The palace itself was enormous. Maou was perplexed at the budget that must've gone into its construction. Everything that was made of metal was either gold, platinum, or silver. Great statues lined the hallways. The floor was perfectly polished, without even a speck of dust. With all of its flawless grace and grand design, the Devil couldn't have been more unnerved. Where were the rats that usually festered castles? Where were the insects that died on the floor? Why were none of the great statues tarnished and faded?

He knew the answer, of course. Magic. The power of the Sephiroth and the Tree of Life were bound to the place. It radiated from the pristine marble walls and coated Maou's tongue with a bitter taste. Heaven would use copious amounts of the most powerful eldritch magic to keep their castles clean, while they slowly but surely drained an entire world of its power. Only when the rats infested their great city, and the gold began to fade, and their vain perfection was compromised would they finally pick up and leave to find a new source of power to enslave and control.

"This is it!" Urushihara said, looking quite nervous.

The Demon King had been so preoccupied with his silent contemplations that he hasn't noticed that they had arrived before a pair of golden doors. Wait, no, they weren't doors.

"Elevators?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"One will take us up, to the tower and the laboratories. The other should get you to the Sanctorum Lignum Vitae," Nord said quietly.

"The what, now?"

"The Sanctum of the Tree of Life," Urushihara explained to Maou, crossing his arms, "where the Tree is located."

"Yeah, I got it the second time, idiot," Maou growled.

Urushihara glared, but he said nothing. Ashiya and Suzuno met each other's gaze, and carefully positioned themselves behind both Maou and Urushihara. Suzuno drew her ladle. Ashiya drew his sword. Both Maou and Urushihara, smirked, seeing that their rival was about to be struck. With one fell blow, Ashiya and Suzuno fell upon their prey. Ashiya, in his wisdom, turned the blade so that the flat struck his liege. Urushihara, on the other hand, got the full force of Suzuno's powerful strike.

"OW!" Maou cried, rubbing the top of his head as his eyes watered.

"Fuck!" Urushihara cussed, earning himself another small strike from the inquisitor.

As one, Suzuno and Ashiya spun around their charges and began to verbally berate them, and express their disgust at the lack of comradery.

"He may be a pain in the ass, sire, but he is your general! You chose him! Friends or not, he deserves to be treated with some level of respect! Without his assistance, we would not have made it this far!"

"The Devil is not just your master! He is your ally! When it comes right down to it, this is war, and you cannot start alienating yourself from your allies! Even if you hate each other, your lives will soon be in each other's hands!"

"But he's just such an asshole!" Maou and Lucifer cried in unison.

"I don't care, now turn around and apologize!" Suzuno and Ashiya retaliated, spinning around the sour grapes and forcing them to face one another.

For the smallest of moments, Maou's eyes met Urushihara's. The shorter demon quickly looked to the floor, embarrassed. Maou smiled. Urushihara had never been the most sociable. Even during the war on Ente Isla, if he wasn't saying something snarky during a war council, he was likely ignoring everyone else, off in his own little world. Hell, it may have even been the cause of his defeat. Perhaps he just sort of zoned out when Maou had told him to raze the Western Continent in search of the Hero.

"I'm sorry," Urushihara uttered, still not meeting Maou's stare.

It was hard for Maou to admit, but at one point, he'd been terrified of Lucifer. He hadn't shown it, with his pride as the future King of Demons on the line, but Lucifer had been unlike any other demon he'd faced. He was a myth of sorts, always there on the edge of demon society. An outcast, much like Maou, but so very different. He was fair, and looked like a human, save his massive black wings and terrifying amethyst glare. Looking at him now, with his white hair and his white wings, Maou felt as though he were almost looking at a different person. Urushihara's bashfulness, however, was nothing new.

"I'm sorry, too," Maou sighed.

Urushihara held out a fist. Maou bumped it with his own before itching the back of his head and smiling.

"Good, now that everyone's finished making up, we can get on with our insanely dangerous suicide mission," Emi said with mock cheeriness, her eyes flicking back and forth down the long, empty corridors on all sides.

'Papa,' Alas-Ramus mumbled within Maou's mind, clearly having just woken up, 'what's a suicide mission?'

Maou's stomach sank to somewhere around his knees as his eye twitched. His mind worked furiously, until he finally decided to just lie.

"Uh- a suicide mission? It's-uh- like a party! A birthday party-"

Ashiya turned to his leigelord, pain etched into his face.

"It seems my lord has finally lost it and gone off the deep end," Ashiya sighed as he shook his head.

"Maou, what are you-" Emi began.

"Shut up," Maou hissed, turning away from everyone as he wove himself deeper and deeper into a tangled web of lies.

'So why does a suicide mission make papa so sad?' Alas-Ramus wondered, able to see the Demon King's emotions from her vantage point within his mind.

"Because it… it means that things are gonna change," he muttered.

Using his superior intellect, Maou willed the toddler in his head to go droopy eyed. Alas-Ramus' consciousness faded as she fell asleep once more, but before she did she said, 'Ok. Love you, papa.'

