in the middle of the wave of swords, hiding between the metal. The Holy and Demon Sword met with a resulting explosion, yet more Holy Swords survived the clash.

Lilith made a lazy swing with her blade, not looking up as she was still searching for the Winter Fae. All to late she realized where Viviane was, her arm had already completed the motion, leaving her open. The last volley of Holy Swords took the brunt of the destruction wave, and Viviane was free to stabbed Lilith with Arondight and Caledfwlch Copy.

Lilith screamed as they both feel to the ground, with Viviane on top stabbing down.

"Fuck! Fuck!" She looked up with hatred in her eyes, only to be met with a fierce glare that matched her will. Dark energy condensed in her core, ready to burst outward. Chain erupted from her body that Viviane had no choice but to dodge. "Golachab Decay!"

A field of energy exploded outward, making all the swords that hit it break down turning back into water.

The field expanded outward, till it struck Viviane. The fairy flinched for a moment, but didn't feel different as she held her ground. The Holy Sword rain was summoned once more, this time when Lilith swung her Demon Sword the destruction energy vanquished the Holy Swords, like she was swiping away a mirage.

"This power," Lilith spoke with intimidation, as she walked toward Viviane. "Will make the imperfections of anything, swords, spells, even emotions more prominent. For things made of glamour and illusion, it would be like breaking a spider's web. Effortless." She then glared as she saw, the two blades in Viviane's hands stayed whole. Arondight holy aura kept it strong, as it cut into the field, defying it's power, by Viviane's will. The other's holy aura was simply too strong to break down. "I see, one is an actual sword, not an illusion...so why is the other not breaking?" She said with a glare.

"This," Viviane raised the holy sword Lilith referred to. "Is Caledfwlch, the Primal Holy Sword. Even a copy won't break to mere decay magic aura, and will still cut through your rotten demonic barrier."

"Funny considering how easily it made your husband Fall." Something tickled at the back of Lilith mind at that statement. Why did Raguel Fall so easily? Yet she didn't have time to think on that, as Viviane prepared her next attack.

Viviane's eyes narrowed, then Caledfwlch broke into energy in her hands, before enveloping Arondight and becoming a second blade layer.

Lilith clicked her mouth as she recognized Viviane preparing to make a final strike. Lilith gathered her power into her sword once more, changing the blade to focus the destructive energy into one direction. Then she expanded her magical energy outward, as she used the Leviathan's bloodline special ability, but modified for the current situation.

"Rain Serpent of the End."

The rain that had been aiding Viviane till now, began to be tainted with corrupt demonic power, as it coalesced and condensed into a water dragon standing above Lilith protectively.

"Arondight." Said only the word, and as she aura expanded outward, then pulled in, all the still pure holy rain gathered onto her sword, adding more and more layer to contain the Holy Power generated by the combination of her swords.

The two didn't speak a word, or wait for a signal. They didn't bother with tricks, as the other would use their magic to counter it. The only option of a devastating attack to overcome and demolish what the other brought.

The both dashed forward. Viviane determined, Lilith sure of her victory. After all, Viviane had no way to replenish her magic reserves after all the blades she made, illusion momentarily made real or not, that is still energy expended. Even with the present rain lowering the spell cost, Viviane should still be on her last leg.

The rain dragon burst forward as the tip of the spear, only for the sheer aura of rain water and Holy Power around to meet it. The explosion from the water clash shook the earth and from afar made if feel like a hurricane clashed in that concentrated spot.

Then Lilith reached the clash a second later, her Demon Sword crackling with dark power, a swing in motion, Viviane responded in turn, and the hurricane split in two as holy and demonic energy clashed in near pure symmetry. Demonic Power and Holy Power. Fires of destructions and waters of life. Red aura and blue aura.

Lilith pushed forward, grinning as she saw Viviane falter. She knew she couldn't have enough energy at this point. Then Viviane pushed back, and Lilith's eyes widened. Viviane pushed further more.

And Lilith's blade started to crack, as the sheer holy power outpouring from the Sword of Elegance, seemed to grow more and more.

Lilith turned her magic sight back on, and saw holy energy being sent to Viviane from the Tiferet Heart link, Raguel had made with his wife before the fight began.

"Raguel, you mother-"

The Demon Sword broke.

Arondight completed it's motion cutting into Lilith's shoulder, then down into her body.

Golachab field vanished...and was focused into Lilith's hand, who pushed herself forward, letting the blade cut deeper into her, the Holy Power burning her from within, and slammed her fist in Viviane's face.

The explosion of energies blew the two women back.

Viviane still held onto Arondight, yet couldn't move from where she laid on the ground. She knew she was dancing on a tight rope in this fight. She hadn't made a mistake, yet Lilith too strong and persisting.

The smoking body of Lilith laid on the ground opposite to Viviane. The fairy wondered if she won. No one can take half their body being near cut up and live.

Lilith groaned as she turned over, to Viviane's disbelieving eyes.

Smoke was still going off Lilith's body, even with the holy rain fall in her wound. The fairy was treated to the disgusting sight of the muscle, veins, nerves, bones and flesh reconnecting and mending Lilith's body back whole.

Seeing the look on the fairy's face, Lilith couldn't help but smirk.

"Fruit...of Immortality, bitch." She laughed before she started coughing up blood.

Lilith needed a moment to gather herself, as take that sheer amount of Holy Power wasn't something she could shrug off despite how she wanted to pretend she could. She wobbled a bit, as she forced herself to stand.

Viviane groaned and gritted her teeth, forcing herself to raise her head. The rain was having a healing effect on her, so was the holy energy Raguel was sending her, but it wasn't healing her fast enough.

"I am..." Lilith pushed herself to stand, panting from the effort of a simple action. "Going to send...your fucking head to Raguel." She looked at Viviane with a vicious grin. "Let's see him try and stay 'virtuous' then." Lilith began hobbling to the downed fairy.

Viviane struggled to get up, gathering her energy for at least one last trick. Sudden she felt the energy sent to her shift, and she was healed of all wounds, like all harm or ills were excised away from her. She forced herself not to smile, as a new plan came to her.

Then an explosion of power caught both combatants attention from far away.

A column of black flesh and shadow rose to the sky.

Lilith's eyes widened in distress at what that meant.

"NOOOO!" She shouted in rage and despair, immediately making a shadow portal and jumping through it.

The battle against Aphrodite-Farfarello was proving more difficult than it should be.

"Stand still you little nark." Chronos growled out, as he sent another slash of time frozen wind.

"No." Raziel dodged, and then when the time frozen air slash, disappeared to appear at another point in time, heading at Raziel's head, she smacked it with the back of her hand, turning it to a gentle breeze.

Chronos dodged another spear of Light from Metatron, before blocking a Light blade from Sandalphon.

Shockwaves boomed every time Gabriel and Aphrodite-Farfarello's fists met, before the Demon Goddess bellowed as Remiel hit her with another Holy Lightning.

Gabriel then tanked a water dragon from Leviathan, unmoving and unaffected, while Sandalphon had to dodge a water dragon aimed at him.

Leviathan found herself in this odd position, where she felt she didn't belonged in this fight. She aided Aphrodite-Farfarello without a problem, but if she got too close to the maddened goddess, Leviathan would be attacked just as well. Chronos wasn't grateful for the help, nor did he try to work with Leviathan.

