Chapter 2 - The fallen Angel

Azazel, one of the seven princes of Hell, renowned as the embodiment of wrath, stood before Noah. A figure steeped in history and mythology, Azazel had once been an angel who fought against the archangels in the holy war. He exuded an aura that demanded obedience, and his followers, adepts who pledged unwavering loyalty, teetered on the edge of fanaticism.

"Azazel..." Noah uttered the name, a realization dawning.

"That's right. Rings a bell, doesn't it?" Azazel replied.

"Of course, presumably, I was your son," Noah ventured.

"I know. I heard those idiots enchanting my name while trying to 'offer' my son back. Quite hilarious, indeed," Azazel remarked, his tone tinged with amusement. However, for Noah, the situation held no humor.

"So, what does the Prince of Hell want with this petty mortal?" Noah inquired.

"To be honest, it's quite the large story. Let me give you a hand, or you'll be on your way to meet our lord," Azazel suggested casually.

With a snap of his fingers, the dying body of Noah began to recover at an eye-seeing speed. Noah, bewildered, exclaimed, "What the..."

"There we go. Oh, and, since we are already here..." Azazel trailed off.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The agonized scream escaped Noah as Azazel snapped his fingers once more. Noah's eyes changed, turning a fiery red. The excruciating process, surpassing even the torment of the past five years, unfolded before him.

After what felt like an eternity, Noah's eyes recovered, now a scarlet red. Azazel, no longer a shadow but a handsome man, stood before him. With white skin, red eyes, and black hair, he bore the appearance of an 18-year-old boy despite his old-sounding voice.

"Although I prefer this appearance, I can change to suit your taste," Azazel offered.

"It's okay," Noah replied, still recovering from the ordeal.

"Are you sure? I can also look like this." With a gust of wind, Azazel transformed into the appearance of a thirty-something-year-old woman, with curly short red hair and emerald-like eyes.

Noah immediately closed his eyes and, in a dark and sinister tone, threatened Azazel, "I don't care if you are a demon. Change now or I swear that I will f*cking kill you."

"Oh, so scary. But well, for the purpose of this conversation, I will 'surrender' to your threat." Azazel, reverting to his initial form, remarked playfully.

Noah opened his eyes, his face finally relaxed. "Don't do that again," he warned.

"You know, it's funny that even though you looked scary when I showed up, it was only when I changed to your dear sister's appearance that you actually showed the attitude I am looking for," Azazel noted.

"What?" Noah questioned.

Azazel smiled, touching Noah's shoulder. In an instant, they both teleported away from the cell. On the roof of a certain building in New York, Noah and Azazel reappeared.

"Woah!" Noah exclaimed.

"You know, I always liked this view. It's so mesmerizing," Azazel remarked, seemingly unaffected by the sudden change in location.

"How did you..." Noah started to ask.

"I am a prince of Hell. That much is just a piece of cake for someone like me, as you saw," Azazel explained.

"Anyway, I don't have much time, so let's get to the bottom of this," Azazel declared.

"Killer justice," Azazel said, turning back to Noah. "I want you to work for me."

"What?" Noah was taken aback.

With a flick of his hand, the starry scenario changed. A world filled with darkness emerged before them.

"In the beginning, there was only darkness." Azazel's voice echoed, and with another movement of his hand, the darkness gave way to light, revealing the appearance of humanoid beings.

"God created life, giving them the name of humans, his finest creation. However, there was someone who didn't like that," Azazel continued, the scene transitioning into a war between angels.

"The first holy war," Azazel stated, confirming Noah's understanding.

"The first holy war, as you know, was between us, fallen angels, and archangels. It supposedly lasted for centuries before Michaelis finally put an end to the war by defeating Lucifer," Noah added his knowledge.

"Exactly. Or well, part of it. You see, that's when story and History depart from each other," Azazel explained.

The picture changed once more, this time depicting Lucifer and, presumably, Michaelis standing face to face.

"The truth is, Lucifer and Michaelis were equal in power. For centuries, they fought each other, but there was no end to it. Meanwhile, the creation suffered the consequences of the war, so God finally stopped the war and made a deal with Lucifer," Azazel elucidated.

The scenario changed again, this time showing Michaelis and Lucifer looking at each other, with demons behind Lucifer and angels behind Michaelis.

"Since both sides were equally strong, the continuation of the war would mean the collapse of creation, with neither side wanting that. So, they made a pact that no direct confrontation could happen. In other words, neither angel nor demon could fight head-on," Azazel clarified.

Noah paused for a moment to digest everything. "Wait, when you said direct..."

Azazel smiled. "I knew you were quite smart."

"As you think. Although direct confrontation was banned, it didn't mean that indirect confrontation couldn't happen," Azazel continued.

The scenario changed once more, this time showing men and women, mortals.

"To make clear which side should control creation, each side chose what we call a champion," Azazel revealed.

"Champion?" Noah questioned.

"A champion is a human blessed by a demon or an angel. Essentially, they are warriors that represent either side on Earth," Azazel explained.