Amriel's senses stirred slowly, as if she were being cradled in a soft, warm embrace. Every muscle that had been screaming in pain seemed to have ceased hurting, leaving behind only a calm feeling. but that can't be true she was sure that she was lying face first in the dirt bleeding out, could it be that this is how it feels to be back in the embrace of father? As she lies there semiconscious contemplating, she can make out two voices talking close to her pulling her away from her previous thoughts.
A playful female voice cut through the silence. "So, while we're waiting, what's your name, lackey?"
"It's Leonard or Leon for short Lady Jezabel, and may I say that I am forever grateful and in your debt for saving a low class being such as I." A male voice replied with a hint of formality.
"Leon, hmmm sound likes the word peon to me, from now on your name is Peon, got that?" the young female voice declared sounding proud of her brilliant naming sense.
"Peon? But..."
"But, What? Do you not like it? As a good overlord I aspire to address all my underling's concerns."
"No nothing's wrong my lady as a high ranked devil" the male voice quickly retracted. "You can call me anything you want; might I say that Peon is a great name, even better than my old one you are really good at naming my lady." The male voice conceded kissing up to the young female.
Hearing the phrase high ranked devil, Amriel eyes opened and shot up wide awake knocking away the weighted blanket that was covering her, briefly noticing that she is now sitting upon a soft bed. She then looks towards the source of the voices, noticing a young devil girl with elven shaped ears and a man that resembles one of the devils who attacked her in his human form except the fact that his ears are also pointed, both standing near the bed she lies upon. Not caring about the minor discrepancy in detail, Amriel immediately sprang into action attempting to summon a spear of light to impale her kind's mortal enemies, but is shocked to find out that the she can no longer feel God's benevolent light within her, having no time to contemplate in the face of danger, Amriel immediately leaped out of bed flying forward in an attempt to strike the supposed high devil girl with her bare fist.
"Stop" all it took was one word muttered from the girl for her body to suddenly freeze in midair?
"Oh, I see you are awake." The young devil commented wearing an unbothered smile on her face, no doubt a further indication of the girl's confidence in her power. "Would you kindly settle down please, we have much to discuss." she said as Amriel fell back foot first on to the ground with a thud, her body frozen solid under the young devil's command, as if she's been tied up in invisible chains.
"I won't listen to the demands of your kind, even if you can control my body, you can't control my soul, our Lord will give your kind your just deserts soon enough." Amriel declared putting on a brave front while staring daggers the young girl, even though internally she's drowning in fear thinking about the potential heresy she would be force to commit under the control of these devils.
"Lady Jezabel the former angel seems to be ungrateful for the new life you've given her." Peon remarked voicing displeasure on behalf of his mistress. "If I may suggest, with my Lady's permission of course, that I be allowed to teach this rude girl her place, and if not to get rid of her entirely, angels or former angel in her case should not be trusted by our kind."
New life, former angel? Amriel blood ran cold, her mind focused on the concerning part of Peon's phrasing. Only to now notice an additional sensation she has never felt before coming from her lower back and head as if It's an additional appendage.
Mistaking Amriel's stunned silence as a sign of her calming down, Jezabel snapped her fingers releasing the control she had over Amriel's body. Amriel quickly brought her new appendage to the front, and immediately burst into tears upon realizing that her worst fear is now a reality.
"You...sniff...you." Amriel sniffled out while pointing accusatively at the young devil, who is staring back with a gremlin-like smile.
"Oh my, you must think your new tail is so cute that you are crying tears of joy, wait until you see what I've done with the rest of your new body." Jezabel said cheerfully as she made a full-length mirror materialized in front of Amriel.
"Waaaaaah" Hearing the girl's taunts and seeing her own full reflection now resembling that of her sworn enemies made her break down even more.
"Yes, yes, I know no need to thank me, any girl would kill for a body like that."
"Kill me, please." Amriel begged dropping down on her knees.
"Hmmm? That a weird way of thanking people." Jezabel's tilted her in confusion. "I get the kneeing part, but being so touched that you are begging people to kill you? What culture is that way of thanking people from? Is it an angel thing?"
