"So," Maou said, sounding quite unimpressed, "you're Gabriel, are you?"

He, Urushihara, and Ashiya were all standing in a room unlike anything they'd ever seen. It was dark, save a single light that originated from within the branches of an enormous tree. It was not made of wood, but stone, and lines of glowing energy ran from the base of the trunk, all the way up the branches. Evenly spaced in a perfect circle over the heads of the demons were several golden apples. The branches where the apples met the tree were each lit up with different colors, so one branch was streaked with crimson, and another, azure. Nine different branches were lit, but one was not, and the apple of that branch was not whole. Three great holes were broken away from it, like pieces of glass missing from a mirror.

Beneath the boughs of this great tree, smiling knowingly, was Gabriel.

He was tall, and well-muscled, with long white hair that fell to his broad shoulders. With his toga and sandals, he could've passed for a soldier, or an ancient philosopher, but something in his eyes spoke of a keen intellect.

"Greetings, Satan Jacob. I am loathe to accept your kind into my house, but times are tough, and when I heard you carried Yesod with you… well, I would be hard pressed to turn you away."

"Are you shitting me?!" Lucifer burst out. "We nearly died like sixty times! Not to mention we had to fight through your guards."

"Ignora insisted the guards be here… and I knew that the Devil would have no trouble thwarting those traps. What matters is that you got here, in the end," Gabriel shrugged.

Lucifer went red in the face, and celestial force poured from him like molten lava as he stared daggers at Gabriel. At least a hundred good angels had just been killed, each one with families, loves, and children… and all he could do was shrug?

It made Lucifer want to drop Gabriel face first onto his sword, and let him slowly be impaled by it. Ashiya rested a hand upon his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The pain brought Urushihara back from the brink of his rage as he took a few deep breaths and looked away from a man he'd once considered a brother.

"As volatile as ever… but who'd have thought you'd learn to control your temper after spending so long with these demons?" Gabriel laughed.

"I didn't come here to deliver Alas-Ramus to you," Maou interjected, "I came here to put a stop to you."

"Wha-to me? Too mean! I haven't done anything, yet! Seriously, I've just been standing guard here! Ignora said I wasn't to leave this chamber, so I did as she said, and now you accuse me of villainy?!"

Gabriel looked outraged, and he spoke as though he were quite sick of being cooped up in that dark room with nothing but a giant tree for company.

"W-well, you're subjugating the Sephiroth," Maou reasoned, "I-I mean… I think you are."

"Subjugating? Are you serious? I'm standing guard so any intruders that happen to swing by don't have a clear shot at ending the world as we know it! I'm protecting it!"

"Self-assured, much," Lucifer mumbled to himself.

"I heard that!" Gabriel shouted, pointing accusingly at Urushihara.

Ashiya frowned and muttered, "Just because you are here doesn't mean you are only guarding the Tree. If you wanted, you could easily destroy the Sephiroth, if Ignora so commanded you to. Without even realizing it, you are ensuring the Tree will remain bound to you and yours."

"Tch. I don't have to answer your absurd theories… I do, however, have to wrest the fragment of Yesod from the Devil. Michael, brother, we have company… and I think you'll find them to be quite interesting."

From behind the trunk of the enormous tree came a shadow that stood even taller than Gabriel, and a presence far more intimidating than anything Maou had ever felt before in his entire life.

The throne room was empty, so when Emi, Nord, and Suzuno had burst through the doors to find an empty throne, and no one to witness their ferocity, they were rather let down.

"Dammit," Emi kicked at the floor, "where could she be?!"

It was an apt question. The palace was enormous, and the truth was that they had no way of locating Ignora. Unless they could find her quickly and begin the distraction, she would be free to go and intercept their other war parties, and ruin their plans.

"Calm down, Emi," Nord muttered, "I… I think she's close by."

"Wha-how can you tell?"

"Acies," Nord smiled, "I'm having her search for Ignora… and she says that-"

"She's dead ahead of us. Not even a kilometer away," Acies said.

"Huh?"

Emi looked around the throne room, but a memory quickly resurfaced. The throne room, from what she'd seen on the blueprints, was enormous. The one she stood in now, while certainly grand, was nowhere near the right scale. If Emi's math was right, there was another room behind the far wall, where a grand golden chair sat.

"Let's go," Emi said, picking her way forward carefully.

Behind the great golden throne was a pair of blood red banners. On either side of the throne were two tiny trees that were made of stone, with glowing white tendrils of power flowing along the gnarled branches.

Emi walked right up to the throne. She looked it over for a moment, noting the fine velvet cushions and solid gold armrests when a ruby caught her eye. It was about the size of an egg, and remarkably ostentatious. Compared to the rest of the throne, which was a work of art in itself, the faceted crimson stone was downright gaudy.

Emi shrugged, and with no regards to the consequences, she reached down and touched the stone. It gave way, and quickly sank into the chair before a golden hatch slid closed over it.

"Emi," Suzuno called from around the corner of the raised alcove the throne was situated in. Emi turned, and to her delight she found Suzuno pointing at an opening that had appeared in the marble. It formed a small hallway through the thick stone wall, into a well-lit area that smelled of sterility and chemical fires.

