2. Fallen to Earth.
Warning.
...
Narrator's POV.
"After escaping from the scenarios at the moment your God left you, as your kind attempted to follow him, it resulted in your banishment from the scenarios, in turn, incarnating or interfering with your true body would be far too dangerous due to the storm of probability, which would be capable of even destroying someone as mighty as Zeus. Even if you were capable of altering a timeline where you would avoid Michael from corrupting - the aftermath of probability would be too great, and it would possibly destroy Eden regardless."
The outer god spoke swiftly and calmly, though not everyone had the same patience.
"You think? That's clear as day..." Azrael scoffed while crossing their arms, leaning against their own scythe as if it were a wall.
Seraphiel on the other hand carried an astounding patience and serenity, she smacked Azrael with a bible in her hand while thinking deeply on this.
'The only way to save Eden would be to change this entire worldline with an incarnation - But it would be easily seen as an anomaly, and for it to be capable of either defeating the apocalypse dragon... That is simply not possible...'
The outer god pulled out various glowing orbs from its cloak, they floated in the middle of the air as their stories produced themselves...
"I will give you the key to Eden's survival for a single favor. That's all I ask. These stories hold the essence to one of the most powerful beings of your kind, one that was capable of rivaling Michael at its strongest, I'll disassemble them and gather whatever I can to incarnate a regular incarnation with the soul of this being -"
[The Story 'Angelical Voice of The Enlightened' Flaunts its beauty.]
From the story, originated a song that calmed the chaos in the first days of chaos in Eden.
[The Story 'Archangel who Yearns for Tomorrow' flaunts its prowess.]
From the story, originated sentences, of an Archangel that guided Eden when Metatron couldn't.
[The Story 'One loved by an Archangel' is confused.]
From the story, originated sentences with a strong empathy, pure feelings that expressed an undeniable bond.
[The Story 'Rebellious destroyer of Evil' is looking into your alignments.]
The story's senteces expressed the lethal beauty of the archangel.
[The Story 'King of Corrupted Angels' Expresses its confusion.]
The Story expressed the downfall of Lucifer into 'Evil'. The Birth story of a Demon King.
[The Story 'Evil That Destroys Evil' is greatly confused.]
And this story expressed the fidelity towards good that Lucifer held even after corruption.
"... You are planning to decompose those stories into... Lucifer...?" She was too stunned at this revelation. This plan was quite stupid already.
"That's impossible-" Azrael spoke out, feeling like they are just wasting their time trying to accomplish something that will never be.
"You do not know what is possible, do you?" The outer god interrupted Azrael who grew more annoyed.
But this was simply an insult to their kind, Seraphiel opened her lips to speak.
"The probability would be to great, have you taken us for fools? And even if you were capable of turning a story into a living being-" Seraphiel's true voice rippled through space like loud trumpets as she stood in front of Azrael once more, facing the outer god who was wasting their time.
But the outer god did not budge or move in response of this intimidation. Its calm status and true voice was not even shaken as it begun to clash against that of the beings from heaven.
"Stories are the key of a living being's essence and power. They are created from the being, what says they can't create the being they originated from?" The outer god spoke calmly.
"Sure, but the probability-" Azrael spoke, annoyed and impatient.
"Be not afraid, beings from heaven, I have plenty to spare."
The Outer God raised his status beyond anything they've ever felt before - in a split moment, the power emanating from the Outer God's body was enough to inspire fear in the hearts of any being in existence - in a split moment, it was skillfully and masterfully drawn back, almost like reversing the tidal wave of a tsunami.
This was the difference between the beings that were born with unimaginable powers to the ones that have acquired this power by abusing the star stream.
If Azrael were to attempt to enter the star stream, probability would constantly attempt to destroy its body. Because it simply isn't probable for Azrael's existence to interfere in anything that isn't guiding souls to the better life.
Similarly, Seraphiel does not hold any probability to spend due to the lack of seraphim in the entire star stream after their death to outer gods.
But this being seems to hold enough power and probability to exist and do as it pleases.
There was a loud silence in the void beyond the outer world barrier...
