Gabriel and Satania, still disguised, strided through the town's cathedral after Zelel. Their steps echoed as they walked through the old building, a stark contrast to Hell's modern offices.

As they delved deeper into the building, Satania's heart began pounding faster as angels continued to walk around them, running to and fro around the administrative building to handle tasks. No one batted an eye in her direction but Satania couldn't help feeling on edge, being this deep in the lions' den. She's pretty sure the angels depicted in the ornate stained glass windows were glaring at her.

"I want you two to be on your best behavior. Do exactly as I instruct, no more, no less." Zelel ordered as her brisk walk came to a halt in front of two dark oakwood doors.

"What happened to us 'learning on the job'?" Gabriel mocked.

"This is more of a 'observe' than a hands on demonstration." Zelel sighed. "Just listen for once and don't cause trouble. Got that Tariel?"

"Loud and clear." Satania nodded.

"Good." Zelel knocked on the door, announcing their presence.

"You may enter." a voice from inside called out.

Okay, it's go time. Satania clapped her face, hyping herself up.

She's SATANICHIA GODDAMN MCDOWELL KURUMIZAWA! No angels are going to intimidate her dammit! She straightened her back, hardened her gaze and began marching forward, hands proudly on her hips.

Before blushing furiously as Zelel's and Gabriel's dumbstruck gazes stared at her, having watched all stages of that...whatever that was.

Zelel coughed into her hand. "Still nervous I see."

"That was her..uh..eager face.." Gabriel added awkwardly.

"Zelel -sorry- Virtue Temperantia!" an elderly man greeted the trio, bowing deeply. "Apologies, still getting used to calling you by your new title!" he grinned.

"Nonsense, Netzah. No honorifics from you!" Zelel smiled back, hugging the man.

"Please, come in, come in!" he beckoned.

"Gabriel, Tariel, this is Father Netzah. He is a Principality and the governor of this town." Zelel introduced.

White robes accented with gold draped over Netzah's body. Gloved hands adjusted the dainty reading glasses as he looked over the pair of guests.

"Ah! you must be Miss Zelel's little sister." The middle-aged angel smiled warmly at Gabriel and enthusiastically shook her hand. "I've heard so much about you!"

"Uh..hi." Gabriel meekly responded back.

"And this is?" he gestured to the faux angel.

"Tariel. A good friend Gabriel made on Earth who so happened to be an angel." Zelel explained.

"Birds of the feather eh? Well it's a pleasure to meet you. If Zelel vouches for you then you have my full trust. Now, what can I help you with, Virtue Temperantia?" he finished easing down into his chair.

"I'd like to start with discussing last week's incident, if possible." Zelel said.

The governor paused.

"...Even with these two here?"

"They're friends. We can trust them. I'm giving them hands-on experience for my position, which this unfortunately falls under."

"If you say so Zelel. Would you two mind shutting my office door for me, and padlock it."

Gabriel and Satania shared a look, before following the angel's instructions.

"Zelel, what's going on?" Gabriel questioned her older sister.

"This town and other small ones like it are being attacked."

"By demons? But that's impossible!" Satania cut in.

"This is the second incident of a town under my jurisdiction being attacked. One of Virtue Sapentia's districts has been attacked too. And I never mentioned 'who' was behind them." Zelel cocked an eyebrow at Tariel.

"Everyone's been getting antsy. We've had a handful of protests parading throughout the streets, they need answers before the next protest turns into a riot!" Netzah pressed.

"And hopefully we can get one right now. Do you still have it?"

The governor walked over to a small locked safe, removed its contents and spread it across the desk. A linen cloth unraveled, revealing a shattered blade point in pieces of all sizes.

"This was recovered from one of the attacks. Tariel, why don't you use your powers to analyze the remnant magic?" Zelel ordered.

"I-I can't! I'm nowhere near as good at spells as Gabriel or yo-"

"Let me rephrase that: Satania, use your power so I can analyze the difference between your magic and the one on the blade." Zelel cut in.

"T-that's not my name." Satania backpedaled as Gabriel facepalmed.

"Do not take me for a fool. We'll discuss your schemes later- time is of the essence." Zelel nodded towards the blade.

Sighing, the exposed demon hovered over the blade. She wasn't lying. Spells and magics weren't really her strong suit. The only thing she could really cast was a simple fire spell. It'll have to do. A small red flame flickered to life above her palm.

"Good. Now slowly reach towards the blade." Zelel instructed.

Satania inched the flame towards the broken blade. As the flame made contact with part of the broken sword, a dark purple hue slowly emanated from it and quickly snuffed the flame out. Satania reeled at the contact.

"Weird huh?" Zelel asked.

"You knew that would happen?!" Satania screeched.

"I had a theory. And now I'm certain it's correct. This isn't demonic magic."

"How can you be so sure?" Netzah questioned.

