I fucked up.
A few moments after Raguel opened the box, a shadow portal opened and Lilith jumped out of it, thrusting her hand right into the box, into the black flesh and shadows.
Lilith screamed in pain and anger, summoning up all her magical might.
A beat, and then the flow outpouring from the box stopped. Lilith pulled her arm back, almost jumping as she held a black jewel in her hand.
No, it was what was left of the Pure Shard of the Beast, all contained and covered in millions of black seals. The Beast was irritated and reveled at the minor success.
The box fell aside empty, only for a water portal made from the dew on some surviving grass, and it vanished in it.
Yet all of that Raguel didn't pay much attention to. I fucked up. Did I? His thoughts were both chaotic and calm.
"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE!?" Lilith shouted holding the Beast Jewel to her chest. "JUST...what the fuck? Why? Why would you even open it? Were you losing and just decided to go 'fuck it'? NO, even then you wouldn't. What is it? What fucking reason could you possibly have!?" She shouted and ranted.
Because I didn't want Viviane to be sad. The very first thought that entered his mind at Lilith's question. I doomed the world for the woman I love? What the fuck is wrong with me?
Yet Raguel's mind went to differ information. He prevented the creation of twenty new Malebranche. If things played as Merlin's timeline, things would have ended up same as canon. Maybe if he followed the plan God gave Merlin with only Viviane suffering...he would have also Fell and canon would have still?
You don't know that! He shouted to himself. That's just what you wish as a justification.
"YOU!" Lucifer flew past all his devils, breaking the air. Without anyone around Raguel, no one stopped him from grabbing the Fallen Archangel by the throat and lifting him in the air. "Every. Single. Fucking. Thing you keep ruining. Why did you open the box?! You couldn't have known we needed it close. What!? Did fucking God tell you to? No. Even then that wouldn't make sense? Why? Just...FUCK!" Lucifer held his head in his free hand and screamed.
Raguel snorted, making Lucifer snap back and look at him.
"You think this is funny?" His hand began to tighten. Raguel smiled and nodded. "You-You!..."
"Lucifer," Lilith spoke, annoyance in her tone but conflict in her eyes.
A dragon made from the impure beast shard landed behind Lilith and Lucifer. It's brown smooth leather skin made Raguel feel cringy from it.
"WHAT!?" Lucifer turned to Lilith, his hand squeezing further.
Just than a water portal form as Viviane came rushing, Arondight shining with the lake's light, coming down on Lucifer's arm.
Lucifer jumped back, and Lilith stepped away a bit, unbothered by all of this. Viviane placed herself between the forces of hell and her husband.
"Not one step further." Viviane didn't looked back to Raguel, who was holding his neck and coughing on the ground, as she focused on the enemy before her. "Raguel, are you okay?" She asked in hurry and concern.
The brown dragon stared at all of this with vile amusement. Waiting.
"Oh, what's this, Raguel? Some whore you care about? Well, don't mind if I fucking kill and rape her in front of you-"
"Lucifer!" Lilith shouted in command, causing the Devil to stop and turn to her. "We need to go. Look." She gestured at the black energy orb in the sky in the battle between angels and devils, along with Greek Gods that just arrived. "She's complete. We need to be there for the birth of our new...child?" Lilith smirked. "No. Maybe Pantheon sounds better." She laughed to herself, and Lucifer found himself beginning to calm down and smile. "Besides," she turned and gave Raguel a hateful look. "We don't need to deal with them, they are easy pickings right now. There's no fun when they are too weak to struggle. He seems eager to take care of them, so let him." She referenced the brown dragon.
Viviane, who was empowered by the Sephiras from the Tiferet Heart link, even if she no longer has the rain as an environmental advantage, very much disagreed with Lilith.
Lucifer let out a frustrated breath, and smile. "Yes, yes, you're right." He then turned to Viviane and Raguel who took his time standing up, with malicious grin. "You know, for all that you have been a fucking thorn in my side, I have to thank you Raguel." Lucifer pointed to the black energy orb that was now shrinking. "I didn't expect that the Demiurge would actually be completed in this battle. I guess an actual piece of the Beast was needed to speed things up. Thank you for that."
"Demiurge?" Raguel's eyes widened at the term, to which Lucifer's smirk grew wider.