They advanced, their hearts pounding in their ears as they readied their weapons and pushed through the cramped corridor. They came into the light of the other side, where they found themselves in a rather cluttered and disheveled laboratory that seemed to stretch on forever. Open books and sheafs of yellowed parchment covered in cramped, slanted handwriting were spread over every available surface. And there, standing next to a long table of clear glass beakers, retorts, and alembics, all of which seemed to be connected via long glass straws, was a woman with her back to them.

"Ignora," Emi growled, "face us."

The woman turned away from her table and smiled kindly at everyone. She was neither young nor old, but caught somewhere in between. She wore her wisdom like a crown upon her brow, though it shone far brighter than any metal could ever gleam. Something about her made Emi feel as though Ignora weren't as bad as everyone made her out to be. She was a woman with a plan, doing whatever was best for her family, as any caring mother would. While Ignora looked ageless, she seemed matronly, and the knowing twinkle in her eyes made Emi feel like she was being x-rayed.

She wore a long white dress, with lace sleeves and golden embroidery. Her hair was long and whitish gold, and fell in wavy curtains down to her waist. From the corner of Emi's eye, it almost appeared that Ignora was outlined in some sort of golden aura. This woman was clearly powerful and wise, and Emi was overcome by a strange sense of longing to please Ignora, to make her proud, like a child with a good report card.

The Hero shook her head. She was no child, and Ignora was not her mother. The thought that Urushihara was related to this goddess was incomprehensible.

"Hello, everyone," Ignora said kindly, "I've been expecting you!"

Her voice was warm and sweet, like a river of honey, yet there was a something within it that could just as easily turn sour and scold you. The angel swept her hair from her face and sighed, looking quite flustered.

"Dear me, I forgot to clean up… usually I receive guests in the throne room. You'll have to forgive me, but I haven't been able to clean my lab. I'm nearing a breakthrough of sorts, you understand, and I cannot afford to let it slip through my fingers this time."

"You're looking for ways to make magic," Emi guessed as her eyes combed over the books, "and protect your status as angels."

"Well of course! We rely on magic. It fuels our society, and that of the humans. If we were to create an endless supply of magical power, the possibilities would be just as endless! An end to war, poverty, famine… death itself would no longer be an obstacle," Ignora's eyes were unfocused for a moment before Emi spoke again.

"But you're immortal. Why would you worry about dying?"

"Me? I've no need to worry. As you say, I am immortal, but…well, this is purely theoretical, of course… but with enough magic power, the ones we've loved and lost could return as well. With enough magic, we could bring the peace and prosperity of Heaven to Ente Isla, and all worlds. Just imagine it, a place where you would be normal! Free of your burdens as the Hero! A place where humans and angels coexist, and no one suffers or goes without. Happiness for all."

"Life isn't a fairytale," Suzuno said shortly.

"But what if it could be?" Ignora posed, turning her rose colored eyes to the Bailiff. "What if you could make it so that no one else had to suffer as you did, Crestia Bell? I sense much strife within you… and I sense that you wouldn't wish your suffering of your worst enemies."

Ignora's eyes seemed to reopen the wounds Suzuno had suffered during her bout with Xapham. Her mind overflowed with painful memories, but a vast presence wrapped around her mind and swept the memories aside as easily as one would brush away tears.

Ignora cocked her head, sadness in her eyes as she looked at Suzuno, rather like a mother who had watched their child suffer.

"If you had the chance to spare future generations your pain… wouldn't you do it?" Ignora asked, stepping forward and cupping Suzuno's chin.

Something passed between them, and Suzuno got the distinct feeling that Ignora was no stranger to pain… how could she remain so strong, and so noble of bearing?

"Your world would never be perfect," Nord said, "the Sephiroth are resolute. They will either grow to be exactly who they are meant to be, or they will be destroyed by your efforts to change them."

"The Sephiroth are people, in and of themselves. If everyone, from humans, to demons, to angels, can change who they are in the constant pursuit of happiness, then there is no reason the Sephiroth shouldn't be able to as well," Ignora countered smartly.

"We didn't come here to debate with you, Ingora," proclaimed Emi, brandishing Better Half at the angel, "we came here to stop you! Your goals don't do the lives you throw away to achieve them any justice!"

"You're referring to Raphael, aren't you," Ignora asked, looking thoroughly upset about something, "I do regret his Falling… such a waste of a fierce warrior. Few enough angels held his compassion in equal measure, and even less could match his strength. Still, I'm afraid you're a little too late to stop me, Hero Emilia."

Emi was about to ask what Ignora meant when another pair of doors, different from the secret one they had just come through, burst open. Three people entered the room, with one being carried by the other two.

As terrified as Emi, Nord, and Suzuno were to see Lailah, beaten and bruised as she was, the angels flanking her were far more frightening.

"You're efforts to recreate the Incident cannot progress if I remove your scientist as a factor," Ignora said, "and behold for yourselves: the power of the Sephiroth, focused into reanimation!"

On one side of Lailah, clutching her arm in an iron grip, was Raphael. He looked much the same as he had when he was alive, but now there was something different. The way he stood stock still, with absolutely no light in his eyes, made Emi feel as though he were less than human.

On Lailah's other side, pinning her arm against her back, was Sariel. He looked just as nonplussed as Raphael, and twice as lifeless.

"You've brought them back to life," Nord muttered disgustedly.

"Not quite," Ignora pouted, walking over to them.

