Chapter 288

Chapter 288:

–Layla–

"Do you think you'll smell like chicken when you burn?" I asked with morbid curiosity.

There was something oddly satisfying about having Riser Phenex of all devils tied to a wooden stake. A stake that was sticking out of a pile of dried sticks and hay.

Of course, he wasn't too happy with the situation. As I imagined most criminals wouldn't be during their public executions.

"Riser will kill your entire family, you filthy crow! Riser swears he'll have his vengeance!" Riser spat, thrashing against the black chains binding him to the stake. His voice echoed across the empty field where we waited, a hundred miles from the Capital—far from civilization, in case things got... heated.

[I see what you did there…]

"Isn't burning someone at the stake a bit barbaric?" General Roberts asked out loud. "...We should just shoot the bastard and be done with it."

"That's not nearly humiliating enough for this asshole," I replied. After all, what could be more humiliating than burning a member of the Phenex clan alive? Nothing, that's what. "He burned down half of your Capital City, so you should burn him in return.

"You do make a fair point about that…" the general agreed. "Carry on…"

"Riser will not stand for this!" he angrily shouted again in third person.

"That's fine. I can loosen the chains a little if you'd rather sit down for your execution," I replied coolly.

He scowled and started muttering some very nasty curses. "That is not what Riser meant, you ugly cow!" And there he was, back to slinging insults as well.

I scoffed. "Oh, please. I can see the way you're looking at me. I'm far hotter than any of those girls you forced into your harem. Too bad for you, looking is all you'll ever get to do." I finished with a cheeky wink.

Riser grit his teeth. "Riser will never be attracted to a Fallen Angel!" he lied, adjusting his legs to hide his... obvious erection. 

…Meh, I'd seen bigger. I had no idea how he was keeping 14 girls satisfied…15 if you counted his little sister.

[Sweet home Alabama!]

No surprise there. Weren't his parents siblings or something?

"Riser bets your tits aren't even real!" he spat out randomly. 

[Uh oh…]

He just said what? A couple of gasps rippled through the nearby soldiers. Everyone collectively stepped back as a purple aura flared to life around me. I narrowed my eyes at the golden-haired devil. He had already earned my anger, but now? Now, he had my full loathing.

"What did you just say to me, you little shit?!" A purple Lightspear formed in my right hand. There were certain things you never said to a woman. Calling her tits fake wasn't at the top of the list, but it was pretty damn high up there!

"Riser stands by what Riser said! Riser would never add such a pathetic woman to his harem!" he declared smugly. "A noble man like Riser has standards, after all!"

A noble MAN, huh… I could fix that.

SQUELCH!

"Whoops, my hand accidentally slipped..." I apologized with a shrug. My Lightspear had accidentally flown from my grasp, accidentally landing directly between Riser's legs. 

[What a tragic accident…]

It took a moment for everyone to process what had happened before Riser's wails filled the air. His voice sounded... a lot higher-pitched now.

"Did you just intentionally stab him in the… you know…?" the President of the United States—President Tanner, as I finally learned his name—asked me in disbelief.

"Of course not!" I lied halfheartedly. "That was clearly an accident. I said my hand slipped." I placed my hand over my heart.

"It's gone! It's gooooneeeeee!" Riser howled in agony!

General Roberts let out a wistful sigh. "There are some things you just don't do to a man. Even an evil Devil terrorist…"

"We're literally about to burn him alive!" I pointed out while throwing my hands up in the air.

"Still…" the General trailed off, shaking his head.

I rolled my eyes and turned to the nearby camera crew. I glanced down at my wrist, staring at my imaginary watch. "It's half-past seven, folks. Let's get this show on the road!" I announced. "We've got a noble Devil to execute." We were supposed to start around 7, I didn't know what time it actually was, but the sun was setting, so we were close enough.

The camera crew glanced toward President Tanner, who sighed loudly. "Fine, we might as well get this over with," he muttered, signaling everyone into position for the "trial." 