This battle was turning far too chaotic. The only upside the Satan saw was that Michael, Raphael and Sariel weren't able to participate anymore in the fight, each having to uphold their sephira to support everyone else. Michael by ensuring no one Fell, or succumbed to the darker effects of the empowered Nehemoth field. Raphael, which Leviathan was beginning to genuinely truly hate, and see how much of a problem he was and will be, as Heaven's side no longer suffered any casualties. And finally Sariel, was busy upholding the Tiferet Heart network that allowed insane coordination between the Angels, as well as deliver Michael's Keter and Raphael's Chesed through it.

Leviathan never stopped to consider that her devil forces were steadily losing bit by bit, and would soon there would be too few devils to be a meaningful army.

"Damn you, Gabriel. You think you can afford to ignore me! I'will-"

A glowing feather was next to Leviathan sent by Remiel. A flash of Light, and Uriel teleported behind Leviathan and bearhugged her.

"What!? You! Let go of my you disgusting feather wings basta-"

"Spectacular Blaze." Golden flames exploded from Uriel engulfing him and the screaming Leviathan. The Archangel then flipped himself and flew straight to the ground, spinning while holding his Satan foe.

Uriel grinned as he successfully copied the move he saw his Father used on that white dragon.

Leviathan stayed in the earth.

"Thank you for the support, Remiel." Uriel shouted as he flew back up, ready to support his sisters against the Demon Goddess.

"No problem." Remiel gave a thumbs up.

"Worthless trash, couldn't even help for long." Chronos noted while his focus was one Raziel.

"Raguel has sent help." Michael suddenly spoke, his voice reaching everyone on the battlefield.

"As if it will change your fa-" Chronos began to shout and charge up another attack.

"Chronos, stop!" A female voice shouted.

For a moment those not engaging Aphrodite-Farfarello, stopped to see Erebus and Nyx fly in. The angels were wary but Michael reassured them that they came in peace.

"You...what the hell happened to you two?" Chronos looked at them with shock, having noticed how weakened they have gotten.

"Lilith and Lucifer betrayed us." Erebus said.

"That damn bat." Chronos hissed. "I knew the dumb broad shouldn't have listened to him." He said, talking about Aphrodite.

"We need to clean up this mess, Chronos. Our mess, and that means not fighting the angels." Nyx said.

"Like fucking hades it is." He said, invoking the Underworld not the god. "I'm not letting the mark that little shit of a brat left on me, go unchallenged."

"Be healed." Raphael spoke, and as a holy aura rippled out and touched Chronos his eye was back unmarred.

"You!" If anything Chronos looked more angry. " You think you can just erase a warrior's scar, and that's it? As if the battle had never happened!"

"Chronos," Erebus flew till he stood in front of the Primordial Time God. "Look at Aphrodite." Chronos glared. "Look. At. Her." The old warrior looked at his fellow Primordial for a moment, before turning to see the monster the Greek Goddess had become. Even he couldn't help but flinch back, yet find himself disturbingly fascinated. "That child is too far gone." Chronos met Erebus's gaze once more. "If you want fight that Archangel, then fine, but first we fix this problem."

"I have my pride, Erebus!" Chronos spoke.

"And we have our honor, and it has been slighted by Lucifer and his ilk." Erebus said as he glared at the devils around. "And we need to pay them back for that." He said facing the old warrior once more.

Chronos narrowed his eyes, before closing them, and taking a breathe. He gritted his teeth, yet the absence of pain, and the return of his sight made the angry have less of a direction to hold onto like before. Yet, it doesn't change what Lucifer and Lilith did, and he did dislike those two more than the angels.

"Fine." Chronos growled out, opening his eyes once more. "This isn't over by a long shot, brat." Chronos said to Raziel.

"Anytime." She said back with calm disdain.

Finally the Archangels and the Primordial Gods turned to face the real danger.

Aphrodite-Farfarello roared unleashing a dark wave in all directions, causing the rain cloud to part for a moment, before they were pushed back by the angels on rain duty.

Erebus, Nyx, Chronos, Raziel, Sandalphon, Metatron and Remiel moved to engage. It was an overwhelming attack, yet Aphrodite's new form has far too much durability.

Then the Demon Goddess summoned the sea to aid her, making water tornados to take magic attacks, and block her opponents' sight of her.

Gabriel took the chance to fall back, as using her sephira and fighting with it for so long, on her first use, was taxing on her.

"You need to rest, sister." Uriel said as he grabbed and flew back with her.

"You should...take your own advice." She panted.

"You two should rest." Raphael spoke to them. "While your physical injuries will be healed, I'm sorry but I'm not healing the mental fatigue as much, as it take too much of a toll on me. I have to keep the Chesed Light through the network, and ensure everyone lives, so mental stamina is being disregarded for now."

"Hmm," Uriel thought for a moment as he let go of Gabriel, when she's shown she can fly on her own. "Sariel," he said getting his attention. "Can you handle the Light of two more sephrias through the network?"

"Wait, you're not thinking..." Gabriel's eyes widened.

"We are not alone." Uriel spoke and gestured to all his angel siblings fighting, even some that are engaging the monstrous Aphrodite without fear. "And our brothers and sisters can do quite a lot united together, and I believe with our aid, they can be victorious."

"...Sariel?" Gabriel turned to the Archangel that's the lynchpin to this plan, actually coming around to the idea.

"If you take up this take, I'll ensure you have the strength to carry it on." Raphael spoke with determination.

"Very well then." Sariel grinned. "Then you carry me, I will grant all our brothers and sister the strength to rise ever higher. Do it!" Thus spoke the Prince of God.

The Light of Chokhmah from Uriel streamed to Sariel. The Light of Gevurah from Gabriel did the same.

"Tiferet Heart!" Sariel declared once more as he sent the Light of those sephiras to all angels.

The Light of Gevurah made one's Light as heavy and dense as their will.

The Light of Chokhmah however, did not grant one fire powers, but rather increased the potency of one's abilities, bringing their inner instincts of action to the surface. Simply put, it placed the user in a state of Flow.

Michael felt his body invigorated. The Light of his Keter felt more pure and stronger, pushing away the effect of Nehemoth even more, and relieving all angels affected by it from that spiritual burden. He also felt how to pace himself better to keep the Light shining for longer than he estimated he could before.

Raphael felt his healing increase even more, as if now carrying the burden of healing physical and mental ills become more tolerable.

And Sariel, with Raphael's full aid, he believed he could carry out this take perfectly, and now just send coordination and messages with clear intent through the network, but holy energy to those who need it.

The effect rebounded on Gabriel and Uriel bringing them back to top shape.

It was at this moment, that Satan Leviathan woke up, and rejoined the fight. It was not a good time for her to do that.

The devils were treated to a sight that would put terror in their hearts for hearts for years to come.

The angelic warriors fell upon the horde of hell, like an avalanche. The angels were reinvigorated, empowered and simply not dying no matter what attacks thrown at them.

The Leviathan screamed in pain, anger and humiliation as the legions of angels, brought out the full might of not only their own Holy Light, but of the usage of their Galatine Replicas, with each blade of Light being far more concentrated and dense that they ever normally could be.

The sea floor and coastal lines were being reshaped.

Back in the fight against Aphrodite-Farfarello, the Demon Goddess displayed Pontus's powers, even taking control of the rain to make weapons to launch at the Archangels and her fellow Greeks, and monsters to fight for her.

"Not today, you annoying child." Chronos spoke as he sent a magic wave, that stopped the monsters made of water in time.

Nyx and Erebus then slashed those frozen monsters with blades of darkness.

"We need something to restrain her, long enough to kill her." Said Nyx, not worried about the Greek Goddess's death, as if they don't damage her too much to cause a true death, which is unlikely with how strong she is now, she can then be revived at a much later date.

