'This bastard if actually playing the fool!'
Null was tempted to give him a beating right then and there, but he stopped himself due to an unnerving feeling he had since his interaction with Azazel and the power the rulers of each realm have over their subjects.
'What if he hurts Ms. Florie before I can do anything to him,' Null's next move was to let the others know and act later, 'I can't let that happen. I don't even know the circumstances she's in.'
He still held onto hope that the radiant figure just had a bad personality, but that hope was slowly fading, and he did not know what to do about it.
"Wait! Could you let us see her first?"
For the fraction of a second, Null swore he saw the radiance of the figure flicker a sinister shade before returning to its blinding glow.
"Of course. She is the reason you came all this way for, right. Plus, you did me favor by getting rid of that nuisance."
They could not see the figure's face, but he was smiling eerily from ear to ear.
"Follow me," he waved them over.
Null made sure to scrutinize the vortex as it showed him that the location of Evangeline was somewhere below the mansion.
However, the way they were being led was above ground.
'I really should have prepared myself for this. That weird feeling I got from the fact that he imprisoned one of his own after they tried something against him was truly a warning for the current moment.'
After moving through some of the rooms, the radiant figure pointed towards a room and spoke, "The one that you are looking for should be in this room."
Edmond and the rest were stoked to enter the room and meet with Evangeline, but Null was having a hard time thinking the whole time.
'I have finally found you, my love. It took me years of crawling through the depths of the Demonic Realm fighting and killing just for this moment. I only hope that you understand.'
Edmond was the first to turn the knob of the door and he was greeted with a sight that nearly brought him to tears.
Her cascading blond hair threatened to reach the floor.
Her body was enveloped in a bright glow instead of clothing.
Her bright eyes shone with an angelic light purer than any star.
"Evangeline?"
Edmond asked as she looked slightly different much like he did with his demonic form.
"Is it really you? Edmond!"
She rushed to embrace her lover that found her even in their next life.
"We really made it after all this time!"
"I was expecting some kind of challenge before we got here."
"It really has been quite the journey so far."
'She's so beautiful. Becoming an angel just made her even more so.'
While the crew were rejoicing about the last member of the crew being reunited with her lover, Null's mind was in turmoil.
'You don't think Void could be wrong about the connection, do you Ego?'
Confused as to the reason for the question, Ego responded, 'Given that Void has a direct tie to the soul imprint of each soul connected to him, I'd say there's almost no way there would be an issue. Why? Is there something wrong?'
'It's just that the direction of the soul of Ms. Florie is somewhere beneath us. I have yet to have the reaction with the aura of her.'
'You don't mean...,' Ego was in shock.
The Creator seemed to see through the confines of Null's mind and sighed his typical sigh, 'It's time for you to come face to face with the nature of those that threaten the safety of those you hold close. How will you react I wonder?'
After the initial reaction from everyone was out of the way, the cunning eyes of Theef landed on Null as he had yet to react to the situation.
'He would usually say something at a time like this. What's his problem?'
As a quick-thinking problem solver, Theef knew that something was amiss with Null and it was not long before he connected the dots.
'Wait a second. Where's the glow of his aura? Didn't it always happen when he met one of his friends?'
Seeing the face Null was making also further confirmed his thoughts.
'Is this not her? But then why does she know the Devil of the group? There's something I'm not getting here. And why isn't Null saying something if there's something wrong?'
Theef's mind raced and he soon thought of the time Azazel almost killed Edmond upon getting the first traces of spiritual energy.
'Right. That scumbag must have set us up and is able to constantly surveil us if he has planted a wisp of consciousness in this fake. Should I just act normal then?'
He did not want to show that he found out about the truth, so he did just that and naturally gravitated towards Null while smiling, "That's the last one down! It's crazy to think we finally did it, eh Null?"
Null also did not want to make it known that he was in the know, so he smiled as well, "You're right!"
Theef continued, "I say you let Ego out to celebrate with us. What do you think?"
Null did not know why he would want Ego to celebrate as they had nothing to do with Evangeline, but he figured Theef was just enjoying the vibe.
"Why not? What do you think Ego?
In the next moment, Ego seeped out from Null and was all smiles as well, "I think this is the perfect time for a celebration!"
While they were doing their best despite knowing that something was very wrong, the fake in question was keeping an eye on the situation.
'It has truly worked, my lord. Your ingenuity knows no bounds.'
It was as Theef expected.
A wisp of consciousness was watching the situation through the fake's eyes and nodding in approval.
Meanwhile his real body was walking down the steps to a damp and dreary dungeon.
There, a chained angel was seen with a dim light surrounding her— a homage to how destitute her condition was.
"So, it seems your dearest really did come for you. I must admit it took me by surprise when I first saw him," the radiant figure grabbed the real Evangeline by the hair and yanked her head to face his.
"Too bad he fell for that substitute and is even having a celebration with her," the figure drew close to her and licked her tears.
"Hehehe. Hahaha! Now I'll make up an excuse to allow her to leave with them and I'll have your pure soul to enjoy for the rest of eternity!"
Too weak to even speak, Evangeline could only cry as her sorrows now grew upon hearing that her beloved had been tricked by this monster.
It had been a peaceful life the moment she was born inside of the Angelic Realm, but as the ruler of the realm had his wisps spread throughout the entirety of those under him, she was found out to be one of the purest souls to grace the plane.
Once she was found by the ruler, she was taken from her family under the guise of a chosen one for the ruler's keeping.
Having the utmost reverence among the angels, she was quickly ushered by her own loving parents to join the ruler as his chosen one.
"Become the lord's most esteemed follower," they said unknowing of the fate they were banishing their own to.
Little did they know that instead of learning by his teachings to become a significant presence among the angels, she would be chained inside of a dungeon becoming yet another plaything for their insufferable ruler.
When taken down to the dungeon's depths, Evangeline saw that she was not the first to be subjected to the torment that was to become her life.
She was beaten, starved, touched, kissed, licked, and defiled in all ways except deflowering.
She was told by the radiant ruler that she could pray all she wanted, but her prayers would be received by none other than himself.
And with the ability to read not just her prayers, but her thoughts, the ruler was ecstatic to see that she was hopeful that her beloved would come one day to free her and hold her in his arms.
'Ah yes! Hold on to your pitiful hope. It will only make your purity sweeter to the taste.'
It was in cruel taste that the one ruler could on one hand create a Devil and be more heinous than he and, on the other, placate the masses and teach them that their more vicious opposites were the ones to be feared.
No.
The only one to be feared was the true sinner in the entirety of the Hallowed Plane.
If not the Devil, then God.