by Eva Brandt
One of the decisions in question was returning here to investigate what Satan was doing. I’d hoped I’d be able to get more information than Leviathan had been able to provide. Instead, I’d been ambushed by the other Princes of Hell.
“So… Here we are again,” I said as I faced them. “Is there any reason why you decided to summon me for this meeting or were you just in the mood for a reunion?”
“Don’t play games with us,” Belphegor snapped at me. As always, he was lying in his bed-like throne, and I suppressed the urge to cover my nose at the smell he emitted. “We know what you found and what you’re hiding. We won’t let you hoard the power of The Supreme Being to yourself.”
His comment almost made me facepalm. This was part of the reason why I’d left The Infernal Realm. The infighting had been amusing at first, but after a while, it had just gotten tedious. I didn’t have the time and the patience to deal with all the stupidity.
It would’ve also been nice if demons like Belphegor could take a shower from time to time, because this was just ridiculous.
Whoever had created demons—and I still blamed my divine father for that, no matter how much he claimed he wasn’t responsible—hadn’t made them very intelligent. With minor exceptions, like Mephistopheles, they were too blinded by their own arrogance to see what was right in front of them.
“I’ve never wanted to claim that power for myself. You know that, Belphegor.”
“We did, once, but we’re beginning to doubt it,” Mammon said, licking his lips. “I tasted Alyssa Michaelis’s soul. I know what she’s hiding and I know you don’t want to share.”
Well, this was a gigantic disaster. I wasn’t surprised they’d found out the truth about her. We hadn’t exactly been discreet when we’d left the academy with Lyssa, and she’d also been very upset after we’d had that conversation with her. It stood to reason that they all knew she was the vessel of hope.
I shot Leviathan a brief look and he nodded at me. He was ready to stand by my side if it was necessary. That was a good thing, at least. I could take them all if I absolutely had to, but it would be annoying. The last time I’d done something similar, I’d been so drained it had taken me three months to be able to return to my humanoid form.
Also, I’d had some backup that had allowed me to push back the private demonic legions of The Princes of Hell. That was no longer the case.
“Look,” I said, “this conversation is pointless. You haven’t been interested in my quest in centuries.”
“Well, yes,” Asmodai replied, absently petting the hair of the enslaved human who was sucking his cock. His serpent-like tail swayed back and forth at a hypnotic rhythm. “But that doesn’t mean we’re not interested now.”
“We supported you in your past battles,” Beelzebub added. “You can’t deny us our share of the prize now.”
“Can’t I?” I sneered at him. “You forget who I am. I don’t care what you think you deserve, Beelzebub. We lost that battle. This time, I’m fighting a battle on my own and you have nothing to do with it. That’s all there is to it.”
“I’m sure we can make you change your mind,” he shot back.
I wasn’t surprised he’d say that. Disappointed, yes, but not surprised. He’d been among the angels who’d fallen with me and he’d trusted me to lead them to victory. It hadn’t ended well for us and he still resented me for it.
Because of our shared history, I’d leave him alive. I might not bother with the others.
“Tell me the truth for once,” I said. “He put you up to this, didn’t he? Aren’t you embarrassed to be used like that, even by Satan? Do you really trust him to not claim this power for himself?”
While I spoke, I took note of the structure of the cavern we were in. The Seven Circles of Hell had hosted more battles than I could count and I knew the territory well. But so did the other princes and I’d been gone for a long time.
Mammon was oblivious to my schemes. “Of course we don’t trust him,” he said, snorting. “But for a Satan, he’s not all that strong. He’ll succumb to us once he returns to The Seven Circles and he won’t realize he’s doing it.”
Asmodai waved his hand and a demon appeared from the shadows. Completely naked, the creature thrust his spiked cock into the ass of the slave sucking Asmodai’s dick. The man let out a muffled moan of pleasure. I suspected he wouldn’t have felt so enthusiastic if Asmodai’s aura hadn’t muted the pain he had to be feeling.
