In the stands on the demon side, Lucifer watched silently as Verrine's lifeless body lay in the arena. Her face wore a look of sadness that few had ever seen. Though the battle was over, Verrine's defeat was a reminder of the weight of her decisions.
—"Verrine..." —Lucifer murmured, with a slight sigh as he kept his gaze fixed on the sand.
On the angels' side, Sariel stood up from his seat with a cocky smile, clearly pleased with the outcome.
—"It's impossible for a filthy demon to defeat an angel. His defeat was inevitable from the beginning."
Miguel, with a more analytical stance, interrupted him, without taking his eyes off Zadquiel and Verrine .
—"Don't talk so fast, Sariel . That demon was overheated, that's why she was slower. If Zadquiel had taken just a tenth of a second to compress her, the result would have been very different. He would have been defeated."
Sariel frowned, but did not reply.
At that moment, a divine light descended upon the arena, bathing Zadquiel and Verrine in a warm, healing glow. God, in his infinite mercy, intervened to restore balance. Zadquiel 's wounds began to heal, his energy slowly restoring itself. At the same time, Verrine's body regained its vitality, and her breathing returned to normal.
Zadquiel , now standing and fully recovered, extended a hand towards Verrine as she slowly opened her eyes.
—"The scales do not allow anything to be out of place. Get up, Verrine."
Verrine accepted his hand, standing with dignity. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the weight of the battle was left behind.
"I accept my defeat, Zadquiel ," Verrine said sincerely, though her tone still showed her unwavering pride. "You were stronger, and I acknowledge that."
Zadquiel nodded, his expression more relaxed than before.
—"You were a worthy opponent, Verrine. I expected nothing less from someone like you."
For the first time in a long time, Zadquiel allowed himself a slight smile.
—"It was nice talking to you, though. Your perspective on justice and forgiveness... it made me think."
Verrine gave a light laugh, crossing her arms.
—"Does that mean you'll agree with me?"
"Not so fast," Zadquiel replied , a hint of humor in his voice. "But I admit there are things I could perhaps think about more."
The two walked together toward the stands, where observers on both sides greeted them with varying expressions of surprise, respect and, in some cases, disbelief.
Miguel watched as Zadquiel climbed up with Verrine at his side.
—"Sometimes I wonder if Zadquiel is too compassionate to be the angel of judgment."
Chamuel , sitting quietly, spoke for the first time.
—"Compassion is not weakness, Miguel. It is balance."
On the opposite side, Furcas quickly approached Verrine, clearly excited to see her recovered.
—"Miss Verrine! I knew it couldn't end like this."
Verrine looked at him with a tired but sincere smile.
—"I'm fine, Furcas. And even though we lost, we're not done. There's still a lot to do."
Lucifer finally stood up, his expression neutral, but with a gleam of respect in his eyes.
"Well done, Verrine," he said simply, before silently returning to his spot.
After God announced a recess, Theo and his friends, driven by curiosity, began to explore the surroundings. The place was vast and full of heavenly beauty, but what caught their attention was a garden with a fountain in the center. The crystal-clear water fell gently, creating a peaceful atmosphere that contrasted with the intensity of the combat arena.
"This place is amazing," Chloe commented, admiring the flowers that lined the path to the fountain.
When they reached the fountain, they noticed someone lying on the ground near it. It was an angel with short, dark hair, combed back, which enhanced his serious and determined expression. His face, with marked and masculine features, reflected authority, but there was something in his posture that contrasted with his solemn appearance. He seemed completely relaxed, as if the weight of his rank did not matter to him in the least.
Luna, intrigued, was the first to approach.
—"What are you doing here, angel?" he asked curiously.
The angel opened one eye lazily and then closed it again, answering in a calm and somewhat carefree voice.
—"I'm taking advantage of my temporary vacation."
Belial , who had been following the group, stopped when he heard her voice. His eyes lit up with recognition and some nostalgia.
—"It can't be... Uriel. How have you been?"
Theo looked at Belial in surprise .
—"Do you know this angel?"
Uriel, still not moving from his position, raised a hand in a lazy greeting.
—"Oh, Belial . It's been a while. I guess I'm... fine. You know, enjoying doing nothing."
Belial let out a light laugh, crossing his arms.
—"You're still just as relaxed. Do you ever do anything seriously?"
Uriel finally sat up, propping himself up on one elbow as he looked at Belial with a half-smile.
—"Hey, guarding the entrance to heaven is an important job, you know? But with the remarriage , my duties are on hold. Why not take a little break?"
Theo, intrigued, looked at Belial for an explanation.
—"Entrance to heaven? Is that your job?"
Belial nodded, still smiling.
—"Uriel is in charge of protecting the entrance to heaven. It is his duty to make sure that no unwelcome souls cross over. But, as you can see, he doesn't have much to do right now."
