#4 - THE ARCHDEMON CONGREGATE

So, very unlike the day he betrayed his father, Lucifer began a grand speech. Even though Michael had personally never witnessed this, it was just so typical. So predictable of him to boast and gloat about his new and "powerful" empire. Had he forgotten who had given him life? No, the archangel was sure he didn't. His pride truly had swelled to unbelievable lengths, and at this moment, the Protector was finally certain that his father's decision was just. The Devil showed no anger, and certainly no fear. The angel's armored fingers folded together as he leaned forward, fully appearing to be under the fallen one's full attention. He didn't have to listen, but that would be rude, and this was the first meeting in a while.

"Not only have we appointed a new fair steward, for the first time in seven billion years, we have our very first celestial appearance in these grand and perfect lands!" This said celestial being said not another word and simply continued to listen. Actually, he pondered this sentence, had it really been that long? Being so old...one tended to lose track of time, something that in fact, didn't always exist. His feathered wings twitched a couple times, the first show of any sort of response to Lucifer's words. "So no worries, fetch this man a plate and a glass, let him feast as we do upon the greatest meals in all these lands, today he is our honored guest, and he will find no adversaries nor opponents here." With that, a demon of unknown origin appeared before the azure one, who didn't even grace him with the simplest of welcomes, eye contact. No, these orbs of changing blues focused on the original light bringer the entire time, only glancing down once to see what sort of morsels was brought to him. A drink, likely alcoholic, and some sort of meat that Michael didn't dare question. He wouldn't eat it, either. Didn't these foul monsters have something normal to eat? Like...a strawberry sundae or something? Besides, it was likely poisoned, something that wouldn't effect his body's unnatural regenerative properties, but nevertheless, the Devil was a liar. Even the heavens knew this. Actually, especially the Heavens knew this. It was for this reason that he would not once let down his barrier of unseen but titanium-hard (likely moreso) light that surrounded his celestial body.

Now tapping his fingers together, Michael let the Devil address and introduce him, simply listening on for him to finish. With the expression on his face, a blank and stoic one, one probably wouldn't be able to tell if he was truly paying attention or downright disrespecting Old Scratch. "That I know you come here on holy business for the Father we've forsaken. For business that has been more important than all for a consistent seven billion years." Good, that will save some breath. The archangel thought to himself as the devil continued on. His light never dimmed, he could probably make himself more bearable for the former archangels to look upon, but he didn't want to. Where would the fun be in that? After all, archdemons weren't the only ones who could grind another's gears for no apparent reason.

"We will have no part of it. And if you come to tell us you mean to fight, know that you fight on our turf, on our ground, against our people, and know that you will lose." Lucifer shrugged, as if he didn't even care what was being said. The Devil was a liar. "We will not shoot the messenger. We will not behead the envoy of such a disgusting divine message." He waited yet some more, and for the first time in the existence of everything, Michael had grown impatient. No words came from his mouth, though they nearly did, the archangel was able to hold his tongue for just a while longer. Just a few more seconds, minutes. Maybe. He could hardly control this emotion. Was it impatience? Or was it excitement? Only God would know.

"But know that as long as this Spire stands and I rule from it, you will be the last Angel who will come into Inferis and leave alive." So now he was an angel of death? Decided who lived and who didn't was not his domain, nor was it ever, and it certainly wasn't so now. Hatred, that emotion again, and these demons thought of it all as a simple game. A joke. That was not the case, and the Devil at last finished his little speech. Michael was angered, he was ready to have his words, but he did not let any of this show. No, he sat there with that look upon his face, almost as if he were some sort of holy statue or something of the unmoving art sort. At some point, the fallen angel Moloch attempted to place some sort of odd hat upon the Protector's head, a futile effort as it would simply slide off of his unseen 'force'field. he did, however, reach out without looking at the large one to accept the ice cream cone, something he had been longing for. He would take a few licks of it then set it on his plate, perhaps a mysterious thing for an angel to do, but these ones knew him. Well, at least for the most part. THe archangel was about to speak, but was sharply interrupted by two other archdemons, Ba'al and the original Legion, two souls which he didn't pay any attention to. They would get theirs.