“You have to understand, Lucifer, that we’ve grown tired of being the Princes of Hell,” he said without looking away from the scene. “We’re all entitled to ruling The Infernal Realm, far more than the upstart who wants to order us around. Once he claims your pet’s magic, we can all take a turn at being rulers. That way, everyone is happy.”
“Really?” I drawled. “All of you. There’s only one throne of Hell. You can’t gangbang it, Asmodai. Will you rip it in pieces or what?”
“We’ll figure something out,” Belphegor replied. He looked like he’d already lost interest in the whole endeavor. Knowing The Lord of Sloth, he probably had.
“This all seems unnecessarily convoluted,” I said. “If you have a problem with Satan, take it up with him. Don’t drag me into it.”
“Haven’t you been listening, Fallen One? We’d do that if not for your insistence to hoard the power of your divine father.”
I’d had enough of this idiotic conversation. We weren’t getting anywhere and if they kept flapping their mouths, I was going to do something they’d regret far more than I would.
I wasn’t in the mood for such nonsense. The past couple of weeks had been hell, and not in a good way. After my argument with Lyssa, I’d constantly berated myself for my stupidity and inability to keep my hands to myself.
I’d sworn that I wouldn’t push her. I’d made an oath that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. I’d fucked up badly with Eve and there was no way to take that back now. I had to at least keep Lyssa safe.
“What do you find so special about Alyssa Michaelis anyway?” Beelzebub asked as if he could read my mind. “She’s just another mortal. You can fuck her vessel if you want, but there are countless of women just like her or prettier out there.”
“It’s different, Beel,” I said. “Every person is different. You know that.”
“That doesn’t make her important or special,” he insisted, clenching his jaw stubbornly
Oh. This was his way of giving me an out. He was trying to tell me to let go of her, for my own sake.
It was nice to see that the bond we’d shared wasn’t completely gone, even if we had our differences. We’d been close once, before our fall, and after that, before I’d prioritized my search over the well-being of my new people.
But I was just as selfish now as I’d been then so I couldn’t give him the answer he sought. “She’s important to me.”
Up to a point, I knew Beel was right. I shouldn’t have cared about Lyssa. She was just another vessel and if I claimed the power of hope from her, that was all that mattered.
But I did care. She’d probably never know that I’d watched her all throughout her high school years, watched in silence as she grew, suffered, learned, cried, smiled, thrived, and withered. Shiro hadn’t been aware of my presence, but his association with me had been enough for me to always be aware of her on some level. And at one point—I couldn’t say when—I’d started to want her for myself.
I’d never experienced this emotion. My friends had fallen in love with human women and even had children with them before that whole fiasco at The Battle of the Watchers. I’d had my fair share of sexual partners among mortals too. But it had been out of sheer tedium, not affection.
Alyssa Michaelis fascinated me. I wanted to crack her soul open and make it mine, but at the same time, I wanted to protect her. It was enough to drive me crazy. I’d decided to not question it further, because if I did, I’d fuck my life up more than I already had.
“All right then
,” Beel replied with a sigh. “It looks like we have no choice but to give you a lesson and force you to listen. Leviathan?”
Leviathan arched a brow at him. “If you’re asking, I think you already know my reply. You can’t possibly think I stand with you in such a scheme.”
“I’ll never understand your insistence to protect the students in your house,” Mammon grumbled. “Fine. But you will regret this.”
I was already regretting it and we hadn’t even started the fight. Then again, maybe this would be good for me. I might be able to let out some of my tension through some good, old-fashioned mass murder.
The ground beneath our feet opened and the minions of my fellow leaders of Hell came crawling out. Hell hounds, ifrit, imps, undead, and countless other types of demons all rushed to obey their rulers. At first, they didn’t realize they’d been summoned to do battle. They just prostrated themselves at the feet of their princes, murmuring praises under their breaths. Some of the demons threw jealous glances at the slave still sucking Asmodai’s cock.
