Eleven Months Before Extermination Day, 1941
Charlie sniffed as she sat against the wall, Razzle and Dazzle nuzzling her side. She barely remembered coming here, it had all been a blur.
"Hellflake?"
Her head snapped up with tears, looking at Adam.
She stared at the angel with teary eyes. "You said the Exterminations were a last resort," she said softly. "I asked them."
Adam stared for a moment before he...vanished?
Charlie's eyes swelled with disappointment before a portal formed, and Adam stepped through. "Sorry about that, didn't think this shit was any serious," he admitted as he came over to her. He waved Dazzle to make room as he sat down next to Charlie, the goat-dragon complying by jumping onto Adam's lap. "So...what the fuck did they say?" he asked, petting Dazzle softly.
"There was a war," Charlie answered, head to her knees.
"..." Adam was nothing.
"What? I...I can tell you have something to say, what?!" Charlie all but demanded, tears still hot in her eyes.
"Did you really think your parents, with all their shitty pride, would let our asses come down here years to their ring if there hadn't been a war?" Adam asked flatly.
Charlie gritted her teeth, her horn showing as her body trembled. "Mom and Dad said Heaven started the war, but...I needed to get out. I needed to think and not...hear them. They always made it seem like Heaven just...decided suddenly to start the Exterminations."
"Parents rarely want kids to know all the shit they did. They think time and age will make them understand their fuck-ups better. Sometimes that's true, other times it's just wanting to put it off," Adam mused. "...Are ya giving up?"
"No," Charlie answered with a bitter frown. "Even if you were provoked, even if you have good reasons, it still doesn't feel right. The exterminations, everything. I just...I still love them. They do so much for me and I still want to believe in them. Their story was always so...inspiring, that they loved each other so much even if it meant defying Heaven."
Adam gave her a strange look. He tried to hide it, but Charlie caught it. He chose not to pretend it didn't exist. "Hellflake? Your parents didn't get in trouble for fucking off with each other, they got in trouble for the shit they did after they came back."
Charlie blinked as she thought back to the story. That was right, even the story never mentioned any punishment until after Eve took the apple.
She shook her head free of that. Today, there was too much in her mind to be in a good place to even try to ask about Eden.
"I do believe them though," Charlie said with a frown. "They said that...both sides did terrible things."
"Yeah, yeah we fucking did," Adam admitted bitterly. "Hellflake...Charlie? There was a saying in that war, Heaven's motto I guess. Or a fucking mindset."
Charlie furrowed her brow, waiting for him to answer.
Adam's voice lowered into something ancient and mighty.
"Only Defeat Is No Option."
Six Months Before Extermination Day, 1941
Abaddon was waiting.
He stood atop the clock tower of the Heavenly Embassy.
His form like a black flag for the Holy Kingdom.
He had been waiting for days,
He'd wait more if he had to.
But he didn't have to.
Without warning, without provocation, Abaddon launched himself into the air like an arrow of darkness.
Many watched his movements with fearful interest as he flew over Pentagram City.
A freshly dead sinner emerged and materialized in Hell, but was grabbed by the face before he could even fall, the sinner found himself grabbed by the face as Abaddon held him in midair.
"W-what is this?! Where am I!?" the soul asked, taking on some features like a weasel with green and black coloring.
"I bid thee welcome to the first of your days in Pakao, Giovanni," Abaddon greeted, pulling him close to stare into his eyes. "Savor it, Slaughterer of Serbs, for it will be among your lasts within Creation."
"This is...oh god,' Giovanni whispered in mounting terror. "Are you...are you...?"
"The Devil? Fortunate does not favor you so generously for that to be your fate," Abaddon remarked, one orb of golden blood moving to the sinner's head.
"What is that?! What are you- WAIT, WAIT, STOP!" Giovanni screamed as it slowly, painfully stabbed into the side of his face.
Abaddon ignored the screaming, snarling into the man's face. "The immortality of your soul has been eradicated. You are now doomed to die, no matter how you might be slain again within this hopeless realm. And by this mark, your victims will know you. Sense you. Hunt you. For they will look upon you and know that you are the Master of the Logori within your homelands, those retched camps of death and suffering."
"But...you can't...they were just..." Giovanni whimpered in agony, the wound on his face glowing and pulsing as he tried to protest his fate.
Abaddon paid him no mind and let him fall into hell. Immortality or not, that fall would not kill a sinner. Even the souls of the damn were not that fragile.
