The Red Hand
Interlude 23 – The Archdevil of Infernus and the Goddess of Space.

"Hmmm..." Sariel hummed as she stood on the edge of a balcony, her eyes transfixed on the flowing lava pools below as she slowly sipped on a glass of black 'wine.' "So, a second Demon Lord appears on Enoris..." She laughed. "Calling such a creature a Demon is truly absurd. It would aggravate me if wasn't fully aware of the inferno her kind can unleash." She said as she took a sip, enjoying the flames that surged hundreds of feet into the air as air pockets in the lava burst. "A bit different than Vikes. At least this one dains to speak in a language that doesn't tear apart one's soul..."

{But why has she appeared now? My minions informed me that those Heroes left to find the Spirits after they hopped worlds and based on what this Demon Lord said the Gods appear to have kicked the proverbial war hornet's nest by sending them...} (Sariel)

"But... I suppose the Gods' foolishness is the perfect chance to finally get my revenge." Sariel smirked as she swirled the 'wine' in her glass before downing the rest in a single gulp. "You who cast me down from the Heavens, called me a monster, transformed me into a Demon..." She said as she shattered the empty glass in her hand. "I'd been content to watch you die with this world, but now..." She smiled. "Now I've got the chance to finally break out of here and show you just how foolish you all were to betray me!"

By no means was the Fallen Angel actually trapped in the Hells, nor were any of the other Demons for that matter. However, it was well known that Demons greater in power than a certain level would be hunted down harshly if they appeared in the material realm, and that especially applied to the Archdukes and even more so to Sariel. The Fallen Angel had once been one of the Heaven's most trusted lieutenants, the leader of its armies and bringer of conquest. Her power was extraordinary, far beyond that which would normally be possible for an Angel, and allowed her to defeat almost anyone she fought again, sans the Gods themselves. However, such a glorious and prestigious position was not to last. Sariel was cursed with a lust for battle, a desire for war; something largely attributed to her parentage. As an Angel of Teiera, the God of War, one would expect her to take to combat well and her skill was praised and her fervor encourage d for a time.

However, over time it became evident that Sariel's love of combat was so extreme that even he found her blood lust excessive. Sariel was responsible for many of the Gods' bloodiest battles against mortals and, unlike most other Angels, did not believe in the sanctity of life. She was not sadistic per se, rather Sariel was the kind of person to ruthlessly prosecute a war until the other side could no longer resist and surrendered. While it was true that she loved battle, that was largely because she was born to fight, and thus it was a natural consequence of fulfilling her duty. That she developed a much deeper sense of pleasure from war was merely a side effect, one that served to turn the stomachs of her contemporaries.

While she was undeniably successful in leading the Gods' armies, Sariel's tendencies did not endear her to most of the Pantheon, and after some time they even began to fear her. There was genuine worry that the Angel may even lead some kind of uprising against the Gods in an attempt to achieve Godhood herself. Thus, the Gods made the fateful decision to banish her from the Heavens, casting her down into the Hells and, as a result, transforming her into a Demon due to the corruptive nature of the environment and the stripping of her Divinity. It was a harsh punishment, one ordinarily fit for those Angels who committed the gravest of sins. For anyone else, that should've been the end of things. An Angel stripped of her power and cast into the Hells would wither and die as their existence was tied to their parent God's will. However, fate was 'kind' to the Angel. Sariel's rage, hatred, and anger carried her forward and kept her alive and provided a new fuel to sustain her existance. Over the course of centuries Sariel battled countless foes until her existence changed from that of an Angel to a Demon, a consequence of her heart blackening and the warping effects of the Hells themselves. After what seemed like an eternity of fighting and climbing the ranks, she eventually took command of the Armies of Infernus, the third layer of the Hells, and became its Archduke. It was never an easy position to maintain, largely because Demons tended to scheme and back stab one another, but it was one where she felt her talents were appreciated. Demons cared for little other than strength of arms, and there were few better at waging war than her.