I no longer had an army, not here at least, so this display exhausted me. I shared a look with Leviathan and he shrugged. “Just another day in Hell,” he mouthed.
Yeah, I knew what he meant. Sometimes, I wondered if my divine father had deliberately made demons obnoxious, knowing full well that I’d turn into one of them and I’d be forced to keep company with the irritating fools. It was the kind of convoluted logic he often employed.
To their credit, Asmodai, Beelzebub and the others didn’t prolong the whole painful episode for much longer. “We have a traitor in our midst,” Belphegor said. “Lucifer must die.”
The demons all turned toward me and blinked owlishly. I smiled, allowing my eyes to glow with celestial magic. The minions started to shake in panic, which I had to admit was satisfying to see. I didn’t have a lot of hobbies lately, but terrifying demons never got old. I blamed my divine upbringing.
I must’ve been at the top of my game today, because one of the demons decided to question Belphegor. “Your Slothfulness, we’re supposed to attack… His Pridefulness?”
Belphegor lifted his head from his pillow and stared at his minion. He didn’t bother asking any questions or providing a reply. He flicked his fingers, and just like that, the demon’s body was severed in two. Blood and gore splattered over his companions, but no one seemed surprised at this result. I certainly wasn’t. Arguing with a Prince of Hell was a recipe for disaster. No one here could die, but they could suffer or be brought back in disgusting, twisted, barely recognizable forms.
This time, Belphegor seemed too lazy to take that approach. He collapsed back onto the bed, extending his numerous arms and legs like he was a monstrous starfish. “If no one else wants to say anything idiotic, follow the orders you’ve received and kill Lucifer.”
They complied, or at least, they tried to. It was stupid to send low level demons against me. In fact, it was so useless it made me wonder what in The Supreme Being’s name they were all playing at.
As a group of harpies lunged toward me with a screech, I waved a hand and effortlessly vaporized them. “Too good to handle me yourself, Belphegor?”
“I haven’t had my nap today,” Belphegor replied, “and Asmodai is just on his third orgasm.”
“How tragic.” Another gust of magic, this time infernal, burnt over one hundred imps to a crisp. “What about you, Beel? We haven’t sparred in some time.”
“I’m ready when you are, but I wouldn’t want to ruin your fun.”
Mammon petted the head of his wolf, nodding sagely. “Sometimes, there’s nothing like a little death and destruction to give a demon clarity.”
“How thoughtful of you. Unfortunately, I’m too old and too busy to play foolish games and I’ve grown tired of lies and banter.”
I allowed my divine nature to emerge. My four wings manifested behind me, as beautiful and white as they’d been the day I’d fallen. I controlled the rest of the shift, having no desire to adjust to the eight-eyed line of sight right now. “Where is Satan?” I asked, my voice echoing over the depths of The Seven Circles of Hell like thunder.
Mammon let out a sharp chuckle. “Oh, Lucifer… You mean you still haven’t realized it? You’re losing your touch in your old age.”
The implication of his words sent shivers down my spine. I knew Satan was hunting Lyssa, but I’d placed strong wards around the hell hound pack territory. They were supposed to keep Satan or any demon associated with him from approaching.
Had he managed to sneak inside anyway? How? It didn’t make sense.
They might be keeping me here so I couldn’t go help Lyssa, but the pack alone should’ve held its own against most threats. If Satan had gone there and broken the wards himself, I’d have sensed it.
I wanted to ask my fellow princes about it, but they didn’t give me the chance.
Beelzebub’s smug smirk twisted into a furious grimace. His wings exploded out of his back and he rushed at me, divine and infernal magic swirling around him like a chaotic hurricane. I met him halfway without hesitation.
With the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Leviathan shifting into his favored, whale-like form. He had his own legions, but he’d decided to not summon them, likely realizing that they’d just be cannon fodder in a battle like this one.