His blazing gaze turned towards the Devil's manor but knew it was empty. The Infernal Family had retreated elsewhere for the present, taking their princess to visit another ring. A poorly veiled excuse to take their child elsewhere, as souls truly rained into Hell as of late and the fighting was constant. Some sinners continued their war even in Death, others were fighting for themselves now, to become mighty in Hell.
He was vaguely aware of his victim running down below, chased by a pack of other sinners. Serbians that died in massacres or concentration camps. The man would not last with that curse upon him.
Satisfied with that, he allowed his form to fade from the Ring of Pride and reappear elsewhere.
The Ring of Greed.
One might find it less desirable than others, but if there was one thing Greed was not short on, it was two things.
The first was kidnapping for ransoms. But no Hellborn was quite that stupid, sheer primordial fear overrode such stupidity.
The second was attractions, new things to draw the attention and the eye.
Bearing that, they had spectacles.
Abaddon moved like a dark mist as he came atop Mammon's personal stadium. The Clown himself was on stage, his minion helping show off some inventions that had made their way down to Hell from Earth.
Currently, some sort of vehicle is called the dynasphere. Or Mammon's flashier, gilded version of one.
In the stands was a crowd of hellborn, along with the royal family watching it from their own booth.
While Lucifer and Lilith had various reactions of interest or disinterest in the show, Charlie was watching it all with excited but tired eyes. Not physical exhaustion, emotional. The War warred on Hell itself in some ways.
Abaddon's eyes drifted along the roof around the stadium, spotting a figure creeping along, unknowingly coming his way. Perhaps he underestimated the depth of demon idiocy. Moving faster than shadows when a light went out, Abaddon was upon the interloper.
The demon, a hellhound, started as he was knocked down by what seemed to be a shadow. He looked up with a snarl, only for his ears to pin back in fear as he looked upon Abaddon himself. "Shit. I knew they had special security today, but what the hell even are you!?"
Abaddon did not even dignify him with an answer, merely staring at the infernal creature who crawled away slightly. "To what ends do you intrude here, Cur from Voracity?" he asked neutrally.
"What?" The hellhound responded in confusion. "Look, I'm not stupid enough to fuck with the royals, or the Sins for that matter. I was just supposed to go after someone that owes some money. With all the attention on the Morningstars, well..."
Abaddon hummed, seeing the logic in that. The royal attendance would make for an excellent distraction to be sure.
"So...so can I go?" the hellhound asked hopefully.
Again, Abaddon didn't answer.
He glanced behind the dog.
"He's not security tonight, mutt."
The Hellhound turned a looked ready to lose all his fur.
What stood before him had four yellow eyes, a vaguely lizard-like head, a cowboy hat and motif, and glowing yellow veins on his thick muscular arms.
He knew exactly who this was, and so did Abaddon.
"...Satan," the hellhound whispered in terror, clearly not expecting a third sin to be present.
Satan, however, was looking right at Abaddon and paid the canine demon little mind. "Get out of here, mutt, I have more important shit to do than skin your hide."
"Yes, Sir! Thank you!" the hellhound saluted quickly before running away, even going on all fours to move faster.
Abaddon watched him go idly, but Satan never looked away from him.
"Old Man," Satan greeted tersely.
Abaddon looked upon the Sin, his ghastly face giving little away. But his voice was filled with ancient and withered contempt. "Boy."
Satan grunted at being referred to as such but didn't protest.
Abaddon ignored him to look back down into the stadium, people laughing as the dynasphere crashed off stage unexpectedly before being moved away for the next display.
Satan stared for a moment, the veins in his arms pulsing with clenched fists.
Finally, Abaddon seemed to humor the Sin's presence. "The Choler Lord now takes to the role of a guard for the Padrone of Avarice?" he asked in an almost mocking tone.
Satan rolled all four of his eyes. "I'm keeping things quiet for the little lady down there. Just like you're making sure those rejects in Pride don't get to her."
Abaddon tilted his head minutely. "The Sins of Hell give care to the Child of Evil?"
"Is that so hard to believe?" Satan asked bluntly.
The answer was instant and filled with judgment.
"Yes."
Satan didn't react to that for a long moment before shrugging. "You might not have noticed, but shit has changed since the War."
"Yes, now those Born of Hell can no longer obtain the souls of the damn so easily and readily. Now they must dare to risk venturing into Pride and being under the eyes of Heaven," Abaddon said drily, his tone crisper than embers in a fire pit.