"Yessss," Lucifer took pleasure in the recognition in Raguel's eyes. "Sodom and Gomorrah really taught me a valuable lesson. Trying to assassinate God with a dagger or a trap, no matter how big, poisonous, complex or powerful said dagger or trap are, subtle approaches like that wouldn't work. No." Lucifer leaned forward. "You need to hit him right in the face with a giant hammer. That's how it should be done." Lucifer began to walk backward with his arms spread. "That's how you kill God. I'll make an army of Demiurge, come to his kingdom, rip apart the gates and straight up murder him."
A shadow portal formed behind the Satan and he passed through it. The devils that were present upon seeing their leader leave, didn't stick around and did the same. Some even subtly trying to flee to the underworld, no longer wanting to fight.
"Raguel," Lilith spoke, getting attention back on her. "Run," she said with finality. "As a favor for the kindness you've shown me when we first met, I'm not going to kill you here." Raguel raised an eyebrow, looked up at the brown dragon waiting in anticipation, then back down to Lilith. "You'll survive," she shrugged. "Maybe."
"Generous of you." Viviane hissed. Lilith smiled.
"Run, Raguel." She reiterated. "Hide in the farthest corner, in the farthest reaches within Heaven, and stay there." Lilith spoke with pity. "It's over. We won. While you may have cost us a bit in all of this, with the Demiurge's formation, that's it. There is nothing else anyone can do." She smiled sardonically. "Short of God himself arriving, which I'm guess he can't do, because well..." Lilith looked back at the brown dragon which grinned with all teeth, blood falling from its gum. "Yeah, the Beast decided now to act out, keeping Him busy." Lilith looked back to Raguel with a condescending smile. "Do you know what I'm talking about Raguel? What the Beast is?"
Raguel said nothing.
Lilith chuckled at the useless defiance. She put the black jewel on her chest and it disappeared into her body and pocket dimension for safekeeping. Lilith turned and walked to the shadow portal.
"Honestly the way this battle turned out, with you opening the box when you were about to lose," she presumed. "That was just spiteful and pity. Human really." Lilith laughed but the thought gave her pause for a moment, before she continued on her way.
Viviane seemed like she was going to move and stab Lilith, only for Raguel to place a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.
"Good bye, Raguel... Viviane." Lilith acknowledged a fae, feeling charitable. "You were...very memorable."
The shadow portal closed behind her.
Raguel and Viviane were left with the Beast Shard Dragon.
"Raguel, we need to go." Viviane said, taking steps back, and lightly pushing Raguel with her hand. Raguel didn't move. "Raguel!" She looked back and shouted.
Raguel lock his gaze with the dragon, yet his mind was elsewhere.
This is my fault.
Raguel looked away to the sky battle to see the birth of the Hellgod and it being named Alastair. His mind made the connection 'defender of man' and 'repeller of man'. A name meant to mock what a god stood for.
Why am I thinking this?
His mind went to the Tiferet Heart network. He was still linked to it. All of his siblings were. All the Archangel's sephira were lit and connected to the network. Even Raziel who was away from the battle.
The Light of Chokhmah was helping his intuition.
Okay, so how do I fix this?
Raguel felt the answer was there. That he can do something here. That it wasn't all hopeless.
"Raguel! Snap out of it!" Viviane turned and shook him in distress.
At that moment, a water portal appeared next to Raguel's foot and Caledfwlch rose out of it.
"Wha?" Viviane stepped back surprised. "Where did that come from? Wait, did you lose my sword!?" Viviane rounded on Raguel incredulous and upset.
"Sorry," Raguel grabbed the blade, feel his power aid and add to his own. He looked back to the brown dragon waiting for them.
It wanted to enjoy their suffering. It wanted to taste their despair. That's why it wasn't making a move yet.
But will soon. Raguel thought.
He looked back to the sky battle to see Alastair devouring the Greek Gods, her power rising higher and higher, as she wasn't only growing stronger but more versatile with each god she ate giving her a new ability and authority to use.
Alastair wasn't going for the angels, even with them attacking her. Lucifer and Lilith ordered the Hellgod to leave the angels for now, as they wanted them to struggle in despair once Alastair became a complete Olympian Demiurge.