He was so massive that just his appearance squashed a good half of the demons the others had called to their aid. His fins collided with the walls of the cave and although the space soon accommodated to his presence, the blow was enough to imbalance Belphegor and send him tumbling out of his bed.
“Why couldn’t you wait until I finished my nap?” he hissed. “I’ll turn you into strips of blubber, you fucking asshole.”
Leviathan’s mad laugh echoed over us like a physical thing. “Give it your best shot. Let’s see who’s more successful. I think I have a better chance, since you have just as much blubber as I do, but far less brain.”
Belphegor’s body started to emit noxious fumes as he prepared himself to attack Leviathan. Mammon decided to give him a hand. He climbed on top of his wolf and the creature grew to a monstrous size. Leviathan was still at least ten times bigger than the carnivorous beast, but that didn’t make the wolf any less dangerous.
I soon lost track of what they were doing, because Asmodai decided to join Beelzebub’s efforts to take me down. “You know, I have another bone to pick with you, Lucifer,” he said as he threw another bolt of magic my way. “What did you do with my dragon?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” I replied with a grin. “If your dragon left you, it’s because you didn’t treat her right.”
I might’ve meant the words as a taunt, but they were also completely true. Sunrefni had grown tired of Hell, of being used as a breeding machine or a torture instrument. I’d empathized, so I’d taken her under my wing. Asmodai seemed to have guessed, but he had no proof about her real location. The only one who did was Redrum, but he didn’t count, because he’d never reveal his mother’s secret. She wasn’t my familiar, but I hadn’t minded welcoming her as such and making sure she stayed off Asmodai’s radar for a while.
That was why I hadn’t brought her along when I’d come to The Infernal Realm. It was a shame. Her assistance could’ve come in handy. Too late now.
“Always so arrogant, Lucifer,” Beelzebub said. “One day, your pride will be your downfall.”
“You forget, old friend, that it already was.”
After that, words became irrelevant since we decided that talking with our magic and our fists was better. It was a two against one fight, so I was a little outnumbered, but I wasn’t too worried.
I was still stronger than them. I had to use divine magic against Asmodai and my infernal powers against Beelzebub for maximum effect, but I made it work.
Unfortunately, fighting a longtime acquaintance—if not friend—came with disadvantages. Beelzebub knew me well and he pinpointed a moment when I was more focused on Asmodai
than on him. He attacked me from the side, grabbing one of my wings and jerking on it so hard several white feathers came loose.
I suppressed a hiss of pain. My wings weren’t corporeal like those of a nephilim, but other angels could touch them. People with enough magic—either divine or infernal—could harm them, just like they could harm me.
I freed myself with ease, but I was still pissed off. “Low blow, Beel. You should know when you do something like that, you’re setting yourself up for a world of hurt.”
I didn’t believe in turning the other cheek. My motto was the exact opposite. Some people liked to say ‘an eye for an eye’. I preferred the more efficient approach and didn’t bother with details. If someone took an eye, I’d take their whole fucking head.
As my feathers fell, I retaliated without mercy. My fingernails turned into claws, a side effect of my fall which I’d long ago come to accept and appreciate. Beel tried to block me, but thin crimson scratches still appeared on his skin.
At the same time, I used my wings to knock Asmodai away. Being half-divine in nature, the appendages could repel him if I consciously imbued them with enough magic.
To my left, I caught sight of Leviathan throwing Mammon off his wolf and almost disemboweling the creature with his fin. I would’ve almost felt bad for it had I not been well aware that the damn wolf liked to feed on Asmodai’s sex slaves—while they were still alive.
The battle raged on. We clawed and attacked one another, and The Circles of Hell shook with the potency of our magic. The demons had stopped trying to hurt me and were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Half the time, their attempts to escape failed and they ended up squashed or decapitated by one of us.
I didn’t know how much time we spent engaged in battle, but slowly and surely, I began to make progress. That was when I felt it. Echoes of dark magic rushed through the ground, all the way into the depths of The Infernal Realm.