"I have something," Metatron spoke. "Chronos, I would like to request your aid."

Chronos huffed as if such a thing was expected. "Of course, you do." He summoned up a sphere of time magic. "Now what are you going to do?"

"This," Metatron lit up his sephira. "Netzach Perception." He could grasp energies and manipulate them. Metatron took the time magic sphere, and combined it with the energy around his own Galatine Replica.

He flew toward the Demon Goddess, now seeing the flow of magic and her attack patterns via vectors of kinetic energy, before blasting her with a direct hit of his Holy Sword.

The concentrated energy beam did not just damage the Demon Goddess this time, but also pushed through her magical resistance, and froze her body in time.

"These fucking angels." Chronos muttered wide-eyes at seeing his power just casually used like that.

"Then it's my turn to aid this effort." Spoke Sandalphon, his sephira lighting up. "Hod Formation."

He grasped the two blade he held, Galatine Replica and Clarent Replica, before smashing them together. Rather than breaking, the two blades merged to create one with the powers of both. "Take this!"

The beam from Sandalphon's blade slammed into Aphrodite-Farfarello, this time the damage focused on her mind, rather than body, as sleep penetrated deep into her psyche.

However the evil spirit of the Malebranche rebelled against that power, and feed the Demon Goddess more energy making her roar into wakefulness, and she pushed against her time energy prison.

"Sandalphon!" Remiel called out. "Let me borrow that!" She pointed at his modified Holy Sword.

Without hesitatrion, Sandalphon threw it at a nearby glowing feather, which teleported the blade to Remiel's hand.

"My turn." She grinned. "Yesod Mastery." Her sephira lit up, and she now knew how to use the blade to it's full potential.

Remiel flew at the Demon Goddess, Holy Lightning filling her veins, making her move faster and faster.

Suddenly the rain around her turn into icy needles and stabbed her in all direction. Aphrodite-Farfarello still had the power to use Pontus's abilities, even while immobile.

Yet all the Demon Goddess hit was an afterimage.

Remiel appeared behind and above the Demon Goddess, the Holy Sword charged with Holy Aura. She stabbed downward, yet her target was the spirit of the Malebranche, rather than the goddess herself.

Remiel got them both, the blade through Farfarello's spirit, and into the monstrous Aphrodite's back.

The Demon Goddess went still, as her body and mind were locked away.

"We won!" Remiel cheered to the on looking Angels and Primordial Gods.

Then explosion of power caught everyone's attention as a column of black flesh and shadow rose to the sky, in the distance.

The black energy and matter column, broke off into eleven beasts and eleven specters.

One of those specters flew toward Aphrodite-Farfarello, slamming and entering her body before anyone can react. The dark phantom felt like coming home.

The Demon Goddess's core pulsed with energy and life once more.

"Just fucking DIE already!" Lucifer stomped his foot one last time on the human boy, that shouted he was Arthur something or other, and crushed his head like a watermelon.

Lucifer was infuriated. It wasn't even that hunting down the humans who had Pandora's Box was specially difficult.

No, rather it was how persistent they were at trying to escape him-except for one, an old knight-and trying to lose him over and over again, that he wanted the satisfaction of torturing them for a bit, before ending their miserable lives. Whenever he got close to one, the human rider would dive with their kelpies into a pond, or just any water source nearby, causing Lucifer to have to chase them around the whole land of Hoy, all over again.

He actually had to put in the effort of pushing his sensing abilities as much as he could, to feel the light reflected off water surfaces of pond, or larger bodies of water, and see if a horse-like creature emerged from them, before using his lightning speed, to go there, and kill the kelpie before the human could escape again.

Killing the mage was obviously the first step. He sniped him with a ray of Light the moment he sighted him. The boy mage didn't have the box with him. Smart, but annoying.

Then, with a gleeful smile, Lucifer went on to hunt the ordinary humans.

The first one was easy to find, an old man, some knight or other who upon being confronted, challenged the Satan to an honorable duel. Lucifer killed him after playing around with him for a bit, before getting bored. The old knight seemed like he was going to do something interesting, but to Lucifer's disappointment he stabbed the old knight in the heart before seeing his trump card. Lucifer figured it was a special magic attack, or at the upmost some pathetic common Sacred Gear. The annoyance on missing out on a chance to see something maybe fun, lasted for a moment before he moved on. Naturally the box with him was a Fae Glamour.

The second one was some blonde soft looking kid. A noble's son, playing at being a knight. Lucifer enjoyed telling him how he killed all his friends, and how he'll do the same to his family, before letting him make one last desperate attack, and act like it affected him. Killing the brat that had hope in his eyes, was entertaining a bit. The box with this one, being a fae glamour soured the mood a bit.

The third human Lucifer found had irritated him a lot, as he seemed to have an illusion based Sacred Gear related to his body-size, allowing him to traverse in a giant's pace, or change a body part to a large size, or make it seem like he can cross vast distances, causing Lucifer to fly up ahead, only for the human to have tricked him, and still be much further behind, thus escape into a water source by the kelpie. Lucifer took special satisfaction in mind fucking this one, when he found out he was the old knight's son, by describing in detail how he killed the man's father. Seeing his look of anguish as he died was especially pleasing. Box was also a fae glamour.

The fourth was a human that looked like he's from Germania. He was one of those rare few that had the Holy Attribute. It made the fight have somewhat of an exciting risk...if it had actually be anyone but Lucifer. With his skillful control over the Light element, he could easily match and push against the boy's Holy Light exactly so as to cancel out the boy's attacks. Odd thing was, the boy didn't respond to his provocations at all. He almost seemed like he was studying Lucifer rather than fighting him, he didn't even seemed to despair at dying. Weird. Box was still a fae glamour.

The last human was the most annoying one. Lucifer knew the type, the hero type that all about determination, willpower, loud shouting. Fuck did he hate those. Fighting the kid was frustrating in that he. Wouldn't. Stay. Down. The Arthur kid wasn't even that particularly strong. Yes, he had the Holy Attribute too, and would have been a danger in the future with training, but his 'never give up' attitude really infuriating.

"Whatever, at least with this, this is finally the real box. I saw the mage kid, and he didn't have one. Now, to go and-" Lucifer went to pick up Pandora's Box and it turned into mist.

Lucifer's face started to boil red.

"FFFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKKKKK!"

His shout echoed to high heavens, yet sadly was drowned by the literal fight in the heavens.

And it began to rain.

"Where is it!? Where is the fucking box! I swear I'll kill every last fucking human on this fucking piece of shit of a land, if that's what it will take to find that box!?" He shouted and ranted for a while.

Only the impressed whistle of someone mockingly appreciating his rant stopping the Devil dead in his track. Lucifer slowly turned his head to see the boy mage he kill in the beginning.

"Wow, that is just," clap, clap. "Some prime emotion over there." Clap, clap. "The passion, the will. Ever try being in theater?"

Lucifer throw a blade of Light, that cracked the sound barrier, slicing the boy before he even knew he was hit. The throw was so fast, it took the boy mage a while to notice a hole in his stomach, then he fell on the ground with a disbelieving look.

"As if you fucking humans can ever hold the right to mock me?" The Satan growled.

"I dunno old man, I'd say you running like a headless chicken was very mock-worthy."

Lucifer stilled. No. It shouldn't be possible. He did kill the boy.

He turned, and there the boy mage was, leaning against another tree smiling, and even eating an apple for good measure.

"You really gotta work on that temper you know. It's not good for your health." Merlin took a last bite of the apple, before throwing it away.

