"I know you underestimate Belzebuth, but in the upper planes, he's rather known for surpassing his father's power," Uriel declared, absentmindedly biting the tip of his index finger.
Linfer fixed him with a skeptical gaze, slightly furrowing his brows. Uriel always had this dubious habit. Yet, he merely shook his head with weariness.
"And what do you propose we do?" he asked, his voice tinged with doubt.
'And so, he's powerful, but what will he do when I obtain my Blue Flame?'
While the Crimson Flame was recognized for its destructive and healing nature, the Blue Flame was renowned for its relentless character, capable of burning not only matter but also energy, annihilating elemental affinities themselves.
Uriel, oblivious to Linfer's thoughts, took a deep breath, offering his perspective. "Belzebuth is indeed powerful, but his invincibility lies in his domain..."
Linfer interrupted him, his piercing eyes fixing on Uriel. "The Army of the Immortals, isn't it?"
"Exactly," Uriel confirmed with a satisfied smile.
Linfer shrugged, feigning indifference. "I have my Wendigos too. It's not that impressive."
Uriel shook his head gently, his smile widening. "Your Wendigos are still alive, they have their physiological needs. Granted, they're deprived of free will, but fundamentally, they don't differ from mere mortals. What sets Belzebuth's soldiers apart is that they're already dead."
Uriel, his gaze still serious, continued. "It's enough to rip out their heart or shatter their head to control a Wendigo. This prevents them from regenerating. But the soldiers of the immortal army... They don't regenerate, they recreate themselves." His tone became darker, and he murmured, almost to himself. "Which makes Belzebuth's domain nearly impregnable."
A heavy silence settled in.
"Tss, he's just a coward. He hides behind his army."
Uriel burst into laughter. "If only you knew, Prince. In no way is he a coward. If he had truly decided to conquer the underworld... His passivity is our greatest blessing."
Uriel then moved closer, reducing the distance between them, and whispered with a mysterious gleam in his eyes. "Prince Vamp, if brute force fails, there are other means."
Linfer observed him in silence, his fingers softly tapping on the armrest of his chair. "Hmm... so tell me, how do we defeat him?"
An enigmatic smile formed on Uriel's lips as he straightened up, his golden eyes shining with icy confidence. "I'm one of the few with the potential to defeat him, Prince."
Linfer let the silence linger, sizing up Uriel with his gaze before straightening up himself. "Alright. Then let's begin."
...
Eventually, Linfer realized that it was impossible to steal the Blue Flame with Minerva's blood. Unlike Luna, who possessed the Crimson Flame in her blood and soul, Minerva's Blue Flame existed only in her soul. Apart from a power gain, Linfer obtained no other ability.
Shortly after, he met other Elysians from the South, nicknamed the Archangels, including Luciel. However, he learned nothing important about his mother or his supposed brother, as he had hoped. And he didn't inform Luciel that they could be brother and sister. After all, it served no purpose, and besides Uriel, all the others had prejudices against an Inferno, which was quite justified in his case. While Luciel was more subtle, Raphael openly displayed his aversion. And as a result, the alliance between Linfer and Uriel had improved. They weren't friends yet, but a mutual respect had settled in. Which, for someone as narcissistic and proud as Linfer, was already a big step.
Over the years, Linfer noticed the massive arrival of Elysians, not only powerful ones from the South like Ezekiel, Morael, and Tzakiel, but also hundreds of others. The situation was similar in the North. As for the demons (Elysians of the North), the sudden arrival of Asmodé, Adramelec, and Merihem, led by Astaroth, surprised Leviathan, who found himself alone. It wasn't that he couldn't face them, but a battle would have caused enormous collateral damage to his territory. So, he called upon his childhood friend and brother-in-arms, Tertius.
Meanwhile, people like Alderbaran remained passive, playing the goddess in the shadows with their subjects, while Belzebuth... as usual: did nothing.
Lilith, disconcerted, found herself facing Linfer and his army of around ten thousand Wendigos.
"Linfer... What does this mean?" she asked, confused.
"First of all, stop calling me Linfer. For you, it's Prince Vamp," he replied coldly.
Zitish, arms crossed, still in her armor, raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"You... you're not serious about telling me to return to Astaroth?!
Linfer gave Uriel a disapproving glance.
"You see? I told you to kill her. Now she's wasting our precious time," he grumbled.
"What?!," Lilith exclaimed, shocked.
Linfer sighed as he stepped forward towards her. Lilith backed away, but he easily grabbed her by the throat.
"Listen to me well, slut. Thank Uriel for pleading for you, otherwise, I would have killed you already," he said, licking his lips.
"You're of no use to me anymore. Either you leave, or I kill you. You don't really have a choice, so make up your mind quickly."
"But..." Lilith's red eyes shone slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Linfer. He knew what it meant.
Lilith didn't have time to respond, as Linfer tightened his grip. Tears streamed down her eyes. She felt betrayed, humiliated. Astaroth didn't care that she had cheated on him, and she, who had put her faith in an Inferno, found herself saved by her rivals. In the end, it was a total dishonor. What would he say to her father: that she had surrendered to an Inferno who had abandoned her without any remorse.
Linfer suddenly released her. Lilith fixed him with eyes burning with anger.
"You bastard! You'll pay for this..."
"Shh~," Linfer placed a finger on her lips to silence her.
"Don't say things that will force me to kill you. You're excellent in bed. It would be a shame for Astaroth to miss out on that," he added with a mocking smile, before turning his attention to Nestia. "You have the guard of the Domain in my absence."