"I love you too, Alas. Sleep well."

The King of Demons turned to frown at Emi, who was standing stock still, her weapon frozen at her side as she realized what she'd done.

"She heard you," Maou said quietly.

"I'm sorry," Emi apologized, "I didn't know she was awake!"

"Neither did I."

DING.

The sound of an elevator arriving made everyone jump, and Maou suddenly realized that this was where he and Emi parted ways. It was his last chance to make good on his vow.

Sweat beaded his brow as Lailah, Chiho, and Rika all moved towards one elevator while Urushihara and Ashiya made to enter another. Emi, Nord, and Suzuno would remain on the ground floor, where they would make for the throne room. Maou opened his mouth to speak, but no noise came out. Suddenly, he found that his tongue was dry. His palms grew sweaty as he quickly clenched and unclenched his hands. He tried his utmost to avoid it, but he couldn't stop thinking that he had reached the end of the line.

"Uh… Emi?"

The Hero turned to face him. She was obviously preoccupied, and looked as though she had very little thought to spare for the Demon King. It wasn't necessarily a rude gesture, but it still felt as though someone had socked Maou in the gut. There was no turning back, now.

"Yeah?" she asked, noting his blank expression, and the way he avoided looking her in the eye.

"Could… could I talk to you quick? Alone?"

The Devil gave Emi a fleeting look. Was he hiding something? And why was he so damned nervous all of a sudden? He'd been cool as a cucumber when he'd nearly been killed by the Pearly Gates not thirty minutes ago…

"Right now?" Emi asked, raising an eyebrow. She watched as everyone formed their respective groups, waiting as Emi and Maou stood off to one side.

Maou frowned. Clearly, as the Hero, she had to make everything as difficult as she possibly could for him.

"It'll only take a moment," Maou reasoned, using his frustrations to ward off his nervousness.

Emi sighed. "Fine. Make it quick."

Without further ado, the Demon King took the Hero by the wrist and frog-marched her down the hall. He turned at the first corner, which was well out of earshot of the others. They stood in another long, white-washed hall. It was a dead end, and Maou didn't see anyone nearby. Again, he opened his mouth to speak… but no sound came out.

"Don't just stand there all slack-jawed," Emi commanded, earning a reproachful glare from Maou.

"Why not? Does it bother you?" Maou asked quickly, his temper flaring as Emi cut through his thought process, and ruined the speech he had planned.

"Your breath smells," Emi noted, "is there anything else you need, or can I go?"

"Emi, if I didn't love you so god damn much I'd tell you that your breath isn't any better," Maou sighed.

"W-what?"

Emi took a step back. She felt her entire body thrum with energy at Maou's words. He stepped closer, she stepped back. Her heel hit the wall, and before she could stop him, the Demon King had her pinned against it. He leaned in close, his red eyes flaring, an evil grin playing upon his lips.

"I said… I love you. And you have coffee breath," Maou muttered seductively in her ear.

With his demonic senses at full capacity, Maou felt more alive than ever as Emi's body responded to his proximity. She shivered as he drew close, and goosebumps rose on her arms when he'd cornered her against the wall. Sweat dotted her brow, and her heart beat was out of control. One moment it was so faint Maou could barely hear it, the next it was like a stampede of buffalo on a tin roof.

Maou grinned. "Heh."

"What the hell is so funny?" Emi asked, blushing furiously.

"All of this," Maou murmured. "Isn't it hilarious, Emi? The Devil, in love with his mortal enemy?"

"You don't love me," she said. "You're just trying to fuck me again, aren't you? A quickie before we die… that's all you want, isn't it?"

As quickly as Emi's anger could flare up, Maou had stolen it away. She was left red faced and powerless before the Demon King before her, and she could feel no anger.

"No… I do love you. Honestly. If I'm right, I won't be walking away from this fight, so I figured I had nothing left to lose by telling you."

The Hero frowned and rubbed her knees together for a moment before standing up straight and meeting the Demon King's eye. As he spoke, he betrayed no signs of lying. His eyes remained fixed upon hers, as though he were staring into the infinity within them.

'He… he's telling the truth,' Emi realized, her world turning on its head.

As they stared at each other, Maou knew he needed to make a move, but what should he do? Should he hold her? Should he kiss her? Her heartrate was through the roof. If he tried anything too risky, she just might remember she was holding Better Half and stab him. In the end, he leaned forward, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. For a moment, Emi looked as though he had stolen her brain with that kiss, as her eyes became unfixed, and her expression vacant. By the time she regained her focus, Maou had already turned away from her.

"Live well, Hero." Maou muttered, leaving her frozen in that small dead end hallway, her eyes filled with emotion. Somehow, it didn't feel real to her. The Demon King had just confessed his love for Emilia the Hero, and all she could do was bite her lip and grind her heel into the floor.

She ran her tongue over her dry lips, and tried her best to stifle the small smile that Maou's profession had created. With her head held high and a masterfully crafted scowl, Emi retraced her steps back out into the main corridor, though she couldn't shake the strange giddy feeling that awoke in her whenever she looked at the Demon King, nor could she stay very focused. Maou turned and gave her a side-glance and a small smile, causing her to blush and turn away, her mouth pulled into an unwilling smile.

