Chapter Two
Azazel steps out of a portal to the gates of the Hell Dimension. With him is Raziel, the archangel of secrets, and Seraphiel, protector of the celestial scribe, Metatron. Seraphiel, Metatron, and Michael are on the same tier of power as the grim reapers and are above all the other angels. They are called Seraphim and are the closest to The Creator. Michael still commands the angels and he trusts that Seraphiel is more than enough to deliver his message, even all the way in the ninth circle of Hell.
The Hell Dragon, Alvah, appears from underneath the surface of the dimension and turns to face them, lava dripping from its snarl. Once it recognizes they are angels, it closes its mouth and retreats back underground. The gates swing open and the angels float through.
“We need to keep moving. We need to be out of here as fast as possible,” Seraphiel warns. “I’m not sure even I can stay in this dimension for too long without my power withering.”
The trio travel through each of the nine circles without interference from the demons. In the first circle, Nokturn, the archdemon of nightmares, appears from black fog and glares at them. It would be less terrifying if the demon didn’t look like an incomplete skeleton with only one eye.
In the second circle, the circle of deception, the three archdemons sisters, Sygril (Secrets), Intipas (Pain), and Rajeloth (Anger) stand in a huddle and glare the same as Nokturn before them. The same continues for all the circles except for the eighth, the circle of death. Samael, the evil angel of death, levitates in place holding his scythe staring at nothing in particular.
The presence of the demon causes Azazel and Raziel to lose hope in everything. They contemplate suicide right then and there and as they begin to slow down, Seraphiel places his hands on their shoulders and keeps pushing them forward into the final circle of damnation.
As soon as they enter, Decimus, the devil, appears in a large form before them. He says nothing, expecting an explanation, which Azazel gives.
“Michael is sending a warning to keep your demons out of our realm,” Azazel says. Decimus exhales, the sound alone shaking the entirety of the dimension. “Apothael was in my quarters, attempting to get inside my mind and twist my vision of my brother. Breaking the thousand-year ceasefire would be cause for punishment.”
Decimus makes a grumbling noise again and slightly leans in, nodding and disappearing into black hellfire. As he does, the three are immediately surrounded by darkness. Seraphiel immediately opens his palm to create a portal back home, however Athan, the second child and firstborn son of Decimus, appears from the same black hellfire his father disappeared into.
“Fearful, huh, Seraphiel?” Athan questions. “Did you know Michael can survive millennia in our dimension without his power diminishing or being corrupted?”
Seraphiel stops creating the portal and takes the bait, engaging the demon.
“You lie, demon,” Seraphiel says as he opens his palm again. “But, I shall ask Michael when we return.”
A hand reaches out and grabs Seraphiel’s wrist. The seraphim examines the body attached to the arm and realizes it’s Athan. The angel frowns and flings the demon away before drawing his shield.
“You forget, I am more powerful than you demon,” Seraphiel claims. Athan floats to his bare feet, his wings--crafted of the black hellflames he can generate and manipulate--expand and continue to expand.
“Then why do you think you weren’t invited to that little Limbo scuffle?” Athan prods. “Surely you could have wiped out me, Zyel, and Apothael on your own, right?”
“Seraphiel, create the portal so we can leave,” Azazel says. Raziel nods.
“Azazel and I are too weak by this point,” he adds.
“Stabbed through the fuckin’ head with a flaming sword,” Athan says. Azazel cranes his neck to glare at the gray-skinned demon. “What a way to go.”
Azazel grits his teeth as Seraphiel has begun to craft the portal slowly, as his power continues to diminish. Raziel holds onto the archangel of sacrifice’s shoulder.
“And to think your own brother was the cause of you all dying so spectacularly,” Athan pokes further. “Couldn’t keep it in his pants. From a detestable demon like me, no less.”
Azazel clenches his fists, then unclenches, summoning his Sacrificial Soul Blades.
“Perhaps, you haven’t even pondered the worst part…” Athan begins. Seraphiel notices Azazel’s growing anger and calls out to his younger brother.
“Azazel, keep a cool head. The portal is nearly finished.”
“Had it not been for that superhero kid, you’d still be trapped there, forced to roam the endless dimension with your kin,” Athan says. “I assure you Michael knew about this going into battle. You were used.”
Azazel breaks free of Raziel’s grasp and darts at Athan, his body flickering before appearing in front of the demon. Azazel tackles Athan, driving the soul blades into the demon’s sternum and straddling him on the ground. As the demon’s blood bleeds black and Azazel raises his blades over his head, he senses two more presences before him. He looks up and from the darkness, the archdemons of Wrath--Satan--and Envy--Leviathan--knock Azazel off of their higher-up.