Some Greek Gods were able to resist Alastair's mind subverting powers, yet all it did was buy them time.
How do I fix this?
The image of the Sephirot came to mind.
Raguel could image where each one of his sibling would be place on it.
Except one. The last sephria at the bottom where he would be.
There is a way. Raugel's eyes widened.
His lips moved, mouthing a word without saying or vocalizing it in anyways.
The Beast Shard Dragon's eyes widened and it threw it's head back and roared.
"Raguel!" Viviane shouted.
"Viviane," Raguel said back with purpose, making her pay attention to him. "Can you hold back the dragon without Arondight?"
Without saying a word, Viviane let go of the Lake Holy Sword and summoned up the strongest water dome around them.
BANG!
The brown dragon smashed into it, and was halted. It didn't stop it immediately began banging on the dome with all it's might, not pausing of resting, It fired a beam that seemed to eat at the magical energy of the barrier.
Raguel took Arondight and held it and Caledfwlch in front of him.
Suddenly doubt, fear, and an echo of ache filled him.
From the beginning of this new life, the only reason things went well for Raguel was because he immediately acted on his intuitions rather than wait or overthink.
He did that in his past life. Wait or overthink.
No, focus. He told himself. He didn't know why he started thinking of his past life. Maybe his intuition wanted him to? No, that's stupid. Okay, go time.
"Hod Formation." Raguel lit up that sephira, following Sandalphon's example.
Raguel brought up Caledfwlch and Arondight up...and smashed them together.
"What was that sound!?" Viviane said in alert, looking back while keeping her arms up holding the water barrier.
"Just a second, honey." Raguel held the two sword, one glowing goldish yellow, the other glowing blue, but still separate he didn't manage to fuse them
Raguel smashed the Holy Swords together again.
"What are you doing to my babies!?" Viviane shrieked but didn't move, barrier duty keeping her in place.
"Sorry, sorry!" The two swords were glowing brighter but started to have white energy cracks in them. "Will get it right this time."
"NO!" Viviane shouted like a mother seeing her child doing something stupid and dangerous.
"Hod Formation." Raguel smashed Caledfwlch and Arondight together.
This time they lit up and fused into one whole.
The light receded and Raguel held a new blade. Vivian let out a sigh of pure relief. "Oh thank God." Then she flinched as the brown dragon was still attacking the barrier, and she focused again putting more energy into it.
Raguel's new sword held a white glow, it seemed to be made more of Holy Light than metal.
"I dub thee," Raguel began with a smile.
"Don't!-" 'Don't name it something stupid', was that Viviane wanted to say.
"Amoracchius, the Sword of Love!" Raguel grinned, before giving Viviane an offended look. "What? I can come up with a good name if I try." Raguel didn't come up with the name, he just borrowed it from a book series from his past life.
"I..." Viviane's face was pure red, her heart soaring at the name. Even her barrier seemed to shine and become stronger. "Suppose you can be thoughtful every once in a while."
"I am so glad I married you." Raguel grinned.
Viviane tried to keep a neutral look, but her smile refused to be denied.
"Now then," Raguel stepped up till Viviane was behind him. Raguel narrowed his eyes at the brown dragon, and the Beast Shard now began to fear.
Yet with his decision affirmed, Raguel began to feel an ache all over his body before he even started.
It reminded him of when he began to grow old in his past life, and missed the health of his youth that he squandered on fast food-
No. Focus!
The brown dragon's attack became more desperate, but Viviane's barrier will hold long enough for the Archangel before it could be breached. "Viviane." He said with a warning in his tone.
"What's the plan, dear?"
"Viviane," Raguel looked back with a content smile. "I'm really glad to have met you."
"What?"
"I need you to leave once I start. Go back to the cottage, there are some guests there. They're a group of humans that helped me out against Lucifer. So look after them, please. Don't worry," he immediately said. "I'm not doing some self-sacrifice play here. I just don't want you in the blast radius. I never did this before, so I don't know what will actually happen."
Viviane had a pensive look in her narrowed eyes. She took a deep breath and nodded.
"I trust you." And that was all that needed to be said.
Raguel smiled, then with a resolved, yet calm accepting look, he turned and looked forward.
No, not at the brown dragon behind the barrier, that shouted with more panic and despair.
