Normally, Maou would hesitate to take on an archangel powered by the embodiment of all sovereignty. He would shrug and slink away as regally as he could so that he might live to fight another day. After nearly having both Lucifer and Alciel torn to shreds by a single attack, however, he felt it would be best to take the fight elsewhere. It also meant that he could undo all the constraints on the Sataniel's Crown, and utilize Alas-Ramus' power to the fullest.
The castle, as it turns out, was enormous. Miles and miles of marble hallways went in every direction, and there were dozens of floors, each with dozens of courtrooms, antechambers, foyers, and halls, so the Demon Lord's battle against Gabriel didn't even have to go outside. They fought inside the castle, moving so quickly that no one even knew what was going on. The only telltale signs of a struggle were the explosions, and the crumbling ruins left in their wake.
On the first floor, there was a laboratory. It was generally used for apprentices and dabblers in alchemy. I say 'was' because in the dead silence of the evacuated lab, two powerful beings appeared from thin air, clashed in an epic battle of might, and then vanished. The lab was destroyed in less than a millisecond. Glass beakers shattered. Fires were slowly flickering out of existence as the energies that had fed them vanished to another part of the castle. The broken marble walls were charred and blackened. So went the battle between Maou and Gabriel.
The archangel would vaporize, and reappear in another part of the castle. Maou was on his tail every step of the way. One moment, a grand ballroom would be ready for a posh soiree, and the next- BOOM! No more ballroom. An enormous chapel, replete with glorious works of art and plentiful altars at which to pray would be waiting for a lost soul and then- BANG! No more church.
As soon as the Devil and the Archangel met in the same room, the energies between them seemed to harmonize and then turn bitter. With each meeting, Maou felt Alas-Ramus cringe. Within his mind, he heard her quietly weeping to herself. He did his best to try and comfort her, and protect her from feeling the recoil whenever he struck at Gabriel, but with how hard he had to concentrate, it was all he could do to keep from being flayed alive. The archangel had taken more than a fragment of Malkut. That was for damn sure.
The only thing keeping Maou from being eviscerated was the Crown. When Alas-Ramus' power fell short, the nigh limitless demon magic within it kept him on level ground with the archangel, who looked more and more perplexed with each strike Maou managed to block.
One instant they were in a courtyard, where the sky could be seen. The next, they were in a lab that was so bright it hurt Maou's eyes, and still he fought.
"I'm amazed you can keep up, Demon King," Gabriel howled over the wind rushing in their ears.
"I'm amazed you still think you can beat me!" Maou shouted in response.
"I possess the Sephirah of Sovereignty!"
"All I have is my daughter, and this halo on my head… but I'm still gonna kick your ass!"
BOOM- a dining hall was destroyed. BANG- there went an armory. WHOOSH-
Maou began to lose track of where he was. The places all blurred as their battle picked up in tempo. Their strikes were faster. Their limits were being reached. Maou summoned a raging scarlet blade of energy. Gabriel created a scimitar of silvery power. The blades met, and a shockwave of energy expanded. Neither the Demon King nor his opponent vanished. They stayed in one place. The power they released levelled walls, and obliterated pillars and supports. For a moment, Maou and Gabriel hung in midair, surrounded by no less than one hundred meters of debris and rubble in any direction. It almost looked as though someone had taken a giant ice cream scoop right out of the building.
And then, as buildings often do when copious amounts of structural damage have been done, the palace around Maou and Gabriel began to crumble and cave in, choking the air with thick clouds of white dust and several thousand tons of marble as the Demon King and the Archangel were buried beneath the wreckage of an entire wing of the palace, which hadn't suffered that much damage in millennia, even during the Incident.
"So, Rika, you know the formula, right? Do you have any idea what is it we're making, exactly?" Chiho wondered quietly as she passed the woman another dusty glass vial.
"From the understanding I gained from Lailah, I think it's similar to the alchemical formula to create synthetic dark matter. She thought that Sataniel was trying to create negative energy in hopes of naturally creating holy magic… I guess the experiment was unstable, though, so Lailah was going to add something to nullify the explosive reaction."
Rika poured a few droplets of extraordinarily dark, viscous fluid into a large crystal mortar while Chiho worked the pestle. The substance within the mortar was so black it made the darkness around them look like a pale imitator.