This Outer God was far too rational, far too calm, and far too skilled to even be an Outer God...
It wasn't like the mindless outer gods, nor things without control such as the Soggoth, it had too much restraint to be Cthulhu, and if it were Azathoth - they'd be already dead.
"Who are you?" Azrael couldn't help but be curious.
"Why don't you try and guess?" The outer god extended its hands as it moved the stories to its side, preparing the process necessary to fill with its part of the deal.
"Nyarlathotep." Seraphiel knew the mythos of how this was the only outer god capable of thinking like a human, snapping to a quick response with an ounce of pride plastered in her face, though it turned into annoyance as the outer god did not confirm nor deny...
"Lucifer in a powerless human form will be sent into the Korean scenarios at their very beginning. Her growth will be dependent of her own talent, if she is capable of recovering her memories, then she will surely aid you to your goal of saving Eden. Only lucifer is capable of bringing back Michael to the being it once was. There is a chance that in this worldline, your Eden will be safe. You will finally know that good has prevailed... How good for all of you, isn't it?" The Outer God spoke calmly as it begun to spin the stories in its hands, sentences were erased and spun..
It was right then that the stories exploded erratically, the
This plan was far more than far fetched.
It relied completely on chances.
"That's still ridiculous... Its unfair that we will have to rely on luck for something so important... And yet you call it a deal? For an unspecified price..." Azrael already knew something was fishy. It felt like this plan was too dumb to have been constructed by an outer God so old and so wise.
"You are correct in having your own suspicion. You see, I could place the
Azrael whistled and nodded silently...
"I'm in." Azrael was a cautious being - But after living tens of thousands of years in a state which belonged to neither life or death - Having to remain as a neutral judge to countless souls...
That wasn't fun. It wasn't an existence which Azrael could enjoy.
On the other hand...
Seraphiel was more silent than ever...
'To give up the divinity granted to us by the lord? This is absurd... Although if we were to not do it... The Lord's Angels will be destroyed, Eden will be forgotten... It will be up to us to maintain the Lord's place while he will surely return one day.'
Seraphiel was wise and composed.
"Azrael."
She turned her back on the outer God, staring at the only other survivor of a massacre which her mind couldn't ever forget - The day that her pride and ego were demolished by countless Outer Gods as soon as they crossed the outer world barrier.
Azrael looked up...
Her gaze shared her uncertainty, but her heart was clear.
"I already said it. I'm in. I know the soul of every mortal being that has ever died across countless timelines. Do you think I wouldn't be ready?"
"And you've observed every scenario across countless timelines... This will be a walk in the park. We won't battle outer gods while being powerless. We will battle mere incarnations."
Azrael spoke words of encouragement.
"There is nothing mere about those incarnations, Azrael."
Seraphiel spoke wisely.
Incarnations such as Anna Croft, Yoo Joonghyuk, Nirvana Moebius, Fei Hu, Ranveer Khan, Aslan Makerfield - All incarnations of absurd power that could easily rival even constellations.
Even then, they'd have to deal with constellations trying to interfere in the scenarios..
But to underestimate her own abilities in her faithful mission would be to underestimate the very being that created her.
"What was entrusted to me..."
Seraphiel dug her hand into her chest, digging into the deepest parts of her soul.
The glorious light around her condensed on the inside as she pulled out the crystalized essence of her power, the light on her skin begun to fade. Her form begun to falter.
And yet she maintained her dignity and regal air while entrusting her power to the outer god.
"...I shall entrust to you."
The outer god was surprised as the glorious light entered its body - He begun to shine radiantly.
Seraphiel's body perished without it.
His power took hold of Seraphiel's vanishing form, he begun to unravel it and extract her soul.
Azrael laughed softly for a moment.
"And you called me reckless, huh." He whispered lowly as he stared at her body - It was almost like a sleeping human as her hair cascaded towards the void.
In a moment, Azrael locked gazes with the outer God...
"If you don't uphold your part of the deal, then uh... I can't actually do anything about it... Just try and be honest..."