Uriel shrugged, his expression unconcerned.
—"What can I say? I like it when things are calm. Less drama, less work."
Belial raised an eyebrow, a mix of amusement and sarcasm.
—"You didn't join Lucifer's cause because you said it would be too much work, right?"
Uriel let out a small laugh and nodded lazily.
—"Exactly. A heavenly war, an endless conflict... No, thank you. I prefer my routine. Helping here and there when needed, but don't ask me to take sides. That sounds exhausting."
Belial turned to Theo, pointing at Uriel.
—"That's why, despite everything, he's still here. Uriel is powerful, but his laziness exceeds even his strength."
Uriel, unbothered by the comment, slowly stood up, stretching with a yawn.
—"I take that as a compliment, Belial . Besides, someone has to balance all this seriousness."
Theo couldn't help but smile at Uriel's relaxed attitude.
—"It's hard to imagine someone so carefree having such an important job."
Uriel winked at him.
—"The trick, young Theo, is that while it may seem like I'm doing nothing, I'm actually doing everything."
Belial shook his head, though his expression showed some admiration for the angel.
—"You always have an answer, right?"
The group stayed a moment longer in the garden, enjoying the calm that Uriel seemed to bring with him, before it was time to return to the rendezvous.
After Theo and Chloe left, leaving the garden quiet, Uriel remained lying by the fountain, one hand behind his head and the other tracing patterns in the grass. Belial , arms crossed, watched him with a mixture of exasperation and curiosity.
—"What is it, Belial ? Have you come to remind me that I'm too good to do anything useful?" Uriel asked, not bothering to stand, his voice laden with laziness.
Belial gave a derisive snort.
—"I wouldn't be surprised if you've forgotten what it means to be useful, Uriel. But this time, I have something more interesting to tell you."
Uriel opened one eye and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
—"Interesting... Well, that sounds like too much effort. But go ahead, surprise me."
Belial dropped his arms to his sides, impatient.
—"Do you know anything about who helped Moloch get me out of hell prison?"
Uriel slowly stood up, though his posture remained relaxed, as if the weight of the conversation didn't affect him.
—"And why do you think I would have anything to do with that?" he asked, yawning softly.
Belial leaned towards him, his tone laden with his typical arrogance.
—"Because you're Uriel. No matter how much you pretend to be disinterested, you're always aware of what's going on. And besides, Moloch told me that a hooded angel helped him enter the prison undetected. So... what do you know?"
Uriel scratched his chin, clearly unimpressed by the accusation.
—"A hooded angel? Sounds dramatic. But it's not me, Belial . I don't even have a hood... too hot."
Belial rolled his eyes.
—"I'm not saying it was you, Uriel. But I know someone in heaven is pulling the strings. After they captured me, they started calling for my execution. This is all too calculated. Someone is behind this, and I'm going to find out who."
Uriel was silent for a moment, looking at the sky with a distant expression. Finally, he sighed and dropped back onto the grass.
—" Ugh ... This sounds like a lot of work. But I guess I can't just let someone cause chaos and force me to intervene later. That would be even worse."
Belial raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms with a smirk.
—"So you're going to help me just to save yourself the effort of dealing with the consequences?"
Uriel smiled lazily and nodded.
—"Exactly. It's a strategic move, you know? Less drama means more time to rest. Plus, it's always fun to watch you get frustrated when things don't go your way."
Belial let out a sarcastic laugh.
—"Of course. I can't wait to see how your brilliant strategy involves me doing all the work while you just lay back here."
Uriel shrugged.
—"Well, you can't be perfect at everything, right?"
Belial looked at him with a mix of disbelief and amusement.
—"You are the laziest angel I have ever met."
—"And yet , here I am. Now, tell me, where do we start?"
Belial let out a sigh of resignation, though a slight smile formed on his face.
—"For now, start using those eyes of yours to find out what's going on in the sky. If someone is behind this, we'll find out."
Uriel nodded slowly, as if even that gesture were an effort.
—"Okay, but don't expect me to rush. Good leads take time, and I'm not the type to rush."
Belial shook his head, but this time without sarcasm. There was something about Uriel's relaxed attitude that, while it irritated him, he also found... reliable, in its own way.
Belial watched Uriel with a mix of exasperation and curiosity as he continued to lie by the fountain, looking as relaxed as if there were no worries in the world.
—"You know, Uriel, I have a hard time understanding how someone so selfless ended up involved in something like the relationship. Why are you participating?"
Uriel raised a finger in the air, as if asking her to wait as he yawned and settled back on the grass.
—"Because I was told to, obviously. And, well, the options weren't exactly exciting. This, or spending hours listening to the heavenly council talk about rules and punishments." —He paused, looking up at the sky with a lazy smile—. "I chose the option that seemed the least boring."
