Myths Reawakened

“Hahaha, Auriel, I heard that. You just admitted that she’s Hesione, and Hesione isn’t a he. I, Envy, have not lied. The Śār of Purity is no longer pure!” Lord of Envy burst out laughing; the frustration he had been bottling up drained. He felt better. He could even smile at Pride now.

“Demon Lord Envy, I’m not Śār Hesione,” Hesione said calmly. “If you insist, though, I won’t say otherwise.”

“How deceitful of you, Śār!” Envy curled his lips, pointing at Auriel. “Indeed, as long as you hide it, no demons other than me here can confirm your identity, but how much longer can you keep up with your lie before another Śār?”

He let out another peal of laughter for finally proving himself.

“Hahaha—”

“You’ve misidentified her, Envy,” Auriel said faintly. “She’s just a clergywoman bestowed with a stigma, not the actual Śār Hesione.”

“Hahaha, ha—”

“Huh?!”

Envy choked on air, and his thoughts were in such disarray that his body almost crumbled. After stabilizing his form, he glared at Auriel with blazing eyes. “I respect you for being a Śār, one who is moral and credible. Tell me again, who is she?”

“Envy, stop twisting the truth,” Auriel said calmly. “What is true is true. What isn’t true won’t become true just because you will it, and lies won’t become the truth just because you repeat them a thousand times. Truths must be based on objective facts.”

“Ack—”

Envy got into a coughing fit, his face turning red and then a dark purple. He opened his hand and looked at his palm. It was stained with red—blood.

His eyes widened. He never thought that he would one day cough up blood because he was enraged by a Śār’s lie. It was so absurd that never in his wildest dream would he imagine it.

“It seems you have nothing to say,” Auriel said coldly.

“You shameless angel. Even I, a demon, find you demonic. How could both of you be shameless enough to tell such lies?!” Envy’s fury turned his voice hoarse, making it sound like he was speaking with blood in his throat. One could only imagine his frustration.

Facing the demon lord’s exhausted reprimand, both Hesione and Auriel fell silent. They had never imagined that they would one day feel ashamed because a demon lord got so furious that he coughed out blood.

What insidious force was at play to make angels and demons swap places? The two angels thought of Wayne, both breaking into disgusted expressions.

Indeed, he’s a wicked one. x2

The difference was that Auriel believed Wayne was beyond redemption, while Hesione believed he could still be salvaged. The Anointed One had only gone astray momentarily. As long as she patiently guided him and taught him about the Seven Sacred Virtues, he would surely return to the right path and become the ideal Anointed One, with unwavering integrity.

“You’ve crossed a line!”

Their disgusted looks seemed like mockery to Envy. Growling furiously, he drew his sword of darkness, swearing to fight for the truth today.

The truth fell into obscurity while lies reigned supreme. The world could not operate like this! He refused to accept it. He, the Lord of Envy, would take out the hypocritical angels and bring the human world justice!

Auriel sneered. “Demon, are you losing your temper because no one buys your lies?”

“This is the way demons are,” Hesione chimed in. “It’s no surprise.”

Olga and Fred agreed. Hestia, especially, nodded vehemently. She remembered Wayne saying that even the Seven Demon Lords would mistake the debauched secretary for Hesione. As expected of the Śār she admired, he had never gotten anything wrong with his incredible foresight. She would follow him for life!

Boom!!

Black and white energies collided and entered a battle of strength, the divide clear. The Golden Law and the Seven Deadly Sins filled the space between heaven and earth. Their tremendous pressure frightened the demons present.

Envy was using his hellish Authority in the human world. Though it wasn’t his true Divine Domain, it was enough to counter the two reincarnated Śārim. The terrifying might of a demon lord crashed down. The Big Three alone could remain composed under the threatening power, while the cannon fodder of the demon alliance all froze in fright.

Behind Auriel and Hesione, the three Thrones were also under great pressure, faring much worse than the Big Three of the demon alliance.

The Thrones hadn’t yet recovered their full power from Heaven, and the Big Three hadn’t descended fully. Both sides being weakened, it would take Cherubim and above to rival the Big Three. If a fight broke out, Hestia, Olga, and Fred would be at a disadvantage.

Thankfully, Fred was a support, and Olga and Hestia were battle angels, far better at fighting than other Thrones. They would at least be able to buy time until the two Śārim defeated Envy.

They believed in their odds!

“Auriel, Hesione!”

Envy waved. The twisted space split into slices, dragging himself and the two angels into the depths of the catacombs, closer to the half-complete Gate of Hell. Now that he was closer to his Authority in Hell, his power grew.

The three Thrones and the Big Three of the demon alliance, along with the other insignificant demons, were left behind. Envy had created a seal to prevent outsiders from interfering with his fight, all the while cutting off the escape routes for Auriel and Hesione. With the Gate of Hell in close proximity, he would do everything to drag Hesione to Hell, making her prove him right before the six other demon lords.

All Envy wanted at this moment was justice, justice, and goddamn justice!

The greatsword of darkness projected surging demonic energy. Swirling black mist morphed into endless black chains on the fringe. A massive figure stood in the depths of the darkness, wielding the greatsword and swinging the infinite chains. Incredible demonic might spanned tens of thousands of kilometers. The ocean-like power tore space itself and conjured turbulent black currents.

“This is tricky. He’s opening the Gate of Hell.”

Auriel and Hesione stood together with grave expressions, facing the Lord of Envy. While each of the four Śārim could take on two demon lords on their own, it would depend on the environment and the demon lords.

The environment was an important factor. Angels wouldn’t be influenced by the environment. They could fight in Heaven, the mortal realm, and even Hell. Wherever the demons were, they went.