"I don't think she is in a thankful mood, Lady Jezabel." Peon clarified seeing that his lady might actually be genuinely confused over the angel's actions. "She's crying tears of despair not happiness, she was formerly an angel and can hear and receive the voice of her creator, now she is a devil and is forever cut out of his favor, she's in no condition to discuss anything now, maybe we should put her out of her misery. That is if you want to of course, my lady." Peon said briefly showing a hint of pity for the former angel knowing that God does not allow suicide.
"OHHHHH" Jezabel smacked one of her fists on her palm finally getting it. "Sorry, my bad I should have explained things earlier." Jezabel stuck her tongue out making a playful gesture. "We are not devils we are demons, you can pray to YHVH if you want to, in fact I even talked to him as a friend a few times, though he's been ghosting me recently, what a dick."
A stunned silence followed. Amriel's face, still streaked with tears from earlier, slipped into a state of confusion, her chest tightening. Peon, caught in the same shock, both blurting out at the same time in disbelief, "What?"
For Amriel it was the casualness in Jezabel's tone that sent a shiver through her spine. She had just called God, the Holy Father her creator by his true name, not to mention she called him a dick. With no signs of retaliation. How was that even possible?
"The holy father, God, YHVH." Peon shouted out testing if what said is true, getting more brazen with each name. "Hehehehe, it's true one of our biggest weaknesses is gone, I had no idea that being an extra demon had this kind of perk, might I say I agree with my lady that you YHVH are indeed a dick."
Crackle, Holy light rain down out of nowhere smiting the offending Peon. "AHHHHHH, O, I am slain again." Causing the Peon to drop to the floor body looking charred from the divine retaliation, Peon is now twitching on the floor while foaming from his mouth.
Jezebel shrugged casually, unbothered by God's divine wrath that struck Peon down. "Yeah, you probably shouldn't have called him a dick if you are not his friend, he's still very petty." Jezabel remarked while squatting down poking at Peon's roasted unconscious body, then with a sudden grin she pulls out a stick with a marshmallow on it out of nowhere, holding it over Peon's unconscious body using the heat that radiates from him to roast the marshmallow. "And no, we are not extra demons that some devils refer to themselves as, but a completely different species that dwell in the dark, come to think of it, I should probably confront the devils for using the word demons to refer to themselves sometimes, their stealing our good name, pfft, devils who do they think they are? Why I got to..."
Just as Jezabel is rambling on about what she is going to do to the devils Amriel felt a familiar presence soothing righteous and almighty in her own mind.
"My Child you have suffered a grim fate, and you will have to endure a trial I do not wish upon any of my children, but know that I've have not abandoned you even if your body is now twisted, I can sense that your soul remains pure and loyal, you have not fallen."
Amriel's heart swelled with relief, her eyes closing as she exhaled a shaky breath. God? Is it really You? she thought, still unsure whether to trust her senses. Are my fallen brethren at peace?
"Indeed, it is my kind child" God answered with each of his spoken word giving Amriel further hope. "You don't have to worry. the souls of your fallen brethren have reached me. and they are at rest."
With God confirming his identity and addressing her concerns Amriel now felt completely relived as the weight she carried for her fallen kin is finally lifted, still there was an important question that she wanted to ask.
"Wait, if you are communicating with me here and now does that mean what that demon Jezabel said about you being friends with each other is true?"
"..." a long silence from God follows.
"God?"
"Friends?" God emphasized in a tone as if the very idea disgusts him. "With that annoying outer nuisance, no way I'd sooner let that lecher Azazel back into my graces then be friends with a being like her."
Amriel is stunned as this is the first time a low ranked angel like her, heard a semblance of anger from her beloved creator.
"I see that she's told you that she talked to me, yes talked not prayed, but talked isn't the right term more like demanded, when she first got my attention, she was like.Hey God, buddy my good friend any chance you can let me grow a dick please."
Amriel felt her jaw drop. "She said what?"
"Obviously, playing a practical joke, I politely told her to go away." God continued with a sigh of frustration." but she didn't stop, no she came back again.Hey Big G I bet even with your almighty powers you can't give me a dick, care to prove me wrong?Once again being the benevolent being I let her go, but even worse then comes thePranks."
"Pranks?" Amriel heard her creator emphasize that particular word in anger wondering what type of pranks can possibly set her creator off this much.
"Pranks, indeed,"God spat, the annoyance palpable in His voice."She started small. Painting churches along with depictions of my son, my priests and my angels with dicks and saying, 'See, Big G, this is what I mean by a dick. As though I don't know what a dick is. But that just of her tamer pranks.