But at the hellgod in the sky.
Raguel took a deep breath, letting his angelic power fill his being.
"WHO IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?"
Zeus gritted his teeth as he struggled with all his might to stay awake. He bit his lips and tongue drawing blood, so as to not focus on Alastair's literal siren song.
"Poseidon!" Hades shouted as he tried to save the Sea God, only to be captured along with him.
"Hades!" It was too late. "FUCK!" Zeus shouted, throwing another lightning bolt that Alastair blocked with a swing of her arm filled with power.
"WHO IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL?"
Suddenly a shout rang out with angelic power. It didn't stop the fighting. No one cared whose the idiot that said it.
Alastair however, did stop and looked back at where it originated from.
It was a Fallen Angel. He and a fairy were under a water dome being attacked by a foul dragon.
"Come closer, butterfly. Let me tell you."
The voice was amplified by magic to be heard by everyone.
"Oh for fuck's sake." Lucifer sighed and face palmed. "What is that idiot doing? Why is he even still alive?"
"Raguel...You should have left when you had the chance." Lilith said with resignation. "Devils, go and kill that Fallen Archangel. Don't return without his corpse." She said.
Alastair...actually began to fly toward Raguel.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Lucifer said in surprise, and a small bit of panic.
"I want...to know." Alastair moaned with curiosity.
"Fuck me with the Longinus Spear." Lucifer muttered while looking to the sky for aid. Of course he got none. "You know what? Sure. Go find out and then fucking eat his heart in front of his bitch wife." Lucifer turned to what was left over of the Greek Pantheon, and the Heaven Force, and summoned his Light sword. "I was getting bored anyways."
"Very well," Lilith said and summoned her magic to fight by her husband's side with a smile. "Devil! Go back to killing the white feathery fuckers." She said like a mother giving her children chores. The devils obey.
"Aphrodite. Farfarello. Alistair. I address you with all your names."
Suddenly the tone shifted.
There was an odd air to Raguel's words.
"You have transgressed against the Laws of Heaven and the Laws of Man."
The brown dragon attacking the water barrier turned and flew away with all haste.
"For your crimes of infringing upon and defiling Heaven and the Kingdom of God,"
The battle actually paused as the brown dragon flew past the angels, devils and survivors from the Greek Pantheon, on its way to space.
"For tainting the most sacred gift of God, the self-determination of one's soul,"
The water barrier came down. Raguel was visible again. Power building and gathering with each word.
The air and very space seemed to almost waver, akin to an optical trick around him. The feel of power was very clear. The blade in his hand was devouring the Demonic Power of the Nehemoth field like a drain. Or a hole venting air out of a spacecraft.
"You are denied his grace and mercy,"
Holy Light began to glow from Raguel's eyes, as white energy sparked out of them.
"I hereby declare you: Anathema."
The power within Raguel shot out, Light exploding from his back, and his wings turned white.
The earth quaked for a moment with that declaration.
"...no." Lucifer began to slowly chuckle. "No, come on. This is a joke."
Lilith's face drained of blood.
"I am Archangel Raguel, Friend of God."
"Come on, what is this idiot trying to do?" Lucifer forced himself to laugh. "This is posturing. He's just trying to scare us. IT'S A BLUFF!"
Memories that haunted Lucifer and Lilith till this day began to surface. Memories of when God actually showed his wrath.
"I will take up the evocation of the Tetragrammaton and cast judgement upon you."
Fire lit up and swirled in slow beautiful motion around Raguel's wings.
Water started rising out of the ground, slowly rotating around the Risen Archangel.
Air joined the water, spinning on the ground at the Archangel's feet.
Small nuggets of physical gold form behind Raguel's wings.
"In the name of He who is called Father; for He's the heavenly ideal and the soul's guidance,"
Viviane look on in worry, yet a mental message from Raguel ordered her to go. She vanished in a portal of water.
"No, no, no, no, no, no no, NO! He can't! That's fucking impossible! THAT FUCKING WEAKLING CAN'T HAVE THAT POWER!" Lucifer shouted in terror.
Lilith covered his mouth with both hands, eyes wide open as she was reliving the terror of that day.
