Chapter 541: The Loss-III
The strain between the angels and demons were clear. The air between them was dense enough to stifle a mortal who came here and some bystanders who were in neither the group of angels or demons felt all hairs on their body raised while watching Satan standing in front of Michael.
Uriel took the chance to speak, "We are not here to wage any war, your majesty. We are here to question our brother's whereabouts."
"With this much people accompanying you? I would believe it if you say you came to attack my kingdom in any second," Satan stared at them before staring at his fingernails that had been painted black.
Raphael sighed, "They all came here on behalf of Gabriel. He is our family even if we are not related by blood, we are ones who are made together at the same time. In a sense, we are brother. Yours as well Lucifer. When one of us is wounded, are all now our responsibility to seek the culprit. I hope you two can answer us truthfully and tell us if you have seen Gabriel."
"I was searching for him as well," answered Lucifer. "But finding him was more difficult than finding a needle in haystack which I gave up on. I can't even remember when was the last time I have seen him."
"I have never seen your brother at all either," Satan replied. "What makes you us it is one of the demons who had attacked your brother? I thought he left home for good to find a free life from Heaven."
Uriel and Raphael could see the veins popping on Michael's forehead. The green stemming line of veins on his wrist flexed as he clutched tight to his other hand while crossing his arms. The topic of leaving Heaven had never been a good one for Michael. Being the leader of the angels, he was the most protective when it comes to all the angels in Heaven. He thought his brohers was similar to him —devoted to God with their entire soul. He was stricken with shock when his brothers began to leave Hell.
Lucifer stepping to Hell was the start before the Raziel left to pursue a human woman. When Gabriel disappeared, he had been in a bad mood the entire time, and couldn't help but wonder if Gabriel had followed the steps of their other brothers who had failed to fulfill the promise they made with God.
"We have proper reason to doubt the people of Hell," came the answer of the other archangel beside Uriel. "Beside Gabriel's wings that had been clipped from his back, we found the scent of demons and the traces of blue fires near the place. We don't wage war but this is all started by your people."
"Blue fire?" Satan questioned. "I don't mind having a war right now but I don't stand in false judgment. I hate it when others inclined me as the culprit when it was not us. Where are his wings?"
The archangels and angels began to form a round of discussion on their own on whether or not to give Gabriel's wings to Satan. Michael remained in a silent stance as others were rounding questions amongst themselves. Only after a while did he raised his hands. Raphael disappeared from the place and came back with a lantern and the large pair of wings.
Lucifer watched as a bystanders, narrowing his eyes when he saw that the corner of Gabriel's wings had been clipped. "Well look," he whispered, "Isn't this still fresh pluck out from Gabriel's back?" The traces of red liquid hadn't dried yet. Instead it appeared to oozes blood as Raphael's white robe stained with the droplets of red.
Lucifer questioned on who might have done this like all others who were watching. It was strange considering Gabriel was one of the few people in Hell who he would expect the least to be involved in anything dangerous. He always remain in peace without gathering any enemies and mostly allies to his side. For angels and demons alike, their horns and wings are revered as their pride, or their second heart. Not only it was painful to lose them, it was also an act to humiliate the person.
Satan brought the feather to his nose, taking a light sniff off the feather only to pull away. "Indeed there's a scent of demons here."
The archangels' eyes went wide with anger, "You really are-"
"Shush," Lucifer raised his finger, "It's not polite to cut off a person's words, brother."
Satan gathered the attention again, saying, "But there's also a scent of angel here. It's every faint. Do Gabriel fight amongst each of you?"
"That's not possible," answered Uriel. "I know Gabriel the most. When a small spark of fight arises, he would be the first to diffuse the matter. There was no way anyone would ever hate him."
"Too much kindness can be considered as an eyesore to another person, however," answered Lucifer. He had planed to find Gabriel as it appears that he had something to do with Lucy's death and so far he appeared to be the main culprit to the one who had caused him to be suspected of Seraphim's murder. But noting the clipped wings, Lucifer began to think otherwise.
"Do you know whose scent it is?" Questioned Raphael from the side. He appeared in haste to find Gabriel similar to Uriel who appeared to be the most worried of Gabriel.
"You will be surprised," remarked Satan.
"Speak the name and I will leave your kingdom alone," Michael gave his word, appearing like the person who couldn't wait and leave Hell as soon as possible.
"Don't say it as if you are doing me a favor. I am doing you a favor now," Satan looked at the feather with disinterest as if he was not going to move until one of the archangels gave him the magical word.
Amongst all the demons, it was Raphael who spoke. "Please, your majesty. Our brother might be in danger for all we know and we wish to lend him the earliest help."
Satan smiled in satisfaction and gave one nod of his head. "It's the scent of a very ancient person. Ancient not because of his age but because he is not longer here."
"You mean to say they don't live in Hell any longer?" The questioned was asked by Uriel.
"They don't live anywhere in fact," Satan answered.
"Why?" Urged Michael as Satan seemed to wait for one of them to question him.
"Oh? Because he's dead," Satan replied deadpanned. "That demon is named Caleb, the previous generation of Caleb, the second one. I remember Lucifer's nephew to be the one who killed him. His soul is no longer here. Not with us and I doubt it more it is in yours. My best guess the soul is withheld in the oblivion along with the death angels and grim reapers as we don't accept his soul here for various reason."
The archangels looked taken aback, "If he is dead. How can he severe Gabriel's wings then?"
"Are you lying to us, devil?" Another archangel questioned. His jaw was pulled tight. It was the same angel who had been looking angered, Sealtiel.
"I am not and it indeed sound like a lot of lies for a dead person to come and kill the living but not when there seems to be a human who had taken the book of resurrecting the dead," Satan's red eyes moved toward Michael, "I think you know it better than me Michael when it is your job to balance the living and the dead that there had been a human who recklessly tries to bring the dead to life."
"We will come again," Michael answered while turning his back, seemingly to have set his mind on something but before he fly far, he turned and looked at both Satan and Lucifer, "Thank you."
"That's angels for you. Polite even to the people he hates the most," Lucifer chuckled at Michael's parting words. Once they had left, Satan turned his head to the fallen Angel.
"Did you do something to Gabriel?"
"Don't suspect me. I kill those who started the fight but Gabriel wasn't my doing. But the blue fire... why didn't you tell them it was Beelzebub's blue fire?" Lucifer questioned with interest. He knew the answer but regardless asked him. "To protect my dearest nephew? I am glad to see someone protecting him well as the grandfather in law."
Satan frowned and harrumphed, "It's not for him nor you or I." And after the words he turned his body to the gate of Hell. "It's time to hunt the human who possessed the book. He might be smart to hide but not entirely so."
Lucifer smiled while looking at Satan and his smile fell shortly after when he thought about Hell and Heaven. It was faint but he could smell the conspiracy between the angels. It appears that the people in Heaven aren't entirely white as others would think.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