This was America, after all—we had to keep up appearances, even if it was obvious that Riser was guilty and that this whole trial was a sham.

[America has the most fair and bestest legal system in the world! 

Everyone knows that!]

"Riser Phenex," President Tanner's voice echoed across the plain after one of his staff handed him a microphone. "You are charged with terrorism for leading an attack on the United States Capitol, killing countless civilians, and holding New York City hostage. The sentence if you are found guilty is death!"

Riser had tears in his eyes as he hatefully glared at everyone around him. "You think this pathetic excuse for a trial changes anything? You think mutilating me will make me feel guilty? Never!"

"You slaughtered innocent American people, and now you show no remorse…" the President continued. 

Riser's eyes gleamed with hatred as he strained against the chakra chains, still somehow thinking he might be able to escape. "Remorse? For what? You humans are insects beneath our feet! We Devils are far superior to you all!"

"Not so superior, considering one angel wiped out your army," General Roberts cut in with a smirk. A ripple of laughter swept through the crowd.

"She got lucky!" Riser spat furiously. His face twisted into a snarl. "Once my brothers arrive, they'll crush you all beneath our feet! They'll make sure to even avenge my precious dick!" 

"Enough, Riser!" a man's voice boomed above our heads, enhanced with magic to be much louder than necessary. "You've shamed our family enough! This is the most humiliating defeat since the Archangel Gabriel slew the original Phenex during the Great War!"

I looked up and saw two figures with golden hair and flaming wings hovering above us. Riser's brothers had arrived. They glared down at us all, but they didn't make any moves to attack right away. Instead, they focused their gazes on me. 

I was holding back my aura a lot, but I still stood out like a beacon amongst all the mundane humans.

"Fallen Angel… Why have you mutilated our brother? It could take years for him to heal from such an injury," Ruval Phenex asked me. 

"Because he's an asshole," I replied flatly. What more reason did I need?

To my surprise, both Ruval and the middle Phenex brother nodded in agreement.

"That's fair…"

"I can understand that…"

"Oi! You're both just going to agree with her like that?" Riser sputtered indignantly. "Fuck you guys!"

"Shut up, little brother. We all knew something like this was going to happen one day…" Ruval said as he descended gracefully to the ground. The humans instinctively stepped back, giving him plenty of space. 

The President nervously stepped forward. Possibly trying to mediate the situation despite the fact that I had already told him the Devil's weren't going to listen. "Your brother committed an act of war and is currently on trial. I am President Tanner, leader of the United States of—"

Ruval cut him off, dismissing him with a condescending wave of his hand. "I don't care, human. I'm only interested in talking to the Fallen Angel before I kill you all and drag our pathetic third brother back to the Underworld," he declared, turning back to me. "I don't recognize you, but I suppose that doesn't matter. Where have the rest of your kind hidden themselves? What schemes is Azazel plotting in secret?"

His arrogance was as impressive as I'd expected from a Phenex. He casually dismissed the leader of the humans while demanding answers from me. 

"Why should I tell you anything?" I shot back, crossing my arms with a frown.

The air around us heated up, flames flickering around Ruval as he tried to intimidate me. "Because I am strong," he stated plainly, expecting his show of power to frighten me. The soil beneath his feet started to liquify and turn into magma. All the humans nearby had to step back even further.

"Oh? Is that so?" I replied while cocking an eyebrow. "You believe strength is all that matters in this world?" I asked him curiously. 

"Indeed," he said bluntly. "That's the kind of world we live in."

I smirked and spread all sixteen of my wings behind me. "So what happens then…if I'm stronger than you?"

Rival paused at my question. His eyes widened slightly. Ruval took a deep breath, the flames around him extinguishing all at once. He glanced up at his middle brother hovering above us. "...Run." His voice was unnervingly calm.

"W–What?" his brother replied hesitantly.

"I said run…" Ruval said for the second time.

"What are you talking about, Ruval?" his brother asked in bewilderment. 