"Ok, maybe we should add the stabilizer now… it looks sort of dark matter-y," Chiho prompted. She looked to Rika to verify, as the older woman was gifted with the knowledge of the formula itself.
"I think you're right," Rika sighed, "but there's just one problem… I have no idea what would be a good stabilizer for dark matter."
"Wha- you mean Lailah didn't have any ideas?!"
"If she did, she didn't give them to me… I'm assuming it's something contradictory to dark matter so… I don't know, is there such thing as light matter?"
"Uh… there's light," Chiho said.
"Ok, so should we throw a candle in there or something? Or a lit match?"
"Do you really think that would work?"
"I'm just throwing out ideas," Rika said. "I'm not sure I was cut out for lab work! I can add ingredients and follow directions, but finding the direct negative of dark matter is sort of above my pay grade!"
Chiho couldn't blame Rika for raising her voice. She was just as scared as Rika, and she knew that things were going badly. She could hear the echoes of battle in the distance, and rumblings of incredible powers as they unleashed.
"What about that light Lailah made with magic?" Chiho asked. "Do you think that might work?"
"Chiho, you're a genius!" Rika cried, "We'll make one of those lights with holy magic and put it in… with any luck, that might stabilize it!"
"Ok, I'll work on making the light, you hurry and try to finish the-"
The high schooler didn't get to finish her sentence. At the far end of the lab, which stretched on into endless shadows, there was an enormous explosion, and the darkness gave way to a visual of Maou and an angel, locked in a struggle of life and death. It was almost as though an invisible giant had suddenly taken a bite out of the laboratory.
"I-it's Maou," Chiho stammered, awed by the incredible pressure that he exuded.
"Get down," Rika hissed, tackling Chiho out of the angel's line of sight.
As soon as the girls hit the floor, a rumbling was heard. The sound of cascading rubble and crumbling stone echoed loudly in the dim light of the lab. After a few moments, the sound was dulled, and they chanced a peek over the counter they had ducked behind, only to find that the far section of the room was dark once again, and blocked off with a mountain of marble rubble.
"MAOU!" Chiho cried. She made to dash away from the altar, but Rika was too quick. She pounced upon the high school girl and threw a hand over her mouth.
"They could still be out there," muttered Rika, "you have to calm down, Chi!"
"Mmmhmmfmfmfmf," Chiho replied, sobbing into Rika's palm.
More rumblings were heard, like a mountain, and through it all, a scream emerged. It was not the sound of despair, nor was it human. It sounded like an ancient monster, rising from its slumber. It was angry, it was terrifying, and strangest of all, it made Chiho smile.
"It's Maou," she whispered as Rika took her hand from her mouth, "it has to be… that demon magic…"
It was like nails on a chalkboard, and dozens of scaly reptiles crawling across her flesh. The magic Maou exuded was terrifying, and even through the magically fortified stone walls, Chiho could feel herself growing faint. It still made her smile, though, for it meant that Maou was alive, and his strength, from what she could glean, was not fettered in the slightest.
"Come on, we have to finish the experiment," Chiho said quickly, helping Rika to her feet.
Emi had a hard time figuring out how she was supposed to defeat a Seraph with no sword, severely diminished powers, and no help from her friends. Then a second one appeared, and she had officially labelled herself a goner.
Until he spoke, anyway.
"IGNORA! I TIRE OF YOUR LIES! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU HAD KILLED SATANIEL?! WHY DID YOU LET ME THINK HE MIGHT STILL BE ALIVE?!"
"Because it is my duty as the Steward of Heaven to keep our family together. Though you are the eldest, you are far from the most level headed. Just look at you, Michael! You're singing my notes," Ignora exclaimed, gesturing at the leaflets of parchment that fluttered around, quickly blackening around the edges as Michael's fury burned them.
"YOU MURDERED YOUR HUSBAND- MY BEST FRIEND- AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR NOTES?!"