As one, they cast Lailah onto the floor, where she lay in a heap, shuddering. From the look of her, she'd been beaten to within an inch of her life. Ignora scowled at the prone woman before circling her and waving her hands before Raphael's and Sariel's eyes. Neither of them moved a muscle.

"You see? They are still quite dead, in a certain sense, but their bodies are quite useful… for the moment, they are empty, just vessels who heed my will. But the fact that they understand and obey is a breakthrough all its own! And their bodies no longer decay, either… just think of how close I am! A little more tweaking and I could have them walking and talking and smiling, just like they used to!"

She peered back and forth between the angels with a hopeful smile on her face. She clasped her hands together, as though in prayer, but Emi kept her sword at the ready. She wanted to dart forward and pull Lailah away from Ignora and her undead lackeys, but she figured the moment she tried, they would spring into action. Instead, Emi looked down at Lailah, who peered at her with one violet eye, the other having swollen shut. Emi didn't need to be a mind reader to get the message.

'RUN!'

She shook her head, and that tiny movement seemed to draw Sariel's attention. He stared at Emi with those dead eyes that had once fired beams of magic strong enough to nullify her holy sword.

"Now that we understand each other… now that you realize how futile your mission is, now that it's been compromised, why don't you join me? All of you could help us… your insights would be most valuable to my research!" Ignora said, her scarlet eyes glowing as she looked between Nord, Emi, and Suzuno.

"What of the Devil?" Emi asked, "He's still here… do you really think he'll give up without a fight?"

"It really doesn't matter, dear," Ignora laughed, "you see, I sent Heaven's mightiest warrior to deal with those demons… you needn't worry about them, they'll be dead any moment now."

Michael was unlike any Archangel Maou had ever seen. Whereas most of them were vain in their attempts to appear immortal and ageless, Michael did not seem to care, as he looked to be in his mid-forties. He was extremely well built, with groups of muscles bulging from eons of labor and dedicated training. His skin was not pristine and fair, it was sun tanned, freckled, and in many areas, scarred, as though he had spent many long hours outside, perfecting his skills under the hot sun.

Compared to Raphael and Gabriel, it was clear that Michael was the archetypal older brother that they admired and looked up to when it came to their physique, as Michael was more perfectly formed than either of them. He did not smile, and a permanent scowl was etched into his face, like that of a warrior pondering some complicated stratagem. He had long silver hair braided in such a way that kept his vision unhampered, but allowed his hair to cascade elegantly down his broad shoulders. He also sported a sharp, pointy white goatee, like the head of a spear. His eyes were a darker red, almost maroon, like blood, and he wore only sandals and a toga that displayed his ripped abdominals proudly.

"So, this is the Demon King?" he asked. "You look nothing like Sataniel. To think you are my best friend's successor is kind of sad. He deserves a better legacy than some scrawny goblin class demon barely out of his three hundreds."

Michael's voice was gruff, as though he'd torn his voicebox shouting some terrible war cry at the top of his lungs. He stood a head taller than Gabriel, who was quite tall himself, and he carried a massive claymore across his back.

"First off," Maou said, "I actually just turned three hundred. And while I am goblin class, I managed to unite the demons under a single banner… a feat not even properly accomplished by the last Demon King."

In his human form, Maou had to crane his neck backward to get a good look at Michael, whose face was just as scarred as the rest of his body. For a moment, he half expected the archangel to raise a sandal and squish him into the ground, but in the next, a wide grin split the warrior's face.

"HA! HAHAHAAAA! Phew, even if you're no Sataniel, you sure are a riot. Tell me, Demon Lord, why have you come here today? Surely even you must realize how foolhardy it would be to attempt to steal the Fruit from right under Ignora's nose? She may be a bit full of herself, but that's no reason to underestimate her."

"Careful, brother," Gabriel whispered, looking around worriedly.

"Pah!" Michael spat, "I'm not afraid of Ignora like the rest of you gutless whelps! When it comes down to it, she's no more a God than you or I."

"She is the Steward of Heaven, her word is law," Gabriel reminded his brother.

"Sataniel was the Steward. She just took his title after he vanished."

Michael took a seat upon the ground, sitting cross legged before the Demon King and his Generals. Even sitting, Maou felt no desire to attack the warrior. Something about the angel before him was different from the others... but what was it?

Michael yawned, and stretched his arms over his head. His muscles audibly popped and crackled before he sighed and pulled his sword from his back. Everyone, even Gabriel, tensed violently, but Michael just polished the blade with his toga, looking quite uninterested in the goings on.

'That's it,' Maou realized, 'he's completely at ease. Even with the Crown of Sataniel, he doesn't consider me a threat!'

"Of course I don't," Michael grunted shortly, causing Maou's jaw to hit the floor, "who do you think made that crown, eh? A warrior cannot be content with just one art. He must undertake many, to work every muscle he can, and keep his mind sharp. I forged that crown for Sataniel as a wedding gift… the day he married my sister, Ignora, was one of the happiest days of my life."

"Wha-YOU CAN HEAR MY THOUGHTS?!"

"Of course. I used the crown to talk to Sataniel, back when he was still alive. Ignora used to get so mad, we would both be talking to Sataniel, and he would be listening to me instead of her. She had a hell of a time figuring out how we were communicating- HAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

His booming laugh caused everyone to tense once more, but then he immediately set to work polishing his sword. His brow furrowed, and the angel's eyes grew wet as he remembered the man he'd once called brother.