"EVERYONE BUT THE ARCHANGELS! GO TO ALL HUMAN SETTLEMENTS IN THIS LAND AND CAST THE STRONGEST BARRIERS YOU HAVE! WORK TOGETHER! MOVE!" Michael took control of the situation.
"What are you doing?!" Zeus called out. "You're running away!"
"I suggest you do too." Michael told him. "Cast the strongest defensive spell you can manage, even when you're in Olympus. Power it up by everyone on your side. Good luck." He flew away with his Archangel brothers, to be away from the blast.
"In the name of He who is called Creator; for miracle and grace were created by Him,"
The wind began to pick up, moving faster and more violently across the land. A hurricane was forming. Water tornados rose out of the sea.
Lightning rang out in the forming clouds over and over, till the sky was constantly lit from the heavenly fire.
Thunder rang out as lightning fell in random places, and actual fire began raining from the sky.
An earthquake began, felt by all of Britanna. The rumbling was weak but constant and steady.
"In the name of He who is called Almighty; for in creation no power overcomes Him,"
"YOU DON'T HAVE THAT POWER! JUST FUCKING STOP ALREADY!" Lucifer shouted, even firing some of his most concentrated Light spears he could make. Strong enough to injure a god with a direct hit.
The sheer energy gathered in place, diverted the Light spears away, making them miss their target by miles.
"ALISTAIR!" Lilith shouted, finally forcing herself to act once more. "GO KILL HIM! QUICKLY!"
"But I want to know whose the prettiest." The Hellgod whined.
Lilith actually flabbergasted for a second.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!? GO KILL THAT ARCHANGEL RIGHT! FUCKING! NOW!" Lilith pushed her authority with the Samael qlipha to emphasis her order.
Alastair blinked back in surprise at the seriousness of Lilith's command, the order now filling her heart with focused purpose, as she turned with flew with greater speed and power at the Archangel.
"In the name of He who is called LORD; for no authority stands above Him,"
"I WAS THE DA'AT! I WAS THE DA'AT! I WAS IT, ME! AND EVEN I COULDN'T USE IT! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU COULD?!" Lucifer shouted, firing attack after attack to no avail. All missed Raguel.
"Lucifer we need to go!" Lilith went and grabbed him. "We need to use the Thaumiel now!"
"HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT POWER! OF COURSE GOD WOULDN'T GIVE IT TO ANYONE! HE SELFISHLY KEPT IT TO HIMSELF!" Lucifer cried out.
"LUCIFER!" Lilith punched his head, enough to rattle his brain, but it forced him to focus on Lilith. "We need to use the Thaumiel! It can't be done alone, it needs both of us. Fucking focus on surviving now!"
Lucifer still pale as a ghost from when Raguel's declaration began, nodded rapidly.
"ALL OF YOU!" Lilith shouted to the still present devils that began to feel their bodies slightly heating from the inside out. "COME HERE AND USE YOUR EVERYTHING IN A SHIELD SPELL IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE!"
Wide eyed and panicked at the tone and emotion in their Great Mother's voice, they immediately swarmed around Lilith and Lucifer, doing as they were told.
Lucifer and Lilith joined hands as they invoked their strongest qlipha that could only be activated with two users.
"Thaumiel Nihility!"
A wave of black light enveloped Lilith, Lucifer and all the devils.
No. Calling it a light was in correct.
Anti-Light. True Darkness. Both of these would be more accurate, but wouldn't full encapsulate what Thaumiel's darkness was.
It was a manifestation of a space that was the furthest away from God's Light.
A darkness so dark, it ceased to be darkness altogether.
It represented disunity, the illusion known as duality.
The wave of True Darkness covered the hell army in a sphere and teleported away to the Underworld.
"DO NOT FUCKING TAKE DOWN YOUR BARRIERS!" Lilith immediately shouted. "KEEP THE MAGIC SHIELDS UP AND PUT YOUR HEADS DOWN!"
Following his partner's footsteps, so as not to be outdone, Lucifer shot up his magical energy, and sent his voice to all the devils across the Underworld.
"TO ALL THE DEVILS! THIS IS LUCIFER! IMMEDIATELY CAST ANY AND ALL SHIELD MAGIC YOU KNOW AND COVER ANYONE WITH YOU! ALL OF YOU ARE TO DO THIS IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE! IF YOU CAN'T TOUGH FUCKING LUCK! PUT YOUR HEADS UNDER YOUR ARMS AND PRAY TO GOD!" The Satan commanded.