The idea that an Outer God was scamming them out of their powers was also plausible.
He did not speak, for the outer god was too stunned as Seraphiel had trusted with too much ease...
It was only natural for a servant of God to believe that good and honestly will prevail in every living being. Even creepy and bratty outer gods.
"... I wouldn't dare and betray her trust, Azrael, Angel of Death..."
The outer God's gaze fell upon Seraphim's form as he dissolved it into a mind and soul he would be capable of inserting into the star stream... And from under his hood, he Smiled.
Azrael sighed, feeling more stupid than ever as the light in all of the celestial form begun to fade - It condensed into the palm of his hand...
He begun to pale and life on his form begun to fade as he lost all of his powers.
"So this is what it feels like.."
In that moment, Azrael, the Angel of Death, experienced death after an eternity of dealing with it.
The outer god held the three souls in the palm of his hand, like marbles..
One was pure and silent.
One was chaotic and yet peaceful.
The other was a radiant and beautiful light veiled by darkness.
Probability begun to spark as the outer god tore apart time and space, he cut off three of his fingers as they were devoured by the probability...
The souls were given new forms of mortal flesh, and then, they were sent into the 1864th worldline.
"I bid you all luck, Angels from Heaven... Fallen to earth."
...
???'s POV.
I found myself in a cold environment.
Inorganic and unnatural.
Walls of steel bent into a wall were painted to be white, encasing an entire tunnel.
Poles of smooth and glimmering steel ran along like pillars every so often.
The scent of dust, grime, sweat and old books hung around the air around me...
'... Where am I?'
This wasn't a familiar environment. And at the same time, I was unable to remember any other environment.
Young and middle aged humans sat along the walls of the steel tunnel, seated on leather, supported by more steel.
Men's bodies were thin, considerably weak.
Similarly, women were pale and their eyes bodies were thin, almost as if they had been malnourished.
'I dislike this air.'
Breathing felt like inhaling a sheep's turd.
The lighting inside this dark steel tube was strange. It was contained and weak. It wasn't the sun or anything familiar...
'... Nothing feels familiar... Where am I... What is this... Who am I...'
I felt a great amount of confusion as the men and women around held small crystal-like bricks.
They irradiated light in complex patterns and they even spoke into them, and to the most absolute amazement, the strange brilliant bricks spoke back..
Everyone had one, they didn't pay attention to this steel tunnel as if it was normal. Crystal windows revealed the outside, though it was pure darkness flashing around.
No one paid attention to the darkness passing outside or the steel tunnel as if it was normal.
The tunnel shook and no one cared about such loud disturbance, as if that was normal too.
It was as if I was the ignorant one.
'... I'm scared.'
That feeling was certain. I could remember such feelings and I could identify them with ease.
I was too afraid to ask anyone. I was afraid became I was uncertain of even my own reflection. I was uncertain of the very clothes that draped my body. I was uncertain of the shape of my hands compared to the others I can see. I was uncertain of everything and anything that I could ever imagine...
"Are you going to cry?"
I turned to the woman sitting next to me. She looked quite nice. Quite beautiful. Her hair fell behind her back like a cascade of brilliant silver and her eyes were calm, she had been silently staring at me, as others have.
Her voice was soft and yet it was ever so slightly strong. Almost loud.
"Yes." I responded certain - but it soon became a lie as I realized I wouldn't.
"Do you know my name?" She asked, with a soft expression in her face which wasn't a smile, but rather a plain and soft expression.
"Should I know your name?... My memory seems a bit... boggled today."
She seemed to be disappointed as she sighed and laid back on the seat of the subway cart...
"May I know your name?"
"Seraphiel."
...
Narrator's POV.
Lucifer sat on the train like a lost child wary of everything while Azrael was surfing the bumps and turns, maintaining balance.
Seraphiel sat next to Lucifer, wondering what to do.
'She doesn't even know her own name, does she?... This isn't promising...'
She sat next to the girl with platinum blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. Purple eyes with a strange glimmer to them. A face that reflected beauty and an absolutely clueless expression with fear hidden beneath instinctive layers.
