Finally Home

The long-awaited moment had finally arrived, Asmodeus had returned home at last. All the demons, neutral spirits, and ghosts rose to their feet, showering Asmodeus with praise and cheers. He raised his hands, basking in their applause and adoration. The last time he was here, things had ended in chaos. All seven of them had fought over one woman - Mrs. Lilith, the self-proclaimed Queen of hell. It had become clear that she had manipulated them all and was actually carrying out Lucifer's orders. Asmodeus had only intended to use her to keep the other six princes of hell in check, but he had fallen for her deception. When he discovered the truth, he confronted Lucifer, only to be dismissed, leading him to pick a fight with Satan. The conflict turned ugly, and Asmodeus had banished himself to self-exile on earth. Now, as he stood in disbelief at his return, his past felt bittersweet, but his present was nothing short of glorious.

As the applause subsided, Asmodeus headed straight to Lucifer's chambers. He had no intention of meeting Satan right now, not after the disgrace of their last fight. He feared that Satan would make a remark or joke that could provoke him into another fight. Satan was tough, but Asmodeus had been training relentlessly since his defeat. He was determined not to be bullied by his older brother again.

In Lucifer's chambers, the demon of pride was seated, elegantly holding a glass of wine. He looked graceful and stunning, a reminder of his former title as the most beautiful angel in heaven. "Well, well, I never thought I would see you again," Lucifer broke the ice after studying his brother. "Yeah, why wouldn't I come back when our people practically begged me to return," Asmodeus said mockingly. "I'm glad you're back, brother," Lucifer replied.

"Cut the act, Lucifer. Don't call me your brother. Did you ever truly care about me? Did you even check on me when I left?" Asmodeus snapped, struggling to control his emotions. "You were always the emotional one. You didn't need to be checked on. It was the humans I was worried about," Lucifer replied.

Asmodeus scoffed and locked eyes with him. "Now, let's get down to business. As you know, I should rightfully be here for that throne of yours. So, what do you have to say about it?"

He expected an objection or a lecture about how Asmodeus wasn't worthy of the prestigious crown and throne of the Devil, but it didn't come. Instead, Lucifer surprised him with his reply, "I believe you have worked hard enough to take the throne, but I just have one thing to ask of you." Asmodeus knew it was too good to be true, so he didn't find comfort in Lucifer's words. It was already clear to everyone that Lucifer was the deceiver for a reason. "What's this thing you need?" Asmodeus asked, feigning interest, but he was just biding his time to see how this would play out before he disappointed everyone.

"It's clear that your sin has taken over the world, but there's a tiny bit of information your people didn't know," Lucifer said. "What's that information that only you know?" Asmodeus asked, rolling his eyes, already tired of hearing Lucifer's all-knowing voice.

"You missed one person, a single white speck that has eluded you and your sin," he concluded. Asmodeus's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "That can't be possible. Who... is this person?" "It's a she, and she's called Maria," Lucifer smirked as he realized the irony of it all. They had to deal with another Virgin Mary.

Some might question why the Devil never hunted down Mary before she even learned that she would bring the savior into the world. The truth was that those chosen by their Father were granted a certain protection that kept them hidden from the devil's radar until their purpose was fulfilled.

At times, Asmodeus found it pathetic that they needed their Father's permission to harm any of his beloved humans. Things became much easier when humans started trading their souls for perishable goods like money. It became all too simple. Once these humans had used up their agreed-upon time, they would die, and their bodies would be possessed by any demon from the depths of hell.

This was how the demon population on Earth grew, allowing the Arch demons to confidently roam the realm of the living without the fear of being discovered or struck down by angels.

Humans were granted free will, which was meant to be a blessing from God, something his angels didn't have. However, it became their weakness. With a human's agreement, the demons had the right to remain on Earth and do as they pleased. Therefore, the demons laughed when humans lost their faith and blamed God for their problems.

Trouble never disliked man; it was man who loved trouble.