With Ashiya, Urushihara, and Maou in one elevator, and Lailah, Rika, and Chiho in the other, Emi watched as the golden doors slid shut. There were no goodbyes. There was no sadness. Only a grim sense of duty. Of course, Emi felt none of it. Her mind was rather preoccupied with other thoughts.

'Stupid, sexy Demon King,' Emi thought, lowering her gaze as she heard one elevator go up, and the other trundle down.

"This is it," Suzuno said.

"Let's go," Nord pushed his spectacles farther up his nose and peered up and down the corridor, "we have no time to waste. The throne room is this way."

"How do you know," Suzuno asked, staring with surprise at Nord.

In response, Nord jerked his thumb to the side. On the wall was a large plaque, like one might find in a hotel lobby. In glowing golden script, the layout of the palace was explained in great detail. Emi made her way over to peer at the blueprints. There were gymnasiums, courtyards, gardens, bathing pools, armories, and dining halls, but the largest room, by far, was the throne room, which encompassed the entire back section of the palace.

"Of course there's a map," Emi muttered to herself, "how silly of me to think there wouldn't be one."

Down at the far end of the corridor, a pair of magnificent double doors burst open. Several angels walked through it, looking quite unconcerned about the intruders. The man in the lead was speaking quite quickly in Ente Islan. He wore flowing white robes trimmed with gold, and looked less like a soldier and more like a man of leisure. At his heel were two underlings, dressed similarly to the first, and two armed guardian angels in silver armor and togas.

"Absolutely critical that we head them off," the angel in the lead stated hurriedly, his wings jittering as he half ran.

"Sir! Look there! They've breached the gates! They're already here!" One of the underlings cried, dropping his clipboard and pointing at Emi, Nord, and Suzuno.

"Nathaniel! Ramiel!" the elder angel called, snapping his fingers and gesturing for the guards to step forward.

They moved forward slowly, resting on their haunches with their shields raised and their swords bristling out from over them. Their eyes glowed violet from under their silver helmets.

"Kill the intruders," the lead angel barked.

Emi held out an arm to keep Nord and Suzuno back before she stepped forward. She bore no shield. Her armor glinted more brightly as she stood with her sword at her side, looking between the angels with a twinkle in her eyes.

"You there, old man, do you know where Ignora can be found?" Emi asked.

The angel surveyed Emi from behind his guards, looking as though she were a distasteful outcome of a failed experiment. Something told Emi he wore that scowl quite often when he watched his underlings work.

"You are trespassing in the halls of the almighty," one of the guards said loudly, raising his sword, which burned with angel fire.

The other held aloft his own sword, which crackled and arced with lightning, "Submit now, and you may yet be spared!"

"I'd put those swords away if I were you," Emi smirked.

"For Ignora!" the guards cried in unison.

Normally, with two super powered beings using a classic distract and flank strategy, one would think victory would be assured, much as the elder angel did as he watched his guards close with the strangely powerful human girl before him. Unfortunately, he forgot to take into account the fact that she was the Hero.

Nathaniel was upon Emi in a moment's notice. Her sword was still at her side, and the small smile on her face twitched, as though she'd thought of a joke and was trying not to laugh. How could she be so carefree? She was about to die!

'Something's not right,' Nathaniel thought, 'she's far too powerful to be a normal human…'

Nevertheless, he brought his sword down in the name of the Lady Ignora. He slashed diagonally, making to rend her chest plate in two and eviscerate her. Before the blade could strike, however, the flames on his blade went out. Celestial force more powerful than anything he'd ever felt poured from the mysterious woman as her hair turned white and her eyes turned red.

"An angel?!"

"Not on your life, buddy."

Nathaniel was cut off by an explosion of holy fire, which blasted him across the hall and smashed him against the marble, smearing the pristine white with soot and ash from burning feathers.

The angel called Ramiel was already positioned behind Emi, his sword levelled as he aimed for a weak spot in her armor, a seam on her hip where the cuirass offered no protection. His sword sparked with electricity, and he gulped before stabbing at the seam with all of his strength.

Emi paused. She was sure there had been two angels… so where had the other one-

"AHHHH," Emi yelped indignantly, looking scandalized as she felt a sharp jolt of electricity her just below her hip. A loud crack rent the silence. Emi turned to look behind her, only to find a kneeling angel. The shattered blade of his sword was strewn about the ground, like shards of a broken mirror.

"What the hell-" Ramiel muttered, clutching his broken and mangled hand.

"What the hell?!" Emi asked loudly, clenching her own fist and backhanding the perverted angel with her armored hand.

"My apologies, Emi," Suzuno said, tapping the Hero on the shoulder and causing her to jump, "but you were distracted, and he looked as though he were about to stab you. I suppose your armor saved you any grievous injury, for I only managed to break his sword after you cried out."