"Y'know what, Gabe? I think you can handle this... I don't feel like fighting today," Michael grumbled, getting to his feet and turning away from the Devil.

"Hold on- you can't just walk away! Ignora gave you explicit orders to help me protect the Tree!"

"My little sister has always been bossy. If she's got a problem with me taking the day off, she can come and talk to me about it." Michael sniffled, and blow his nose on his toga.

"So… you're not even gonna fight us?" Urushihara asked.

Michael paused, and turned around to cast a bloody eye upon Lucifer.

"Nephew… it's good to see you're alright. I'd been wondering how you were coming along. Damn shame they cast you out for sticking to your convictions… shows a real strength of character, which isn't something these idiots have a lot of."

"I'm surprised you're still here," Urushihara said, crossing his arms, "I'd expect you to have been assassinated by now."

"If there was an assassin that could kill me, Ignora would've had it done already. Still, I harbor no resentment for fallen angels. Family is family after all, right m'boy?"

"If that's the case, why haven't you taken down Ignora?" Urushihara asked sharply. "People have been suffering. You know all about it, but you just keep to yourself, and train, and only come when your called, like some lapdog. I thought you would be the one to take over after people had had enough of mom's bullshit."

"I haven't pulled a coup because I never aspired to lead," Michael said, rubbing the back of his head, "I didn't have the patience, or the brains. I suppose you probably got your social skills from me."

"What social skills?" Urushihara asked.

"Exactly," Michael grinned for a moment. "Anyway, the reason I never overthrew your mother is the same reason I haven't killed you, yet. We're family. Blood means something… or it used to. Turns out it doesn't matter what you do. Whether you're brushing your teeth, or taking someone's life, it all gets stale. You kill enough people, you spill enough blood… well, it's enough to put anyone off of killing for a while."

"Even when a cause is just?"

"Ha. And who's to say your cause is more just than your mother's, eh?" Michael smirked at his nephew. "Sure, she's a little off her rocker, and she isn't the same woman she used to be… but the fact remains that so long as she continues to hold the best interests of Heaven in her heart, she's better than whatever changes you could instigate."

Alciel stepped forward and cleared his throat. He'd been watching the debate between Urushihara and Michael, but it felt like a waste of time to him.

"And who're you?" the enormous angel grunted.

"Alciel, Archdemon, Scourge of Ente Isla, and Right Hand of the Demon King, at your service."

"Michael. Seraph. Archangel. Warrior of Heaven, and a pretty solid painter, if I do say so myself."

Alciel stuck out a hand. Michael turned and grasped it, giving the Demon General a firm handshake. Even in his demons form, which was quite tall, Ashiya was still a bit shorter than the Seraph.

"A pleasure," Alciel said shortly, "anywho, I noticed you seemed quite fond of the previous Demon King, Sataniel, correct?"

"We were best friends," Michael said, looking suspicious.

"Then you have every reason to want to overthrow Ignora," Ashiya said smartly, "for she is the one who killed him."

Michael's eyes opened wide for a moment before he turned away from Alciel.

"How could you possibly know that, demon?" Michael asked.

"Logic," Ashiya said flatly. "Listen… the Incident created demons, and Sataniel was transformed into one during this process. Afterward, he took his crown and fled Heaven. He knew that they would be hunted down for their ghastly exteriors, so he took them as far from Ignora as he possibly could. From what you say, an angel only need fear another angel if they are more or less equals in the hierarchy. Even as a demon, Sataniel's power was unlike that of any other demon, because he was a Seraph before he changed. Only a Seraph would've been able to kill him, so unless you did it, or there is another Seraph in Heaven I don't know about… Ignora killed Sataniel. And given her track record of heartlessly butchering people that go against her will, I wouldn't say that killing her husband was very out of character for her. This is the woman that cast her only son from Grace, after all."

Michael was a warrior without equal. His skills and power were so far above every other angels' that he barely needed to break a sweat to accomplish tasks they found impossible. In the sparring arena, no one could match him… save his best friend, Sataniel.

The two of them were inseparable, closer than brothers. Even after Sataniel fell in love with Michael's sister, Ignora, the two of them never lost touch. Michael had been so pleased to have Sataniel as a brother in law… he could still remember the celebrations of their wedding, and how happy the newlyweds had looked.

Aside from being a superb warrior, Sataniel had been a craftsman, an artisan, and a scientist. As the Steward of Heaven, his job was to maintain peace and prosperity, and reign over all with love and compassion in the stead of the Lord. Though it had been millennia, the thought of his friend still brought tears to his eyes… but now, those tears burned like never before.

"Ignora… of course. She was the only one who could've killed him… and if it were to preserve the status quo, she'd have no qualms about murdering her husband."

Michael felt something stir within him, something he hadn't felt in centuries. Bloodlust. Anger. The will to fight that he had long thought lost came forth with the force of an atomic bomb. The fire in his chest that had grown dim over the long years of sadness now burned anew.

"B-b-b-brother? Brother Michael? What are you doing?" Gabriel asked, stepping forward unsurely.

In response, Michael's power burst forth with the blaze of a million suns. From his back burst not one, but three sets of wings. They were golden, and looked metallic. They shone like molten metal, and blazed with fire that was difficult to look at. Maou could smell his eyebrows singing away before the raw power of the angel.