"Oh God that's horrible, she didn't harm or kill anyone while doing this did she?" Amriel asked worried about the implications on how Jezabel was able to achieve this.
"Oh me indeed, no she didn't cause any physical trauma or any deaths for that matter, as she seemed to use some sort of sleep spell to put all her victims to sleep, but the mental trauma of her victims still lingers on to this day. The worst of this is when she painted all the angels of a church wings black causing them to mistaken themselves to have fallen, creating such a level of panic that you can only imagine, I had to personally comfort each and every one of them telling them that I loved them they haven't fallen and even after that they are not the same as they once were, eventually I figured out all she is doing is trying to fish a reaction out of me, so I ignored her later escapades, but guess what? It doesn't just end that easily, when she figured out, I'm ignoring her she said.YHVH, how could you ignore a friend, we were having so much fun, you know what you're a dick, dick, dick, dick...She continued this for two months! Clogging up my prayer system, putting me through literal hell, the only thing I could hear day and night at that time is dick, dick, dick imagine how I feel, but thank me, she eventually got tired of annoying me and moved on to doing something else.
Amriel had no words mentally, her mouth hung open at the absurdity of the situation, though she can imagine the young Jezabel doing this as she just experienced this treatment herself, but to do this to someone so almighty such as God himself? Suddenly several contradictions suddenly popped to her mind causing her to shake her head.
"Wait my Lord, how did she reach you through the prayer system if she isn't praying? and even if she reached you, couldn't you have just cut her out of your prayer system? And even if not, why didn't you smite her with your almighty power when you first noticed her presence? After all she is a similar being to devils, and even if you had decided to leave such a being alone for its differences compared to devils. What she's done more than justified you taking action to smite her."
"..." God is once again silent.
"God?"
"Sigh, all I can tell you is that though I am almighty, I am not as almighty as I once was."
Amriel's mind is flooded with shock and horror upon hearing God's admission that he is not almighty enough to deal with the little demon, followed by small amounts of joy that God himself trusted a low rank angel such as herself with the grim truth, but one question remains unanswered for her what threat could have caused her almighty creator to weaken?
"My child I know your shocked and curious about the revelation, do not let my situation plague your mind, as God I will always have a solution, all you need to know for now is that the self-proclaimed demon Jezabel is dangerous and needs to be monitored, for that I'm tasking you on an extended mission to observe and report her actions to me, pretend that you are loyal to her, I shall forgive any sin you commit in your task, just remember to never forget your origins and try to tone it down if you can, get closer to her, find out her motivations, secrets, and weaknesses can you do this for me my dear child Amriel? I know what am asking implies a harsh path ahead, but you are the only one I can rely on for this task."
Hearing the personal reassurance and request that God himself give, Amriel nodded to herself, eager to accept the task despite the potential dangers that lies ahead. "It shall be done my Lord; I will do my best to fulfill your wishes."
"Thank you, my beloved child I am truly sorry that you have to endure what none of my angels should endure, I shall do my best support you should you need it."
Amriel stepped out of her mental world, snapping back into reality,"Ahhh!" Only to be frightened making her heart skip a beat, taking a step back seeing that the young demon girl that God himself considers dangerous is now right in front of her staring at her directly with a playful smile.
"You were spacing out there, maybe you're hungry? Marshmallow?" Jezebel offered wearing her usual smile while holding out a stick with a fully roasted marshmallow on it.
Not wanting to offend the dangerous demon, Amriel took the stick from the girl with a trembling hand eating the marshmallow in one bite, even if the taste is sweet and comforting, it did not help alleviate any of her fear.
"MMMH, this marshmallow you give me is so good that it makes me want to be fully loyal to your cause, might you enlighten your humble servant on your grand aspirations." Amriel said her voice straining in an attempt to mask her lie, her body shaking in fear and anxiety an obvious poor attempt at feigning loyalty.
"My child what are you doing? That was far too direct and your acting is terrible, no one is foolish enough to believe that." God exclaimed astounded by Amriel's horrible performance.
"Sorry my Lord I can't help but panic, as your loyal angel I have no experience in lying, she's a child maybe she's gullible?" Amriel thought in a panic body now shaking even more in fear.