Strangely enough, she was wearing a dress with a gothic style. Long black sleeves off the shoulders. A black choker with black frills along the dress that reached her knees, long wool socks with black and strangely heeled shoes.
'... The outer god made strange choices...'
Seraphiel's and Azrael's attires had seemingly remained untouched. Or perhaps they had been reconstructed to absolute perfection.
While Azrael was having fun, playing monkey bars with the subway handles in the ceiling as they awaited for the scenarios to begin.
'Earth's first scenario in all 1863 rounds remained the same. I don't see why this one would be different... Although Azrael and I will have no trouble sending these poor wretches onto the afterlife, Lucifer - Lucifer was never much of a fighter... Why did we even need her in the first place?'
Seraphiel was silent as she did her best to recall things. For some reason, her memory wasn't as perfect as always - It was slowly becoming imperfect.
'... I require to breath. I have a beating heart in my chest. My mind feels overwhelmed from a mere scent. And my legs feel tired from just thinking of standing up.'
Seraphiel was feeling the incredible weakness of a human body.
It was amazing to think of incarnations that would be capable of killing outer gods and archangels even with their weak and frail constitution...
'... But I have the knowledge of the passing events on 1863 worldlines... In a way, I am nearly omniscient regarding the future outcomes...'
For a long time, she had observed the world as an omniscient angel.
And now that she had become human, this immense knowledge was heavy and difficult to sort in her mind.
Events of different worldlines blended within her imagination without a clear barrier, certainty would become a gamble between hundreds of outcomes.
'... I will be alright... Azrael's recklessness might be useful.'
She took a deep breath.
In a sudden moment, the lights on the dark subway vanished.
Seraphiel was calm, although things turned odd as the train begun to break violently, passengers standing up were thrown to the floor, their phones flung out of their hands in some cases.
People screamed in horror, questioning loudly if terrorists were attacking, some blamed north Korea, some screamed God.
People tried to get up from the floor... With the exception of Azrael, who was laughing while holding tightly onto the handles of the subway, violently swinging back and forth like a circus monkey.
Seraphiel was unbothered.
'About time.' She thought briefly. Her face was calm, although her heart undeniably begun to beat faster.
"Passangers - EVACUATE- Its-!"
The conductor screamed through the communication device.
Lucifer looked scared as she desperately turned her eyes to Seraphiel who didn't bother explaining and everyone else soon found themselves puzzled as a strange screen illuminated their vision.
Blue light flooded the dark cart.
But it wasn't a screen coming from a phone.
It was a square, a sea of blue light with bright white letters swimming on the surface.
__________
[Free Service of Planet No. 8612 has now ended.]
_____
People screamed, running against the walls as they were met with an electric shock as they attempted to break the windows.
__________
[Commencing Main Scenario.]
_____
Seraphiel remained unbothered, through Azrael rushed to the now empty seat, sitting to Seraphiel's right.
"Find something to kill with." Azrael whispered with a grin plastered atop their face. Showing the subway handle they gripped on their fist.
One that they would use to bash someone's skull into their brain.
Death was something normal, virtually meaningless to Azrael.
It wasn't a foreign idea to Seraphiel either as she moved her eyes around, trying to find a good object to facilitate the upcoming act.
It was too uncommon for trains to stop. People stood and banged on the door, only for it to eventually shock them.
But it was then that they saw something far more strange than a door that shocked them.
They saw something people thought of as a demon, a fairy or perhaps an angel.
'Too stupid to be a demon. Too evil to be an angel. Too unappealing to be a fairy.'
It was ridiculous for most. Unrealistic and something which could only be described as fiction.
"Dokkaebi." Lucifer muttered the name of the creature, perhaps it was common sense to her.
A pair of small horns. Wrapped in a bundle of hay, the strange, fluffy creature was floating in the air.
It materialized from a flame in the middle of the air, people ran from it in a hurry, falling over and screaming in horror.
'If they scream from that, I wonder how they would react to the true body of a seraphim.' Seraphiel grinned slightly at the thought. Though she once again became silent as she observed the situation quietly.