"So what if Ignora killed Sataniel?! Chances are she had good reasons to do it! What if he'd gone berserk?!" Gabriel posed.

"If he'd gone lost his mind after becoming a demon, he'd not have had the wits to lead the survivors of the Incident away," Ashiya said simply, "in short, the fact that we demons exist today proves that Ignora killed Sataniel."

The glow surrounding Michael grew more and more intense, until it felt as though the stone tree might burst into flames.

"Thank you, Archdemon Alciel, for opening my eyes," Michael called through the fire and light, "I shall make good on your logic and confront Ignora directly!"

"You can't," Gabriel shouted, seizing his brother by the arm, "she'll have you killed!"

"She'll have to do it herself, as there isn't another being alive that could destroy me. In any case, I have no qualms with death. So many of my friends and family have taken that step… it would be a shame to keep them waiting."

With that, Michael disappeared in a roaring inferno, leaving Gabriel alone with three demons, all of whom grinned wickedly and cracked their knuckles.

"Looks like your trump card isn't a factor anymore," Urushihara said, "so how do you want your ass handed to you?"

"Michael was Ignora's idea of insurance," Gabriel smiled, "in truth, no mere demon could stand a chance against me. Even with the odds as they are, Durendal and I shall make quick work of this!"

From behind his back, the angel pulled a great silver sword. The pommel and guard were gold, and etched with curious engravings. No jewels adorned the sword, but when it cleaved the air, the sound it made was nothing like Maou had ever heard.

"Isn't she beautiful? Durendal is as sharp as a razor! And a million times stronger than ordinary steel! Indeed, you'll be hard pressed to beat me with whatever scrap you… brought," Gabriel said, his final word touched with disbelief as the Devil extended a hand and produced a holy sword of his own.

"Is that a Yesod fragment in the hilt of your sword?" Gabriel asked.

"Yup." Maou grinned

Gabriel smiled, as though the gravity of his situation amused him, and said, "Well, shit."

Chiho was having the most wonderful dream.

She and her friends had been backpacking around the countryside of Ente Isla, camping at night, and looking up at the stars together. The dream was so sweet and surreal that when she finally awoke, she had tears in her eyes.

Then she remembered what had happened.

Lailah had been swiftly ordering Rika and Chiho about the abandoned laboratory, gathering books, tattered and burnt sheafs of parchment, and dusty bottles of chemicals that Chiho couldn't pronounce if she tried- and that was saying something, because chemistry was one of her favorite subjects.

Then, right as Chiho had been digging through a cupboard, she heard a door creak open from outside of the lab. As the entire floor had been deserted, the sound was quite a shock. She turned to Lailah and Rika, seeing that they were both just as stunned. Lailah had beckoned them over to her, where she stood amid the raised altars, and before Chiho could even ask what the plan was, Lailah had put a finger to her forehead. Just as Chiho had faded from consciousness, the sound of the laboratory doors bursting open was heard, along with the sound of a scuffle.

Chiho gasped and kicked up from the floor, scanning the dark room. The light Lailah had conjured was gone, as was the fallen angel. A loud, surprising snort made Chiho jump. She turned to look at where the noise was coming from, but her foot hit something soft, and Chiho hit the ground.

"Five more minutes," Rika mumbled from next to the fallen high schooler.

"Rika! Wake up," Chiho said, shaking her friend.

"Nooo, just snuggle with me," Rika muttered.

She threw an arm around Chiho's waist and pulled her in close. Chiho felt her face go red before she began to struggle for her life.

"Unhand me!" Chiho cried, kicking at the air and pulling at Rika's incredibly strong grip, "Release me at once! These are nonconsensual snuggles!"

"Hmm? Oh, hey Chiho… wha-where are…"

Rika's eyes went wide as her memories came flooding back to her. She quickly released Chiho's waist and instead clapped a hand over the high schooler's mouth.

"MMMPH!" Chiho yelped.

Rika listened as she tried to steady her breathing. She couldn't hear anyone else. The entire floor was silent again, aside from Chiho's panting and nervous squeaks.

"Sorry, Chi," Rika said, "I thought they might hear us and come back."

"Right… sorry, I wasn't even thinking about that," Chiho mumbled.

They stood, brushing millennia old soot from their clothes as they looked around. The lab was dark, but the figures of angels caught in the blast were still barely visible along the walls, giving Chiho the heebie-jeebies. It felt as though each of the silhouettes had eyes, and was watching her closely. She looked away from them to see Rika scratching her head as she looked around.

"Uh… Chi? What are we supposed to do now?" Rika wondered.

Chiho was at a loss as well. Aside from gathering things for Lailah, they had absolutely no idea as to what they should be doing.

An image of Lailah flashed behind Chi's eyes, and she felt as though someone had taken an electric mixer to her brains for a moment before she steadied herself. She found Rika looking just as confused, leaning against an altar as she shook her head to try and focus.

"Whoa," she said, "I must've stood up too fast."

"Y-Yeah… me too," Chiho agreed.

They stared a each other for a moment before turning away and looking at the altars. Books were all over. Complex formulae neither Chiho or Rika were familiar with were scribbled in writing so cramped it was hard to decipher. Not only that, but their understanding of Ente Islan was still limited to a few words without the use of an Idea Link.

"Uh… Chiho? Is it just me… or does all of this look… different."