"You!-" Lucifer gritted his teeth, before stopping himself. He had been letting too many things affect him today. Maybe it's because of that annoying Archangel Raguel. He hoped Lilith didn't kill the kid, since Lucifer felt the need to vent after this stressful day. Then in that second, where he gathered his thoughts, Lucifer tried to get a feel for the kid, his magical aura, his power level. Lucifer's eyes widened, as he felt something deadly familiar about the kid.

Something that allowed the boy mage to affect him with Fae Magic, as well as it did, even when his senses should have been strong enough to notice. Lucifer looked to the corpse of the Arthur boy, only to see it gone. The grass wasn't even disturbed, other than were his foot stomped the ground.

Lucifer slowly turned to Merlin, recognition on the Satan's face.

"Wa'ssup, Daddy-o!" Merlin smirked while spreading his arms wide, letting his body be a giant target.

Lucifer felt something die inside him at that greeting.

"Hello... Son." Lucifer said, trying to remember his name. "Myrddin...how have you been?"

"It's Merlin now." The boy mage correct, his grin and confidence never wavering. "And I gotta tell you, I've been great. How about you? How's your day been so far?" Merlin said with a smile that spoke of knowing too much.

"Merlin," Lucifer spoke with patience he didn't have, at this childish antics. "Give me the box."

"Box?" Merlin tilted his head. "What box-"

Merlin's head was blasted by a beam of Light. Obviously the boy mage turned to mist. It was just a fae glamour.

"Ooooh! Is it this box?"

Lucifer turned to see Merlin with the box floating above his hand. Merlin closed hand, and the box vanished in a splash of water.

"Merlin ...Don't play games with me, child." Lucifer said with a sweet smile.

"Do you think the Winter Court plays games?" Merlin asked with a measuring smile in return.

Lucifer's eyes widened, as that question put things in a far different perspective.

"Are you saying...what I think you're saying?" Lucifer asked through gritted teeth, as this day has tried his patience like nothing else.

"Oh my, a group of back-stabby cheaty fey, not being completely truthful about their intentions with the back-stabby cheaty devils? Say it ain't so!" Merlin actually held his face, like a distressed woman from the 1950s, which just confused Lucifer for a second at the odd display, before cold rage took over his mind, at what this information meant.

Had he been in his right frame of mind, the Light-bringer might have realized, Merlin never confirmed Lucifer's suspensions.

"So what are you here for, Merlin? Are you here to steal the box from me? ...Are you here to kill me?" Lucifer said with a calm smile, trying to appeal to a familial bond.

Merlin laughed.

"No." Then his smile fell abruptly as his tone became serious. "I'm here to fuck your shit up."

"What?" Lucifer tilted his head in confusion, but didn't have time to question Merlin's language as he flew to the side to avoid a colossal blade from falling on him.

Except he went directly into the path of said colossal blade, and immediately put his hands up to catch the tip of the giant sword that was pushed directly at the ground, where he now stood.

"GAAH!" Lucifer grunted loudly as he held up the sword trying to crush him. He heard a familiar shout of "Now!", before looking up to see the three boy he killed rushing at him, all their blade lighting up with Holy Light. "Oooh, you gonna be fucking-"

The shining holy blades of Gawain, Medraut and Arthur reach Lucifer with a blasting explosion.

The shockwaves of the holy beams rippled outward, pushing the teens back, but they kept digging in their blades, not wanting to give the Devil any rest from their sharp steel.

"Did we get him?" Gawain spoke hurryingly.

"Don't celebrate yet, kid. Don't you know that's bad luck?" Medraut said.

"Don't be a downer now, Medraut!" Arthur said in cheer but looked at the smoke from their attack in worry.

"Hey!" The booming voice of the giant Kay spoke. "Something is-"

"Ooooh, you most definitely should be fearful, humans." Lucifer appeared, holding the giant blade with one hand, a Light sword in the other, having blocked two swords with it, and used one of his wings to block the third.

"Wha!" Exclaimed Gawain.

"By the gods..." Medraut said slowly.

"Tsk," Arthur clicked his tongue. "Damn."

"Absolutely." Lucifer grinned. "I'm gonna fucking rip you all apart limb from limb, and I'm gonna do it slowly." He looked each one of them in the eye, before finding the old man a few meters away muttering something. "And I'm gonna enjoy it. This time, you go last old man. You get to see your brats die before your eyes, and no illusion will-Woah, what the?"

The blade Lucifer was holding up sudden jumped in size, and became much heavier.

"That fuc-Gah! Stop that!" Lucifer had to dismiss Light sword to use both hands to hold up the giant, and still growing blade.

"Kay!" Arthur smiled as he and the others jumped back, to give the knight more space. "Did you figure out more of your Sacred Gear from what Merlin told you?" He shouted.

"No." Came Kay's echoing voice. "It's just, it feels like I can do more. I just feel way more powerful, I don't know what this is."

"Tiferet Heart." Came the Archangel's voice from above, as the Tiferet Heart link extended through Raguel to all the humans present. The Archangel thought he would have a harder time using the sephira, but being connected to it, made it easier for him to grasp. Especially after extending it to Viviane, just accessing it was easier to figure out. "Humans, I'm truly grateful to everything you've done today.

"My name is Raguel, and I'm here to help." He paused for a moment. "Fuck that sounded pretentious." Arthur and Medraut snorted and smiled, while Gawain looked scandalous at an Angel of the Lord using such language before attributing it to his Fallenness. Kay was ecstatic for the heavenly support, and Ector was grateful for the Archangel coming in their moment of need. "Keep doing what's your doing and I'll support you."

"Making others do your bidding as always, Raguel!" Lucifer shouted, to which Kay tried to lean more heavily on his blade. "GAH! Just like a sneaky cowardly Fallen! That's why Lilith had such an easy time bring you down."

"Oh no, shit wings." Raguel had a devilish grin. "I'm fucking stabbing you myself this time!" Caledfwlch glowed and Raguel's body was filled with power.

The giant blade crushed the Satan down and dug into the earth.

"Move!" Raguel flew down, and the three young fighters scattered.

The ground and the giant top half of Kay's blade shattered and exploded as Lucifer stopping playing around. Kay let himself shrink as he jumped back.

Merlin had explained to Kay that his Sacred Gear held the giant Utgard-Loki, that had once got the better of the Thunder God, Thor, when testing his wit. Kay's gigantification ability was not actual size change, but rather he can make illusions on his own body, or things he's holding, so powerful they become real.

The moment Lucifer flew from the hole in the ground, Kay made his blade gigantic in size along with his arm, and tried to slap him down with the flat side. Lucifer avoid it, and Kay shrunk his blade and arm.

Then Raguel slammed into Lucifer with Caledfwlch coated in Holy Fire. Lucifer barely had time to bring up his intricate Light blade, only to have Caledfwlch dig half way into it.

"Wha-" Lucifer's blade was cut through, he swung a punch at Raguel, except he was no longer there.

There were hundreds of glowing feathers around. Raguel just appeared from one to the next, seemingly not stopping at all.

"Pathetic. You think such trickery will work on me!" Lucifer fired a thousand of Light rays at the feathers, only for anything he hit to turn into mist, as they were fae glamour. "That damn cambion!" He shouted.

Lucifer then dodged a blast of Holy Lightning, only to end up getting hit by a Holy Barrier that just forcibly pushed him to the ground.

Arthur had been in motion, when Lucifer was being slammed downward. The Satan roared, spun around breaking the shield spell with a swing of his arms, and turned that into a punch at the young squire, no longer bothering to hold back, just wanting to kill the humans, and focus on Raguel already.