Michael drew his claymore and split one of the marble altars in half as though it were made of butter. As the blade slid home, the altar shattered and exploded from the raw power of the Seraph, sending shards of glass and marble in all directions. A stray vial fractured, and a piece struck Emi's cheek, leaving a line of red that began to bleed. Ignora's eye twitched as Michael stared her down. His chest rose and fell as he frowned at her, his mouth a thin line as a vein in his temple throbbed.
"As you know, my research-"
"TO THE DEPTHS OF TARTARUS WITH YOUR RESEARCH! IT DOES US NO GOOD TO TRY AND CREATE LIMITLESS MAGIC! THE DEAD MAY WALK, BUT YOU HAVE NO MEANS OF BRINGING BACK THEIR SOULS! THEY ARE PUPPETS ON YOUR STRING, AS IS EVERY PERSON IN THIS MAKESHIFT UTOPIA!" Michael shouted. Tears ran from the corners of his eyes, and his arms shook, though Emi suspected it wasn't because he was getting tired. On the contrary, he seemed to be getting even angrier.
"Souls can be reclaimed! It will take time, but with enough power, I could-"
"NO! YOU CAN'T! YOU CALL ME THE OPPOSITE OF LEVEL HEADED, BUT YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HAS YET TO FACE FACTS! WE ARE NOT GODS! WE MAY LIVE INDEFINATELY, BUT TIME WILL TAKE US ALL! NONE ARE ABOVE DEATH, AND THOSE WHO DIE CANNOT BE BROUGHT BACK! YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT YOU CANNOT UNDO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! YOU MUST LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS, FOREVER AND ALWAYS! WE WILL NEVER BE AS WE ONCE WERE!"
It was Ignora's turn to scowl, and her glare was far colder than anything Emi had seen. Somehow, Michael managed not to freeze from that single glance.
"It sounds to me like you are the one in need of a rude awakening," Ignora said, stepping closer to her brother, "you are the one who must live with your actions… how many innocents have you killed because of your wounded ego? How many years have you refused to lift a finger when others needed you? How many times have I let your insubordination slide because you were my brother? You are supposed to be the eldest angel created by the Lord, the strongest among us, and yet you hide away from the world, tending to your garden, practicing useless crafts, and training endlessly. At one time, you were a respected warrior… now you are a blubbering fool. I cannot believe that losing a friend would make you such a reclusive weakling. Sataniel would be ashamed to see you go to pieces like this."
"Perhaps he would," Michael seethed quietly, his voice now little more than a deathly whisper, "but I'll never know, because you murdered him. You murdered by best friend, the Steward of Heaven. For your crimes, as numerous and grisly as they are, I hereby act as the true Steward of Heaven, and assign myself as your judge, jury, and executioner. You'll die for your discretions, Ignora. The lie you've kept us all living needs to end."
As the angels spoke, Emi quietly backed away. It was clear that tension in the room would be coming to a head soon, and she had to try and keep her father and Suzuno out of the line of fire. Suzuno was still flung back against the marble wall, but Nord was closer to the angels, and surrounded by the debris of the altar Michael had destroyed.
"You think you're any better than me?" Ignora hissed venomously.
Emi managed to work her way behind Ignora, and crept over to her father. If she could get him and Suzuno to a far corner of the lab, or perhaps back through the hall to the throne room, they might be ok.
"I am not," Michael rebutted, "in fact, I may be far worse. I allowed you to do as you pleased. I ignored the signs of your evil, and your crimes against humanity. I followed your orders without question. I believed you to be the best of us, even when I knew something was off about you. In a sense, I am as much to blame for all of this as you."
Nord was heavy, especially now that Emi had been stripped of her usual strength, but she dragged him back against the wall by Suzuno, only to pause. Suzuno was face down, but a small pool of blood had gathered under her. Emi turned the inquisitor over, finding a gash on her temple. She was still alive, though she looked extremely pale.
"I did what I had to do," Ignora snipped.
"No, you didn't. You just did whatever you deemed necessary to maintain the illusion of power. We aren't even really angels. You lied to everyone, letting them think that God would come and save them. You let them believe that they were acting in his name. In reality, they were just following you, doing as you told them, and for what? So you could have unlimited magic? So you could keep up appearances? The others aren't old enough to remember, but I know how you used to look. You're getting older, Ignora. Heaven is running out of magic. The Tree is dying."