Belial gave a short laugh, crossing his arms.
—"That sounds like something you'd do. But even for you, participating in the relationship seems like too much effort."
Uriel shrugged, not even looking at her.
—"Maybe it is, but here I am. Sometimes you have to move to be left alone."
Belial watched him in silence for a moment, before asking another question.
—"And how is your brother lately?"
Uriel paused, his eyes slowly closing as if he were considering whether to answer.
"Same as always," he said at last, in a tone of utter indifference. "He doesn't change. Always perfect, always stunning. You know him, don't you?"
Belial nodded slowly, though there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes.
—"Yes, I know him. But I didn't expect you and him to be so different."
Uriel let out a light laugh, glancing sideways at Belial .
—"Different is an understatement. We're complete opposites. He's all discipline, work, and perfection. I prefer..." —she made a broad gesture, indicating his relaxed posture—. "This."
Belial crossed his arms, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
—"So, they don't even talk to each other?"
—"Why bother? We've never gotten along. And honestly, it's easier this way. Less drama."
Belial rolled his eyes and changed the subject, his tone becoming more inquisitive.
—"You know your brother is also going to participate, right?"
Uriel raised an eyebrow, amused.
—"Of course. It wouldn't be a relationship without him, would it? They always have to put him at the center of everything."
Belial gave a short, dry laugh.
—"I suppose there is no one more suitable. After all, Metatron is the strongest angel."
Uriel slowly sat up, looking at her with a slight smile.
—"Of course he is. He is my brother, after all."
The air seemed to stand still for an instant. Belial showed no surprise, but his comment was casual enough to stun the reader who had not expected such a connection.
—"And that bothers you?" —Belial asked , curiously.
Uriel sighed, lying back down.
—"It doesn't bother me, but I don't care either. As long as it doesn't interfere with me, everything is fine."
Belial shook his head, with a sarcastic smile.
—"Always so carefree. I wonder if anything will ever affect you, Uriel."
"I hope not," he replied with a lazy smile. "It's exhausting."
The atmosphere in the stands was charged with anticipation as spectators waited for the announcement of the next fighters. When God's voice resounded, everyone fell silent.
—"Let the fighters come forward for the next fight."
On the angels' side, a man began to slowly descend towards the sand. His long, curly, dark hair fell to his shoulders in defined waves, framing his face in an imposing manner. He was wearing a modern shirt and jeans, an unexpected outfit for an angel, but one that did not detract from his seriousness. It was Remiel.
—"That's Remiel..." —Theo murmured from the stands, intrigued.
Chloe tilted her head, watching the angel intently.
—"He has a... different appearance. He almost looks like someone you might see on Earth."
"Don't underestimate him," Sariel commented from the angels' side, crossing her arms confidently. "Remiel is a strategist and one of the most calculating among us. His appearance may be modern, but his skill is as ancient and sharp as any."
From the opposite side, a man began to descend with a completely different presence. It was Zagan , the sin of greed. His dark brown hair, slightly disheveled, fell in locks that framed his face, while a ponytail tied to one side gave him a relaxed and distinctive air. His confident and mischievous smile contrasted with the solemn atmosphere.
His red cape fluttered lightly as he walked, and his dark uniform seemed designed for both elegance and functionality. In the center of his chest, a blue gem shone brightly, like a badge highlighting his position among the demons.
—"Is it Zagan ?" Belial asked with a mix of disbelief and amusement.
Furcas, sitting nearby, nodded quickly.
—"Yes, it's him. Always so flashy. That cloak of his must be the most valuable thing he has, and I wouldn't be surprised if he stole it from somewhere."
Belial rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly.
—" Zagan may be many things, but don't underestimate him. He is the sin of greed, and if he is motivated by anything, it is the desire to gain more... of everything."
"This will be interesting," Lucifer murmured from his spot, watching Zagan with a faint smile. "A duel between a calculating strategist and a demon who always has a trick up his sleeve."
In the arena, both fighters stood still, staring at each other as silence fell over the place.
Remiel tilted his head slightly, studying his opponent calmly.
—" Zagan , the sin of greed. I didn't expect to face someone like you so soon."
Zagan smiled confidently, running a hand through his hair as he spoke in a carefree tone.
—"Someone like me? Come on, Remiel, that almost sounds like a compliment. But don't worry, I'll make this fight memorable for you."
Remiel didn't react to the comment, maintaining his composure.
—"Your reputation precedes your words, Zagan . Let's see if you can back them up."
Zagan let out a small laugh and adjusted his cloak, letting his blue gem reflect the light.
—"Oh, believe me, words are just the beginning."
In the stands, Theo watched the interaction with interest.
—"They both seem confident, but in such different ways."
God, from on high, raised a hand and declared in a solemn voice:
—"Let the second fight begin."