Arthur was blazing with touki as he dashed with superhuman speed at the Satan. He swung his charged holy blade, and it met Lucifer's fist with a resounding boom. Lucifer was already responding with another fist, which Arthur with his instincts and heighten speed dodged and countered.

Lucifer's fist met the second swing, and another shockwave ensued. The Satan made a Light sword and met Arthur's sword, as they both locked blades.

"You specifically, I'm gonna kill." Lucifer glared, eyes glowing red.

"Or I you, and if I fail, I will haunt your nightmares themselves till your dying days." And they met Arthur's resilient eyes, and confident grin in turn.

Lucifer broke the sword lock, pushing Arthur's arms up, as he slash the boy's waist.

Only for Raguel to flash into the attack's path, and stop the blade dead. Arthur swung down, only for Lucifer to defend against that downward cut, leaving himself open up to Raguel's attacks.

Then Gawain jumped toward Lucifer's back with a roar, his shining blade having flames flickering along its edges. Lucifer stopped the blade dead by tanking the hit with his forearm. Just to show he could and demoralize them.

Only to have to dodge as Medraut was about to slice his head off. "Are you done, Old Man!?" He shouted.

Lucifer swung his blade with his Holy Light accompanying the slash like a wave. Medraut and Arthur were thrown back, and Raguel flashed in front of Gawain to take the brunt of the attack, as he didn't think the boy was as durable as Arthur or Medraut.

"It's Sir Ector!" The old knight shouted, as he seemed to be focusing on something gathering his power.

Lucifer was shocked that Raguel was still standing, and Raguel was grinning far too much, as he was impressed with his wife's sword. The Archangel dashed back in, his attacks weren't strong or overwhelming, but they were strong enough, and came without end.

Lucifer jumped back, only to be smacked by Kay's extending house-sized sword. The knight and squires joined back into the fight.

Jumping between attacks, parrying, and countering, only to be denied, Lucifer's mind raged at this situation, and one question kept coming back up. How was Raguel suddenly this strong? It didn't make sense. He shouldn't have the reserves to use these costly holy spells one after another. Yet the youngest Archangel seemed to use these techniques that would usually tire him out quickly without pause.

Lucifer's eyes landed on the sword. That was it. It must be the Holy Sword, but how was it doing it?

Caledfwlch was a Holy Sword that granted its user ability to manipulate the Holy Light in any measure, allowing the wielder to use any Holy Spell if they knew it. That was how it originally was.

When Viviane modified it, she made it specifically for the current situation in mind, granting it two abilities.

Demonic energy absorption.

And Demonic Power to Holy Power conversion.

The blade would consume Demonic Power, turn it to Holy Power and send it back to the wielder refilling their Holy Power reserves. A sword for angels and those with the Holy Attribute, designed to deal with those who have or makes use of Demonic Power.

And in Raguel's hand in the Nehemoth Wasteland, its full potential was unleashed, its ability was at its most potent.

"RAAAAH!" Raguel swung his blade cutting through Lucifer's own, and landing a blow on the Satan.

Lucifer screamed more in rage at the humiliation than pain.

"Fuck all of this!" He shouted and spread his wings.

"Ursi Respondere!" Sir Ector shouted, and from his outstretched hand an orange energy sphere erupted before jumping out of his open palm, and transformed into a bear with a crown.

Then the giant bear turned around and started licking the old knight's face.

"Dammit, no. Stop you Old Maid! Focus on the enemy!" Ector cried out trying to push the mama bear back.

Lucifer used that distraction to fly into the sky. He then really looked at the Independent Avatar Sacred Gear and click his tongue.

"Oh, this annoying thing." Lucifer frowned in annoyance.

Ursi Respondere was a Sacred Gear that summon a bear with the power to command and empower other bears to have the same power it had. The problem for the user was that the bear tended to be more maternal than warrior-ish. Meaning getting it to fight was a difficult task.

The annoying thing in fighting against it was the sheer durability it had. Even a Satan can't destroy that bear avatar without effort.

Thankfully it was as slow as a bear, and couldn't fly. Lucifer thought with a grin.

"Welp, might as well take that out now for the hell of it. At least there aren't any other bears around." Lucifer said as he gathered the Holy Light in his hand for a single powerful bomb to drop on Sir Ector.

The Mother Bear sensing the danger, let go of Sir Ector and stepped away, looking up at Lucifer and growled.

"Are you sure about that?"

Lucifer looked above him to see much higher up, Merlin stood on a water platform in the rain, with dozens upon dozens of water portals forming around them.

"Noooo," the Satan said slowly.

Bears began appearing from the water portals.

"Noooo!"

The Mother Bear roared and magical energy exploded from her in a wave, touching every bear in radius, as they all glowed and roared in turn with power and duty.

"NOOOOOO!" Lucifer screamed in horror.

"ORBITAL BEAR DROPS, SNAKE FUCKER!" Shouted Merlin in glee.

The bears fell like rain, and Lucifer began flying around in a panic trying to avoid them.

Except if he avoided one, Merlin would just make another water portal and have it open next to the Satan, causing the speeding bears to fly toward him with their maws open, their arms ready to tear into him.

Over and over Lucifer dodged the bears, and the more water portals Merlin used, the faster the bears flew through them.

However Lucifer was a Satan, not only that, he was the First Archangel, the First Fallen and with more years of combat experience and command over the Holy Light than almost anyone else. He would not fall to bears.

His reaction speed was beyond what one could imagine, moving faster than the eyes could see. His Light was strong enough to knock the bears off course. He was bound to win this engagement against the ursine menace. No, he would not be defeated by the large, stupid hairy animals.

Then the bears started breaking the sound barrier.

Naturally, the Devil made a misstep in his flight path, and got a glancing hit by one of the superpowered durable bears.

Then another, and another, and soon enough the bears started bearpiling Lucifer.

"GAAAAH! NOOO! I WILL NOT BE BEATEN LIKE THIS!" He screamed as the bearpile fell to earth.

Victory was at hand.

Naturally it was at this point that Merlin felt push from within him, like an energy bubble was about to burst. He knew what it was, and cursed the timing. He took out Pandora's Box from his pocket dimension, and was about to put it back after a few moments.

Lucifer sensed the box, and without hesitation or looking, he just sent a blast at full force to it's location.

Merlin's eyes widened at the lightning fast beam.

Raguel teleported in, pushed away Merlin, and took the attack behind a Holy Barrier.

An explosion rang out. Raguel had reacted on instinct, blocking the beam with a spell rather than his Holy Sword or both.

The Archangel fell to the ground. Everyone felt themselves weaken and more drained without the connection from Tiferet Heart carrying the burden of the power they used. Caledfwlch spun in the air, and slammed tip first into the ground, too far away from Raguel or Merlin to reach it.

Ector fell on his knees as he felt the burden of empowering so many bears.

Lucifer exploded out of the bear pile with blood and gore everywhere-as some of the bears lost their empowerments-and looked around for the box.

He saw it near the fallen Raguel on the ground. Merlin dropped on his feet easily with his enforced limbs taking the burden, but winced as the shockwave from the previous attack's explosion had still hit him. He spread out his hand to summon the box to himself via water portal. The box sent a pulse of energy and the spell fail.

"Oh that fucking little..."

Lucifer grinned as he walked toward the box and Raguel. Taking in the scene and enjoying it.

A panting could be heard behind him but he ignored it.

Arthur was running toward the Devil. He snatched Caledfwlch off the ground, and dashed with all his power at Lucifer, swinging.

