Note: I've been on hiatus for a few reasons. The first was that I recently acquired a job which doesn't pay terribly well, but a job is a job. The second is that I am writing a non-erotic story which I will not be posting anywhere, I haven't really decided what I'll do with it. The third is that with me being a young man, I have certain needs, otherwise known as videogames, as such I have just bought with a discount that new ESO game.
Oh, and I got accidentally drunk and broke my leg since apparently a friend of mine was lying around spiked 7-UP.
Those who fight for others have been considered saviors or perhaps even villains, it entirely depends on whom you fight for. Just because you save many doesn't mean you are a great hero, it is also the case that just because you slay many doesn't mean you are an evil villain.
These thoughts were revolving around the head of a lovely young woman. At least she resembled a young woman. She was in fact known as one of the fourteen most powerful beings in existence, an Archangel.
Her name is Ramiel, and she is the only female Archangel.
Right now, Ramiel is battling a conundrum that she had recently developed from a battle she partook in with another of the fourteen most powerful beings in existence, an Archdemon.
She had been taught that demons, especially Archdemons, were selfish creatures whose entire existence revolves around indulging in some form of the seven deadly sins.
The Archdemon she fought should have been no different. He was also known as the Lord of Lust as well as Asmodeus. She often wondered why those demons needed so many varied titles, perhaps it was their ego?
In any case, she had yet to see a demon that wasn't vain, wrathful, greedy, gluttonous, lazy, covetous, and of course lustful. Yet while she felt the Lord of Lust have an obviously lascivious aura, it felt like he did not care about acting upon his lusts every minute. Basically, the demon responsible for an entire world of libidinous beings had control over his great desire.
Could you truly call this Asmodeus a Lord of Lust then?
Ramiel could not deny that the Lord of Lust was not as selfish as the other Rulers of Sin. She had never met the previous Lord of Lust, so she could not gauge the newer Lord of Lust's personality.
She did, however, know a unique secret that not even her fellow Archangels should know...
That would wait, as she had an important council to attend with her fellow Archangels: A war council.
...
Seven individuals stood above a spherical map of green, blue, white, and yellow light. In essence, it was a hologram made of magic light. This map was designed to show multiple events, borders, and other important details of the human world. It was updated in real time thanks to information specialist angels resting in the human world. It could only be updated as long as if you had numerous angels giving their undivided attention to the surface of the world, which could only be done in a comatose state.
The seven people standing in the room were collectively known as the seven most powerful angels, the Inquisitors of Virtue:
The Inquisitor of Castitas (Chastity), Ramiel. An Archangel known for her literal lightning fast and powerful attacks.
The Inquisitor of Temperantia (Temperance), Uriel. An Archangel who was close to falling and had come back with vengeance.
The Inquisitor of Industria (Diligence), Saraquel. An Archangel that has yet to fail in any task given to him.
The Inquisitor of Caritas (Charity), Raphael. The only Archangel who goes to the human world himself to assist those in need personally.
The Inquisitor of Benevolentia (Kindness), Gabriel. An Archangel famous among the many supernatural denizens of the many worlds for fighting and never backing down, he will always fight to protect the many.
The inquisitor of Patientia (Patience), Raguel. Although his words and actions make him seem the opposite of his virtue, he often waits before he acts and is seen as too cautious among his peers.
The Inquisitor of Humilitas (Humility), Michael. The Archangel known for slaying the most beings at Arch level among Rulers of Sins, pagan gods, and others.
Each was quite prominent in their own way. Ramiel had yet to make any name for herself except that which belonged to her predecessor. Even so, everyone believed that she was the original Ramiel, which was not the case.
Ramiel didn't understand the phenomena herself. Perhaps it was a spell the original Ramiel placed? Perhaps it was placed by someone else. Even so, the only one to have discerned the truth was the aforementioned Lord of Lust. Just what was he...?
Words interrupted Ramiel's thoughts, words that belonged to the calm yet serious Raguel. "Between success and failure, I believe the quadruple assassination was neither. We didn't succeed in our actual objective of eliminating the entire soul hunter leadership, but we did succeed in riling and confusing those down below."
Of course the Circles of Sin were not actually below Heaven, but a completely different set of worlds.
"This is basically declaring war. Each time in the past, we were the ones who aggressed against, not the aggressors." This passive point of view belonged to Ramiel herself. She was forced to act like she had lived the past Ramiel's life and had to do so ever since she became the Inquisitor of Castitas. It was rather hard to acclimate to, but she endured.
"Even so, it is about time we cull the demonic race. The demons have continuously broken the boundaries and entered the human world to reap souls. They act like whatever they do has no consequence for them." Answered Uriel with great lamentation when he uttered the word 'demons'.
"I agreed to this plan and even participated in it. I simply hope that our actions won't bring great pain... To any race."
"Cheer up, Michael." Uriel patted his compatriot on the shoulder with a bemused smile. "Should we win this war, we will make sure it is the last that the demons can force upon us."
In general, Michael was against war, but there were times even he was roused.
"I imagine that the Rulers of Sin are holding a similar meeting, but can they do so with Asmodeus out of commission?" Wondered Saraquel out loud as he stared at the revolving map of light. "You did say you fought him until he fell unconscious... Ramiel?"
Ramiel was snapped back into the conversation. Her lovely face dazing off upon hearing the Lord of Lust's secondary title. "Oh? Ah, yes..."
Uriel stroked his uniquely bearded chin (facial hair was rare among the angels). "Ah yes, I've been meaning to ask, how did the brand new Lord of Lust fare against you?"
Ramiel replied honestly. "He has his strengths and weaknesses. He seems slow to get serious in combat and seemed to dislike fighting... No, he didn't seem to want to get others involved in our fight as he understood just how powerful we both were."
"Hoh, how strange, a demon with a heart. No matter, continue."
"He knew a closely guarded secret about human souls, virtuous souls to be exact. That they could restore the dead." Ramiel intentionally left out that she herself gave Asmodeus this information. From what she understood of his personality, he would not let this information go just anywhere.
Two of the six listening Archangels opened their mouths as if to say something, but closed them in order to let Ramiel continue.
"He did something which should most certainly be impossible: Separating a human soul into more, specifically into three shards. He used those three to bring back Zamarak, a servant demon who I had initially slain, and a human witch which serves the Lord of Lust." Ramiel recounted her tale in its entirety, only leaving out certain bits of information
"This new Ruler of Sin seems to have a compassionate side, how intriguing." The since silent until now Gabriel spoke up. He had sat down on a marble stone that seemed to not take a definitive shape.
"About that, I have a theory."
"Oh? Please share with the group, Michael." Said Uriel in a condescending tone. Just because you were the pinnacle of Virtue did not mean you had to be the nicest guy.
Ignoring the rudeness in his comrade's voice, Michael explained his theory. "We all know that the old Lord of Lust made a deal with us, one that we of course wouldn't agree to if he did not assist us with those two pagan gods. Somehow two Gods of Mischief blocked the transcendental paths, preventing us from entering and protecting the human world. Asmodeus gave us his assistance and banished one of the gods, allowing us to reenter and do the same to the other. He forced us into an agreement, which we did try to break, which allowed his successor to be raised in the human world." Michael cleared his throat as he got to the ante of his theory. "Perhaps the demon gained a sense of care and ethics while living among the race of people that his fellow demons reap souls from."
"Doubtful." Uriel rolled his eyes, to which Raphael nodded in agreement which expressed the similarity of their doubt.