Rika gestured to the contents on the altars, including the bottles, beakers, calcinators, retorts, and alembics. Chi followed Rika's gaze, and found that something was indeed off.

First, she could not only understand the words that filled the pages of the books, they seemed to make sense to her. Second, the labels on the dusty beakers she and Rika had gathered for Lailah no longer read as gibberish. Each one was a chemical, and Chiho could comprehend and understand what they were, and how they all fit together.

"I… think I understand," Chiho said, rubbing her temples as she tried to concentrate.

When Lailah had put the two of them to sleep, she had used an Idea Link to transfer all of her alchemical knowledge into Chiho and Rika. The process had happened in an instant, so there were bound to be a few kinks, but for the most part, the girls had been given the knowledge they needed to complete the task at hand.

"Ok, then, we need to start with something called hyrdrogen cyanide," Rika said, "but I can't figure out which one it is… these labels are all in Ente Islan!"

"It's this one," Chiho said, "see? It says 'hydrogen cyanide' right on the label."

"Looks like your average scribbles to me," Rika shook her head after peering at the bottle Chiho held up for her scrutiny.

They paused, their eyes wide as it all came together.

"If you know the formula-" Chiho began.

"-and you know which chemical is which-" Rika added.

They left the statement open, instead grasping hands and looking quite determined.

"We've got this," they said in unison.

Emi hadn't been separated from Better Half since she'd first held the blade, and it had miraculously sunken into her skin. The majority of her life had been lived with the weapon residing within her. So long as she had it, it was her trump card. So long as the blade remained with her, she had a chance of winning.

So of course, when Ignora forcefully removed it from the Hero's flesh, she couldn't help but lose all hope.

"So, Emilia, I sense that you have a fragment of Yesod," Ignora said pleasantly as she sipped on some tea, "I'd like it returned to me, if you don't mind."

Emi felt her hands shake, and the tip of Better Half nervously traced a figure eight over the floor as Emi stared at the Seraph before her.

"Hmm? No? Well, then, I'll make this simple. Either you surrender the sword… or I'll kill Lailah. And I won't be bringing her back."

Ignora still spoke as though she wasn't asking all that much. It was the tone one might use to borrow a few yen, or a cup of sugar from a neighbor. That didn't change the fact that Emi would have to give up the one thing she'd relied upon for most of her life… or a mother she'd only just met.

The choice should've been obvious, but when Emi looked at Lailah's bruised face and bloodied nose, she knew she couldn't let her mother die.

"But I… I can't give you my sword," Emi said desperately, "I don't know how."

"I see," Ignora sighed. Her fingers drummed against the lab counter she was leaned against for a moment before she raised an arm and pointed at Emi.

"N-No," Lailah gasped, trying to rise, "Emi… don't let her-"

A beam of light pierced the Hero like a bullet, connecting Ignora's finger and Emi's entire body. Instead of shooting through Emi, like a normal beam of energy, this one seemed to shoot through her limbs, burning all the way. Emi screamed at the top of her lungs as pain such as she'd never experience raked her body. Suzuno and Nord called out to her, but the heat radiating from her was so overpowering they didn't dare approach. Her eyes flickered between crimson and green, and her hair flared out behind her as it changed from magenta, to white, and back again.

"It would seem that if you want something done right… you just have to do it yourself," Ignora said, deaf to Emi's pitiful cries of agony as she sipped at her tea. She set the delicate china back onto its matching saucer with a delightful tinkling sound as Emi's body crashed to the floor. Before Ignora hung a mass of what appeared to be quicksilver, but it was quickly reforming a blade. Floating off to the side, completely unfazed by Ignora's might, was a glowing violet crystal- the same one that had been in the sword's hilt.

"There you are!" Ignora whispered excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she strode forward and caressed the crystal to her chest. It floated over her hands, shining spectacularly, even in the light of the lab.

"Emi!" Nord shouted, running over to where his daughter now slumped on the ground. He felt no magic from her whatsoever. He quickly turned her over, intending to check her pulse, when she groaned and came to.

"Emi, get the holy sword," Suzuno hollered, swinging her mallet in a deadly arc as she charged Ignora.

Before Suzuno could make contact, Ignora raised a hand, and Suzuno went flying. Nord, too, was lifted from his place at Emi's side. Suzuno hit the wall and slid down it before dropping to the floor. Nord kicked and fought as Ignora levelled a finger at him, and with the same slow, precise technique, she tore Acies-Ara from his person in the form of another shard of violet crystal.

Nord grit his teeth, but he could not stop the garbled howl that broke his lips. A vein popped in his forehead and neck as every muscle within him tensed.

"Papa," Acies whispered as she quickly grew dormant inside of the amethyst jewel.

"NO!" Lailah screamed.

She made to rise again, but was quickly pinned to the floor by Raphael, who still looked unaware by his actions. The two glimmering Yesod fragments danced in Ignora's palm for a moment before they fused. Ignora swept a lose strand of hair from her face, looking quite haughty.

"Two down, one to go," she muttered. "Honestly, though, why do I continue to pay Gabriel? That idiot seems to be having enough trouble reclaiming the one fragment he has to deal with."

Emi slowly got to her feet. She hurt all over, and it was so intense she felt she might die from the pain. She looked to the side, her mind as thick as molasses as she looked to where Suzuno lay. The inquisitor's warhammer was quickly turning back into a hairclip, which meant that she was either unconscious, out of magic… or dead. Emi painstakingly turned her heavy head to the other side, looking at where Nord lay on the ground. He, too, was unmoving, and Emi couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. The world felt as though it were shifting beneath her, and she widened her stance to stay upright.