"My child I am so sorry. "God said with sorrow in his voice. "I've should have known" God seemingly abandoned Amriel to her fate.
"Wait no God." Amriel heart just stopped seeing that God is leaving her.
"Sounds legit everyone enjoys good food." Jezabel said giving Amriel a casual nod.
"Wait she's actually that gullible?" both God and Amriel thought in disbelief.
"So, my goal now is to..."
"Wait Lady Jezabel." Peon interrupted slowly stagging to his feet, though it appears he is struggling to stand straight, his body still suffering from major burns. "There's no way she turns on his will that easily, just a while ago she was crying at the prospect of losing his guidance, the only possible reason she says that she will be loyal to you now is that she is spying on you for her creator."
"Silence Peon."
Crackle, once again holy light rained down from nowhere striking Peon down.
"O, I am slain." Peon fainted once again.
"What was that? He didn't offend you that time." Amriel communicated towards God.
"My child, I don't think that's what you should be focusing on at the moment." God replied voice filled with concerns for Amriel's situation.
"Muahahahahahaha" Jezabel let out an evil maniacal laugh letting a tremendous amount of Ominous aura leak out, the feeling of which shakes Amriel to her core, not even her near-death experience frightened her to this extent.
"It's your first day as my vassal, and you've already thought to betray me." Jezabel said with a sinister smile on her face, slowly advancing towards Amriel, fist held tightly with each step being taken making Amriel feel closer and closer to impending doom.
Every instinct in Amriel's body is telling her to run, but her body is frozen solid in fear refusing to move even an inch. All she could do is internally pray. "No, Lord Father please save me."
"My child I am truly sorry." God said his voice heavy with grief, as if he can no longer bear to watch.
"Oh, don't be dramatic I'm very happy for you." Jezebel said smiling with sweetness in her voice, a single tear drop can be seen flowing down from her eyes. "Sniff, they grow up so fast, you have already learned what part of being a demon is all about, you deserve a reward, here have some candy." Jezabel said with a genuine smile on her face, opening her fists to reveal a variety of assorted sweets, now looking eagerly at Amriel for her to accept.
"What?"Amriel shouted out with Peon who shot up despite his heavy injuries joining in, even God himself has this question in his mind.
"Wait no, you don't mind at all that I'm a spy for God?" Amriel exclaimed ignoring the offered candies, not even bothering trying to hide it anymore.
"So, I'm guessing you don't like candy?" Jezabel pouted. "Fine more for me then." She said as she started to devour the sweets. "MMMPH, that's good."
"Lady Jezabel, how are you not concerned at all that we have an enemy amongst us? I know you said that we are demons, but devils if not even human and angels would not tolerate this whatsoever." Peon asked visibly flabbergasted by his new master's proclamation.
Jezabel finished eating all the sweets before answering. "Demons should have the freedom to strive to achieve their own goals whatever they maybe, with whatever method at their disposal, I won't try to stop them unless." Jezabel smiled sadistically unleashing a greater aura then she did before, hitting the limit that both Peon and Amriel can take before they faint in her presence, with implications that this is not even her full strength. "Know that if your goals and methods ever get in the way of my fun, I won't hesitate to punish you accordingly. For demons it's the strongest who has the most freedom to do as they please, if you don't have the might to blow away obstacles to your goals, then you don't have the rights to achieve it, so strive to be stronger my vassals only then can you be truly free to fulfill all your wishes."
Peon and Amriel finally understood that the reason behind Jezabel's indifference, in her eyes they were no different than ants completely insignificant and easily ignored, as the realization slowly settles in, they both doubted they will ever get to the level where they could challenge her will.
"With that being said." Jezabel lowered her aura putting her hands together, staring directly at Amriel with a gremlin-like smile. "If you ruin my fun, I will forcefully order you to fly naked around the world, flashing everyone your ample assets."
"Noooo, please anything but that." Amriel shrieked in horror and embarrassment as her face flushed red just picturing the scenario in her mind.
"Get a grip my child, you're acting as if that would be actual physical torture, a little embarrassment shouldn't be able to deter you."
"Wait, what will happen to me, if say I not purposefully of course but accidentally got in my Lady's way?" Peon asked, curious about his own treatment.
"Death of course." Jezabel said with a straight face.
Peon blinked, as he was taken aback by the contrasting swift and brutal answer. "You're joking right? Lady Jezabel."