"Demonic magic combined with additional demonic magic will increase their effects, no matter who or what the caster is. Angelic magic combined with Demonic magic clash, and often lead to elemental explosions and dissonance. But the energy surrounding the blade didn't do either. It canceled her spell entirely."

"It sucked the fire away. Like it almost drained it." Gabriel commented.

Satania nodded along. Her hand still felt tingly, almost sapped even. Who the hell was using that sword?

"Okay, that's enough Satania." Zelel instructed as Satania removed her hand from the ominous blade. "I told you it wasn't demonic when we recovered it, it just appears that way. And if what my sister says is true and a rogue angel did attack her and her friends, then we are in quite the predicament."

Netzah hummed in agreement.

"I will get to the bottom of this, Father Netzah. You have my word."

"I will do what I can to aid you. But please err on the side of caution young Virtue Temperantia. For my sake."

"Thank you, Netzah." Zelel responded.

"No, thank you. All of you, who are choosing to stand for what is just and right."

"You aren't worried about me even after learning what I am?" Satania asked.

"Regardless of your heritage, Zelel has vouched for you, young demon. I trust her judgment. I only pray she will prove to be right."

"I always am Father." Zelel smirked. "We'll be taking our leave now."

"Farewell, and good luck." he waved.

As soon as Netzah's office doors were out of sight, Zelel walked briskly through the building, Satania and Gabriel had to jog to keep her pace.

"Z-Zelel wait! Slow down!" Gabriel shouted.

Passerbys stepped out of the way from the irate Virtue as she continued her march out to the streets, ignoring Gabriel's pleas.

"Sis! Let me explain-"

"I don't want your explanation or your excuses." Zelel snapped.

"But!"

"That's enough! Not another word of this until we return home, am I clear?"

"Yes, Virtue Temperantia." Gabriel sneered.

Zelel pinched her nose and took a deep breath.

Soon increasingly loud murmuring could be heard as a crowd began forming in the town square.

"What's going on?" Satania asked.

"You two, follow me and don't leave my side." Zelel ordered.

Zelel cut through the crowd with Gabriel and Satania in tow. Shouting could be heard the deeper they moved into the crowd. Peeking her head above the sea of onlookers, Satania could make out a small group of angels standing around the town's fountain, with their ring leader yelling and gesturing madly.

"My brothers and sisters! How much longer must we suffer while the Virtues do nothing! How many more losses until it becomes enough?! We must take action now! Especially so if our leaders won't!"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Zelel shouted.

The murmuring died down to cautious whispers at Zelel's challenge.

"The newly appointed Virtue of Temperance, Zelel White Tenma, everyone." the ringleader gestured. "You and your lot in Celeste -

"Our 'lot' are doing the best we can. If you have a complaint, you can lodge one at the capital in an orderly manner."

"Complaint? Complaint?! As if what happened to me was a petty crime! MyWIFE AND SONhave been missing! FOR WEEKS!"

"I-I'm sorry. Truly. But we are trying our best to solve the issues at hand." Zelel responded.

"Your 'best' isn't enough!" the man growled.

"The Cardinal Virtues abandoned us!" another shouted.

"She will save us all!" others chanted.

"Everybody please, do not be overcome by your emotions!" Zelel demanded, failing to slow the rising tide of emotion and outcry.

"You four think you're above us, but you're not! Lady Amadea promised us! Gifts and power to build a new order!"

"New order!"

"New order!"

The increasingly mob-like group of angels continued to rile up and brandish their weapons.

"WE DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU ANYMORE!" he snarled before charging Zelel with his dagger.

Without batting an eye, Zelel flared her wings out and summoned up a gust of wind to knock the angel off his feet.

"Tch...upper class scum. Just you wait...soon we'll level the playing field!" he snarled, jumping back onto his feet.

"Mmmmm...ugggooooaaaannn.." A continuous groan could be heard from inside the mob.

The ringleader looked back and grinned.

"Finally! Uriel has received the gift from Lady Amadea! Now we can-"

The mob of angels slowly parted as they gaped at the newcomer. The angel named Uriel continued to slowly trot forward with her strained moans. Her eyes were pitch black, and cracks fractured and splintered all across her ghastly white face as if she were made of porcelain about to crack. Her veins undulated and pulsed the same void black color, lining what was supposed to be perfect skin with black streaks.

"U-Uriel?" the leader of the mob muttered, seeing the horrifying visage of his friend. The sickly angel stopped right before Zelel, before she fell to her knees clutching her head.

"What - What's wrong with her?" Gabriel asked.

"UUUOWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" the angel shrieked, wailing uncontrollably. Zelel took a defensive stance, shielding Gabriel and Satania.

"T-that's not normal right?" Satania asked. Gabriel shook her head, stunned silent.

"Uriel what's wrong?" the ringleader shouted, running to aid his possessed comrade.

The irate angel lunged at the mob leader and tackled him to the ground. She launched frantic blow after blow frantically. The poor ringleader could barely block hits from her deranged assault. Uriel then flung the semi-conscious angel into a nearby building, roaring like a crazed beast.