The sword blazed with Light in Arthur's hand, and the Satan felt the energy of the Holy Sword, and turned to deal with his new foe. He scowled as he saw it was the persistent brat from before.

He summoned a Light sword and slashed at Arthur sending an energy wave at him. He expected the boy to dodge, but Arthur didn't stop. He fired a Light slash in turn.

Caledfwlch's slash cut through Lucifer's energy slash and continued till it met the Devil's blade that he used to block, and exploded pushing him back.

Arthur as he jumped slashed Lucifer causing the Satan to parry, then their blades kept clashing again and again.

The squire summoned up his touki, his Holy Light, and copied what he saw Raguel do of concentrating the power into his limbs to move faster, and hit harder. Arthur knew if he took a hit from Lucifer at the moment, he was done. There was nothing to save him, or heal him fast enough.

Arthur was alone at this moment, and fear whispered in his ear that he might die.

Yet that fear was nothing compared to the thought losing. Of losing here and having his friends, allies, and God's Archangel die on him. And so his heart burned with courage, as his touki aura shook with violent determination.

Lucifer gritted his teeth as the boy's attack grew faster, and faster and faster. The Holy Light blazed with glory and determination off of him. The Devil's hand rattled with each block, each blade exchange, as a slow realization came to him.

He might lose.

Lucifer could have flown up and attacked from a distance. He could have just disengaged and made things easy on himself. Yet, the image of Arthur was overlapped by someone else in Lucifer's mind. Someone he didn't think about for a long time and never wanted to think about again.

And so rage blinded him.

"I WILL NOT LOSE TO A FUCKING HUMAN AGAIN!" Lucifer roared the clashing blades growing louder.

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL THEM!" Arthur cried back, just as fierce.

Over and over the swords clashed, the metal echoing with each hit.

Arthur was pushed back. Even with all his ferocity and strength, Lucifer was still a Satan. Yet this mere human boy was making him pay for every drop of blood Lucifer made Arthur shed.

Raguel stood up. He grit his teeth and raised his arm, as he summoned his power.

Arthur's body glowed, as his Holy Light intensified.

Raguel felt the Light of his siblings' sephira flow into him. He sent that Light to Arthur.

Arthur swung Caledfwlch, Lucifer's sword cracked. The Satan reformed it.

Arthur swung Caledfwlch, Lucifer's sword broke. The Satan summoned another.

Arthur swung Caledfwlch, and the sword shined with enough concentrated Light that its mere presence harmed the Devil, and Lucifer's sword didn't have time to shatter, as Caledfwlch sliced through him and his body.

Lucifer screamed in pain and fear as Light burst into his body and out the other side. He was blown back crashing into dozens of trees and crying at the top of his lungs.

Arthur panted, unable to believe he beat the Devil. The squire dropping to one knee trying to catch his breath. More surprising was that even with sweat falling profusely down his face, he didn't feel as tired as he should. Physically at least.

"Lilith! Lilith!" Lucifer screamed from where he laid.

Raguel went and picked up Pandora's Box, he went up to Arthur, who held the blade up for the Archangel to take. Raguel smiled and grabbed the boy's arm, helping him stand. Then he took Caledfwlch back.

"Come on, let's go finish-"

A explosion rang out where Viviane and Lilith were fighting, as colossal aura of lake colored gentle yet firm energy, and red malicious lightning energy collided.

"Merlin!" Raguel called out.

"I can't make a portal there, or even a divination well to see. The energies there are way too violent!" Merlin said back.

Feeling the sephira Lights within him, Raguel felt for his sister Raziel, and copied her.

"Binah Radiance."

He looked at the battle and saw the two women, witch and fairy, Lilith and Viviane down on the ground. Lilith was heavily injured. Rather she should be dead from having half her body almost cut like that. Yet her wounds were healing. Rapidly.

In contrast, Viviane looked like she could barely get up.

Raguel tried to send a feather there, but it wouldn't reach fast enough, as Lilith finished healing and got up.

"He's running away!" Medraut shouted, as they saw Lucifer standing and trying to escape on foot, his wings injured from the last attack.

Medraut, Arthur, Kay, Gawain, Ector and some bears went after Lucifer.

"'Running away'!?" Lucifer bellowed, as he stopped, and summoned the reserves of power he still had. "As if I'll run away from fucking humans!" He shouted to the heaven. "Lilith Gate!"

A wave of darkness exploded from Lucifer's shadows as hundred of devils from the distant battlefield were summoned before him.

"Samael Depravity!" Then those same summoned devils found themselves horrified, as their bodies were pulled toward the Satan, their flesh and bodies melting and merging with Lucifer to heal him and return his health in full. Only a handful of terror stricken devils were left, who looked at their leader to wide-eyes wondering if they will be devoured next. "No. I am not running away." Lucifer hissed. "I will make your lives a tale of brutality and sadistic cruelty if it's the last thing I do!" He said as he marched back to the group.

Raguel saw Lilith walking toward Viviane, with Viviane summoning her power for some last move.

Raguel looked to Merlin as he remembered their meeting in the forest.

Earlier On the Way to Fighting the Satan

"I'm finally glad you could make it. Just like He said you would."

Raguel paused in his flight as voice reached him, in the sky. Looking around for the magic source of it he easily found it, in a young mage with blue hair and a hood, standing on a large branch on a tree in the forest below.

Floating to him, Raguel was confused as his sight showed him the boy looked familiar, soul-wise, yet, it felt like his soul wasn't...in-sync with the world in some fundamental way.

Like it was moving at a different time.

Raguel's eyes widened as he tried to recall where he met this boy before.

"You're..."

Merlin gave a gentle smile at the recognition, and a sheer happy look on Raguel's face.

"It's been a while, Raguel." Merlin said.

"Myrddin..." Raguel whispered. "You're Myrddin Emrys, you...you really grew up."

"Hehe, yeah. Although, I go by Merlin now, or rather..." Merlin paused letting his friend and future guardian continue for him.

"You will be called that." Raguel finished for him. "But how...?" Raguel thought about it.

"Fae shenanigans." Merlin sighed, confirming it for him.

"Fae shenanigans?" Raguel asked with wide eyes.

"Fae shenanigans." Merlin nodded in resignation.

"Fae shenanigans." Raguel nodded in sympathy.

"Also God shenanigans." Merlin added.

"Wait, what!?" Raguel exclaimed to which Merlin burst out laughing.

"Aaaah, I missed that." Merlin sighed, letting a content smile fall on his face, to which Raguel smile.

"Missed?" Raguel tilted his head. "Merlin, why did you come back? ...When did you come back from?"

"It's a..." Merlin sighed, tiredness entering his voice. "It's a bit of a long story." When he looked up to meet Raguel's gaze, the Archangel could see years that didn't match the age of his body.

"...I'm sorry," Raguel quickly said. "I would love to hear everything but-"

"We're short on time, I know. Well," Merlin shook his head a bit playfully. "We have just a small window of time to talk, while I fuck around with dear ol' dad."

"Who?"

"Lucy-goosy."

Raguel snorted, before disguising it as a cough. "Okay, that's a thing... I'm a bad influence on you, aren't I?"

"Oh you were the worst." Merlin laughed, and now Raguel began to feel the mage from the future was stalling.

"'Were'," Raguel muttered. "Merlin," he said kindly, to which Merlin gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry, but like you said, we're short on time. So if there's something you want to tell me..."

