Crown of Thorns

Lucifer folded his arms, blazing with the Flames of Hatred, the frown upon his lips deepening on each end. "Brother…" He began pausing as if unsure what to say. " I'd heard you lost your mind. But to hear you can speak."

"Speak?" Metatron spat, " That boy and Gadreel are merely resonating. Can you not hear it? The Abyss is vibrating at their reunion. This—"

"yes."

"O'no," I spat as his mischievous laughter echoed.

"Metatron," said Mephisto from a spiraling portal that appeared. His flowing black hair dancing with the turbulent winds. "I see you've fallen for my trap. Seriously… did you really think that entering the Nines without a price was plausible? Why do you think Moloch is here?"

"You!" Metatron growled, snapping his gaze at the approaching Gadreel.

"All who enter the Hells forcefully will appear in Gadreels secluded domain, within the seventh Layer of Hell, Mythos. A death sentence to most."

Coming back to myself, realization overcame me as everything landed in place. Mephisto had warned me that a squadron of angels would be invading my domain. And that I needed to prepare. That squadron was Metatron. But… It was all a trap.

I was bait.

"Son of a Bitch."

Mephisto turned to me smiling, nodding to Aurelia in the process: " Don't be too mad. You're too weak to be of use right now. And Metatron is so predictable. Although I didn't think he'd attack this early or be foolish enough to come himself."

"Amara," Lucifer said calmly, the Flames of Hatred flickering like a storm of malice. "Seal the Hells, in my name. None shall enter or leave be they Angel or Fallen."

"Ah~," Moloch said teasingly. "It's such a shame, Elder brother, but I take my role as the incarnation of sacrifice quite seriously." Losing his smile, darkness similar to Gadreel flickered through his red eyes while the rune beneath his right eye glowed. " Those who do not pay will use their lives or souls as price."

Zariel, Mephisto, Lucifer, Moloch, and Gadreel, versus Metatron and Dream. Lol. He's dead.

"You think this is the end!" Metatron rasped, opening his palm as a blood-stained Crown of Thorns sprang into his palm, but just as it did, just as its aura was about to spread, Mephisto spoke.

"Arsene, Forsaken Blood now."

Knowing what he meant, my eyes glowed as everyone dismissed their weapons and precious armor. As my Forsaken aura exploded out in wild abandonment without discrimination, I saw the very Crown that gave off a feeling of true death begin to wither.

"NO~"

"The Crown of Thorns used to torment the Father will not work." Mephisto smiled. "If you want to use it… you'll have to destroy it to 'try' to escape. Not that I see that happening. So choose. lose one supreme weapon of the ages or…." He stopped chuckling as if everything was in his devilish hand. " you can leave us the Crown of Thorns."

"What is this Crown?" I muttered, frowning as I didn't get to see it clearly before Metaton dismissed it back into the void away from my presence."

"Longinus, the Cross of the Broken, the Whip of Torment, the Spikes of the Torn, and the Crown of Thorns. They were all armaments used to torment the Holy Spirit as a mortal. The whole event of dying for our sins created several powerful armaments we use to this day."

"Lucifer possesses Longinus, the spear that impaled the Father. Mephisto, the spikes used to nail the Father to the Cross of the Broken. Ariel has the Whip she purifies every day. The Cross is still missing, but Metatron has with him the Crown. Well, a damaged crown now." Aurelia said with a sinister smile. And slowly began to whisper, so softly I needed to infringe on laws merely to hear what she said.

"Having that Crown will grant me access to—" She paused, glanced at me, and leaned close. Her icy gaze was similar to the ones I'd seen in the Mother of Demons during our first meeting. It was hollow, empty like an abyss. "Don't worry, Arsene. I've plan's for you too. Whether you want to or not."

I gulped, and before any more words could be shared, Gadreel struck like a god of war with a spear of divinity.

Spear intent so intense, so deprave and powerful, tore the land apart like crumpling paper that shattered the realm in a single thrust.

Quick to react, Metatron batted the spear intent away with the back end of his palm as sweat pooled over his brow. He glanced around, gritting his teeth, when suddenly, his body began to flicker.

I watched as hundreds of phantom faces flashed from his body, pulled into one being as he howled: "Why can't I—"

'Escape?" Moloch said, smiling. " You've not paid the price. This land was prepared to trap archangels. We've had nearly a dozen Eternal Cycles. There are rules, you fool. And the spell around this domain is one I prepared myself. After all, Mythos is my home."

"Moloch! You blasted demon!" Howled the Scribe as a great battle flickering faster than the concept of light began between Metatron and Gadreel.

"Yes. Yes." Said the Lord of Sacrifice. "But the longer you wait. The more issue you will have. Mythos is Beelzububs domain. You remember him, right? You know the man you once caught and tortured?"

"It was war!"

"Oh, I know." Replied Moloch calmly. "We'd just fallen and were ready for revenge. The first battle was lost, but the war wasn't over." He grinned, glancing at Mephisto. " What do you think… after all, many of these events were you're doing."

The snake chuckled, narrowing his pearly red eyes: " My doing? I didn't force Lucifer to wield his flaming sword against his brothers. I merely showed him the way."

"To which you never explained why? Why do this? Why accelerate the conflict? No matter how I research it. It doesn't make sense. What would you have gained? Couldn't you have just fallen by yourself?"

Thats right… Mephisto had asked to fall. He didn't actually fall alongside Lucifer during the first clash. So why? Why do all this?

"Watch closely…" Aurelia said coldly in a whisper. "Out of every Fallen, every monster, every demon… Mephistopheles is the evilest. The most bloodthirsty, the most hated, and the most feared. You can never trust Mephisto. He'll charm you, grant you everything, and break you."

"You make it sound like I've already fallen for—"

"Haven't you? Some days I think even Zariel is under his influence. Black Sabbath is a technique of manipulation, Arsene. How do you know you're not being manipulated?"

My brow shrank alongside my heart as I said: " How do you know your—"

"I'm a Nephilim. My existence is something not even you can imagine." She said, "Even with Zariels weave, he cannot comprehend my existence." she chuckled, a glimmer of darkness within her golden eyes. "I'll say this once… don't trust Mephisto. You'll only regret it. He's not an ally and will never be."