Satan grunted in acknowledgment of that fact.
Abaddon said nothing more as he turned to leave, satisfied that Charlie would be fine here.
He stopped, however, as a sound came over the stadium. He looked down and saw someone playing some instrument like a banjo...or a wooden frying pan with strings. Either way, it was louder and had a different kind of sound to it.
Ancient souls like his did not have many new experiences. They were worth taking a moment to pause and consider them. He imagined that such a musical instrument would make its way into Heaven, once the current chaos on Earth died off.
"Hey, Old Man," Satan called out after a moment of silence. "What interest do the winged varmints upstairs have with our Princess? The yearly visits are getting talked about all over hell now."
Abaddon looked back at Satan with a bored look. "It is not the Angels that have an interest in the Inheritrix, it is she who has an interest in the Angels."
Satan groaned at the cryptic words, rubbing his eyes.
He wasn't surprised to see Abaddon was gone when he looked again.
"Watch out, Old Man, lot of old demons talking about you now," Satan remarked to the open air, knowing his words would still be heard.
Now alone, he returned to standing guard over the Princess's outing. He chanced a glance down to the royal booth and wasn't surprised to see a glance from the Queen herself before she returned to watching the show as well.
July 16, 1941
Often these days, the Pearly Gate and the areas nearest to them had become something approaching a relief center. Many souls were seated where they could, cluttered or alone. While the virtuous souls of Heaven normally had a brightness to them, the trauma of their death still lingered and damped these souls.
It was temporary, it would pass, but it still broke Emily's heart to witness it. Most souls didn't dwell in their sadness, passing through the pearly gate with relief and tears of joy. Some remained though, to wait and help as their loved ones remained still tethered by their earthly pains.
Roaming the streets were angels of healing and, mostly, the Aralez
The Hounds of Raphael, the Aralez were wolven beasts with great wings. They emitted an aura of comfort and relief, their touch and licks able to speed the recovery of even wounds within the souls and mind. Some would find a particular soul and help coax them from their misery.
With her natural empathy, this place was unpleasant for Emily to be but she had to endure it to help these poor souls. Her duty was to help those who came out of their mire to move on and help them begin finding peace with the rest of Heaven. Which was to say, help lead them on and sort them out from those who still needed time and care.
"Thank you, Madam Angel, for your help," an elderly woman said. Well, Elderly now, but her skin was growing younger and younger at a very gradual pace.
"It is my pleasure to help you, Aldona," Emily said softly.
She felt happy but also a bit ashamed of that happiness, that winners often didn't treat her like a child. They only saw an angel helping them. Given the nature and appearance of Cherubs, she was sure they were uncertain if she was a child or just appeared young naturally.
The Virtuous soul hummed and finally took in Heaven. "It seems strangely like Earth, but...better."
Emily nodded in understanding. "We try to make the Pearly City seem similar to an average modern city. So that it is familiar. The other regions of Heaven might be more...what you are expecting."
"Heaven is truly wonderful and considerate," Aldona whispered, looking back sadly at the group of greyed souls. "But this seems very..."
Emily nodded solemnly. "This isn't normal. Lingering Souls aren't normally this common or take this long. But...this isn't a normal time on Earth either," Emily said softly.
"Truly it isn't," Aldona said quietly. "Tell me, do you think my grandsons are already ahead? I know they...died as well."
"I don't-"
"Ahh, shit! Someone mind giving me a fucking hand here?!"
Emily blinked as they both looked towards the gate. "Adam?"
Indeed, the Father of Humanity had returned, landing at the gates. In his arms, on his shoulders, and on his back were many souls. His size allowed him to carry and fit many.
Aldona starred in shock and the massive angel, while Emily realized Adams' problem. One of the souls was slipping off his shoulder.
"I got him!" Emily said, quickly flying over to grab the soul before they fell. Adam remained still as Emily gently lowered the soul to the ground. "There, you're safe now, "Emily whispered softly to the unresponsive, glossy eyes soul.
"Thanks, Fluffcake," Adam said as he began to deposit the souls with more care than one might expect, seating them along the wall of a building.
"Are these more souls from Plunge?" Emily asked softly.
"No, most of these poor fucks were from another massacre," Adam answered with a frown as he placed the last one down.
"NO!"