Emi looked down at her raiment, which was as clean and perfect as the day it was forged. There was no blood. She felt no pain, aside from a strange numbness that had arced through her nerves when the lightning struck. Her armor, supercharged as it was by the celestial force of Heaven, was likely shielding her from most forms of harm.

As Emi inspected her armor, the elder angel and his remaining subordinates slowly made for the doors, treading lightly so as not to attract the wrath of the woman who'd just taken down two elite guardian angels. They were almost to the great double doors when they boomed closed. Standing before them was a man in a dapper suit with long red hair and spectacles.

"Not so fast," Nord said, "we could use your help, see? We're looking for Ignora."

The Demon King's war on Heaven was going splendidly.

After arriving in a dark, eerie tunnel system that was extremely well guarded, the three demons were completely surrounded by large, powerful angels. All were equipped with weapons that glowed in the dimness. There must have been a hundred strong, and all were incredibly well trained, with sharp, keen eyes and practiced battle stances. The Demon King and his Archdemons remained undaunted, however.

"I am Satan Jacob," Maou called over the silent crowd of hostile angels, "King of Demons, and Master of the Demon Army. You are up against an evil you cannot fathom-"

"Erm, King Satan?" Alciel asked suddenly, raising a hand.

Maou stopped mid-monologue, turning to scowl at his right hand man.

"What is it, Alciel? Can't you see I'm busy sowing the seeds of terror amongst the enemy?" Maou hissed.

"Well, it's just that we're actually doing something good, aren't we? So, can we truly be called a force of evil, even though we are acting for the betterment of the world?" Ashiya wondered, scratching at his chin with a long black talon.

Maou face palmed and said, "Dude! Now is not the time for an existential crisis!"

Without even realizing it, Maou and Ashiya, whom had been conversing in Ente Islan, had somehow slipped right back into Japanese, leaving the angels around them clueless.

"Maou has a point, does it really matter?" Urushihara asked.

"It most certainly does! If we are not evil, then how can we call ourselves demons? Better to say we are morally dubious, for it is the truth!"

Before Ashiya could slander their cause more, Maou had him by the collar. "Morally dubious? Listen well, Ashiya, we are evil incarnate! Just because we act for the preservation of the world doesn't mean we are anything less than the powerful demons that we were when we left Ente Isla! The nature of the world is balance! Without good, there is no evil, and vice versa! In the act of preserving the world, we preserve that balance, so that evil may yet flourish, rather than be eradicated entirely by Heaven! We are preserving the legacy of evilness so that it will survive for eons!"

Ashiya flicked away tears of joy as Maou released him.

"M'lord, you are truly inspirational! You have given this much thought!"

"Indeed. Sometimes evil intentions are necessary in order to preserve good, and in this case, good intentions are necessary in order to preserve evil. We are doing this for the greater evil!"

"Intruders, why do you mutter amongst yourselves? Face us!" the angel nearest them shouted.

A warcry rang out from the angels. In the tunnels, it echoed and reverberated like the voices of an entire army. Maou winced as the cries pierced his ultra-sensitive eardrums before returning his attentions to the task at hand.

"The smallest dog always barks the loudest," Maou said to himself. He stood up, straight and tall and cast his crimson gaze around at the rallied angels, all of whom were tensing, as if preparing to charge.

"Fall."

With that one word, growled in a malicious tone befitting the Demon King, every angel in the tunnel dropped their weapons and gripped their throats. Magic unlike any they'd ever felt swept over them as their senses weakened and cried out for reprieve. It was as if someone had stolen the air from their lungs. The angels struggled to draw breath as Maou's demon magic washed over them.

The last one hit the uneven stone floor with a series of gruesome gags and gasps that made Maou raise an eyebrow. It reminded him of his time spent drinking sake and eating pizza, and made him feel queasy.

"Are you sure you should be using so much power, your majesty?" Ashiya wondered.

Ashiya, or Alciel, was in his demon form. Half of his face, and much of his body, was coated in a carapace-like organic armor that was tough enough to ward off blows from the Hero's holy sword. His amber eyes, sharp ears and incredibly muscled body almost made Maou appear feeble in comparison, though the difference in their levels of power could not be more backward.

"What? You mean all these guys? It was nothing! This crown is incredible! If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was converting the celestial force here into pure demon magic! If I'd known it could do that, we might've been able to use it to figure out Sataniel's formula in the first place, rather than sending Lailah, Rika, and Chiho off to work in an enemy lab, grasping at straws."

"The lab is the safest place for them," Lucifer muttered, "we just need to raise a bit more of a ruckus to keep the enemy occupied."

"Sounds like your area of expertise," Maou laughed, "didn't they call you the Molester of the Western Continent when we invaded Ente Isla?"

"I always hated that title," Urushihara spat, "it sounds so rapey. Why couldn't I have a cool name like Ashiya? The Scourge is so much more badass."

"Perhaps you should've left fewer witnesses… and kept a closer reign on your subordinates," Ashiya noted dryly.

"How was I supposed to know I had a group of sexually deviant demons under my control?! I didn't hand pick my troops, y'know!"