Ruval took another deep breath before shouting loudly, "RUN, YOU FOOL! FORGET ABOUT ME AND RISER, WE'RE ALREADY DEAD—JUST RUN!" His calm demeanor shattered, replaced by a frantic panic. "SHE HAS SIXTEEN FUCKING WINGS! GET OUR FAMILY OUT OF THE UNDERWORLD AND RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! OUR RACE IS DOOMED!" he started panting after screaming all that at the top of his lungs.

The middle brother didn't need to be told a fourth time! His wings burned bright hot as he spun around and rocketed off into the distance. Phenex clan members might have been the fastest fliers in the Underworld since they could propel themselves about mock speeds with flaming rocket propulsion.

I pouted as I watched him race towards the horizon. "Aww, that's no fun..." One thing I'd noticed since becoming a High Class Goddess was that I no longer needed to manifest my Rinnegan to use its powers if I didn't want to. I held up my right hand towards the fleeing Devil. "Universal Pull!"

"RUDEUS!! NOOOO!!!!" Ruval screamed his brother's name in despair when he failed to escape the area.

I heard a sickening crunch and a distant scream of pain. My Rinnegan abilities had clearly grown far stronger, and I knew I'd have to be more careful with them until I understood their full potential. Rudeus—what a dumb name—suddenly froze mid-air before rocketing backward toward us, the force so intense that half the bones in his body shattered on impact.

I caught the broken devil by the neck. His bloodline was already working overtime to heal his injuries, but that wouldn't help him today—I was in the mood to roast some flaming chicken. Tightening my grip on Rudeus's neck, I glanced over at Ruval.

"Don't you dare!" Ruval snarled, glaring at me, knowing full well he was powerless to stop what was about to happen.

"I've always wondered," I mused. "Which is stronger—the flames of Hell or the flames of the Sun?"

Rudeus's neck snapped back into place with a crack. He coughed weakly while struggling to free himself from my grip. "What the hell are you talking about, you Fallen bitch?"

"You're about to find out," I said, calling on the divine flames within me. "Amaterasu!"

A small black ember ignited on his back. As it started to burn, I released him, letting him fall to the ground so we could all watch the inevitable unfold.

We all got to watch the laws of Physics be officially broken as a Devil made of living fire…started to BURN. He was only the first of the three Phenex Brothers that burned.

–Serafall Leviathan–

Dressed in a combat version of her usual magical girl outfit, Serafall grinned wickedly as she gazed down at the European landscape from high up the clouds.

"This is perfect," she muttered, excitement buzzing in her chest. "Gabriel's distracted in America, dealing with Riser's mess. She won't even notice until I've got a foothold here."

For centuries, Serafall and Gabriel, the Seraph of Heaven, had been bitter rivals. While the war between Heaven and the Underworld had cooled, their rivalry had not–at least it hadn't in Serafall's mind. 

This was Serafall's golden opportunity—strike while Gabriel was occupied, and Europe would fall before the Devil's might!

"I suppose I should give the humans a proper magical girl hello," she mused to herself. Demonic Energy swirled at her fingertips as she prepared to launch her first attack, targeting the capital Berlin. But before she could release the spell, a blinding light shot through the clouds, slamming into her with the force of a falling star.

The impact sent Serafall tumbling through the air, spinning uncontrollably. She barely regained control before hitting the ground, her wings flaring out just in time to stop her crash. Gritting her teeth, she looked up, both stunned and furious at the woman who had stopped her.

"What in the the actual f—?!" Serafall's voice trailed off as she spotted the figure descending from the heavens, glowing radiantly.

…Gabriel.

Gone was Gabriel's usual white toga. In its place, the Seraph wore gleaming golden armor forged in the very heart of Heaven. It shined so brightly it hurt Serafall's eyes to stare at it. Gabriel's golden hair was tied back, and her face was set with a look of determination. In her hand, a flaming sword burned with Holy Light.

Serafall's heart skipped a beat. "Gabriel?! You're supposed to be in America!"

