But understanding didn't alleviate the situation; Azazel had no intention of a mutual demise with the two angels.
He could already feel the sharp tip of the sword, the steel lightly caressing his throat, slowly penetrating, as blood seeped from the wound.
Abruptly, all the pressure disappeared.
Azazel collapsed onto the ground, heaving for breath. When he looked up, he saw something repeatedly piercing Saint Laurence's head.
"Who's that? Stop stabbing already; his head's beyond recognition," Azazel said once he had gathered enough strength to speak.
A small red devil emerged from behind Saint Laurence, scratching his head. "It's me, Ganzaleth, Lord Azazel, Lord Valis. Allow me to reintroduce myself—I am the minor devil Ganzaleth. From this day forward, I am your faithful servant."
The little devil Ganzaleth, whom Azazel had kicked away, hadn't gone far. At the moment he was sent flying, Ganzaleth realized his ruse had been uncovered. But he was unwilling to just leave, for the first layer of Hell was now behind enemy lines, and angels delighted in exterminating a powerless, not particularly evil little devil. Thus, Ganzaleth needed a protector. Despite his distaste for taking orders, life was precious, especially in such perilous times. So he returned to the battlefield's edge, invisible, to watch from a distance.
Though timid, an invisible devil takes pleasure in striking foes with their scorpion-like tails, especially from behind.
Ganzaleth hesitated for a long time before choosing the right moment to strike.
Thus, Ganzaleth slew Saint Laurence, saving the two men.
Azazel certainly wouldn't be grateful, not here in Hell. If you thanked someone for saving your life, you'd be ripe for exploitation. There are no heroes here to unsheathe their swords and right the wrongs for honor alone. The devils of Hell would gladly respond, "Everything! Your everything is the repayment," and then squeeze you dry.
Having become a devil and swiftly adapted to devilish ways, Azazel's mindset quickly aligned with the infernal realm. It would've been fine if Ganzaleth hadn't mentioned saving their lives, but if he did, the response would surely be, "You saved me? Did I ask you to? No. So, your rescue was voluntary, wasn't it? Then quit your whining."
So Azazel knew exactly what to say. His face showed no joy at having narrowly escaped death; instead, he sneered, "You dare come back? You claim to be my servant? I remember someone once said to me," Azazel mimicked the voice of "Muscle Blade Ganzaleth," "'Second! The strong rule the weak. So I rule over you.' That's what you told us, isn't it? My memory is accurate, isn't it?"
"Yes, absolutely right. Lord Azazel, you are indeed wise and mighty, your memory is impeccable, that damned memory. I did say that, didn't I? The strong rule the weak, and a powerful devil like you naturally rules over me. I have no objections to your rule, praise be to the great Seven Hells, to be governed by Azazel!"
Azazel stood up, waving his long sword, "Stop your nonsense. I said the strong rule the weak, so I rule over you. That phrase isn't..."
Before Azazel could finish, Ganzaleth had already knelt. He prostrated himself on the ground, "Merciful Lord Azazel, I accept your rule. Your power terrifies me. Just the thought of you makes me shudder. You are my eternal master, and I am loyal to you." He crawled to Azazel's feet and began fervently kissing his shoes.
Azazel took a deep breath and sheathed his sword, "Alright, I like you. Ganzaleth, stand up."
"Thank you for your generosity, my lord," Ganzaleth said as he hastily stood.
"Hey, you can't do this. This scoundrel deceived all of us, and he even had the nerve to order me around," Valis stood up, protesting. "This trickster only wants shelter, as always. If you agree to take him in, won't he have succeeded again?"
"Hey! Watch your attitude, virgin!" Azazel raised his voice in challenge.
"What's wrong with my attitude?" Valis retorted with widened eyes. "And stop calling me a virgin!"
"Look at you, that's the attitude. Is that how you speak to your superior? Aren't you a virgin? Accept the truth, virgin!" Azazel scoffed, pointing at the little devil, "Look at yourself, then look at Ganzaleth. Learn something!"
Upon hearing this, Ganzaleth immediately knelt again and resumed his shoe-kissing. "My adoration for Lord Azazel is, of course, wholehearted and pure, without a single impurity. I revere you so deeply, but you can't expect others to meet my high standards. Not everyone is as ambitious as I am, not everyone understands you as fully as I do. When I first saw you with tears in your eyes arriving in Hell, I knew you were the hope of this realm. Why were you crying? Because you're filled with emotion for Hell!"
"Oh, that's revolting," Azazel and Valis said in unison.
After a moment, Azazel added, "But I must admit, I quite enjoy it."
"What are you all doing?" Not far off, Falling Star got up from the ground, looking at the three unscathed men in surprise before walking over with one hand on her head and the other on her back, wincing in pain. "My head hurts, teammates. Oh, the Seven Hells, it's so good to see you're all okay. I'm really happy. I must clarify, it wasn't my intention to attack you; why would I do that? The problem is that damned angel wasn't dead, and he threatened me with his sword from behind, forcing my hand. Are you all alright? Oh heavens, the angel hit me on the back of my head, and it really hurts. But strangely, my butt hurts too, as if it's been stepped on by an elephant."
