Chapter 266: Archangel Michael
"Let him approach," she said, her eyes faintly golden as the Archangel landed and folded his wings.
"I came only to heal her," Michael said, staring intensely at Dante, who seemed unwilling to converse or allow him near Sara. But her plea carried weight. He couldn\'t ignore it, bitter as he was, facing the archangel again, lifting her and bringing her to him.
"We are not your enemies," Dante heard from the Archangel, who solemnly raised his hands and placed them on Sara\'s forehead, closing his eyes; a golden light descended from the heavens, cutting through the darkness and gently illuminating Sara, who received such a strong divine power that Dante\'s body began to burn.
"You better give her to me," Michael said calmly, without threat, but Dante didn\'t hesitate.
"Sorry, but over my dead body will I let an angel hold her," he said as burns healed at a surreal speed. Dante wasn\'t joking. "I understand, you\'re more eccentric than we thought," Michael said with a calm smile. "I\'m sure my sister, Chastity, would love to meet you," Michael said, continuing to channel even more divine energy around them.
"My m-mother," Sara whispered, but she seemed more alive. Michael nodded as another beam of divine energy fell from the sky, cutting through the darkness and nearly hitting Lilith, but it hit Lyrianna, and her body began to heal, slowly. Lilith looked at him angrily and questioned, "Has your humility disappeared, Michael? Can\'t you see me here?" She asked furiously.
"Oh, I\'m sorry, I had forgotten about you; I usually don\'t notice irrelevant people," Michael said with a smile, but it was anything but kind. "You..." She began to step forward. "Quiet," Dante said, and Lilith froze.
For the first time, her body received a shock that sent chills down her spine, a voice so primal, so commanding... so superior... that made Lilith step back quickly, as if instinctive.
"Are you already monitoring Lucifer?" Dante turned to Michael, who was focused on slowly healing Sara, actually restoring vitality to her. "Yes... although we\'re still behind. Our Father seems to be preparing something for him... but it\'s hard to understand what goes through his mind; he\'s very closed off," Michael commented, as Sara\'s skin began to glow even brighter, while Lyrianna was already well.
Fortunately, Asmodeus decided not to fight with her body, but with her soul, and he did not cause strong damage to Lyrianna.
"How complicated..." Dante murmured, if not even the heavens knew what was happening... Who would he, a mere mortal... Well, Dante knew in a certain way some things, after all... he is a Lucifer from another dimension or sector, call it what you will. "How was he banished?" Dante asked, suddenly catching Michael\'s attention, who was surprised by the question...
"He attempted a rebellion in the name of Freedom," Dante heard and couldn\'t help but smile, "Really?" He said, "He committed genocide in the first heaven, then the second and third," Michael said, and Dante\'s demeanor changed completely.
"Fool," Dante remarked, and Michael nodded. "A fool with distorted ideals and an insatiable lust for power, that\'s Lucifer," Michael commented as he slowly withdrew his hand from Sara\'s head.
Dante looked around, sensing three auras he knew well approaching. "They\'re fine," Dante said calmly, and two dragons appeared alongside a succubus. They looked at the scene incredulously. "It\'s just an angel, relax," Dante said, and Voralith and Eldrax gradually returned to their humanoid sizes. "We heard your cries... Did Lucifer hurt Sara badly?" Dante asked, but it was the angel who responded.
"Sara... has lost a large part of her divine powers; her virtue was compromised," Michael said as a spark of golden light entered Sara once more. "But she\'s okay now... I wish I could have come sooner, but..." Dante looked at the man who seemed guilty, but he already deduced. "He didn\'t let you act? I can imagine why," Dante commented, and Michael waited for a clear response, knowing...
"The negative World Tree, Qliphoth. Likely as the ruler of that world and observer, he cannot interfere with the World Trees," Dante said with a bitter smile. "You angels are considered beings made by him, extensions of his power... So if he deals with Qliphoth, he\'s subject to punishment from the Administrators," Dante said, being quite clear, and Michael understood completely.
"How do you know about this?" He questioned, his eyes analyzing Dante thoroughly, who just smiled at him. "Tell him I\'ll see him in the future; I need to have a conversation with him," Dante said with a mischievous grin.
"It\'s okay... I can heal myself," Sara murmured, seeing that both men were still very attentive to her health.
"Welcome back!" Eldrax exclaimed excitedly. "Eldrax missed you!" He said, stroking Sara\'s light blue hair. "Hey there, little one, I missed you too," she smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed being in this situation in front of literally her guardian angel.
"Okay, okay," Dante said, helping Sara to her feet, now able to stand well, and he turned to Vex. "Take Lyrianna, she\'s not fully recovered yet, so be careful," Dante said gently to her, and she nodded with a calm smile, picking up Lyrianna quietly.
Dante turned and looked at Voralith and Eldrax. "Protect them and take them away from here," his tone serious, but they understood the urgency of the situation he was about to handle. "W-wait, what about me?" Sara asked a bit apprehensively, and Dante approached her calmly, kissing her forehead.
"I have some things to take care of; I sense Morgana approaching, so keep her away from the tree for a while. I have matters to attend to," Dante said, and Sara had no choice but to agree.
"Li Mei," Dante said, completely breaking Voralith\'s demeanor, who looked at him seriously. She had already told him not to call her that, but this... wasn\'t just Dante anymore. "I said you\'d be mine, didn\'t I?" That simple phrase, that brief exchange of looks... Voralith realized she had been a fool. "You..." She murmured as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Yes, we have plenty of time... Little Dragon," he said with a smile.
Voralith\'s entire body trembled at the sight of those eyes... that gaze was like her former master\'s. "Protect them, I\'m about to do something reckless," Dante said, and she nodded.
Quickly, all those women took flight: Vex carried Lyrianna while Voralith placed Sara on her back and transformed into a dragon again. They disappeared from sight within minutes. As Dante watched them go, he turned to Michael.
"Thank you," Dante said. He didn\'t bow his head, but he acknowledged that his wife had been saved by this man. Despite his disdain for heaven, it didn\'t mean he abhorred them. If they saved someone important to him, he owed them that favor. Dante is and always will be a just man.
But now...
"Tell the Heavenly Father that I want to see him in a few years. The Chief Administrator has already briefed him on the situation that will occur, and I believe he is preparing for it. When I restore Hell, I will personally meet him," Dante said. Now... Dante wasn\'t the loving person he once was; on the contrary, what stood before Michael was merely a king speaking to a commoner.
"I\'m not sure if he will agree..." "He will agree. He knows full well he won\'t survive alone. He\'s not a fighter; he\'s a Creator, and I am a Destroyer. Learn more about the sides of the scale; not everything is good and evil, child," Dante said, his tone more blunt and wise.
"A king, huh..." Michael murmured. He didn\'t like being treated this way, but what choice did he have now? The orders were clear... Do Not Offend.
"I\'ll do my best," Michael nodded, and Dante agreed. "Again, thank you for taking care of them both... but I think it\'s best you leave here and return home. I\'m about to cause great havoc," Dante said seriously. He wanted to act now...
"I understand... well, it was about time anyway," Michael said without questioning why. Despite his curiosity about this man\'s abrupt change in personality, he simply accepted it as he began to fade into the wind in a golden light.
"Good riddance," Lilith murmured as she embraced Dante from behind. "Lilith, I assume you came here and lost many things. Tell me, why?" Dante said seriously.
It was time for true chaos to begin.