Michael finally stood up, extending his great wings to their full length, which easily touched each end of the room. "Know this." He hissed, "We have not waited idly for this day." The Protector's eyes stared into Satan's very corrupted soul with a stark determination. "We have not waited at all." He repeated, taking a deep breath. "We have been preparing." The great factories and engineers of Paradise truly had been busy, taking the Host's technology far beyond that of Earth's current age, and even Inferis'. Michael moved not, standing still as his powerful voice filled the room. It was not unlike Lucifer's when closely listened to, yet it was the complete opposite, filled with charisma and hope, not unlike his servants Metatron and Ramiel.

"Hell," The archangel cursed, perhaps the only sign that he was even in the slightest bit upset. "You becoming Overlord of this unholy land is merely one of many of the possible outcomes of the universe." Now he was just toying with the unholy man, attempting to tear at this pride, something that he knew wouldn't be done easily. "We know you wish to march on Heaven. We know you wish to claim the throne. But rather than awaiting this day of reckoning, we come to you." The archdemons making it to the golden gates was an undesirable outcome, and an invasion had a higher probability of succeeding. Michael did not come on his own accord, out of his own anger, but simply because the math added up right. That's how the universe worked, after all, an endless series of preventable probabilities.

"And we come in full force, for we do not wish to destroy you." Destruction would be meaningless. Well, of course Inferis would be completely demolished and rebuilt in a more stable and perhaps more damning image, but that would be long after the original ten's judgement day. "We have come to re-purpose you, whenever you will it or not." Meaningless destruction, there was no point in it, they would just be revived. "You will bend to us. You will even embrace your eventual perfection." Azure eyes now fell over the entire table, no longer simply gazing upon the Devil, as he noticed that one had already fled. Fear. "For I bring with me a new host, an improved one."

His pupils first stopped on Mammon, skipping over Leviathan and the empty seat. "Corrupter. Your red tides have tainted these lands and the next for decades, no, millennia. it is time you were brought final judgement!" No longer did he stand still, for now the Protector held emotion, his metal fist slammed down upon the extravagantly carved table. Next they turned to Moloch, the one so kind to offer him earlier's delicious frozen treat. "Devourer. Your path is misguided and lost, behind you you leave nothing but sub-zero wasteland. I bring you salvation." His fist raised once more, this time running through his silver hair. What kind of emotions he was experiencing were unknown, but they sure were powerful, and at this point, downright crazed. His eyes quickly looked Asmodeus up and down, before returning to Leviathan as if he actually forgot something. "Lustful and Unpure, you both will be cleansed, and do not feel yourselves excluded."

Light filled the room more as every dark corner vanished. Michael's voice grew with power. Next, he turned to the armored knight, Belial. "Warmonger. Your conflicts have scarred His holy creation for years on end! For you have angered many a soul, and for that, I bring you retribution." Tides of hate were evident in his voice. "Lord of Flies! You made a mistake by letting these lies consume you, and you went forth and consumed more and more like a never-dying fire. Fear not, you can still be healed." Next the azure one gazed at the many, the faceless one. "Lost Ones. You seek knowledge relentlessly without tiring. You are many, and you claim to be all seeing, but yet you allowed yourself to become filled to the brim with falsifications and lies! I bring you holy revelation!" The archangel not only turned to the last subject still present, but walked towards him and came within inches of his face, examining it. The newest member of Lucifer's Island of Misfit toys: Vlad the Impaler. His actions on Earth were alone enough to damn his soul. Backing away again, the speech continued.

"Impaler! Do not assume yourself exempt for being so young and unexperienced. At the end of everything, your body won't hold a single ounce of hope." The emissary's wings retracted as his calm demeanor once more took total control of his body, and those azure orbs once more fell upon the Lord of Hell. "And you brother, your darkness will fade into the light." Crossing his arms, the archangel once more took a seat, as if he planned on staying even after releasing such harsh threats upon just about every member of the party, save for the one who made an early exit. He neither, would be exempt from such reckoning, but would perhaps be the least expecting of all of them as he ignorantly ignored his coming speech. How tragic. Not really. The deep blue metal of his arms and legs slowly began to dissolve into light particles as the room dimmed down once more. He was vanishing back to heaven, and when he did return, he would not be alone. A few words could be heard from the celestial being even after he had fully vanished.

"You cannot stop us. Prepare yourselves for the Arrival."