Gabriel tilted her head. "America? I have no idea what you're talking about…"

Realization hit Serafall—she had been completely wrong! This was a complete and total fuck up! And now she was about to face an Archangel she'd never managed to defeat in single combat.

"You think you can beat me in that shiny armor!?" Serafall snarled, summoning her signature ice magic. Massive shards of ice swirled into a frozen tempest and hurtled toward Gabriel. "Take this!"

Gabriel casually flicked her wrist. A wave of divine flames surged forth from her Holy Blade. The massive glaciers Serafall had summoned, big enough to crush half the town below them, immediately evaporated harmlessly.

Serafall's frustration boiled over. "Why you—Oh shit!" Serafall cursed when Gabriel blitzed her. Before she could properly react, the Archangel was already right on top of her, poised to strike with that scary sword of hers! A sword that had slain more Devil's than any other weapon in existence. 

"I won't let you bring your foolish war here," Gabriel declared resolutely. "Too many innocents have already suffered because of your petty ambitions. Europe won't be another battleground. I will stop you!" With that declaration, she swung her sword with the aim to slay Serafall.

"Petty!?" Serafall growled in fury. "I'll show you petty!" She summoned her magical girl wand, its bright pink distracted from the deadly power it could hold. It might look harmless and cutesy, but her wand had been forged by Ajuka, utilizing the most potent combination of magical metals in all of the Underworld. Serafall had never faced an enemy it couldn't break!

She swung her wand towards Gabriel's head with all the strength she could muster!

The two weapons collided in mid-air! The force of their clash sent a massive shockwave ripping through the sky. The earth trembled beneath them, and the clouds overhead were obliterated, leaving the once-stormy sky clear in an instant. Buildings beneath them shook from the impact, windows shattering as the reverberation spread.

Serafall's arms throbbed in pain. She had poured everything she had into that strike, enhancing her muscles beyond their natural limits. It was a little-known fact that she was the physically strongest of all the Maou, but even that didn't seem to help her here.

"You're stronger than before," Serafall hissed, her eyes narrowing in disbelief as she struggled to hold against Gabriel's overwhelming power. "How is that possible? You should be getting weaker without Him!"

To her shock, Gabriel simply smiled—a warm, genuine smile.

"Father may be gone," Gabriel said serenely, "...but it's okay now. Our youngest sister has ascended. She may not take His place—no one can—but she will create something new. Something that I believe might one day be better!"

Serafall gaped at Gabriel. What the fuck was the Archangel talking about!? Who the hell was her youngest sister and how had she ascended!? Was there a new Goddess ruling over the Angels? 

That last thought was terrifying…

Gabriel's sword glowed brighter, the holy light intensifying as she readied herself for another strike. "This ends here, Serafall."

Serafall's eyes flashed with defiance, but deep down, she felt something she hadn't in centuries—fear. When was the last time she had truly had to fight for her life, with everything she had? It had been hundreds of years at the least, Serafall could admit that she had grown a bit rusty.

Gabriel on the other hand, was still at the top of her game! 

Serafall knew she only had one real option here…

RUN AWAY!

She quickly spun around and flew off as fast as she could towards France! Serafall called on her ice magic and created multiple waves of mist laced with her Demonic Energy behind her to try and confuse Gabriel's senses. If she could just make it to the Atlantic Ocean, she could dive underneath the waves and slip away from the Seraph!

"You won't escape after everything you have done!" she heard Gabriel shout behind her…

–Hela–

"Well, I wasn't expecting to see your face again," she said with a hint of annoyance. "Maybe I should've let that irritating Surtur finish you off before I stepped in and killed him again."

"I see you're still as sassy as ever, Hela," the old one-eyed King replied, surprising her with a genuine smile. "And I like the new look, by the way. Thanks for the save, my niece."

"Niece…?" Hela muttered in confusion.

XXX

In proper Norse mythology Hela is actually Loki's daughter… 

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