"A joke is supposed to be funny; do you find your death to be funny Peon?" Lady Jezebel asked a manner that seemed rhetorical to Peon.
Not wanting to risk Jezabel's potential wrath, Peon stuck with his usual tried and true method of flattery, after all it's what kept him alive for so long while working underneath higher ranked devils, before he stepped out of line that is. "No not at all my Lady, death is but a fair punishment for a peon like me, you always know how to make the best decisions my Lady."
Seeing the smirk on Lady Jezabel's face and that she's now turned her focus towards the former angel, Peon breathed a sigh of relief, it would seem that he made the right choice after all.
"Now then miss spy of my friend." Jezabel clapped her hands together, the sound snapping Amriel out of her imagination. "Since this is your new life, you need a new name that fits the esthetic of being a demon, what is your old name by the way?"
"It's Amriel Lady Jezabel." Amriel answered a little concerned that she might also be given a name like Peon.
"Amriel, hmm" Jezabel pondered while scratching her chin. "Oh, I got it seeing your goals what you are now and what you used to be, its more than fitting that I demon Overlord Jezabel shall henceforth call you Mastema!"
"Mastema, I like it, thank you Lady Overlord." Mastema replied with smile on her face honestly just happy she didn't get a name like Peon, while Peon himself looked on in envy and displeasure feeling miffed that the former angel got a proper name and not him.
"Now then my vassals with everything now settled, we shall move on to fulfilling my goal." Jezabel declared with determination in her eyes.
"What would your goal be miss Overlord?" Mastema asked ecstatically seizing the opportunity to finally get some useful information for God.
"Simple to establish the presence of us demons in this world, but first I need to create our own realm, our netherworld to be more precise." Jezabel said as an evil smile gradually start to form. "And I know just where to put it, time to say hi to our new Neighbours."
In a lavish castle adorned with riches that a mortal could only dream of; a male figure is seen sitting upon his regal throne exuding an air of dark and twisted majesty, his long white flowing hair shines silver in the dim light multiple bat like wings stretched behind him each one seems to pulse with immense energy. Kneeling before him are legions of devils whose heads are bowing in reverence as none dared to meet his gaze, all kneeled in silence awaiting his command.
"Rise." The man's cold and commanding voice echoed throughout the castle.
"We thank you for the privilege, Lord Lucifer." The devils said in perfect unison their voices rang out throughout the castle like a dark hymn.
A smile of pride and satisfaction slowly seems to form on Lucifer's face as he watched his devils rise standing before him, but then suddenly out of nowhere a swift white colored object strikes him across his cheeks making him bellow out in pain spitting out blood.
"Who dares?" Lucifer demanded his voice rang out like thunder, putting a hand on his injured cheek, glaring at his entire legion but none dared to meet his fiery gaze remaining in silence as the tension builds with Lucifer's power growing every passing second as if a volcano that's about to erupt, with no answers he slowly turned his attention to the offending object now making it out to be a rock wrapped in paper, picking up the object he unwrapped the rock while reading the paper's contents.
"Hyahyahyahyahya, is this a joke?" Lucifer laughed manically upon finishing the paper's contents incinerating it immediately after, with the legion of devils giving each other confused glances having never seen their Lord react in such a way ever before.
"Oh, that's real funny," a wide grin is seen slowly forming on his face, but hints of rage can be seen in his eyes. "Gather the other 3 Satans." He decreed. "We have potential new Neighbours to welcome, so let's show them how we devils extend our hospitality." He said as his grin continued to get wider as his legion try to scramble out of the room at the same time to complete their master's task.
"Damn it, I meant one of you summon the other Satans, do I have to tell you idiots how to do everything." Lucifer snapped out of his grin upon seeing his subordinate's incompetents. "You there." he pointed towards a random devil. "I order you to tell the 3 Satans to gather, and make it quick."
While all this is going on everyone seems to be too shocked by the events that had occurred, and have forgotten to check where the rock came from in the first place, and question how in hell's name did a rock break through the castle's extensive magical and physical defenses to deck their leader perfectly square in the face, the answer to that question can be easily answered if one bothered to look at the direction where the rock came from, they would have noticed a small hole now present in the wall, looking through the hole you can see multiple holes on multiple walls eventually leading outside the castle itself!"