Seraphiel turns around and lets the portal diminish to nothing as he turns around and raises his shield, stepping in front of his two younger brothers.
“We’re going to have to fight our way out of here,” Seraphiel informs them.
“No,” Raziel rejects, withdrawing his bow and pulling an arrow out of his quiver. “Keep working on the portal. Let Azazel and I keep them busy. They are on the same level of strength as us.”
“You forget they are empowered, Raziel,” Seraphiel says. Raziel frowns at his brother as Seraphiel is about to continue explaining why it’s a bad idea, but he closes his mouth and nods. Seraphiel goes back to creating the portal while Raziel helps Azazel to his feet.
Satan, with his hooves shaking the circle, stomps towards them a few steps as green water flows from behind his feet. Part of the circle fills with water for Leviathan to be able to combat the angels.
“I got the snake,” Raziel says, taking aim already. As he does, his black wings fold in. And as he releases the arrow, his wings expand fully. The arrow pierces Leviathan’s scales and he roars. The arrow then disappears from his scales, leaving the hole there, and reappears in Raziel’s quiver. Leviathan goes to strike at Raziel, and the archangel flies upward.
Satan charges head on with his horns pointed at Azazel. Azazel lets the horns connect with his soul blades as the force from Satan’s charge pushes him back a few feet. He tries to use the archdemon’s momentum against him to flip him on his back, however, instead the archdemon lifts Azazel into the air with his horns.
As Azazel looks down at the demon, he sees black flames spew from his mouth. He expands his black wings and narrowly dodges the flames before diving back in to cut the demon open. He goes to slash at Satan’s chest, but the blue demon lifts an arm and deflects it with his wrist gauntlets. Luckily for Azazel though, the metal his blades are made of, Angelium, is stronger than the metal Satan’s gauntlets are made of, Sin. The blades cut through one the Sin-crafted gauntlets and slice open the skin on the demon’s forearm.
“You little shit!” Satan booms. He raises his arms and attempts to slam them down on where Azazel is, but Azazel dodges in time. Satan follows up his attack by spewing more hellfire and Azazel continues to dodge.
Leviathan keeps striking at the air as Raziel continuously dodges the sea serpent’s attacks. All the while firing off arrow after arrow, with each returning safely to his quiver. The battle is going so well for him, he can’t help but smirk. His smirk disappears as quickly as it came though when Leviathan stops striking at him and lowers itself into the depths of the green sea, his eyes glowing through the murky water.
Raziel floats about the water, curious as to what the archdemon’s plan is. It becomes clear as Azazel shouts his name, all for him to turn into a horn of Satan’s that narrowly misses piercing through him. As blood gushes from the wound and Raziel falls towards the death awaiting for him in the sea, Azazel dashes at his brother to catch him as Leviathan rises from the depths, breaching the surface like a whale. And instead of gulping Azazel’s brother up, the archdemon snatches up Azazel himself in his jaws and presses down, letting the teeth pierce his body all over before spewing him out before Seraphiel. Leviathan does the same for Raziel and Seraphiel turns around horrified at the sight of his unconscious, dying brothers.
He stops focusing on the portal once more as he glares at the two archdemons, who retreat into the darkness the way they came. Athan reappears with a wide grin spread across his face.
“Well. That didn’t bode well for them,” he taunts. He then chuckles. “Or did it?”
Seraphiel looks back down at where his brothers’ bodies were. Nothing but the emptiness of the ninth circle is there now, as they have reappeared, emerging from the darkness behind Athan, their black wings blending in with the surrounding area.
“I guess we are fighting our way out of here,” Seraphiel says, drawing his shield once more. “What have you done to them, demon?”
“Simply enhanced what was already there,” Athan explains. “You see both of them feel resentful towards you and your siblings for many reasons. One of which being the fact that Azazel doesn’t believe Michael deserves to lead you all anymore. Raziel despises the domain of secrets he has been given and he hates the black wings he’s been given even more.”
“You spew lies!”
“He does not,” Azazel says in his own, normal voice. In fact, nothing about him has changed. Even the wounds have healed. “It’s time for new leadership, Seraphiel.”
“I cannot let that happen,” Seraphiel says, raising his shield.
“I had a feeling you’d say that,” Azazel says. “Seraphim.”
