Chapter 14
In paradise, the ninth heavenly layer, Crystal Heaven.
The Book of Genesis lay on the throne, pretending to be God. The holy light radiated so brightly, it could almost blind the Archangels.
Michael, who had brought Haniyah to meet God, fell silent. "..."
Was it his imagination, or was God's light brighter than ever before? He could barely make out the figure within the light!
Having to avert his eyes, unable to face the brilliance of God, Michael shifted his gaze to his feet and murmured, "My Lord, Haniel misses you." Under the scrutinizing gaze of the Book of Genesis was Haniel, an archangel who, despite his stature and appearance that mimicked a cherub, held eager anticipation in his eyes. It seemed that as long as Michael gave the slightest nod, Haniel would happily rush forward for a comforting embrace.
The Book of Genesis regretfully eyed its own small figure.
Then, it remorselessly betrayed God.
"Michael."
"Yes."
"Another angel I created is currently in Hell. When he returns to Heaven, he will be ranked as a first-class Archangel."
"…What?"
Caught off guard, all Michael could do was let out a confused sound.
Haniel wore a bewildered expression, "My Lord, my other companion... he’s in Hell?"
The Book of Genesis mimicked the gentle voice of God, just like the benevolent affection an elder would show to his younger ones. "Yes, out of sheer curiosity about Hell, he couldn't help but visit it."
Haniel: "…"
Michael: "…"
The newly born archangel was indeed… bold and blunt.
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Yahweh, currently situated in the ninth level of the insurgent Hell, suddenly felt a pang in his heart, as if someone was slandering him.
"Yahweh?"
Seeing that Yahweh made no sudden movements, Lucifer took the opportunity to unbuckle his belt. As the white robe fell, large patches of smooth, bare skin were exposed. Yahweh promptly grabbed his clothes and drew them back onto his body, his golden eyes glaring discontentedly at the other. Unfazed, Satan said righteously, "I’ve prepared new clothes for you."
After living in the palace of Hell for three days, Yahweh had a refreshed impression of Lucifer.
That was—
Never, not even naively, believe a single word he utters!
Yahweh tightened his lips and mentally marked a hefty negative note against the vast abyss. Wasn’t it its corruption that led to Lucifer's dark transformation!
Before the mirror, stood a silver-haired beauty in a white robe, now adorned with an array of dark-themed jewelry. The exquisite and pricey pieces were properly placed, and Yahweh's face was so perfect that the jewelry didn't overshadow his aura at all. His sole shortcoming was his lack of expressiveness and reticence, making his demeanor icy. Yet, these Hell-specific accessories, neither too many nor too few, paradoxically enhanced the rare charm of his icy temperament.
All these were Lucifer's masterpieces.
Lucifer discovered a slight pleasure in altering the archangel's tastes. A single color was forever monotonous. Adding black to white, Yahweh became even more radiant, just as he had hoped.
"Take it off." Seeing his own apparel, Yahweh furrowed his brow for the first time. "I don't like it."
It was more than dislike.
He intensely disliked it.
From behind him, Lucifer held him and gently asked, "Does Yahweh despise darkness?"
Yahweh: "I... not particularly."
While he could tell any living being that he detests darkness, demons, and fallen angels, he was unable to utter a word of disgust towards Lucifer.
Lucifer placed the final piece of jewelry on him: earrings, each inlaid with a gem that resembled the eye of darkness. Tidying the strands of silver by his ears, the gem pendants flickered under the pure silver color, like dark shimmering lights somersaulting under the moonlight, exquisite and exceptionally beautiful.
"All done."
As Lucifer spoke, Yahweh felt worn out internally.
Another vow had been broken.
He vowed that he would never touch items of darkness, eat food of darkness, or even like creatures within the darkness.
Yet, he failed on all accounts.
Masking his face, Yahweh put on his cloak and hid under the dark fabric, faintly hoping... that in this lifetime, no one would ever discover his true identity.
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Three days were enough for the fallen angels in and around the royal city to understand: Satan's beloved was an angel of light.
Who but an angel of light would have the ability to purify demonic energy? Furthermore, they have silver hair that looks divine hidden under their cloak. All the fallen angels would like to meet Satan's taste too... having a stunning appearance rather than turning pitch-black after the fall!
Watching their outings and enjoyments, the fallen angels felt a sense of lament within.
"Your majesty, it seems you truly do have a liking for angels!" they thought.
Observing the two figures exiting the palace, Asmodeus gazed dejectedly at his dyed golden hair. He suggested to his companions, "Perhaps I should attempt to cast a grand purification spell? I believe the archangels in Heaven would be quite eager to use this move on us."
A purification spell will either kill you or dispel the darkness.
When Samael heard this, he snorted coldly, "Don't be as stupid as Beelzebub, you still have room for salvation."
Asmodeus wasn't perturbed by the scathing remarks, and he pondered, "Who exactly is that angel? Being able to move freely in the ninth level of hell means remarkable strength. If I recall correctly, there aren't any angels with silver hair. Golden hair seems to be all the rage in heaven. Could it be the newly-born archangel that His Majesty mentioned?"
"It seems like jealousy hasn't devoured your brain yet," Samael remarked, glancing at him obliquely.