As soon as the scenario was given, Azrael would become more terrifying than a demon.
Azrael was warming up, stretching for what would come.
"(#&)^$)!*!$#%$@#%$" The dokkaebi spoke.
People were too silent and too horrified as it spoke in a tongue which not even the former archangels could understand.
"Shit - the Korean patch is finally working right - Ah..."
It begun to laugh manically..
"H-Hey! What the hell is this - Come on - Please just let us go-!"
"Is it a toy?"
"Is this a social experiment?"
People begun to draw their own conclusions.
They calmed down as the creature was undeniably cute.
"Social Experiment? No. Am I a toy? No! Will I let you go?... You have to earn that right."
The dokkaebi laughed as it snapped its fingers. Most were startled once again as they saw bright screen once more light up in front of them.
__________
[Channel #bi-7625 has opened..]
[The Constellations Are Entering the Channel.]
[The Main Scenario Has Arrived.]
_____
People stared at the onslaught of notifications. The dark cart turned bright as the windows eerily illuminated everything.
Main Scenario #1.
[Proof of Value]
Clear Conditions: Kill One or More Living Beings.
Category- Main. Difficulty- F.
Time limit- 30 Minutes.
Reward- 300 Coins.
Failure- Death.
Seraphiel and Azrael crossed gazes as they locked eyes for a moment.
Before the Dokkaebi could speak any more words, the solid handle was bashed loudly into the neck of a man as it was crushed. The man fell onto the floor as people turned horrified.
[You have killed one living being.]
[100 coins have been awarded as extra compensation.]
[You are the first to kill!]
[You've received 500 coins for the achievement.]
Azrael quickly opened the 'Attribute Window' and upgraded his strength by four levels and durability by two.
This doubled his resilience and quadrupled his original strength.
[A few constellations are showing interest in the Incarnation 'Azrael']
[200 Coins have been sponsored.]
Constellations entered the channel. They were aware of this.
Seraphiel was silent as she begun to think.
This cart had about 120 passengers.
'The scenario will give 100 coins per kill. This is about... 12,000 bonus coins...'
Azrael rushed to a horrified man and bashed his fist into the man's skull, killing him from blunt trauma immediately.
"Isn't life so beautiful? It ends so quickly." Azrael laughed lightly as he rushed to another man, placing his arms around him and crushing his ribcage and lungs.
[Various Constellations are interested in this philosophy!]
[300 Coins have been sponsored.]
People stood even more horrified and some begun to scream.
Azrael tossed the solid metal handle to Seraphiel as she caught it, holding it in her hand as she rushed to the mass of people, swinging it towards an old man as she dug it into his eye - But she didn't hear a notification.
She dug it further in, people screamed horrified and the man screamed in pain unable to reason with the unfolding events.
It was until she got her notification that she tried to dig it out of his skull - but it was too bloody. And blood was as thick as oil.
They dragged his corpse away too. While Azrael and Seraphiel had almost become like horrifying devils to them.
'This is strange. They aren't turning on eachother...? Never mind.'
She spotted people who were burried under their feet. They were moving away from them as if they were monsters.
Seraphiel begun to think..
'The best way to gather the support of constellations right now would be through being loud enough to catch their attention... Its a show...'
Seraphiel plastered a smile on her face, she begun to count the number of passengers out loud.
"113, 115, 116 - 117! Azrael!"
"Yo?" Azrael finished unbuckling a belt - which they would use as a murder weapon - as Azrael stood up and turned to Seraphiel.
She exclaimed, establishing her familiarity to the former Angel of Death to the constellations.
"There are 11,700 Coins sitting right here."
She said with a cold face, almost as if doing simple accounting.
[Various Constellations find you cruel!]
[The Constellation 'Abyssal Black Flame Dragon' is laughing.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is aware of your plot.]
[400 Coins have been sponsored.]
At that moment, Seraphiel had an idea.
'Why not monopolize the scenarios and extort constellations out of their money?... After all... Only I know the end of this world.'
Little did she know, another incarnation was thinking the exact same thing.
...