Demons, however, differed in strength depending on the environment.

In Heaven and the human world, any of the four Śārim would be able to take on two demon lords. Due to Heaven being a hostile domain to demons, there, Śārim would be able to win in a one-on-two fight, while in the human world, Śārim would at least not lose to two demons.

In Hell, however, the Seven Demon Lords held their Authorities. None of the Śārim could easily defeat any of the Seven Demon Lords in a one-on-one fight. Usually, they would gang up on a demon lord in the name of justice.

What about Heaven’s Authority, you ask? It had been in the Heavenly Father’s possession, and it would later go to the Anointed One. It had nothing to do with the angels.

Then, the demon lord in question was another factor. The rule of thumb that one Śār could take on two demon lords did not apply to the Lord of Pride. In Heaven, only Mikhael could defeat Pride. They were evenly matched in the human world, and Pride would defeat Mikhael in Hell.

The strongest demon lord had a reason to be prideful!

Sensing Envy’s Authority, the two Śārim unfurled their six wings and manifested their radiant Eyes of Judgment. Auriel’s weapon of choice was a spear, which was different from the Sacred Lances of Heaven mass-produced by the Papal State. It looked remarkably similar to the divine artifact he used back in Heaven, and it might have been smuggled to the human world during one of his descents.

Mikhael had done just that, hiding the Oath Sword he had personally forged in the human world.

The fact that the sword was now in Hesione’s hand was an eyesore to Auriel. He would not let the matter slide. He resolved to go to Londan and make things right for his buddy Mikhael.

“Hesione, you’ve even shown your Eye of Judgment,” Envy’s demonic form growled in fury. “You dare say that you aren’t a Śār?”

“I’m simply using the power of the stigma,” Hesione said with a contemptuous smile. “Besides, you’re a demon. Do you think anyone would buy your claims?”

“Stop wasting your breath on a demon,” Auriel scoffed. “They always see lies as truth. Let’s banish him to Hell together!”

“As we should!”

The two Śārim came to an agreement, their greatsword and spear radiating the powerful holy intent of the Golden Law. The golden auras around them surged, shattering the black chains winding around them and splitting the darkness in the form of two beams. The attack shot straight at the demonic form.

“Bastard, I should show the world you angels’ true nature!”

Envy’s crimson eyes widened. The air almost solidified from the pressure he exerted, and with a swing of his sharp claws, he crushed the now red-tinted space.

Two six-winged angels soared through space in streaks of white light, tearing currents apart and parting the roiling darkness, reaching Envy almost instantaneously. Their Eyes of Judgment unleashed golden beams, tearing Envy’s form to pieces in a crisscrossing manner.

Roooar—

In the depths of the infinite darkness, an ocean of darkness descended. It felt like a giant beast that could devour the world lay hidden inside, its sheer size beyond verbal description.

“He’s brought that much power to the human world...” Hesione put aside her shock. As long as Heaven’s seal held, the Seven Demon Lords would never have a perfect descent. She didn’t understand why the Lord of Envy would invest such a large portion of his thoughts.

It was clearly a losing wager. Was he out of his mind?

The other six demon lords were much more rational in comparison.

“Hesione, I’ll drag you to Hell...”

“Auriel, you’re returning to Heaven today!”

The massive beast opened his massive maw. His booming voice stirred the ocean of darkness and shook the entire world. Envy burst out laughing. He released the binding on the Gate of Hell then and there so that all demons present could borrow Hell’s Authority.

“I want blood to flow!”

***

Hestia, Olga, and Fred were suddenly under greater pressure as the demons grew rapidly stronger. The Big Three, particularly, had become unbelievably more powerful.

Not only were the angels caught by surprise, but so were the Big Three. They hadn’t expected Envy to be generous enough to open the Gate of Hell for them.

Why? x3

Is he trying to sacrifice us? x3

In the demons’ world, kindness wouldn’t beget kindness, but only suspicion. The Big Three shared one thought: Envy was aiming for something greater, and he was very likely going to claim the demon alliance for himself.

Mattea unhesitantly contacted Lord of Lust, her master. The vessel was ready, and she was an excellent vessel. Lust should descend to the human world now!

It didn’t work, though. Lust sounded like she was running in the bedroom, panting and groaning every now and then. Her words were so muffled that even someone as experienced as Mattea couldn’t make sense of them.

Mattea couldn’t believe Lust. Without her master, it would be impossible for Mattea to gain control of the situation. She debated whether she should pull her investment out as soon as she could so that Lust wouldn’t be her downfall. Moreover, she would like to see what exactly had been monopolizing Lust’s attention.

Standing beside Mattea, Enguema was also considering retreating to avoid further losses. It wasn’t because he was a coward, but because Envy seemed unhinged. The demon lord had become too obsessed with a joke no one believed.

Enguema should prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Two of the Big Three were considering retreating. Though they held the absolute advantage and upper hand, Mattea and Enguema were having second thoughts.

Clearly, demons only ever succeeded in anything because the angels committed the Seven Deadly Sins!

Stolas, the brain of the operation, was flabbergasted. He didn’t trust Envy, nor did he trust his two allies. He could tell from their silence that they were ready to flee.

Trash, you’ve got no courage at all, and you want to dethrone a great demon lord?

Stolas huffed derisively as he contacted his main body in Hell, summoning Rognes the Death Knight to the underground catacombs. The knight had been thoroughly tamed. It was time for him to wreak havoc.

Darkness twisted and tore a black fissure into space, from which a figure slowly emerged.

The Death—Headless Knight descended!