Astaroth was still screaming curses, but stopped when Raphael finally released Leo. He spoke, saying, 'we can decide this fight formally.'
'How so?' Astaroth was still venting her breaths through her teeth, black sludge flowing down her chin like the froth of a rabid animal.
'Heaven's Colosseum. You surely have someone in there you've given your support to.'
'I do not, surprisingly, but you've piqued my interest enough to do it.'
'Then let them be the one to decide. If your choice is strong enough, I'm sure they'll meet with Leo eventually and we can let a fair match finish this fight. Besides, you and I both know that not even Lucifer would not tolerate the idea of an archdemon killing a child from Heaven.'
Astaroth clicked her tongue, which sounded more akin to a snapping bone than anything. 'You make a good argument. Alright, I shall choose my own combatant from here, and grow them through the trials of the colosseum to kill yours. The death of a child from Heaven will ultimately give me so much more influence than what I already wield.' She licked her lips like she was going to eat Leo rather than have him killed. 'If he dies in the colosseum to my warrior, then his soul is mine. You'll have to worry about the details with God, if that happens.'
Raphael was quiet. He didn't verbally agree, but nodded instead. In all of this, Leo didn't get his say once again, and that only made him more furious than before. He stowed it for now, but couldn't promise that he would hold back when he was next alone with Raphael.
'You may leave.' Astaroth gestured to the gates which burned away slowly. 'However, I look forward to seeing you back here, Leo. You will be my own personal soul to torture.'
The cold tunnel didn't feel so terrible the second time they passed through. Mostly due to the conversation Leo was harrying Raphael with.
'So, before you throw me into something again without explanation, what's the deal with this colosseum? Why does it exist? Why do you want me to enter? Give me one good reason I shouldn't go finish my fight with Astaroth and take Hazel back by force.' For a moment, it seemed Leo was taller than Raphael, but the archangel recollected himself to answer.
'To explain simply, the design of Heaven was found imperfect. Sure, humans could leave their past behind and live in bliss there, but there are more beings than just humans. Many of the demons and angels wanted a pastime to keep any boredom with their tasks at bay. So, one of the six archdemons by the name of Belphegor devised some simple entertainment in the form of a colosseum. At first, it was a place for angels and demons to take out their frustrations on each other, but it wasn't long before demons started picking out some of the worst humans and secretly entering them into the colosseum.' Raphael's wings shivered a little as he spoke. 'The games became more elaborate, and soon enough, the colosseum became a place filled with humans battling for survival in the many games its conductors devised.'
Leo turned the polearm in his hands, swinging it to quell his need to fidget. 'Does anyone get a choice?'
'Most don't.' Raphael's reply came swiftly and cold as rime. 'I've caught wind of angels choosing righteous fighters to enter, and they're the only ones I can say for sure get a choice.'
'And me?'
'Ah…' Raphael pressed his hands together, breathing once and deeply. 'Of course you get a choice. I do not blame you if you don't join, but I want to add one more thing before you decide.' He traced the air and left behind a symbol made of lightning. It was shaped in an endless loop, an infinity symbol. 'The entire group of designers set a vault in the very bottom of the tower. Inside is supposed to be two things: a wish to be granted and the power of a möbius.' The symbol sparked and burst into glittering bolts of light that faded. 'What exactly a möbius does is a mystery, but Belphegor said it has the power to render existence as mouldable as clay.'
Leo cocked his head at Raphael, ready to pry into the archangel's motives, but the being spoke first.
'You can see where this is going–I want to use that power to right the wrongs in Heaven. I want people to remember their pasts, and have a chance to at least meet their fallen loved ones in Hell every so often. Naturally, the wish goes to you.'
'And I can wish for Hazel to be in Heaven with me.' Leo finally relaxed, imagining the improved paradise the two of them could make. 'And I guess an archangel entering the colosseum is really bad?'
'Absolutely. That is one of the few rules in that place. Neither the seven archangels, nor the six archdemons can set foot beyond the places one can watch.'
'Alright.' Leo slammed the blunt end of his weapon into the floor, making it spark. 'Let's go.'
Passing through Heaven without drawing attention had its own challenges, and they almost made it to their destination. If only it weren't for simple chance. Clearly someone out there had decided they would mess with the straightforward plans of this human and angel.
'Leo!' cried a familiar voice. A man with layered and braided brown hair came running from a nearby stream of living water. Harvey, Leo's closest human friend since coming to heaven, was a nice enough guy. Sometimes though, he seemed to not have anything better to do than follow Leo around.
Thankfully, the lightning polearm was returned to wherever it had originally came from, but that didn't mean the bits of hellish ash had vanished from Leo's clothes.
'Sorry Harvey,' Leo said with hands raised. 'I really have to go. Raphael is taking me to… a special…' His mind completely blanked.
'Prayer session!' Raphael said a little too loudly. 'God has called upon Leo to pray in a special upper room.' He made a gesture with his hands that looked more like pleading than praying.
'Oh,' Harvey seemed to deflate. 'Okay.'
Leo felt terrible, but it was so much easier than he expected. He bowed to Harvey, then made a speedy escape with Raphael. He wasn't quite sure, but he could have sworn he heard Harvey mutter behind them, 'see you there.'