Adam, Emily, and every other coherent soul turned to face the screeching, angry voice of Aldona. She was glaring, seething at the look of one of the souls Adam had brought.
"Aldona?" Emily asked in concern.
"He's one of Them," Aldona said, creeping closer with something wrathful clawing at her voice. "They killed us. Slaughtered us. Why Is He Here!?"
Adam remained utterly unphased by the outburst, only glancing briefly at the soldier that the woman was glaring at.
Emily stood there uncertainly. "I...Aldona, he's a soul of Heaven. That means-"
"No, no! He shouldn't be here, he can't be here!" Aldona said as she marched orth in a mad haze, looking like she was going to attempt to kill the soldier a second time, reaching forth. "I can't-"
"Aldona."
She stilled. Her head turned.
Adam was looking at her, his wings gently raised and...
Emily inhaled softly as she saw the many eyes that formed in Adam's wings.
"That Is Enough. It Is Enough. The Fighting Is Over."
Adam spoke, his voice ancient and calm like the mountains, the seas, and the rising sun.
"It Is Time To Rest."
"But...But..." Aldona whispered with tears rushing down her face. "He is one of Them!"
"And He Is One Of Us Now. No Mortal Soul Comes Here Without Deserving It."
"How can I accept that!?" Aldona asked beggingly, falling to her knees. "You don't know what it's like! To be human! To live, struggle, lose, and have everything destroyed for...for no reason! For senseless, selfish reasons! You-!"
Emily inhaled as the lights grew and Aldona suddenly cowered while Adam approached her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Aldona pleaded as she pleaded before his holy wrath. "Forgive me, I-"
She fell silent as Adam was suddenly on one knee, still towering over her as he wrapped one arm around her in a tight hug.
"I Am Not Angry At You, Child."
Adam paused, his many eyes closing and his voice returning to normal. "I'm pissed anyone made you feel anything like how I fucking did."
Aldona blinked as she fell into the warm, strong embrace. It made her think of her childhood, of being embraced by her parents, but...more. "Who are you?"
"Didn't you fucking hear the adorable blue angel?" Adam asked with a chuckle, before his voice sank back into that ancient voice of his, if only briefly.
"I Am Adam."
"..." Aldona's eyes went wide, tears falling even more now. "You're...you're..."
"The Father of Humanity," Adam answered and he gently released her. "Don't expect free hugs all the time though."
Aldona blinked but covered her mouth as she felt herself crying tears of relief and joy. Her feelings for the soldier being in Heaven were still mixed, but the rage was soothed, and the pain tended to.
"That was amazing!" Emily said with wonder as she flew up to be near level with Adam while he walked away. "I didn't know you could do that! Can you teach me?"
"Sorry, Fluf, but that's one of my unique powers," Adam said with a grin. "I mean if you happened to have it too, sure, some fuckers do. But I doubt it."
Right, Emily recalled. All Angels had abilities or talents that were semi-unique to themselves. "How come you never use it?"
"I use it when I fucking have to," Adam explained vaguely. "I usually don't need to pull that shit out to calm souls down."
"Adam, Emily."
The pair stopped just outside the Pearly Gate as Sera made an appearance.
"Hey, Big Fluff," Adam greeted as Emily waved.
Sera nodded. "I came to ask you both to take a break. I don't think either of you have left here in days."
"Can't. There is some fucking battle in Libya going on," Adam said with a sigh.
"Adam, Lute and I will watch over things for now. You may not require sleep and food to survive, but it's unwise to stress yourselves like this without rest," Sera reminded, placing a concerned hand on his shoulder.
Adam opened his mouth to refuse before stopping and looking down at Emily. "You're not stopping until I do, are you, Fluffcake?"
Sera giggled at the nickname while Emily nodded with a determined frown, fists held up as a show of will.
Adam sighed. "Well, I'm blackmailed. Can't make her take a break without taking one myself."
"But Adam, I-"
"Ededed! No buts! We're going to fucking relax, eat like pigs, nap like dogs, and come back to do this shit tomorrow," Adam said as he picked Emily up and put her on his shoulder, to her surprise and delight. "When did you get so fucking stubborn anyway?"
"I believe she learned that from you," Sera teased lightly. "I'm not sure if that is a good or bad influence yet."
"Bitch, I am the Influence!" Adam said proudly. "...Right, yeah, that sounded better in my head. I definitely need a break."
"Ribs?" Emily suggested helpfully.