"You seem to have recovered quite well… I can take the Yesod and the Holy Evolving Silver from your body, but you are still half angel. You are far more… durable… than your friends." Ignora noted, raising an eyebrow. She smiled, as though she'd just told Emi that she loved her hair, or her top, but the Hero could hardly hear Ignora, much less understand what she was saying.

"Sadly, you did not surrender the holy sword to me, and I am not a woman to break her word, so…"

Ignora extended a hand, beckoning the holy sword to her. Raphael nodded, and he stood up, dragging Lailah with him as he held her up by her hair. Ignora turned her back to Emi, and leaned in close to Lailah. The few words Emi heard spoken were sweet and loving- something about Lailah returning to the bosom of the Lord to be reborn. Ignora delicately pecked Lailah on either cheek, took a careful step back, and plunged the holy sword through the fallen angel's abdomen.

"No," Emi reached out a shaky hand as Lailah turned to look at her daughter. There was pain in her eyes, but Emi got the feeling it wasn't the pain of being stabbed. It was something deeper, and so much more profound. If Emi didn't know any better, her mother might've just nonverbally begged her forgiveness.

Lailah's eyelids fluttered and closed. Her body began to glow, and like a thousand fireflies, she broke apart, sending little glowing sparks spiraling away.

"Dear me, they come so easily, but they always seem to take a piece of me with them when they go," Ignora flicked away a tear, looking quite sad for a moment before she turned to Emi.

"Now then, Emilia, there's been something I've been wanting to talk to you about since you first came to me," the Seraph's tone changed, becoming much more businesslike. There was a strange look in her eyes as she wiped the blood from the sword onto a spare bit of cloth from her worktable.

"I-I'll kill you," Emi mumbled. She stepped forward, shaking her head to try and reclaim some clarity. Her eyes fixed on the sword in Ignora's hands.

"No, I don't think so, darling. Quite the other way around, actually. You see, while I am grateful for the return of Yesod, I have sensed it from the moment you stepped into my citadel." The Steward of Heaven cast an angry glare at Emi, who tensed. It was the first time she'd seemed so unhappy. If the angel was willing to murder with a smile on her face, Emi was terrified of what she might do should she become angry.

"What are you… talking about?" Emi wondered, trying hard to think of something she might've done to offend the angel. Sure, she'd threatened to kill her, but what had she done when she'd come into the castle?

"That… thing… that you carry inside of you," Ignora said distastefully, circling the Hero as she twirled Better Half.

"I… what?"

"There's no need to play coy with me, dear," Ignora said, smiling wryly, "your allies are either dead or unconscious. You needn't keep up the pretense. I can feel the spawn of Satan within your womb. You are carrying his child… a hideous conglomerate of angel and demon bloodlines… the Antichrist."

Emi blanched. She felt as though Ignora had just struck her with her words. She stepped back, stumbled, and fell, shaking her head in disbelief.

"N-no… you're lying!"

"What reason do I have to lie?" Ignora giggled, "Besides, you know it to be true. I can sense that you haven't been feeling well. Your body has been trying to tell you… you are carrying the child of the Demon King."

Emi felt hot flashes. Her mind, which had been sluggish and numb, was now racing. She was pregnant? And Maou was the father? Screaming echoed within her head… wait, no, that was external! The floor shook. The roars of anger picked up and grew loud. Behind Ignora, sparks flashed and fire roared, as did the immense, muscled figure hovering within the inferno.

"IGNORA!" roared a deep, masculine voice.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Steward of Heaven asked. Shockwaves of power rolled over Emi as a howling wind tore at the books and parchment. The temperature in the room rose substantially, making Emi feel as though she were in an oven. The being within the fire had six wings of molten gold, long white hair that was pulled back from his face with tightly woven braids, and a sharp goatee. His eyes were golden, and though they weren't focused on Emi, they were difficult to look at, like miniature supernovas.

"ANSWER ME," bellowed the six winged angel, "DID YOU MURDER SATANIEL? ARE YOU THE ONE WHO KILLED HIM?!"

The regal woman stood up, tall and straight, and addressed the warrior who was bathed in flames of righteous fury. Emi wondered how Ignora could face a being of such immense power head on without flinching in the slightest.

"Yes," Ignora smiled sadly, unshed tears in her eyes, "I am the one who killed Sataniel."

Urushihara knew that Gabriel was incredibly powerful. While Michael was the eldest and most powerful of the angels, save Ignora, Gabriel's name meant 'God is my strength' in ancient angelic Ente Islan. It was why he, above all others, was chosen to protect the Tree of Life. His determination and raw might made him far more dangerous than your average guardian angel.

So when Maou swatted away the first strike of Gabriel's blade with the back of his hand, Lucifer's jaw hit the rough stone floor.

Gabriel growled, and swung the heavy sword faster than lightning, aiming to pierce Maou straight through the gut. The attack was so fast that Ashiya very nearly called out to his lord. It was a good thing he didn't, however, for Maou pivoted on his heel, sending the silvery blade right past him. He quickly gripped the blade before Gabriel could attempt to slash him with it, and with a light flick of his wrist, he snapped it clean off at the hilt.