The demons began to walk as they chatted about their previous invasion. Maou raised a spherical barrier around the three of them, noting several odd holes in the walls, ceiling and floor. To a normal person, they were well concealed, but his demon eyes could see the holy silver glinting within them.

"Dude, for the last time, I'm not responsible for the actions of my subordinates! It's not like I was the one ploughing dead humans!"

"Your vulgar bluntness does you very little credit. Anyway- huh?"

Ashiya stopped mid-sentence. His foot seemed to have slipped or something. He looked down, only to find that his footing had been precise as ever, perhaps to a fault, even. The tile he'd stepped on was sunken into the floor, and the sounds of tiny mechanical clicks were like gunshots in the silence.

"A trap," Ashiya said in a sour tone.

"Are we screwed," Urushihara asked.

"No, I put up a barrier," Maou explained, waiting to see what happened.

The clicking stopped, and the sound of a heavy blade cleaving the air was heard as a trap activated.

"Ah!" Ashiya jumped, very nearly breaking the boundary of Maou's shield.

"I… I don't see it," Urushihara muttered, narrowing his eyes, "was it a dud?"

"Nope," Maou said quietly, "look."

Ashiya and Urushihara followed Maou's gaze upward, where an enormous blade rested precariously on the shield Maou had erected. It was like that of an enormous guillotine, and made entirely of holy silver. Without their protection, the demons likely would've been split down the middle, like firewood beneath an axe.

"Phew," Ashiya breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Good call on that barrier," Urushihara decided, clapping Maou on the shoulder.

The further they progressed down the tunnels, which were beginning to slant downward, the more grateful Maou was for his quick thinking. Bolts of pure holy silver fired when Maou stumbled over a tripwire, only to ricochet off of his shield. Urushihara accidentally set off a flurry of spike traps that bent against the barrier. By the time they arrived at a set of old stone doors engraved with carvings of a tree, they were exceptionally worn out from fright. Even with the shield, the blades hurtling at them from every direction were still terrifying.

"Ok, seriously, fuck whoever designed all these traps," Urushihara said, shivering as the shadows in his peripheral vision made him paranoid.

"You said it," Maou nodded.

"Aye," Ashiya agreed.

They stood before the doors, which were incredibly tall. Even an angel would have trouble opening them, and they were filled with a power that seemed eerily reminiscent of Alas-Ramus'.

"This must be it," Maou said finally, "are you guys ready?"

The only responses he got was a grunt from Urushihara, and a grim nod from Ashiya. Maou put his hands on the doors, summoned his strength, and pushed. A sliver of white light shone into the dark tunnel. Maou closed his eyes and redoubled his efforts, and the light enveloped the demons, stunning them as their eyes adjusted to the brightness.

When the elevator doors dinged open, Lailah immediately held out an arm. The hall outside was completely deserted. Chiho and Rika waited as the fallen angel crouched low and peeked out of the doors. She scanned the intersecting corridors before standing once more and smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress.

"The coast is clear," she muttered, "let's go."

As they walked, Chiho was even more daunted by how loud she, Rika, and Lailah sounded in the vast emptiness of the corridors. As they were headed to the laboratory, she expected to be sneaking past guards, or perhaps getting the chance to fight an angel. She was sorely tempted to try and use the bow, but to do so would most likely give away their position.

"Whoa… this place looks sort of… different," Rika said shakily.

Lailah had led them into a large room that was quite dark. There were no torches lit, though the light from the doorway was enough for them to see cobwebs all over dusty beakers and vials. Lailah raised a hand, and the violet light she conjured lent the shadows dancing on the walls a terrifying imitation of life.

"Welcome to the laboratory of Sataniel… the closest thing to a god we angels have ever known," Lailah said.

In the soft light hovering in the fallen angel's hand, much of the lab was revealed, though it seemed to stretch on past the light in all directions, save the one they'd just come from. Directly in front of them were several raised altars of marble. They were littered with yellowed parchment and opened books. There were fragments of shattered glass all over, and on the floor, in the very center of the altars, was an enormous black ring of soot. Rika, much to her dismay, could still detect the faint smell of chemical fires and burning hair.

"Oh my god," Chiho gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, "look at the walls."

The shadows that danced over the walls were not entirely from the light Lailah held. The imprints of winged people could clearly be seen, like those of a person caught within the blast of a nuclear explosion. All of them seemed to have been terrified, shielding their eyes before they were… they were….

"Killed," Lailah sighed sadly, "all of them were killed. From my extensive research, Sataniel was the only survivor to witness it. The demons who left with him were other scientists, who hadn't even been in the lab. The energies released spread through much of the upper levels."

"Is it safe to be in here?" Chiho asked, still covering her mouth. She figured anything strong enough to create a nuclear-level blast would likely leave radiation behind, much like bombs did back on earth.

"Yes, perfectly safe, just be careful not to step on any broken glass. It could cut through your boots."

The sound of glass crunching underfoot made Lailah and Chiho jump. They flinched and whirled about to find Rika standing behind them, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry," she said, flashing a small smile.