"I will go to the place with baby burgers you like so fucking much," Adam answered assuredly.
"What, they're so cute and yummy!" Emily defended with a whine as Adam took off, heading off to another part of heaven's front city.
Sera smiled as they departed. This earthly war was taking its toll on everything, but it was times like this when Adam showed the best of who he was.
Extermination Day, 1941
Charlie was more than a little surprised when she got to the Embassy. Mainly because it was filled with napping Exorcists.
"Yeah, it's been fucking busy upstairs, "Adam admitted, stretching his arms. "Girls needed a quick nap to recharge the batteries before we get E-Day rolling."
"Adam, I know the answer is always no, I'm starting to think you should have stayed home and skipped E-day this year," Charlie said in concern, watching the captains all sleeping in a corner, some curled onto each other.
"Nah, we're good," Adam waved off as he took a seat in the meeting room. "So, anything good to ask this year, Hellflake?"
"...Abaddon," Charlie answered with a frown.
Adam resting his head against his hand, arm leaning on the table. "What about him?"
"I just don't understand why he's...down here? I mean, he turned against the Watchers, and it sounded like he turned against them before the fighting started," Charlie answered idly.
"Hmm? Oh, your parents didn't mention that part," Adam said with some amusement. "Hellflake? Abaddon is down here by choice."
Charlie starred. "What? You mean...he wants to be in Hell?" she asked in disbelief.
"I mean he can come to Heaven anytime he wants. He's not exiled or anything," Adam answered. "So if he's down here, it is entirely by choice."
"But...isn't he Fallen? Like my Dad and the Watchers...?" Charlie asked in bewilderment.
"Abaddon can close off his connection to Heaven without severing it," Adam explained bluntly. "Freaky ass ability that not many Angels can do. I'm fucking serious about that, I think only a dozen or so ever could pull that bullshit off. He's less a Fallen and more...Descended Angel. Cause, you know, it's different when your ass is down here of your own volition instead of getting thrown down."
"But...But why!?" Charlie asked in shock, pausing to lower her voice as several exorcists stirred. "Why would anyone stay down here when they can go to Heaven?"
"It's not like he's always down here," Adam waved off.
"Oh. He's not?" Charlie asked in surprise.
"Yeah. Granted, most souls wouldn't recognize him in Heaven when he's not closing off his fucking link," Adam answered with a shrug. "He even goes by another name in Heaven. Only one old assholes like me remembered. Muriel."
"Muriel?" Charlie repeated.
Adam nodded solemnly. "The Angel of Mourning. Not Morning, Hellflake, Mourning."
"Oh," Charlie said softly, looking down in thought.
Adam paused before scoffing. "You should ask him yourself. I doubt the fucker wouldn't mind telling you a few things about the Old Days. Shit, trying asking what that asshole did back in Eden, you'll get a kick out of it."
"He was back in Eden?" Charlie repeated.
"Hellflake, there were a lot of angels back in Eden. Like, a lot. Me and Lilith, we-" Adam paused in consideration before giving the situation a "fuck it" and continuing. "We used to count the angels like stars. Try to figure out the different ways you could group their feathered asses. Wing counts, what they were good at, what they weren't good at, personalities, features. All kinds of shit. One of our more peaceful fucking topics."
Charlie starred as Adam's tone gained something to it that she couldn't quite define. Something buried under eons of bitterness, hatred, and more. Fondness? Respect? Something positive, some fragments of whatever goodness had existed between her mother and the First Man.
"...Mom says thank you," Charlie said softly.
"Hmm?" Adam furrowed his brow.
"I don't know," Charlie answered softly. "She just told me to tell you thank you. Maybe for helping with Bathory?"
Adam stared and Charlie flinched as she could feel him burying whatever ghosts of pleasant sentiments he had for her mother.
They didn't talk much after that, at least not of anything important.
Soon, the Exorcists awoke and readied themselves for the slaughter.
Adam was almost amused when a soldier pointed a bazooka at him.
But he was denied his own chance to make the sinner soldier despair as he was suddenly impaled by a great many dark tendrils.
Tendrils that also sent waves of electricity through the sinner, making him scream in agony before dying.
"You fucking donkey of a deer," Adam said with a snort, turning to face Alastor, who appeared at his side. "You actually fucking ate that Ars Goetian brat? Was wondering why you seemed off the last year."