"The first step will be in keeping the others out of the Demon Lord's way." Sariel spoke as she began pacing back and forth on the balcony. Her Palace sat on a large floating island of dark rock and allowed her to view most of her domain from its heights. "It would do me no good if they teamed up with the Gods and defeated her, so I'll have to break up the impending negotiations. Perhaps I'll sow a bit of discord between the others. Azal is always a paranoid bastard, so convincing him that the Gods are planning on siding with the Demon Lord and turning her loose on the Hells should be easy enough. As for the others..." She paused. "I suppose simply killing whatever messengers the Gods send and replacing them with my own agents is an option, but I'd best move carefully. If it's found out that I'm actively colluding with a Demon Lord to usurp the Hells they'll definitely ally together against me."

{Worst case scenario, I should be able to flee to that other world. Unlike the Gods or the other Archdukes, I am not tied to Enoris an am able to flee if needed. It disgusts me to think of such a cowardly thing, but it's best to consider all options. I've waited this long to take revenge and I'm willing to wait even longer if needed. After all, this world is doomed. So really I can win as long as I survive. It's not like the Hells will exist if Enoris collapses, and Infernus is not my true home anyway.} (Sariel)

"Too many options, too many paths, too many variables." Sariel sighed as she walked over and leaned on the edge of the balcony. "The Demon Lord has already changed the board so much, and the pieces have been scattered from their carefully balanced places. Two Gods have died, and many more will follow. It's only a matter of time until they counter attack, and I must be prepared for whatever moves they make. Gale will undoubtedly have formulated countermeasures in case a Demon Lord reappeared, so I suspect he'll hold up in the Heavens until his plan is ready." She said as she looked out on the lava lakes while red lightning crackled in the smoke filled sky above.

{But what will this creature's next move be? She's crushed our apostate childrens' Army, a move that was admittedly expected but still. Her words and attitude tell me she's not really concerned about all this. It's almost as if she...} Sariel shook her head, casting away her thoughts.

"It's best not to try and understand a Demon Lord's thoughts. Even one as talkative as this is far beyond ordinary logic and reason. If she told me this whole thing was about turning into a Cat so that she could get pet on the head I'd probably believe her." Sariel laughed as she imagined the absurdity of such a thing. "But enough useless thoughts. It's time for action. If I want to secure my future I'll need to be proactive." She said before turning and entering back into the floating Black Fortress, Inguria.

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<Reflia POV>

"Penelope..." Reflia sat in her darkened office, a noticeable smell of alcohol filling the air as countless empty bottles littered her desk and the floor around it. Gods could not actually get drunk, but alcohol was able to dull their senses, at least while in their Avatar bodies, if they so chose.

"Why did you go and lead an army against the Demon Lord?!?" Reflia yelled as she swept bottles off the desk, smashing them against the wall with violent results. She'd been informed that Penelope was 'killed' during the battle by Halifax and that the Demi-God had led what was basically a suicide mission to defeat the Demon Lord. "Stupid child..."

{Arcus! Why didn't you stop her?!? Why didn't you tell me what she was doing?!? I sent her to investigate a disturbance, not lead a fucking army to a slaughter!} (Reflia)

"And Halifax..." Reflia growled, her eyes filled with anger and hatred. "You ungrateful bitch!" She pounded the desk, causing it to crack slightly down the middle. "I knew we never should've created you! This is the thanks we get?!? We transformed you from that monster's tool, and this is how you repay us?!" She yelled, whipping a bottle across the room. "I'm not fucking surprised you returned to one of those monster's sides! Go, be with your master, and enjoy yourself while you still can! Because when I get my hands on you, you'll wish you'd never been created!" She said as she ground her teeth in frustration. "And Elariel... Are you siding with that monster for Halifax?!? Do you want to rebuild your relationship so badly that you'd sell out the rest of the world just like Gale intends to do? Or are you just hoping to be the last one of us standing at the end of the day? Do you really think a Demon Lord is going to treat you any different than it does the rest of us?!?"

{It doesn't matter her reasons. All this means is that I'll have to speed up my plans. I was hoping she might be of some help and maybe I could've recruited her in my fight against Gale, but I guess I'm on my own.} (Reflia)

“I won't let anyone win. Not Gale, not Elariel, not the other Gods, not the Demon Lord... And most definitely not Halifax.” Reflia's power erupted around her body forming a thin blue film. “I won't allow any of you to survive this.”