Fear and panic filled the Underworld as the devils scrambled to follow their ruler's order.
Back in the Human World, Alastair struggled to reach Raguel.
No matter what power she used, she couldn't reach him fast enough. She was crossing the distance, even speeding up time, but none of it mattered. She summoned her powers focusing on Time and Space and shot forward.
It was useless.
Raguel could use all the Sephiras at the moment. It only took a minuscule amount power and focus to manipulate space and time, overriding Alastair's authority and make her unable to reach him in time.
"Yod (Fire), Heh (Water), Waw (Air), Heh (Earth)."
Raguel sounded each letter, ensuring he spoke the name right.
Every word represented a spiritual world.
Yod. Fire.
Heh. Water.
Waw. Air.
Heh. Earth.
To speak His name in this state was to evoke creation.
Raguel pointed Amoracchius to the sky. The blade shining with such Light and power, that it seemed to split the world in two, in Alastair's eyes.
It was beautiful. It was glorious. It was the end.
"Do you think Raguel considers us an enemy?" Lilith whispered to Lucifer.
The Devil looked at her with incredulity.
"Of fucking course he does, you dumb bitch! Stop asking stupid questions and focus on the qlipha!" He shouted back.
Raguel was in pain.
His whole body, his being was in resistance to what he was doing.
He didn't know why. He didn't care. He just needed to complete his task. Yet the pain reminded him of his last memories of his old life.
He remembered how he died. He had a stroke. His estranged son by chance was coming to visit unannounced.
His son found him, and got him to a hospital.
He remembered being glad he died the next day so as not to be a burden on his kid, and settle him with debt.
NO! FOCUS! Why does my mind go back to then?
His intuition likely was trying to tell himself something. Raguel was eternally glad that the power of Chokhmah wouldn't break his flow and kept him summoning and sustaining the output of his power, for...whatever this is correctly.
"In the name of YHWH, I sentence onto you; Banishment."
The Sephirot in its totality was lit up within Raguel.
Keter. The brilliance of the Boundless Cosmic Light.
Chokhmah. The incandescence of Wisdom within one's soul.
Binah. The radiance of insight to understand the creation.
Chesed. The mercy within all being born of loving kindness to all.
Gevurah. The courage to uphold the justice born from mercy.
Tiferet. The connecting bridge that allow one to see and understand the beauty of the oneness everyone shares.
Netzach. The triumphing victory in overcoming obstacles to one's perceptions of polarities and possibilities.
Hod. The formation of understanding, to turn ideas into physical realities.
Yesod. The culmination of the many emanations into action, the link of mind and matter.
Malkuth. The kingdom that actualizes the Light in the present.
Raguel brought Amoracchius down, pointing it directly at the Evil Goddess of Theft and Want.
===x===
In the distance Michael was shouting for Raguel to stop. Telling him that the devils already retreated.
Yet it was futile.
Once that declaration started, the attack was inevitable.
Michael's shouts for Raphael were lost to Raguel.
The Leader of the Archangels just hoped he didn't lose his youngest brother today.
===x===
Three words of power were spoken.
The world was silent.
This power was the Light that birthed creation from nothing.
The origin to the phrase: 'Let there be Light'.
"O̷hr̛ ̡Ei̧n̸ ͝S͏of."
And so there was.
The Light didn't fire from the tip of Amoracchius.
It blasted without restrain from his hand holding the hilt, the blade simply aided Raguel in giving this power direction.
Nehemoth Wasteland popped like an energy bubble. All the demonic energy within it was destroyed, vaporized and replaced with blessed grounds in an instant.
The Light shot out met the oncoming Hellgod Alastair. The Demiurge of Olympus shot back with all its awesome power, that could shake the world asunder.
The Evil Goddess's physical form lasted a second. All the power gathered was unmade, and the souls devour blasted to the realm of the dead. They would be gathered and revived by the Olympians later on.
The Light broke barrier and dimensions, blasting straight to Olympus evaporating Aphrodite's palace, and all trace of her presence or power.
The Light pierced the skies of the Underworld as it passed through it.