It wasn't stepped on; it was sat on by me, quite soft, my bottom was very comfortable. Of course, Azazel couldn't reveal this truth, so he decided to change the subject.
"Do we look alright to you?" Azazel gestured to himself and Valis. "Look at him, he's badly hurt, and his woman just ran away! His heart is in pain."
"Oh, poor thing," Falling Star's feminine instincts no longer focused on her buttock, which felt as if it had been trampled by an elephant. A tragic love triangle was unfolding before her, and nothing else could divert her attention.
Valis looked at Azazel, "I am indeed badly hurt. I thought you'd mention the wounds on my back."
"Of course, that's hurt too, but while wings can regrow, the wounds of the heart are forever irreparable."
Falling Star sneakily glanced at the ashen-faced Valis; she dared not mock him as Azazel did. And due to her feminine nature, she found Valis pitiable, thinking it too cruel to mock a heartbroken angel. Now, among those present, only Azazel had the audacity and mood to tease the Archangel.
Thus, Falling Star decided to divert the topic to prevent Valis's wrath from affecting others. She asked, "So, who is this angel? He looks so pitiful."
Her question was two-fold: the first part was an inquiry, though Falling Star already knew the answer—female angels had left, leaving only a male. The second part was a sincere exclamation.
Saint Laurence was indeed pitiful, his head so mutilated that even his fiancée wouldn't recognize him if she returned. His chest was pierced by the golden cross, and his body was riddled with many small wounds, a ghastly sight to behold.
"Yes, he's even more pitiful than Valis," Azazel said somberly.
Valis felt heavy-hearted looking at such a corpse, "This guy was tough. How could he be so strong? It's as if he would never die. He's really... truly pitiful. A warrior's corpse shouldn't be treated like this."
Azazel nodded with empathy, "There's nothing we can do; we are evil, they are righteous. For evil to defeat righteousness, it must be this difficult. I also feel that treating such a brave warrior's body like this is disrespectful."
"Do you think he might suddenly stand up?" Valis asked nervously, drawing his sword.
Azazel drew his blade as well, "Hard to say. Righteous folks always do things beyond common sense."
"Then what am I waiting for?" Valis approached Saint Laurence and severed his head. Azazel followed suit, cutting off Saint Laurence's legs.
"Is this how you respect a warrior's body? He's already suffered enough," Falling Star asked, puzzled.
The two men exchanged glances, wondering what to say. Admitting they were afraid the dead body might come back to life would seem cowardly.
Valis explained, "We are, uh, actually we are... Azazel, since we're supposed to respect the body of a warrior, why do this? You explain to Miss Falling Star."
Azazel's answer was simple: "Hobby!"
"Hobby?" Falling Star, Valis, and Ganzaleth all asked simultaneously.
However, Valis quickly scratched his head and awkwardly clarified, "I mean, hobby, not a question, an affirmation. Yes, it's a hobby. We just love doing this. Ha-ha, it's exhilarating. You know, I've wanted to do this since Heaven, thought about it for a long time, and today I finally got my wish."
"Right! We love desecrating corpses, especially the bodies of warriors; it gives a special thrill. Isn't that right, Valis?"
Valis managed a strained smile, "Yes, yes. Desecrating... desecrating corpses brings me joy."
Falling Star took a sharp intake of breath, "Your hobbies are quite unique, um, but I can understand, really, I can." Perhaps in a few millennia. The cloaked mage turned away.
Ganzaleth, however, was in tears, prostrating himself on the ground, trembling, "Such evil, Lord Azazel, your evil makes me quiver, your malevolence moves me to tears. To witness this scene, to see such evil, I am overwhelmingly blessed. To think that the Archangel who just recently encountered Lord Azazel has become so wicked, a newly fallen Archangel, Lord Azazel, your evil is magnificent."
Azazel sheathed his blade, patting Valis's shoulder, "Alright, truth be told, I didn't expect you to enjoy this as well. Since that's the case, I won't deprive you of your pleasure. Enjoy yourself!"
Leaving Valis alone, he continued to hack away at Saint Laurence's body.
Years later, when people spoke of Azazel's chief lieutenant, the Fallen Angel Valis, they would say, "Did you hear? The Corpse Abuser Valis did this and that again."
His notoriety even reached Mount Celestia, where a righteous angel once confronted Valis, "Do you find pleasure in desecrating corpses? You freak, how did Heaven ever produce someone like you!"
Enraged, Valis quickly dispatched the foolish angel, chopping the body into mincemeat in his fury. By the time he calmed down, it was too late.
Thus, the infamous Corpse Abuser Valis's name echoed throughout the multiverse.
But of course, that's a story for another time.