"Yeah," Merlin sighed for the last time, before his eyes turned serious. "A lot of stuff happened in this battle, were, will while you did win, it wasn't the best outcome." Raguel listened intently. "For one, the box was taken to the Underworld, and Lilith used it to create twenty Malebranches. Yes, what is inside it is exactly as you thought, a Pure Shard of the Beast. The current Malebranche were created from impure shards, it's why Lucifer and Lilith wanted Pandora's Box so much."

"Well, fuck." Raguel held his chin, as he imagined such a scenario and shuddered. "Okay, that's why they didn't open it, but why not take it to the Underworld the second they got it."

"Because they wanted to kill some or all the Archangels, or at least make them suffer. The box's presence aids their demonic activities, like the Nehemoth field."

Raguel sighed. "Of fucking course they did. The assholes. What else?"

"You beat Aphrodite before she fully finishes her ascension to Demon Godhood, the Olympians arrive to help out, causing you both to ally, with stipulations mainly in their favor due to them rescuing you. Yes, I know it's bullshit, since this shit was caused by their problem in the first place."

"Wow. Divine politics. What fun." Raguel said with disgust.

"Yeah, I know. Blah." Merlin make a mock puking gesture, before continuing. Here he hesitated. "For the most part things go well, relatively. Neither side permanently lost anyone important. No Archangels, or Angels from your side. No other Satan, or Lilith from theirs but..." Merlin gathered his courage and continued. "Raziel dies."

Raguel's breath hitched, as a ball of ice stopped in his chest and throat.

"God does bring her back, as she's essential as part of the Ten Seraphs, but...she's not the same. Like," Merlin paused to gather his words. "Same powers, same abilities, same personality in a sense, but...wiped clean. Like she has the same memories, but no attachment to them. I think you once described it like 'resetting the hard drive', while you were drunk."

"...I was drunk? I was drinking?" Raguel didn't know why he latched onto that.

"You..." Merlin looked aside. "Weren't well after this battle. You blamed yourself. Said your recklessness cost everyone too much. The battles afterwards, went well, but...you always thought it wasn't enough." Merlin looked back to meet Raguel's gaze. "You started to Fall." Raguel blinked and stood straighter. "You didn't, of course. You didn't allow yourself to. You asked God if he could make you human, rather than you becoming a Fallen. ...He did and you lived and died as a human. God told me to tell you that, this would result in things eventually ending up like the 'OTL'. I didn't know what 'OTL' was for a while, before discovering it mean 'Original Timeline', but I'm not sure what-"

Raguel hugged the rambling Merlin.

The old boy mage never noticed the tears he was holding back. Raguel rubbed Merlin's back, but all too quickly the mage composed himself, giving the Archangel a sad chuckle, and needing to move on, but nodding to show his appreciation.

"All good?" Raguel asked, a hand on the boy mage's shoulders.

"All good, Uncle Rags." Merlin look aside, blushing at his slip. Raguel stepped back, smiling at the nickname. "I'm okay now," Merlin nodded and cleared his throat. "So we were saying?"

"Right, so God sent you on this mission to the past to save Raziel?" Raguel asked.

"Yes, once a certain point is reached, that's when I'm suppose to act. And man, I have to tell you, it is weird being told by God to go to the past. Like, I was just sitting there minding my own business-"

"For some reason I don't believe you but okay."

"And then He came down and said 'Merlin ma boy, my gran boy, I need you to go back. Back to the past. And wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey dab dab do a few stuff for me'-"

"Merlin, you, you shouldn't," Raguel chuckled, but waved his hands to indicate rejection of the mage's phrasing. "You shouldn't joke around, and paraphrase the Lord's message. This is serious business."

"You think I'm paraphrasing anything?" Merlin gave him a smile of one who was in complete disbelief over stuff that happened.

"Wha..." Raguel's jaw dropped. Then Merlin took out a camera and took a photo of his face. "The hell, Merlin?"

"Sorry, part of the instructions too. Said 'that face is totally going in the album'." Merlin smirked, as the camera and photo disappeared.

"Dammit, Father." Raguel rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah. By the way, God is...wow. I'm surprised He doesn't make more appearances to people. He would have a lot more converts." Merlin pointed out.

"We really don't need more Azazels." Raguel shook his head.

"Point." Merlin nodded. "So back to my mission. I'm suppose to gather a group of teens with attitude and a grumpy old man." Merlin didn't know why Raguel facepalmed, but pleasantly continued. "Then after distracting and keeping Lucifer occupied, everyone would then have a chance to deal with each individual problem. Viviane will manage Lilith for a while." Merlin eyes looked aside for a second before he continued. It didn't escape Raguel's eyes. "Lucifer would be kept at bay by us and eventually we would slay him." Raguel's eyes widened and hope blossomed in his chest. "And everyone else would slay Aphrodite, but Leviathan would escape."

"That's..." Raguel smiled, but something pulled at that happiness. "That's great news but-"

"There are always sacrifices to our choices." Merlin told him, like he could see through Raguel. "Yeah, Aunt Vivi will be fine, but...she'd be..." Merlin looked away. "Harmed. She would escape with her life, but Lilith was...is a sadistic bitch. And likely to do the same thing she did in the timeline I came from." Raguel was alarmed. "Viviane put a curse of remorse on Lilith, one that grew stronger with time, till it's range reach whole world. A curse that made Lilith feel the pain of others, and if it's pain she inflicted it would be directly, physically reflected on her permanently."

"That's my girl." Raguel whispered, unable to stop from smiling.

"In return, Lilith damaged Aunt Vivi's uterus making her unable to conceive." Coldness filled Raguel's heart. "Lilith is...a vindictive bitch. She didn't want you two to enjoy your life together, or live the life you want, so she took a choice away from you two."

Raguel took a shuddered breath. He didn't know from worry or rage.

"God...told me to remind you that we all make our own choices, and we are all responsible for the choices we make or don't make." Merlin met Raguel's eyes. "There is a path were everything works out but...it will be an arduous one for you."

"If it means we win without harm to my loved ones. If I'm the one that has to carry the burden, then so be it." Raguel said, his will burning with conviction in his heart.

"Then there are two things I need to tell you." Merlin spoke, and it seemed like there was a different air about him. Like his words carried more weight. It reminded Raguel of stories about prophets. "One, 'you can never expect this type of aid again. The changes would be too great that all the mystic forces would align to ensure changes in time like this never happen again'." Raguel felt this throat dry a bit, before swallowing and nodding.

"Two, 'there is a divide in you, a shadow you refuse to acknowledge. If you do not accept it, you'll be forced to face it, or it will split you due to living in the past and the present. It would be your moral endeavor to unit the opposites within, if you want your true Self to be whole, and for you to walk into the future." Raguel blinked at the second longer part of that message. "Yeah, a bit flowery, but I was told you'd figure it out." Merlin said, sound normal again

"I see," Raguel took a while to digest all that information. Then something occurred to me. "Hey, where are you now? The present 'you' if that information isn't a problem to know."

"Ah, that." Merlin nodded. "I should be in an auction in the Summer Court territory."

"'In' the auction?" Raguel asked in alarm.

"Yeah, don't believe the hype around the Fae Court. The Summer look Good and the Winter seem Evil, but they're both assholes. Winter is just more honest about screwing you over. Summer is more occupied about looking like the good guys and having good PR."

"Ah, got it." Raguel nodded in understanding. "I'll get you out, once we're done with everything here."

"Yeah I figured you would." Merlin chuckled. "Try not to start a war over it though."

"Hahaha, I don't do that, do I?" Raguel laughed a bit.

Merlin just tilted his head and gave him a look that spoke of years of frustrations.

"So many things I want to say." Merlin finally said.