"You think I don't know that? Of course I know the Tree is dying! Why do you think I've been looking for unlimited magic? Why do you think I've been sending out so many of our finest Archangels? We need every little scrap of power we can get! I just need more time! I'm so close!"
"It's OVER," Michael roared, "you are DONE! Give up! Acknowledge your failure, and surrender peacefully!"
"I WON'T LET YOU," Ignora screamed, "I WON'T LET YOU RUIN ALL THAT I'VE WORKED FOR! EVERYTHING I'VE DONE, I'VE DONE FOR YOU, ME, AND EVERYONE! I HAVE KEPT OUR FAMILY TOGETHER FOR CENTURIES! I'VE SACRIFICED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES TO KEEP US SAFE! I'VE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS POURING OVER MILLIONS OF TEXTS, ALL SO THAT I COULD MAKE THINGS BETTER! YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT SACRIFICE IS NECESSARY! SOME ENDS ARE WORTH ANY PRICE!"
"THAT'S WRONG-"
Emi began to lose track of the arguing, but the hysterics of the two angels were still loud in her ears as she painstakingly dragged Suzuno and Nord out of the lab, and into the dark corridor. Her arms and legs burned. The hallway seemed much longer than it had been on the way in, and with each step, she felt as though she might collapse. Blood dripped onto her collarbone from her cheek. Her dad's hand was cold and clammy in hers, as was Suzuno's. She tried not to think about how she might be dragging their lifeless corpses along. She tried to hope that they would be ok. She thought about Maou. She thought about Lailah. She thought about all of her friends, and tears came to her eyes.
'I don't really see a way out of this,' Emi thought.
She'd witnessed the power of the Seraph for herself. If things came to blows, she doubted the palace would be able to hold up during their battle. She, and everyone else, would be buried alive. With no Yesod fragment, no holy sword, and very little energy, Emi couldn't do anything. She would be unable to save her friends.
She came into the light of the throne room as the floor beneath her began to quake. From behind her, she heard shouts and screams. A blast of heat came through the tunnel she'd just escaped, and the smell of an inferno wafted out of it. If she had to guess, the entire lab was in flames.
Emi looked around, but there was no where she could go. No matter where she went, marble bricks the size of cars hung above her head. She would be crushed. She turned and saw the throne, and the alcove it sat in. It was a longshot, but it looked to be tucked back far enough that the ceiling might not fall on her. One foot after another, she slowly made her way into the alcove, where she dragged Suzuno and Nord into a corner, behind the throne.
Emi felt everything begin to fall away from her. The pain was receding. Her vision was dimming. The echoes of battle in her ears were growing faint. Fire roared out of the hallway leading to the lab, but Emi paid it little attention. She caressed both Suzuno and Nord. Neither of them were looking good. She was so tired she wasn't even sure they had heartbeats. For all she knew, she was clutching two dead people to her chest. Lines of tears ran from Emi's eyes. Death was certain for her- for all her friends. She began to cry. The world continued to grow distant. Emi felt herself losing consciousness, but the tears would not stop. Still, she quietly wept, and as she succumbed to her exhaustion and despair, she saw great cracks form in the ceiling. Marble shards began to fall, growing ever larger as Heaven began to crash down around her. The last thing she remembered was wishing for things to go back to the way they were… and then, there was only darkness.
In another part of the castle, only a few short minutes prior to the collapse, the Devil had risen, and in the heart of Heaven, no less.
Or, he had almost risen.
In truth, Maou had fully released the power in the Crown of Sataniel. He once again had horns, stood nine feet tall, and his eyes were solid red, with no visible irises…
On the downside, something of the angelic power still remained within the halo, for instead of furry goat legs, the Demon King had human legs and genitals…
And unfortunately, his super durable underwear could not stand up to the full might of the Crown.
So when he pushed himself up from beneath the rubble, a massive boulder raised over his head to smite Gabriel, the Archangel blanched.
"N-n-n-n-n-n-n," Gabriel stammered, pointing at Maou.
"I'm about to go ham on your ass," Maou growled in a deep voice as he gnashed his fangs together, "what's your problem?"
"N-n-n-n-NAKED!"
"Fuck," Maou shouted, dropping the boulder, which struck his horn and shattered into rubble.