All the devils felt as if the Holy Light burned them from the inside out. Those who looked up at the Lightwere blinded no matter their power.
Devils who were Low Class in strength died instantly.
Devils who were Middle Class were crippled, unable to use their demonic power correctly anymore.
Devils who were High Class were scarred for life, and would remember this die to their dying breath. Only those stronger from that point had a hope of surviving this intact body and spirit.
Only children were spared the fate of their elders no matter their power, for there was still innocence within them, even if they were devils.
On that day, the Devil Race was given a reminder.
On that day, the Devil Race remembered Sodom and Gomorrah.
The brown dragon never got to space.
Raguel didn't scream in pain.
The power sweeping through him took everything, that he simple couldn't.
Memories of his life flashed in his mind.
The moment he met God.
The moment he met his first wife.
The moment he met Viviane.
The moment he held his son, and-falsely-thought everything would be different now.
The moment he pranked the devils with 'Summon Dragon'.
The moment his wife brought up divorce as an idea on a whim, and they both never talked about it again till she died-
STOP! He shouted in his mind.
He needed to stop thinking of his past life. He...He needed an anchor to stop the spell. It's job done, but it wouldn't end.
He thought of his life now, the things he cherished and valued. The things he gained friends, a connected family,
The Light began to dwindle and lessen.
YES! It's working.
Truly love as he was told about it in stories, the courage to face evil, the beauty of the sea on that trip he went on in collage-
NO! Stop thinking of that life!
He shouted to himself in his head. Cracks with energy shining out, started forming on his body.
Yet he couldn't.
The more he thought about his current life, the more his past one resurfaced. The more he pushed back, the greater the pain he felt.
The cycle continued till eventually...
The Light abruptly stopped.
Amoracchius broke into two becoming Arondight and Caledfwlch once more. The two swords falling to the ground letting off steam.
The divine attack vanished as if it was never there, the only evidence of it, was the effects it left behind.
The broken palace in Olympus. The terror in the Underworld. Hoy being full separated from the mainland of Orkney.
And Raguel was left standing, white eyes from being rolled back, as his consciousness left him.
A thin redline formed perfectly in the middle on his body from head to groin.
Raguel couldn't stop Ohr Ein Sof, and so his soul snapped in two.
His body followed and reflected the damage to his soul. His two half began to split.
Raguel died.
"CHESED MERCY!" With all of his power Raphael lit his sephira, spreading the barrier of mercy enveloping Raguel.
The Light of Chesed should be able to reject all harm and deny death.
Raguel wasn't just dying, he was being unmade. The Chesed Mercy was merely holding his piece for now, slowing down the unraveling to a crawl. Raguel was going to die.
"I...can't...nooo!" Raphael struggled with all his might to push back Raguel's end.
"Brother!" Michael arrived along with all the other Archangels, even Raziel came from a water portal, after witnessing the events from Viviane's home.
"Michael," Raphael cried out. "I can only hold his death back so much." He gritted his teeth. "I don't know what to do." It felt like he was in a tug of war with Oblivion for the fate of Raguel's life.
"Help." Sariel found himself saying. "We need help!" He looked to Michael, and the Archangel understood his idea and intention immediately from the Tiferet Heart.
"Brothers! Sisters! I beg of you!" Michael called out through the Tiferet Heart network. "Please aid us in saving Raguel. Please help us save the Friend of God!"
Intention, understanding, and even skill from the Light of the other Archangel's sephira passed through. The angels began sending their Holy Power through the Tiferet Heart link. Some went to Heaven asking for aid, and extended the network there.
Soon all the angels, and archangels were channeling their Holy Power through the Tiferet Heart, directing it all to Raphael and into the Chesed Mercy.
And in there collective act of compassion, the unraveling stopped.
Raguel's soul gathered and mended, becoming whole again.
Raguel lived.
"I couldn't be more proud of you all."
The Creator appeared in their midst, grabbing Raguel and carrying him, in His arms.
""Father!""
The Archangels cried tears of relief and joy that their Father finally returned. That this battle was finally over.
"Zeus," God spoke. "I thank you for arriving on this day." The God King of Olympus stilled at the words, and the smile on the Biblical God's face. Zeus realized he was way in over his head. "So... let us discuss peace."