"Wait, am I that bad? I'm not some kind of troublemaker. At least I don't seek out trouble. Honest." Raguel began to say in a panic at what kind of mental image people have of him.

Merlin just sighed.

"Where's Pandroa's Box by the way?" Asked Raguel.

"Pocket dimension." Merlin showed his an image of it over his hand, that felt close in space. "I have to take it out every once in a while, as the thing wouldn't stay still in an illusionary space. And yes, you can go now to take it up to Heaven, but best outcome is if you stay and fight."

"God shenanigans?" Raguel huffed.

"God shenanigans." Merlin sighed.

"Fuck it," Raguel took a deep breath, and calmed himself. "I'll trust Dad on this, and hope it all works out."

"You're...going to be calling him 'Dad' from now on?" Merlin asked.

"Yeah, I'm not really feeling all that formal right now."

A loud cussing and ranting echoed in the forest near them.

"So," Merlin grinned. "Shall we go give the Devil a truly terrible, no-good, horrible, very bad day?"

"Oh, I raised you well." Raguel matched the mischievous mage's grin.

So this is the moment, huh.

Raguel looked down on the box in his hand, then at the devils and Lucifer heading back towards them, while Arthur and his group prepared themselves.

While the odds may seem difficult, with the Tiferet Heart network, the fight was in their favor. Eventually they would slay Lucifer.

Viviane would also benefit from that network.

But Lilith also has the Qliphoth. It is not wrong to assume she could have something that could counter Tiferet Heart, or even cut the connection to it.

Raguel looked at the box, the Binah Sephira letting him see the Beast Shard within. It reveled in the misery he was in. It wanted him to open the box.

But it didn't compel him to.

Odd. Thinking about it, Raguel never felt the urge to open the box. The Light of Chokhmah pulled up the idea that only those that wanted to keep the Beast sealed were tempted.

Raguel moved as though to open the box. The Beast radiated glee.

Yet when Raguel looked deeper into the shard, he could see it felt hesitance. A worry of a possible lost opportunity. Those were its true feelings.

So then why tempt others to open the box?

The moment he had that thought, the answer was clear. It was the Embodiment of Suffering. It wanted other to agonize and suffer when near it. That was its nature.

The Beast wanted to go with Lilith and Lucifer. It wanted to be used to make demonic weapons that could kill God.

Raguel looked forward to see Arthur and his group, engage Lucifer and his devils. The fighting was vicious yet slowly but surely they will win.

"It's important for you to remember this. Regardless of the conditions, your life is your life, and no matter how bad the choices you have to make are, the choice you make is yours and yours alone, even if you think you are forced into it. Even if you choose to do nothing, that is still a choice."

The words of his Father came back to him.

"The right choice is always easy for the virtuous, Raguel. It is following through on it, that is difficult."

And what's the easy right choice here, Father? Wouldn't sacrificing someone I love for the Greater Good be the virtous choice? Raguel wondered.

Then he felt the Beast Shard glee in approval.

"Well that just makes things easy. Merlin!" Raguel shouted.

"On it!" Merlin summoned water portal under Arthur's group, and pulled them to the one safe place he knew. Viviane's cottage.

Raguel summoned his white seal chains, and struck the box's lid.

Lucifer's eyes widened in pure shock at the little Archangel doing something that unbelievable, idiotic and unexpected.

The Beast Shard roared in frustration, as the moment it entered the world its purity degraded.

A column of black flesh and shadow exploded upward into the sky, as Pandora's Box opened.

"REJOICE ANGELS OF HEAVEN! FOR YOUR SAVIOR IS HERE!" Zeus exclaimed as he arrived to the Orkney skies, through a teleport gate, with the Greek Pantheon to stop the wayward Aphrodite and the devils.

He saw the rain clouds and used his divine authority to get rid of them, for his entrance.

Then he saw an explosion of malevolent power ring out into the world, as Pandora's Box opened.

"...Oh." Zeus said.

"This is why I urged you all to move faster!" Athena cried out.

"Well, now they will own us even more, as they couldn't even keep that container closed." Hera spoke, being the reason why the Olympians arrived so late.

The column of black flesh and shadow separated to eleven monsters, and eleven evil spirits.

One of the evil spirits entered Aphrodite-Farfarello and an aura of black energy began to envelop her.

Raziel used Remiel's Feather Delivery technique to teleport all her angel siblings away from the gestating Demon Goddess. The black energy orb shot strings trying to pulling any living creature to it, to feed on to empower its transformation focusing more on those of divine essence.

Nyx, Erebus and Chronos were almost easily pulled in, the moment the black string touch them, they seem to slack, as if their mind shut down.

Raziel teleported to the last angel she couldn't get. Her sister, Remiel.

"Just...hold on." Raziel tried to pull on the half-asleep Remiel, while throwing her energy at the teleport spell to get out of there.

"Trying...can't think." Remiel struggled.

Raziel quickly saw that the black string attacked her psyche in any way it's divided, thus the only solution was absolute focus on a single task.

Raziel used Salvation spell on Remiel as the sole target. Remiel vanished in a flash of Light back to Heaven.

Raziel was caught by the black strings being pulled into the Demon Goddess gestation orb.

"Ultimate Technique!" The water around Raziel from the leftover rain from the clearing skies, gather into a single water portal with half of Merlin forming out of it, with his palm open pointing at Raziel. "Ab~sol~ute~ly Nope to Bad Touch!"

Raziel turned to mist, as she was now in Merlin's arm in a princess carry, before he pull them back through the portal.

"That was weird." Zeus commented.

The black orb burned with power, as it shrunk and then wings began to unfurl showing the person within.

A beautiful woman in a mask with black butterfly wings floated. Zeus was instantly on alert as her power was comparable to his own.

No, even if he didn't admitted to himself, likely higher. This was what became of Aphrodite.

"I...I am..." Her voice was beautiful, sensual, and made any who heard it, wait on her every word. Yet it also felt those who heard it with fear of loss. "My name..." Her voice grew louder.

Lilith and Lucifer then appeared from a shadow portal near the new divine and demonic creature. There was anger on the First Woman's face that melted into a warm smile.

Instantly all forces of Heaven and Olympus were on guard, at this new development.

"Do you know who I am?" Lucifer asked.

The being looked at him, and smiled lovingly like Lilith did when her mind was shattered.

The being floated to Lucifer then kneeled.

"My Love, my Master, my God." She answered. Lucifer gave Lilith a side look, and she smiled and nodded. Every word completely sincere from the bottom of her heart.

Lucifer grinned. He had won. Regardless of everything, all the pain and set back, this was it. Living proof of his victory. He won.

"Rise," he commanded, the being followed. "You are neither Aphrodite nor Farfarello. You are something far beyond both. I would call you a 'Super Devil', but you are not wholly demonic. No. You are a Hellgod. The first of my Demiurges." Lucifer let out a savage grin. "I name you, Alastair, Evil Goddess of Theft and Want, first of the True Gods of the Underworld." He then turned and pointed at the armies of Heaven and Greek Pantheon before them. "Now go, Alastair. Become the Demiurge of Olympus."

Alastair smile, and the hearts of all who saw it wavered. Such was her hellish divine authority.

Alastair opened her mouth and sang. The eyes of all the Greek Pantheon glazed over, as they floated toward her like children to the pied piper.

The moment they were in range of her, they disappeared as Alastair used Chronos's time power to accelerate the event of her capturing and devouring the Greek spirit or god with her tentacles made of black tar from her wings, thus making that event having already happened, instantly adding their powers to her own.

"Hmm," Alastair moaned. "Feed me."