The Devil quickly covered himself, but the damage was already done. Gabriel was on all fours throwing up, and from the sound of it, he couldn't stop.
"Uh… you ok, man?" Maou asked.
"No- BLARRGHGGHGHGHHG!"
The sound of retching and gagging made Maou a little queasy, himself, but he kept his cool. He had finally gotten up the nerve to unleash his full might- a feat that had very nearly destroyed him… and his opponent was now unwilling to fight. He felt cheated, to say the least.
"I'm sorry, but I can't- urrrrrrgh. I can't fight you when you're- BLAAAAARRRGHG… naked," Gabriel grumbled.
He wiped his mouth and pushed himself up, but he kept his eyes averted as he waited for Maou to dress himself. The Demon King almost felt compelled to press the advantage and attack in his birthday suit, but it was a double edged sword. With no clothes on, Little Satan was more vulnerable than ever to an attack. One slice of a sword would be all it took to lose his manhood, and the Hero wouldn't be able to give it back, this time.
Maou groaned and rolled his eyes, which was kind of impressive, given that they were still completely scarlet. His black aura solidified around him, and he was quickly swathed in a silky black toga that fell to his knees, and was cinched in place with a golden sash about his waist. To add a hint of style, he also added a waist length black cape, which he wore on his left shoulder, and a pair of black leather boots. It was a little improvised, but he felt better for the protection the boots offered. The cape, on the other hand, was pure showmanship.
"Alright, are you ready for this? I'm gonna tear that Sephirah out of you and beat you with it!"
'Papa, be nice to Malkut!'
"Fine," Maou grumbled.
"It wouldn't be polite of me to hold back," Gabriel said, "so how about we finish this?!"
The archangel was outlined in an ethereal glow. His eyes grew so bright they were like spotlights. Every muscle within him tensed as he prepared for his final attack.
"I agree… let's test the power of the Sephirah against the might of the Devil!"
Maou tensed and focused his power. A cloud of darkness surrounded him, but his eyes remained bloodred as he stared at the archangel. The forces of good and evil were about to clash, and the color schemes could not be more confusing. Maou mentally put Alas-Ramus to sleep. She didn't need to see what he planned to do to Gabriel.
"Have at you, Demon King!"
"Burn in hell, you bastard!"
The two beings vanished, only to reappear a moment later, the distance between them gone. They stood, frozen, wrapped in an impromptu hug. The only thing that made it seem grim was the broken marble all around them, and the steady drip of blood pouring from a grievous wound.
Maou, the Demon King, shuddered as he felt blood drain out of him. It ran down and stained his toga, turning the black silk even darker. But this didn't stop him from smiling evilly.
"You got me," Maou muttered.
Gabriel let loose a strangle choke, but ended up coughing up blood. He struggled to breath. He had managed to slash Maou across his abdomen with a small silver blade he kept on his person, but in the moment he had…
The archangel looked down, only to find the Devil's forearm protruding from his chest. Maou had shoved his hand clear through the angel, who felt himself weakening.
"You… stole…" Gabriel gurgled through the blood in his throat.
Maou flashed a grin and pulled his arm free, causing Gabriel to gasp and collapse. In the Devil's hand was a glimmering amber gemstone. It was so bright and vibrant that it was as close to gold as Maou thought a gemstone could be. The power it radiated was immense. As Gabriel spluttered and bled out, he raised a hand, reaching up in a feeble attempt to reclaim it.
"Stole… Seph..iroth…"
The hand fell, and as Maou admired the stone, he heard the sounds of a great battle. He tensed, preparing to spring into action, and then the rest of the castle- or, at least, the parts he hadn't already destroyed- crumbled and began to fall.
"No," Maou said quietly, "no, no, NO! NOOOOO!"
His gut clenched, and Maou fell to his knees as he realized that everyone would likely be killed by the falling debris. His strength left him. His demonic magic was stripped away in a matter moments. His body turned human once more. His head grew dull, and before the Demon King could fully grasp his predicament, or heal his injury, he fell forward. All around him, the castle turned to ruin, and his body was lost to the rubble, leaving him in darkness as well.
