Bdes cshed. Apollyon had struck at Uriel and drew their fight up the mountain.

  Sariel turned to Azazel. “Gabriel is mine.”

  “As you wish. Kate, any preferences?”

  The librarian shrugged. “Maybe not two at once, but I should be fine with anyone.”

  “Shout if you need help.”

  “Understood.”

  Sariel had unfurled her two wings into six and drew her bzing metal sword, as did Azazel, unstowing her arsenal. Instead of pulling anything out with her hands, she simply spread twelve bdes into the shape of wings behind her back. Kate recalled hearing something about how special Azazel’s ‘weapon system’, for ck of a better term, was and how difficult it was to create. Twelve identical bdes, made from a material Kate had never seen before, yes, this was special and suitable for the High Inquisitor of Hell.

  The librarian formed her own swords from her bracelets.

  “Gabriel.”

  “Sariel.”

  “What is so important that you need to stop us? Just your petty ego or is there more?”

  Gabriel lunged. “Your mind for tactics was always remarkable but you cked the vision of a bigger picture. This is greater than you are now. I will not let their attempt to free just another demon destroy God’s legacy.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “When you were our brother, you were the only one of us who didn’t see it, you were so blinded by duty and faith that you missed what God had done. Humanity was made ours! And then you had to ruin it all.”

  “I did what I had to for the heavens and the border world.”

  “ONE heaven, one heaven under a singur rule!”

  Their swords cshed again, illuminating the cliffside with sparks.

  “'One heaven under your rule, now, until the moment you die.' I always found it a rather strange oath.”

  “Every word has meaning, Sariel.” He nearly got a hit in as the fallen angel took a second to think.

  “It no longer matters. We are no longer brothers. You are my enemy, now, until the moment you die.”

  The next cshes continued in silence. There was nothing more to be said.

  Kate and her opponent, Kokabiel, didn’t immediately begin to fight. Instead, they watched as Azazel made short work of both Matriel and Pahaliah, overwhelming them with quick attacks from every possible angle, guiding her bdes without her letting the two angels come close enough to counterattack.

  “Librarian.”

  “Yes?”

  “I harbour no ill will against you, but I am gd that I am facing you and not her.”

  Kate chuckled. “Hey, I know that feeling. For what it’s worth, I don’t hate you as a person either. Not a fan of why you are here though.”

  “I do what my master demands. For what it's worth, I am sorry we meet like this.”

  “We don’t have to fight. Tell you what, we exchange a few blows, let the others sort each other out and then you leave.”

  “Strike me down. We will exchange blows, you will show off your new tricks and then strike me down. It is the only way my master will not punish me.” The angel was genuine in his offer. He didn’t want to fight or even be here, but he feared Gabriel wrath even more than looking weak for losing to such a young demon.

  “Alright. Let’s have some fun with it then and maybe you can answer a question for me.”

  Kokabiel swung, albeit quite slowly. “Of course.”

  Kate blocked with her magical shield. “Why serve him?”

  “It is the angelic way, those with the might to rule rise to the top, those like me follow orders.”

  “But it’s not what you want.”

  “It does not matter what I want. It matters what the archangels want. I am a lowly watcher.”

  “It doesn’t have to be that way, you have seen Sariel, you know us. Join us, be free.”

  “I can’t. As much as I still admire Sariel, her path is not one I can follow.”

  The back and forth of attacks and parries was interrupted by a fsh of light further up the cliff. Kate and Kokabiel took a moment to look up, witnessing a severely injured Uriel teleport away and Apollyon following him.

  Kokabiel lowered his sword. “The General trained you, right?”

  “She still does, yes.”

  “That is such an honour. And it is my honour to be felled by her student.”

  “Any idea what actually happened up there?”

  “She beat Uriel and he fled again. It seems to me like he is not getting the mercy of mere humiliation this time.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Someone else will take his pce after some turmoil and life will continue. It will be best for us both if you strike me down before General Apollyon returns.”

  Kate hesitated. “For what it’s worth, I hope we meet again under better circumstances.”

  “I hope so too.”

  “If you change your mind about following Sariel’s example, we will accept you. Just come to us.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate the offer. Let’s get this over with. Good luck freeing Lilith.”

  “Thank you and good luck with Gabriel.”

  “I’ll need it. Now, kill me.”

  Kate took a deep breath and plunged her bde into the angel’s chest. He gasped and smiled before vanishing into golden sparks.

  Azazel nded near Kate, she had dispatched her opponents as well. “I take it your fight wasn’t really one.”

  “Yea… I feel bad for him.”

  “There is much about the angels that feels alien to us. I’m proud of you for offering him to join us, even if I don’t know if he’ll ever take that offer.”

  “It felt like the right thing to do.”

  “It was.” The high inquisitor looked up at Sariel and Gabriel who were still trading blows. “I wish more of them approached us with Kokabiel’s grace and openness.”

  “That would be nice. You saw that Polly, well…”

  “Yes. Let’s hope she isn’t making a mistake.”

  “I am not.” Apollyon nded besides the two demons. “Uriel is dead. And I feel… relieved.”

  Kate hugged her old friend. “That’s awesome!”

  “Yes, it is. One more regret solved. Still, no time to celebrate, Kate, you should head to the needle to make sure nothing bad has happened down there. We will keep watch up here.”

  “Alright. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Down in the tunnels, nearly the entire needle had been excavated. Beleth and Hera were digging up the tip on the very bottom to see if more of the inscription was hidden down there.

  “Oh wow.” Kate looked around the massive three-sided spike that seemed to pierce into the pnet. It had a strange magical presence, almost like looking into a mirror.

  Eisheth waved Kate over from the other side of the new cave. “Sorry about the ck of progress, it took a while to uncover the entire inscription. Anahit and Monica have just started going over it.”

  “Still, good work.”

  “How did it go outside?”

  “Quite well, I assume you felt what Az did?”

  “We felt her do something.”

  “She just commanded the humans to stand down, nothing more. Apollyon then killed Uriel after he fled to heaven, Az and I beat our opponents and Sariel is still fighting Gabriel.”

  “I see. Well, looks like we will have to deal with RICA and the FBC before we get to go home. We can’t just leave them here.”

  “Yea… how annoying.”

  “A minor inconvenience, if Az didn’t deal with them already after you came down here.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Monica spoke up. “Alright, I’m ready.”

  Eisheth nodded. “We are as well. Go ahead.”

  The human took a deep breath. “In these words lies the key to unlock what is held within. Under fae stone and demon words with angel’s purpose we, the humans once guided by divine powers, have id to rest a foe that must never be unsealed. With this monument, we have chosen our own path in rejection of light and dark, of day and night. You are as we were children of this earth, let this evil rest and be as you desire.”

  It looked like the inscription was written over something else, something scratched out. Kate had the vague feeling that even that overwritten inscription wasn't originally part of the needle and that it had changed purpose several times. There was nothing to prove that intuition though.

  The mirroring sensation faded as the cave filled with a bright fsh. As the light faded, three figures fell to the ground before the inscription.