Rika looked frightfully pale in the dark, and the sword she carried shook in her hands as she looked at the shadows on the wall. Each of them was an angel from the bible, likely with their own houses of authority and incredible abilities. If each of them were a capable scientist, and a divine entity with incredible powers, then how much energy would it have taken to simply vaporize them?

"Alright, ladies," Lailah said, pulling a long violet ribbon from her sleeve and tying her hair back into a hasty ponytail, "this is where the work begins!"

After a few pokes and prods from Better Half, the old, grumpy angel had generously offered to escort Emi and her accomplices to the throne room, only asking that his subordinates be let go.

"Follow me," he grumbled quietly, "nearly there, now."

"I don't know why you're so glum, buddy," Emi said, "it's not like I'm gonna kill you, y'know? After we get to the throne room you can go and escape with your friends."

"I am glum because you murdered one of my guards right before my very eyes," the old angel muttered, glancing darkly at Emi. "Not just that, that young man was my nephew, and a rising star amongst the guardian angels."

Emi face slacked, and she looked away from the elder angel's fierce gaze. His old, dark eyes ran the length of Emi's sword, which was currently levelled at his back. He made no move to attempt to wrest it from her, however. He knew all too well the power contained within that weapon, and the Hero that wielded it.

They rounded a corner and came upon another long hall, only this one was wide, and filled with white marble pillars, all of which were inlaid with gold to portray images from the bible. On one pillar was a depiction of Adam and Eve in Eden, looking wary of a serpent coiled around an apple tree. On the next was a depiction of a faceless, robed, winged figure, his palms focused inward as he created the world of Ente Isla.

On and on went the images, leading down the hall and right up to a pair of arched double doors replete with glowing glyphs that shifted and flickered, forming, to Emi's surprise, a nexus of holy magic that would be nigh impossible to penetrate.

"A dead end, huh?" Emi asked the angel. "Are you trying to lure us into a trap?"

"On my honor as the angel of Creation and Ingenuity, I, Xapham, will not lead you astray," the old angel growled.

"Let's move," Nord muttered, his eyes flicking back and forth as they made their way into the grand hall of pillars.

The long red carpet leading up to the doors was so bright and pristine Emi found it hard on the eyes. Golden thread trimmed its edges. Upon closer inspection, she found that the threads were actually words of prayer, woven together so finely that it appeared to be a simple line. Matching tapestries bearing the symbol of Heaven hung beyond the pillars. As they walked, Emi saw more and more biblical scenes sculpted with gold. It was hard to grasp the full scope of the artwork, as they wrapped around the entirety of the white marble columns, but Emi recognized several of them.

Behind the Hero, Suzuno strode along quietly, her boots making very little sounds as she listened for signs of life. As an assassin, she was trained to assess threat levels, recognize hazards, identify escape routes, and take everything into consideration before engaging a foe. To walk right in the front door with no real plan made her paranoid to no end, and she was constantly turning around to check her flank, and watching the shadows in her peripheral vision. That was why, when she came upon one of the very last columns before the great doors, she froze.

She turned slowly, her mind working overtime to confirm what she'd just seen.

"Morningstar," she whispered.

Even emblazoned in golden leaf, there was no mistaking his face. Suzuno knew it well. She traced his lips with her fingers before taking a step back to get a better view of the column, only to feel tears sting her eyes.

Inlaid in gold was a representation of Urushihara's fall from grace. She could see him, in the center, dive-bombing past clouds, his hands reaching upward as golden lines of sorrow trickled from the corners of his eyes. Standing on clouds all around him were angels, wailing in agony as their Lightbringer fell. Urushihara's irises were made of amethyst that sparkled sadly, lending his eyes a shiny, tearful quality.

"Suzuno," Emi asked, pausing as she noticed the inquisitor had fallen behind.

"It's him," Suzuno muttered, turning pale as Emi came to her side.

"What the… oh." Emi seemed at a loss for words. All she could do was stare at that heartwrenching moment, frozen in time.

Even though it was most likely an artist's representation, Emi still felt as though she'd missed a step going down the stairs. When she looked at Suzuno, she noted that her eyes were wide and watery. Her hammer shook in her hand as she stared at the etching.

"You ok, Bell?"

"Look at him," Suzuno said, "look at his face."

Emi frowned and looked at the carving once more, right at Lucifer's face. It was odd, but it was remarkably lifelike. Somehow, Emi knew that it wasn't an artist's representation. There was no way the pain and rage on his face could be faked, or even recreated by the greatest of artists.

"This must be when he fell," Emi said quietly.

"Why would someone commemorate this?" Suzuno hissed, "What sort of person would want this recorded?"

Xapham spoke from behind Emi and Suzuno, making them both jump, "All of these columns were designed and commissioned by Ignora. She took no pleasure in casting her son from her side, and so she had this recorded as a part of our history. Perhaps she did it to remember who he was before his Fall, or to serve as a reminder of the cost of perfection."

"'The cost of perfection,'" Suzuno asked, looking outraged.