"She needs to be stopped now!" Zelel shouted, launching herself towards the crazed angel. She ducked as a heavy swing grazed past her face. She quickly formed a set of sigils while dodging another swing. She weaved through each kick and punch, placing the sigils across Uriel's body. She flicked her fingers up, the sigils acting on her command as a strong gust of wind launched the berserking angel into the sky. Zelel rose and palm struck the angel square in her chest, sending her careening back down into the street with a thud. Her veins lost their sickly purple color and became less agitated.

"That's enough! All bystanders must leave immediately!" A voice boomed through the crowd. Gabriel dragged Satania back as multiple angels rushed to the scene of the brawl, another six-winged Seraphim angel leading three lesser ranked angels. The seraphim bowed once he recognized Zelel.

"Thank you Virtue Temperantia! We received an anonymous report and arrived as fast as we could. We can take it from here."

"Of course. Happy to be of service." Zelel smiled.

"Take these two away!" he gestured to the mob leader and Uriel. The two were detained and dragged through the crowd.

Uriel groaned lowly to herself, muttering:

"Ave Crux...Spes Unica..."

Satania gasped at the familiar phrase and whipped her head towards the offending angel, staring in a daze before they left her sight.

"What's up?" Gabriel prodded.

"It's that same phrase again from my visions..." Satania mumbled.

"Visions? What visions?" Zelel asked, eyebrows raised. Gabriel quickly clamped her hands over Satania's mouth.

"We're leaving. Now." Zelel glared.

"I want the full story. No lies." Zelel ordered, glaring at the four at the other end of the quaint dining table.

The girls looked apprehensively at each other for a moment.

"Well? We don't have all day."

They relented, and told their story so far. Their journey from Earth to Hell, Heaven and all the little bits and bumps in between. Satania's weird futuristic visions to the open portals in Al Cielo and in Hell, and the manufactured portal in heaven. Meeting the Sins, and fighting with Lea and her cronies.

"And that pretty much sums up everything until we met with you." Raphiel concluded.

"Clearly you lot have been through Hell and back, quite literally." Zelel said. "How...how is Beezlebub? You met her right?" she added, looking away.

"I suspected you both knew each other in some capacity. She's fine as far as we know, she was the nicest one of the bunch." Raphiel replied.

"That's good." Zelel sighed in relief. "We attended a human high-school together, much like how you four did. She was always a loose cannon though." Zelel chuckled fondly. "Given the 'current state of affairs', the Sins and Virtues haven't been able to meet for a while. It's good to know she's handling this better than I am."

"Well now we know for sure you won't stab us in the back!" Satania grinned. Gabriel glared at her. "What? I'm being cautious like everyone wanted." Satania shrugged.

"Do you want me to smite you?" Gabriel shot back.

"No need Gabriel, she is very much in the right to be wary of me, especially given my new title and position. Our ancestors don't share a pretty history with theirs."

"An understatement of the eon." Raphiel deadpanned.

"True, but a discussion for another time. Get some rest, you'll need it for tomorrow. I have one more favor I need help with. From all of you."

"There's more?!" Gabriel drawled.

"Yes, thanks to today's events. Good night." Zelel said.

"Today's events?" Vigne asked.

"There was a riot in the town we went to." Gabriel replied.

"What do angels in 'Paradise' have to complain about that's worth rioting over?" Vigne rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure but I feel like big sis knows something."

"Don't forget the creepy blade shard too!" Satania added.

"Even in Heaven there's unrest. Something's wrong." Raphiel said.

"Oh really Raphiel? I coulda told you that." Gabriel said.

"Seriously. Think about it. Really think . Back in Slechtvoorteken, those angels didn't kill, they were ordered to capture demons. And demons are generally prideful and territorial, correct?"

Vigne and Satania nodded.

"But none of them defended their home. They ran."

"Ok? Where are you going with this?" Satania asked.

"The demons knew what threat was coming. Which means that wasn't the first incident a town was attacked. During the riot, did anything weird happen? Anything noteworthy?" Raphiel questioned.

Satania hummed to herself in thought.

"Besides that really weird angel? Mmmmm...lotsa of shouting saying the Virtues abandoned them." Gabriel added.

"And that angel said the same weird line from one of my visions, 'Ave Crux Spes Unica'." Satania cut in.

"Threats in both Heaven and Hell. Both the Sins and Zelel acting cryptically. The rogue Seraphim. And then, ignoring all of this, there's the fact that we're still scott free while breaking into both Heaven and Hell. It's no murder sure, but I can guarantee not even my family's connections could have swindled me out of jail time. Inter travel between the two is strictly forbidden."

"We were going to be put on trial by the Sins." Vigne added.

"But we were aided from said trial by another Sin." Raphiel countered. "There's too many conflicts and coincidences. And I fear Zelel knows something that will give us another piece in this horrible puzzle."