Chapter Four
“Not going how you planned?” Cassiel questions as her older brother paces back and forth in front of the rest of them.
“I warned you about trying to convince Grim,” Raziel says to Azazel as well. In response, Azazel simply stops in place and slightly shows his profile in silhouette, green eye glowing in the darkness. Raziel raises his hands in apology.
Azazel goes back to pacing before stopping in front of Samael.
“I do not suppose you have any ideas?” he asks Death. Samael doesn’t move. Or speak. Or breathe.
“I would like to pose a question,” Zerachiel says. Azazel turns to him.
“Go ahead, big guy.”
“When is Michael at his most powerful?” the big guy asks.
“In Heaven. Like the rest of us,” Raziel points out.
“But at his peak?” Zerachiel questions further.
“When we’re with him,” Azazel answers correctly. “When his entire family is backing him. Guess it gives him courage or something else sappy.”
“So take Heaven and the rest of us away and what does he have?” Cassiel continues.
“We’d need to get him here. And obviously alone,” Azazel says. “What reason would he have to come here alone?”
Athan appears out of thin air, decloaking his invisibility.
“Well, there is one bargaining chip we have,” he says as he creates a portal that shows Seraphiel chained up and unconscious in an unknown location.
Michael appears in the ninth circle of Hell after agreeing to come to rescue Seraphiel. He’s expecting a trap or any sort of danger. However, he’s not expecting the mother of his child to be the first one he meets.
Lilith appears from black flames with a somber look sprawled across her violet face. Michael approaches her slowly, folding his six wings in, showing vulnerability.
“Lilith…” he says, speechless at first. “What is Azazel doing? Why are the others following him? Where is Seraphiel?”
Lilith says nothing, caressing her lover’s face instead. He grabs her wrist gently and lowers her hands, now furrowing his brow.
“I’d like my angels back.”
“What will you do with them when they are in your hands? Punish them as you have punished our son?” Lilith asks. Michael says nothing, letting go of her wrists.
Lilith’s eyes become glassy and she turns away from him, disappearing into black flames. Michael reaches out a hand at nothing and closes his hand as he notices his surroundings slightly brightening to reveal the evils in the dark. Michael extends his wings immediately and looks around him at the four Blackwings.
“Glad you agreed to our terms, brother,” Azazel says, his eyes glowing green with green fire flowing. A wicked grin is spread across his face. His Sacrificial Soul Blades have already been drawn and Michael notices the rest have their means of attack ready as well.
“After I incapacitate you all, I demand to know what your goal is,” Michael demands.
“The goal? The goal is simple. The goal is to dethrone you. Give the Blackwings some shine,” Azazel says. “And you will no longer sacrifice your brothers and sisters for some personal cause.”
“Azazel,” Michael begins. “Is that not what you’re doing with them now?”
Azazel’s wicked smile disappears. “Kill him.”
Michael summons a symphony of blades and as the four Blackwings close in on him, he readies himself.
First, Raziel fires a slew of arrows that Michael is able to deflect with a few blades floating behind him. He then flies upward as Zerachiel swings his Judgment Hammer horizontally at him. Cassiel flies at him in the air and goes to swing an Inner Being fist at him. Michael points a few blades at her, but before either one of them can land an attack, Michael’s leg is yanked and he is thrown into the ninth circle ground by Azazel.
While he is down, Raziel floats above and Michael tries his best to deflect a cloud of arrows that block out any outer light. A few get through, piercing his armor, and before he can rise, Zerachiel swings his hammer down on the lead archangel. Michael is forced to hold back the attack with only his forearms, struggling against the strength, leverage, and gravity. Cassiel forces her Inner Being to also push down on the Judgment Hammer in a desperate attempt to crush him. Azazel takes the opportunity to stab Michael in his side with his Soul Blades and begins to siphon the seraphim’s power.
“Going down as easily as Seraphiel did, huh?” Azazel says, taunting his brother. Raziel takes an opportunity to weaken Michael further by firing an arrow into the top of the seraphim’s head. Michael retains consciousness and continues to push against the hammer. “Still not giving up? Even with the odds this stacked against you?”
Michael switches to only holding the hammer back with one forearm and uses his freehand to summon a blade and stab it into Azazel’s shoulder. He then uses his free hand to slam into the ground, causing a crater to form where he lies. The hammer gives and the weight is removed from Michael. He flies out of the crater and back onto the solid ground, removing Raziel’s arrow from his head.
“Let us try this again,” he says as his eyes flash white with white holyflames. He sheds his armor and boots as well, only keeping only loose-fitting pants on, causing him to resemble Athan in a way. “Much better.”
The Blackwings regroup, the blade in Azazel’s shoulder disappearing.
“What is this?” Azazel asks. “You should be severely weakened.”
“You think some time in the ninth circle of Hell and being away from any of the angels is enough to weaken me beyond recognition?” Michael questions. “Let me ask you this: was that the extent of all of your power?”
“Why?!”
“I wished you all to get whatever animosity you had towards me out of your system,” Michael continues. Raziel’s eyes go wide.
“Y-You mean you were just feigning weakness?” he asks.
“Indeed,” Michael responds. “Azazel, let me show you why I was made the lead archangel.”
Michael holds out his right hand and his legendary Cross Sword materializes. It is not in the shape of a cross, but a normal sword. It is one of the most powerful weapons in all of the Virtuous Universe. Michael does not intend to use it to its full potential in this battle, but his siblings will get a taste of what it can do.
Michael’s body is now entirely covered in holyflames his body flickers out of view. He appears before Raziel and connects a punch directly to his face cheek. The impact causes the others to fly backward. Michael’s body flickers again and he appears over Zerachiel, who is still flying backward through the air from Michael’s initial punch. Zerachiel grips his hammer and goes to swing, but Michael merely pushes the hammer aside and buries Zerachiel into the ground merely using the hilt of the Cross Sword.
Cassiel, who is regaining her composure from the force of Michael’s punch, gasps as Michael appears behind her. Before she can even turn around, he chops her in the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious.
“Gotta rely on that sword to defeat us?” Azazel says. “Says a lot about us.”
“I merely used the hilt, brother,” Michael states.
“Regardless, you can’t be us without it,” Azazel taunts. “Otherwise, why bring it out?”
“I will admit, I sense Seraphiel’s presence within you, which might prove to be a challenge had you not been weakening due to… the nature of the dimension,” Michael says, looking around him. “But, when there is cause for it, I like to air the Cross Sword out occasionally.”
Michael lets the blade dematerialize. “However, you are incorrect in your assessment of me needing it.”
Azazel grins.
“Now, I will ask this next question only once,” Michael says, letting the white flames die out and letting his eyes return to normal. “Where is Seraphiel?”
Azazel snickers, and the snickers turn into a laugh before turning into a full blown cackle. Michael looks around the circle as the darkness is pulled back and he sees the entirety of Hell’s army ready to pounce. Decimus’s (the devil) four children: Athan, Lilith, Damian, Lucine, the seven archdemons, kings, dukes, princes, marquises, earls, knights, presidents, hellspawns, and Fractional Demons.
It is Michael’s turn to laugh. His laughter dies down as he re-summons the Cross Sword and says but one word.
“Come.”
Before a soul can move, a portal opens above Michael and grabs the attention of every being within the ninth circle. Another six-winged seraphim floats out and has come to remove Michael from the situation he has found himself in: Metatron, the Celestial Scribe.