"The real 'Jealousy' is still snoozing," Asmodeus retorted, rolling his eyes at Samael. Leviathan was the real embodiment of the Sin of Envy.
Belial, munching on some food, spoke while chewing, "And the real 'Sloth' is still roaming around in the food street."
Asmodeus cleared his throat, "Oh, Belial, you're here."
Samael added, "Anyway, not many of the seven sins are accurate. Why bother about such details?"
Belial, representing the Sin of Sloth, smiled and leisurely asked, "What do you think the true embodiment of 'Gluttony' is doing now?"
Samael and Asmodeus exchanged glances. If anyone's obsession with His Majesty was extreme, it was undoubtedly Beelzebub. At this point, the Prime Minister of Hell is likely to switch sins altogether. Compared to his name as the Sin of Gluttony, after stepping on his reverse scales, Beelzebub was definitely the Sin of Envy!
True Envy is capable enough to kill a person, bite its flesh, and swallow the other party...
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Lucifer had to leave due to some urgent matters. Being in the upper levels of hell which was relatively safe, he had no choice but to let Yahweh wait for him there.
Yahweh glanced into the distance, weighing the chances of escaping successfully.
As long as he could return to heaven... He was certain he would never descend again in his lifetime!
Before Lucifer left, he gave Yahweh a meaningful smile that sent chills down his spine, causing him to abandon his previous thoughts. However, when Satan left, Yahweh turned around to find a fallen angel suddenly appearing in his sight.
Beelzebub.
The former deputy of the Angel of Justice, Metatron.
Yahweh saw through Beelzebub's insincere smile immediately and calmly asked, "What do you want?"
Beelzebub was taken aback when his intention was exposed so directly; surprise flashed in his eyes. Suppressing the killing intent brought by jealousy, for the sake of His Majesty, he gave the other party one last chance, "If you return to heaven now, I won't do anything."
Yahweh silently thought: I wish to leave too, but it's clear that Lucifer doesn't want me to.
"I can't leave."
"Is it His Majesty who doesn't want you to leave?"
Beelzebub quickly picked up on the implications, his face turning pale. An angel choosing to stay in hell and Satan wanting an angel to stay in hell had vastly different implications.
"I can open the gates of hell for you," Beelzebub lowered his eyelids, shadows crossing his handsome face. "This is my bottom line."
Yahweh instinctively looked around.
However, after sealing his power, he was unable to sense whether Lucifer was around, and intuition warned him that leaving could spell disaster.
Forced to listen to his instincts once again, Yahweh said, "I can't leave."
The statement had shifted from "I can't leave" to "I won't leave." Beelzebub quickly understood that Yahweh was not accepting his suggestion! Rage consumed Beelzebub, burning his heart and clouding his rationality. His overwhelming desire was to kill Yahweh. Kill him!
The moment the power of Gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins, made its presence known, a number of sensitive demons fled in panic.
Lord Satan!
The usually rational Beelzebub had lost control!
When Lucifer was on his way back, he sensed the situation and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, quickening his pace. Was Beelzebub, that fool, unaware that placing Yahweh in the third Circle of Hell (Gluttony) was his way of warning him (B) not to act recklessly?
When he arrived at the scene, it was a mess, the ground littered with sand and stones, and the once-beautiful scenery devastated.
Yahweh remained still, unmoving.
Upon seeing Lucifer's black wings slicing across the sky, Yahweh looked at him, his eyes reflecting a fleeting mix of longing and grief. Lucifer barely captured this brief change in emotion before Yahweh reverted back to his stoic expression.
As Lucifer landed, he lightly stepped on the scattered sand and stones.
"Where's Beelzebub?"
"He's gone."
With just a simple exchange, Lucifer understood that Beelzebub had lost.
"Yahweh, for situations like this, just call out my name," said Lucifer without mentioning Beelzebub again. Instead, he was teaching Yahweh how to call each other using their true names. Subsequently, his power swept across the land. It was as if an invisible giant hand was replanting the trees and grass, turning the rocky land into even terrain, making all the traces that shouldn't be there disappear.
It was a picturesque scene, just like it was before Lucifer left.
Yahweh watched this happening and roughly estimated Lucifer's power level.
It was much stronger than when he was in heaven.
When his hand was taken, Yahweh didn't resist anymore. He deeply realized that he definitely wouldn't be able to escape with the power of an archangel.
With a light smile, Lucifer walked ahead and said, "This is much better."
Be good, don't force him to capture an angel himself. It wouldn't be good for anyone.
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Author's Notes:
Little Boss Beelzebub has been defeated.
Yahweh achieved something in Hell: Never underestimate the power of a strong archangel.
[Sideline Scenario — What if Yahweh took the opportunity to run?]
Here's a comedy skit:
Beelzebub opens the gates of Hell for Yahweh. Just as Yahweh steps outside of the gate, his arm gets caught.
Beelzebub, trembling with fear, says: Your Majesty.
Yahweh: ...
Lucifer: Darling, where are you off to?
Just like that, Yahweh gets hauled back into the palace by Satan. The initial gentleness leads to a straight knock-down.
The next day.
Lucifer asks: Going to run again?
Yahweh: ... QAQ
Even though it was Beelzebub who helped him run, why was he the one to face the consequences!
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