Alastor chuckled. "Yes, I might have bitten off a bit more than I could stomach, but I can't argue with the results," Alastor said, putting his radio staff over his shoulder, little bolts of static dancing around it. "I was fortunate to have help from a certain overlord."
Alastor looked up to the top of a building. Adam frowned neutrally as he saw a dark figure up on the top, who nodded to them both before leaving.
"Zestial has been quite welcoming for a fellow Overlord," Alastor remarked.
"Zestial? Is that what he calls himself now?" Adam asked with a snort, getting a quirked brow from Alastor. "So, got anything good for me this year, Stag?"
"Oh, I already told your delightful helper about a small settlement just outside of Pentagram where many of the Japanese sinners have taken up home. When they're not being attacked by the Koreans. Speaking of which, there is a very, well, dry Korean Overlord who has been helping keep the Japanese overlords from gaining much traction."
"Sado, I know the bastard. Raped and killed so much his father put his royal ass in a chest filled with rice until he died," Adam recalled with distaste. "Might have to put his ass down in a year or two, but for now I'll try to leave him to fuck up these Japanese sinners for the time being."
"Not surprisingly," Alastor said, looking at his fingernails. Or rather, the static dancing between them. "Zestial did wish me to pass along some information, to you or to Abaddon. And I can't quite help noticing a distinct...similarity between my new associate and your own. Family resemblance, perhaps?"
"Stag," Adam warned flatly.
"Very well. He would not deign to explain what this message meant, just that the Four Perils are on the move," Alastor remarked.
"...The Four Perils?" Adam said in surprise.
Alastor narrowed his eyes in interest.
"Haven't heard about those fucks in a while. They were some of the Watchers, but they're mostly remembered by China and some other Asian places, vaguely as shit though," Adam explained with a frown.
"Interesting. So Zestial has connections outside of Pride Ring. Should I assume he is not a sinner? Perhaps, even, not a hellborn?" Alastor asked with a pointed grin.
"Stag, do you ever stop fishing?" Adam asked pointedly.
"I'm a hungry fellow, my good man!" Alastor retorted in jest. "Besides those two tidbits, I do know where a few of the various budding Overlords are hiding. Shall we?"
"You know, I'd normally be warning your ass not to try anything funny," Adam remarked with a smirk. "But I'm pretty sure you're hungry, Stag."
Some of Alastor's more demonic features crept through. "Yes, well, these new powers can be quite taxing compared to my normal ones. I find the urge to feed come more quickly when I use them."
"Bitch, just say your lightning powers make you need a bite," Adam said with an eye roll. "Lead the way, I'll try not to hit you while I'm clearing out the streets as we go."
"My good sir, if you can hit me by accident, then I must be getting sloppy," Alastor said with a snort as he slipped back into the shadows.
Adam took to the skies with a deep breath, creating the heaven halberd with a savage grin.
Yeah, after all, he had seen this year, the suffering souls that arrived in Heaven?
He was going to enjoy this.
Immensely.
Sinners gave flight as the Leader of the Raiders joined the fray in full, the Stag of the Crescent taking his own fill of kills as he desired.
End of Chapter
Alright, 1941 down. Lots of stuff. Charlie had a confrontation with her parents, who revealed that yes, there was a whole ass war between Heaven and Hell. And Adma reveals Heaven's war motto: Only Defeat is No Option. Again, defeat means two Hells.
Also, yeah Abbadon had some fun. That guy, Giovanni? That's his nickname. Long story short, he was a Serbian nationalist who was Commander of ALL concentration camps in Serbia. Yeah. But also a confrontation between Abbadon and Satan, or "Old Man" and "Boy" as they call each other.
Oi, and yeah, Emily is getting a crash course in helping Lingering Souls. And Adam calmed down a grandmother who was angry a German soldier was in Heaven. Look, I'm not going to paint any organization in Nazi Germany as being "Clean" or anything. I am going to say some average people in the armies just thought they were fighting for their country and not truly knowing that their higher up were trying to wipe out entire ethnic groups. A few were even trying to help from the inside. Still, a lot more soldiers from the Axis powers go to hell than on the norm. In simple terms, the Axis powers were horrible, even for the people in their counties who wanted nothing to do with their bullshit.
Lastly, got more info on Abaddon, and Alastor got fucking lightning powers. Oh, right, the Salt Overlord, Sado? Real guy, a Korean Prince, and...everything horrible Adam mentioned about him. Seemed like a good background character to be fucking up some of the Japanese sinners.