"Of course, my dear. Heaven would not function so efficiently if we did not cull the herd and prune the weakest branches," Xapham said, grinning at the Bailiff's look of shock and anger.

"IS THAT HOW YOU JUSTIFY RAPHAEL'S DEATH? IS THAT HOW YOU EXPLAIN LUCIFER'S FALL? PERFECTION DOESN'T EXIST, AND YOU BASTARDS ARE WELL AWARE OF IT!" Suzuno hollered, gripping the angel by the front of his robes and shaking him like a ragdoll.

"A dog of the church has no right to question our ways, you murderous harlot," Xapham uttered coldly.

As Suzuno stared into the angel's eyes, a strange fire burned within them. Somehow, she could feel him digging around inside of her head, pulling out all of her insecurities, her fears, and her regrets. He scoured her memories, watching the horrific things she'd done, and forcing her to witness them again.

Blood. Death. Chaos. Murder. Betrayal.

Suzuno's knees turned to jelly, and she released the angel, who smirked as Suzuno fell to the ground.

"You bastard, what did you do to her?!" Emi asked. She seized Suzuno around the chest and hauled her to her feet before pivoting and raising her sword to the angel, who continued to grin wickedly.

"I was just reminding your friend of her place," Xapham shrugged, the cruel light in his eyes positively dancing.

"So… I'm a murderer," Suzuno mumbled.

Her face was hidden in shadows. Emi felt something remarkably dark and cold emanate from Suzuno, as if she were holding a block of dry ice to her side, rather than the petite woman. Suzuno grasped Emi's wrist and peeled her arm from around her chest before turning to face the angel once more.

"You are indeed, my dear… and a bold one to even consider killing me," Xapham laughed.

"Suzuno, don't-" Emi began.

The angel spread his wings and flapped, taking off into the air. The banners flapped in the gale as he quickly soared out of reach of Emi and her holy sword. Emi was about to give chase when a dark blur passed her by. She looked around, noting that Crestia Bell was gone.

"Suzuno!" Emi cried.

But the inquisitor could not heard the Hero. She leapt from pillar to pillar, kicking off each one as she quickly gained on the angel. She smiled as he saw her coming. The light in his eyes flashed, and Suzuno met it with a glare that was as dark and cold and bottomless as the ocean.

Crestia Bell was a murderer. A spy. A thief. An assassin. To the Church, she was a tool to be used whenever they needed something handled discreetly. Her missions were most often straightforward, but at times she had needed to use every skill in her repertoire just to survive. She had witnessed the deepest, darkest depths of humanity, and to say that nothing frightened her would be an understatement.

She was the Death Scythe, notorious for always managing to terminate her mark, and the look in her eyes spoke of a thirst for blood that could only be quenched by the death of the angel before her.

"Now… let's see what happens if I push you just a little further," Xapham said to himself as Suzuno flung herself at him, hammer poised to strike.

He had intended to use her past sins to completely shatter her mind. It would be interesting to see how a human reacted when their brain had been broken, and the last bits of their sanity were scattered to the wind. However...

"What the-" Xapham was cut off when Suzuno's hammer struck his face. He crashed into a pillar, but before he could tumble to the ground, Bell dragged him back up, pinning him against it by the neck.

"Y-you should… be broken…"

"I am," Suzuno muttered, staring into the angel's eyes.

Xapham shook himself and bored ever deeper into the inquisitor's mind. Much to his dismay, she did not try to stop him. Instead, she showed him everything she'd ever hidden. She threw the terrible things she had done and seen right at the angel, forcing him to live every single iota of pain and sadness that she'd been exposed to in the service of the Church.

"By Ignora," Xapham whispered, his eyes unfocused as Suzuno's memories tore at him like wraiths, "you're a monster."

Suzuno tightened her grip on the angel's neck and muttered, "No more so than you."

The angel's neck cracked. His eyes rolled back into his head and his breathing halted as his organs failed. Suzuno dropped the angel and let him fall for a moment before releasing her grip on the pillar and dropping as well. She landed only moments after his body crunched into the floor next to Emi, taking a hard knee. Now that she was freed from the mental probe of the angel, she found there was a twinge of annoyance in her abdomen, and it quickly turned into full-blown agony. She glanced down and very nearly fainted. In the bottom of her ribcage, an ivory scalpel had been plunged into her right up to the handle, most likely right when Xapham had endeavored to penetrate her mind.

"E-Emilia," Suzuno said.

The Bailiff stood, and Emi quickly noted the dark drip of blood gushing from the puncture in her armor. Before Suzuno could fall and hit her head, Emi had caught her and laid her delicately upon the ground. Her normally pale complexion was now absolutely ghost-like, and blood stained her lips as she felt her throat fill with it.

"Am I dying?" Suzuno asked weakly.

Between her rage, the loss of blood, and the horrible memories she'd been forced to relive, Suzuno felt that death might've been a preferable reprieve.

"N-No," Emi said, quickly yanking out the scalpel and tossing it aside, where it painted the white floor with ruby droplets.