The archangel pouted at the hilt in his hand as Maou smirked and snapped the blade in half over his knee for good measure.

"That was holy silver," Gabriel said quietly, "not even the Devil should be able to touch it for sustained periods of time, no matter how powerful he is."

"I don't think it'll be an issue," Maou smiled, twirling the tip of the broken blade between his fingers with a smirk.

"Yeah, Gabriel, if you were smart, you'd just give up," Urushihara jeered.

"You're outnumbered," Ashiya said grimly, his amber eyes narrowed, "surrender is your most graceful option. The alternatives are far more… fatal."

The two Demon Generals and their King all advanced slowly. On either side of Maou, Ashiya and Urushihara approached with caution. Their hackles were raised, as were their weapons, but Maou appeared quite unaffected. In fact, he looked positively delighted. Even though he still appeared to only be human, the Crown of Sataniel made him feel untouchable. Coupled with Alas-Ramus' power, which was also coursing through his body, Maou felt as though God himself had nothing on him.

Gabriel cast Durendal's hilt to the side and ran a hand through his hair. His smile was false. The look in his eyes was as sharp and deadly as steel as he was pushed back towards the tree, which towered high above him.

"You come into my house… you slaughter my guards, and desecrate this holy ground with your putrid demon filth… and you think you'll live to tell of it?" Gabriel hissed. His grin turned feral and wild. His tongue darted out and wet his lips. His eye flickered between the demons, all of whom now looked deadly serious. "No, I think I'll destroy you all, right now."

"Gabriel, don't be a moron," Maou said, "you're finished. I have the power of Yesod behind me."

"Yesod, huh? Alright then… let's see," Gabriel said thoughtfully. He rested a hand against the smooth stone trunk of the tree, and it quickly sank beneath the surface. Lines of light etched into Gabriel's skin, tracing their way up his arm.

"Not good," Lucifer said.

"Yesod is the Foundation. It lays the groundwork, and holds up the other Sephiroth. However, there is another… the very last, beneath Yesod… It is called Malkut, and is the direct connection between the Tree of Life, and the life that it supports. Normally, Ignora has a pretty tight leash on Malkut. She likes to use him in her experiments, but I'm sure she won't mind me borrowing a bit of his power!"

The lines of silvery light ran across Gabriel's shoulder, up his neck, and into his eyes, which became infused with the strange power. When he laughed, there was another voice behind his, just barely noticeable.

"Behold, I am Malkut, Sephirah of the Kingdom," Gabriel jeered, spreading his arms wide, "and as the keeper of this particular Kingdom… I cast thee vile demons from this sacred place- in the name of Ignora the Almighty!"

With a wide sweep of his arm that looked less like an attack and more like a grand gesture, Gabriel cast out an expanding sphere of white power. Maou erected a barrier around himself, Urushihara, and Ashiya, but the barrier fractured beneath the force of the attack.

"PAPA! NO! DON' HURT MALKUT!" Alas-Ramus shrieked in Maou's head, having suddenly awoken when she sensed Gabriel's power.

With the breaking of Maou's concentration, the barrier shattered. The demons were overtaken by the ethereal light, which blasted them backwards. It took every ounce of Maou's concentration to keep them from being vaporized, which, unfortunately, meant that they were thrown into the stone walls with enough force to shatter the rock beneath them.

"Haha! This is incredible! Now I know why Ignora doesn't allow angels to freely use the power of the Sephiroth! I feel unstoppable!" Gabriel shouted, his arms high over his head as he stared upward.

With each step the angel took, the floor beneath him trembled, as if he weighed several tons. The glow in his eyes, while bright and lacking in malign intent, was eerie, and made him look far less human than he had before. Lines of light flowed over his limbs, tracing his muscles and veins.

"My, my, not so strong now, are you, Demon King?" The angel laughed again, loud and jovial as he towered over Maou. The Demon Lord carefully picked his way out of the smashed wall before brushing off his pants and glaring up at Gabriel.

"Oh, I'm plenty strong," Maou said, grinning just as madly as Gabriel, "and by the way, you hit like a little bitch."

"Such vulgarity," Gabriel giggled menacingly, "you'll have to be annihilated for your discretions."

In a blaze of blinding light, both Gabriel and Maou vanished to parts unknown. Urushihara pulled his head free of the indent it had created, only to lose his strength and fall back into it. With how badly his entire body ached from nearly being torn apart by its individual atoms, just laying against the cold stone outline he'd made felt wonderful.

"So… lame," Urushihara grumbled, "he left without us."

Ashiya heaved a sigh and muttered, "How many fights has his majesty had to sit out because he was confined to the sidelines? Let us consider this a chance to rest. The odds of us being able to keep up with them in our current states are laughable."

"But the Tree is unguarded… couldn't we just-"

"Not without being destroyed. The Sephiroth are still under the control of Ignora. No doubt there are defenses in place to keep us from utilizing the power of the Fruit. And besides, they aren't just power suits that we can strap on… they're alive."

They laid in silence. Above them, the ceiling shook. Somewhere, someone's battle was becoming more and more intense.

"It's kinda pretty," Urushihara decided finally, "the Tree, I mean. From where I'm lying it looks sort of… peaceful. Calming."

"That it does," Ashiya agreed, smirking as he stared up the glowing lights, stone branches, and enormous golden apples.