In a single instant, I managed to reach this place, ignoring every restriction Lucifer had imposed.
Then again, I expected nothing less from the divine skill I had obtained within the forbidden territory: Istra.
Now I stand directly before the gates of the Palace of Fallen Light.
The wails of dead souls echo all around the palace. Their endless screams mingle with the crack of whips as demons punish the sinners.
God constantly proclaims that humans are His most precious creations and that all of them are equal before Him.
Yet the longer I look upon this scene, the more convinced I become of His hypocrisy.
Of course, one could argue that they are sinners. That they brought this fate upon themselves.
But is it really that simple?
A person does not choose where they are born, who their parents will be, or what kind of society will surround them from their first days of life. Someone born among murderers, who has known nothing but cruelty since childhood, is hardly likely to become a saint with ease and choose the so-called righteous path.
For some, it seems, the road to Hell begins before they even have the chance to understand what good and evil truly are.
Of course, there are exceptions. Some are capable of recognizing the weight of their actions, repenting, and choosing another path.
But not everyone is destined to see the truth.
Then again, even I do not yet fully understand how this system works. Where does a person's own guilt end, and where does the guilt of the circumstances that shaped them begin?
There is no point dwelling on it now.
Perhaps one day, I will uncover the truth.
Suddenly, the palace gates before me slowly swung open.
Two dark silhouettes emerged from within.
I recognized them almost immediately, especially by the shape of their wings.
Shemhazah, former Archangel of Oaths.
Azazel, former Archangel of Forbidden Knowledge.
Two of the traitors who abandoned the Third Heaven alongside Lucifer.
Once, their names had been spoken with reverence throughout the Heavens.
Now, in the realm of Hell, they could be considered second and third only to Lucifer himself.
They stopped at the gates, silently staring straight at me.
"Look, Azazel. See who has come to pay us a visit," Shemhazah said with a smirk.
Azazel swept a mocking gaze over me.
"Why, if it isn't the esteemed Miguel, Archangel of Sincerity... Ah, my mistake. It's just the dog they cast out. I suppose you came here hoping we'd toss you a couple of bones."
So many centuries had passed, yet they had not changed in the slightest.
"My dear brothers, I am delighted to see you as well," I said with a smile. "Now, if you would be so kind... tell me, how would you like to die?"
Every second is precious. I have neither the time nor the desire to amuse myself with them.
I'll end this quickly.
Shemhazah burst into laughter.
"Ha-ha-ha... Brother, did you hear what this clown just said? He's threatening us. In our own territory!"
"This fool is simply looking for death," Azazel said with a sneer, exchanging a glance with him. "Let's kill him. The two of us will be more than enough."
They are severely underestimating me.
That will only make ending this battle quickly much easier.
Though I can understand why.
Like me, they are among the former Thirteen Archangels. Every archangel, with the exception of the top three, Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel, was considered roughly equal to the others in strength and ability.
If things had remained as they once were, the two of them truly could have defeated me. And Lucifer himself is here, not to mention the other fallen angels and demons.
But there is something they don't know.
After I infiltrated the forbidden territory of the Third Heaven and acquired knowledge and skills that should never have fallen into my hands, everything they once knew about my strength became meaningless.
Now, throughout all Three Heavens, there is only one being I know of whom I would rather not face in battle.
God.
They spread their black wings at the same time.
Countless long feathers trembled beneath the pressure of demonic power, and the air around us instantly grew heavy, as though Hell itself had sensed the battle drawing near.
For several moments, I silently watched them.
Then I allowed my own wings to slowly unfurl behind me.
"Since you came here of your own accord, Miguel, don't expect to leave this place alive," Shemhazah said with a smirk.
"Leave?" I repeated, tilting my head slightly. "How amusing you two are. I'll leave only after I've broken those hideous wings of yours."
The smile vanished from his face in an instant.
"Bastard."
The next second, thousands of feathers tore free from our wings at once.
With a piercing shriek, they ripped through the air, collided with one another, and scattered in every direction like a deadly hailstorm, smashing through cliffs, tearing open the earth, and piercing straight through anyone unfortunate enough to stand in their path.
I don't even know how many demons perished beneath that deadly downpour.
"Demonic Chains."
Shemhazah extended his hand.
The ground beneath my feet shuddered and split apart with crimson cracks. One after another, massive black chains covered in ancient inscriptions erupted from within.
They shot toward me from every direction and, in a single instant, coiled around my arms, legs, and wings, binding my entire body.
At that same moment, Azazel raised his palm toward the sky.
Above his head, demonic power rapidly condensed, taking the shape of a monstrous hand that blotted out the crimson sky of Hell.
"Demonic Hand of Ruin."
Shemhazah's chains left me unable to move.
The colossal hand came crashing down from above.
Impact.
Flash.
A deafening explosion tore through the surrounding lands, hurling stones, ash, and entire slabs of shattered earth into the air.
But an instant before the impact, I uttered a single word.
"Istra."
"Is that really all the two of you are capable of?" my voice rang out.
They both froze.
Then spun around.
I was hovering calmly several dozen meters behind them.
Beside me, one of the feathers I had scattered across the battlefield at the very beginning of the fight slowly drifted through the air.
For the first time, the arrogance on their faces cracked.
Shemhazah's eyes widened.
"T-that's impossible!.. When did you dodge it? How did you even escape my chains?!"
I glanced at the feather floating beside me.
"What ever made you think something so ridiculous could hold me?"
The faintest smirk appeared on my lips.