After removing Suzuno's robes and thin leather armor, Emi was surprised to find that it was backed with a thin steel plate. Somehow, the razor thin metal of the scalpel had pierced the steel without any trouble.

"Holy silver," Nord muttered, picking up the blade and peering at it.

His attentions were quickly refocused upon Suzuno, who spluttered and shook as she fought to draw breath. Emi wiped away the blood that spattered onto her cheek with the back of her hand. Suzuno had been stabbed in a very bad spot, and likely had a punctured lung.

"Suzuno, this is going to hurt," Emi muttered.

She laid her hands on the Inquisitor's ribcage, causing her to jerk involuntarily. She could not cry out, due to her lack of breath, but her eyes screamed for mercy and filled with tears as Emi focused all of her magic upon her friend.

"Acies and I will help," Nord said, laying a reassuring hand upon Emi's shoulder.

As one, Acies, Nord, and Emi all took a deep breath. The air around them hummed with celestial force as they drew their power from Heaven itself. It was almost as if they were drops of water in an ocean of holy magic, and by focusing that ocean, they might have a chance at saving Suzuno.

"Come on, Bell," Emi murmured, "don't give up!"

Suzuno was floating. She was dressed in a silky white kimono with golden stitching. Her feet were bare as she felt herself carried upward through a white light so bright and piercing that it seemed to fill her entirely. She was at peace. Her troubles were no more. There was comfort where she was headed, and she longed for it desperately… but a voice was heard from below.

"Bell."

Suzuno stopped. Her ascent had paused. She opened her eyes, looking around at the all-encompassing whiteness.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Bell, wake up! Wake up!"

"I am awake," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she peered around to find the owner of the worried voice. They sounded so concerned, so heartbroken, that she couldn't help but feel pity for them.

"Bell, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be fighting or something?"

She froze. That time, she recognized who had spoken. She floated around, only to find Urushihara standing behind her.

He was dressed as he usually was, in a white shirt with dark sleeves and shorts. He wore a smirk that set her heart aflutter, and his hair and eyes were purple once again.

"You," Suzuno said, "I remember you… why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "I'm here to bring you back."

With the sound of someone surfacing from underwater, Suzuno sat up, her mind racing as she came to grips with herself.

"W-white light," she muttered as Emi quickly took the woman into her arms, "L-Lucifer…"

"You're back," Emi said, "it's alright, Suzuno. You're alright… you had me worried there for a second."

Suzuno thought she was shaking, but as it turned out, Emi was softly weeping into her shoulder. With the white light still on her mind, Suzuno numbly lifted her arms and wrapped them around Emi.

"I-I'm sorry," Suzuno whispered, "I didn't mean to… to make you worry."

"…just glad you're ok," Emi said shortly.

She stood from Suzuno's side and sniffled before holding out a hand to Bell. Even as she tried to smile, tears fell from her eyes.

She had been so close to losing Suzuno. Even with all the power of Heaven at her disposal, Emi's heart had nearly stopped when Suzuno had grown still and cold. She'd had no pulse, and her breathing had stopped. For the briefest of moments, Emi had thought Suzuno had died.

Instead, Suzuno stared listlessly at Emi for a moment before tearing up herself and taking the extended hand. She would have to sort out her vision, and contemplate the meaning behind it, when her task was done. The one thing she knew for sure was that there was work to do.

"The door?" she asked.

Emi nodded over to where the great double doors barred their path. They trilled with a complex power that could only be some sort of incredibly powerful ward. Before them, his arms outstretched and his fingers splayed, was Nord. His eyes were closed, and his faced twitched every now and again. He was outlined in an aura of celestial lights that seemed to flicker and change just as rapidly as the glyphs on the door.

"Dad's working on it," Emi muttered, "he said something about a lock and a key… some sort of pattern, but I wasn't really paying attention. Can you walk?"

Suzuno was standing on her own. She looked down at her tunic to find that the wound had been completely erased. Not even a red mark was visible of what should have been a fatal wound. She stretched and flexed, but everything felt fine. Then she closed her eyes, and to her surprise, she found that she had been supercharged with enough holy magic to level a Japanese skyscraper.

"I feel… incredible," Suzuno said.

She turned to look at the door once more, noting how sweat now beaded Nord's face. She cocked her head, noting that there was a peculiar pattern to the glyphs, and the energies they released. It was almost as if they formed an ever changing lock, and the only way to create a key would be to predict the pattern, and form the key just before the proper lock manifested. Suzuno stepped forward, coming up right behind Nord. As he stood so much taller than she did, she simply placed a hand between his shoulders, and through that connection, she supplied the power to calculate the proper key.

The aura of changing color wrapped around Suzuno. She felt her mind merge with those of Nord and Acies, and using the energies she'd absorbed during her healing, Suzuno supplied the final the component needed.

With the sound of a jet engine whirring to a standstill, the energy surrounding the door faded, as did the aura surrounding Nord and Suzuno.

"This is it," Emi muttered, taking the lead once more, "this is the throne room."

The doors were thrown open, and all three intruders flung themselves inside with echoing war cries, their weapons at the ready as they crossed the threshold.