Rika and Chiho knew that things were getting out of hand. They could sense four incredible powers, each as terrifying as the last. Three of them were overwhelming holy magic. Only was demonic, and even then, it seemed to pale in comparison to the other three. Chiho didn't want to think it, but she felt as though their time was running out. Rika stood at the mortar and pestle, and her hands were shaking so hard she was having a tough time preparing the mixture.
"I think it's ready," Rika said quietly.
"Ok, let's stabilize it."
"Wait…"
Rika gripped Chiho's hand in hers. The older woman's eyes were filled with tears. She pulled Chiho into a hug, and the high schooler blushed.
"Chiho, you've been a great friend, and I love you… I hope you know that," Rika said.
"I love you, too," Chiho replied, returning the hug. The girls rocked back and forth until another sound echoed from the hall outside. Someone was approaching.
"Let's do it," Chiho whispered, holding a hand over the mortar as the door to the lab burst open. Raphael and Sariel both stood there, staring at the girls with unseeing eyes.
Rika stood there, shocked and terrified as the two men began to approach the altars. Chiho elbowed her in the ribs.
"Come on," she muttered, "we have to say the words!"
"Huh?"
"The incantation! The one Lailah put in our minds!"
"Right!"
Raphael drew a sword. Sariel produced his scythe. Together they advanced. Chiho and Rika began to speak quietly under their breath. They closed their eyes, trying to ignore the thudding of quick footsteps. Their tongues felt thick as they blazed through the incantation. Somehow, they managed to speak it perfectly, though they'd never practiced it. The words rang with mysterious power, and though they sounded foreign, Chiho and Rika could understand their meaning. It was a sort of prayer, directed towards the Sephiroth, and a plea for their forgiveness and mercy, while simultaneously begging for their aid.
Chiho felt a hand clench around her wrist just as she finished speaking. Power shot through her body, and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms. The hand that had grabbed her quickly released its hold. She opened her eyes, and found Raphael staring at her. His hand was blacked and decayed, as though touching Chiho had undone the power that kept him young. Chiho looked at Rika, and found that Sariel had tried to cleave her in half at the waist, but his blade had severed her clothes and stopped at the flesh, as though it had hit concrete. The blade of the scythe had chipped and fractured. Rika looked up at Chiho, terror in her eyes as the building around them shook.
The air itself reverberated. Raphael and Sariel both backed away from the women. As one, they began to decay. Their skin turned to ash, and their bones followed suit soon after, leaving two dust colored piles of bone meal on the floor.
'We hear you, Chiho Sasaki, and Rika Suzuki,' said a plethora of voices.
"Wha-what was that," Rika asked, looking horrified as tears ran from her eyes.
'We hear you. We see your hearts, pure and innocent, and we will bestow upon you the greatest gift we can give- unlimited magical power.' The voice that spoke was male, deep, and incredibly ancient.
'There are two vessels,' another voice said, this one a woman's, 'one for holy magic, and another for demonic magic.'
The building was shaking. Chiho could hear someone shouting, but she wasn't sure who. Cracks appeared on the walls and floor. In the distance, the castle rumbled as it collapsed. Soon, the floor would give way, and Rika and Chiho would fall to their deaths.
"So we did it?" Rika asked.
'Yes. You have saved all you have tried to save,' said the first voice, 'but the consequences will not be as you expected. You will lose far more than you ever imagined. More than any amount of magic could ever replace. I am sorry.'
Chiho's gut twisted into knots as she found herself thinking of her friends. That scream she had heard… It must've been Maou. She felt tears come to her eyes as she lamented everything. Her fears were coming to life. Her mother and father would live their lives wondering where she went… it was almost too much for her to bear.
She felt a hand in her own. Rika had taken her hand. Chiho stared in awe as Rika smiled. Tears stained her face, but she kept herself smiling as she cried. The sound of the floors beneath them caving in almost drowned out Rika's words.
"We did it, Chi," she said quietly, squeezing the high schooler's hand. "We saved the world."
Chiho mustered a smile, too. She felt it might break at any moment, but she wiped her eyes with the back of her other hand and nodded.
"Yeah," she agreed, "we did."
And the floor beneath them caved, causing Rika and Chiho to fall into the darkness below.