Chapter 7

Upon sensing Abaddon’s raised energy levels, the four stationed-Archangels took flight, rushing to the scene. Flying in formation, they zoomed towards the site but were suddenly stopped as Baltoh appeared before them with a stony expression on his face and sword in hand.

Raphael drew his claymore and pointed it at him. “What the Hell are you doing, Baltoh?”

“I’m sorry, but I cannot let you pass,” he said softly, raising his arm and holding his sword to his side.

Growling, Michael materialized his sword as well. “You bastard! I knew that you were no better than they were! You’ve been on the Demons’ side since the beginning!”

Baltoh bit his lip and looked at Rosemary, who had a very tense and guarded look on her face but curiosity in her eyes. “No, I am not on the Demons’ side. They are holding the woman I love, and in return for her safe return, I must keep you from interfering. Do not hold it against me, for I am doing this only to get her back.”

“One human is not worth the whole world!” Michael yelled, shooting towards Baltoh with his sword raised. He swung his sword diagonally, aiming for his neck, but Baltoh calmly reached out and caught it with his bare hand as if Michael were just a child swinging his teacher’s meter ruler.

“She is to me.”

He drew back his sword and plunged it into Michael’s chest, right below the heart. The sword burst out his back and Michael vomited a huge splatter of blood. The other Archangels stared in shock at the merciless wound and then gasped as Baltoh ripped his blade free, tearing out strips of Michael’s flesh that were stuck on the serrations and gut-hook. For the second time, Michael was thrown back, critically wounded with blood streaming from his mouth.

“That should show you how dedicated I am to saving Selene,” he said darkly, swinging his sword to splatter off the blood.

Across the city, in five key points where the symbols had been drawn, Bile, Shama, Dagon, Midgard, and Nergal all slammed their hands on the ground, having sensed the signal from Abaddon. “Demon Art: Inferno Abyss Summoning!”

“Angel Art: Saint Beckon! All Angels close in on the six Demon locations, stop their spells at all cost!” Gabriel cast, using the spell to contact all the Angels in New York while Raphael caught Michael and began healing his wound. “Angel Art: Crusaders Cathedral Summoning,” Baltoh said, snapping his fingers. Down below them, a nearby building shattered as a new structure was built in its place, a massive cathedral built solely out of a single piece of marble. The windows of the grand church were all colored and ornately arranged to form collages of saints, made with inhuman skill and glistening brighter and more brilliantly than a rainbow made of gems. Above the great oak doors was a rose window, made of glass mixed with gold and silver to form a sun surrounded by stars. The roof of the cathedral was adorned with statues of Angels, all in poses of prayer or charity, and the bell tower was decorated with statues of Archangels, all standing resolute with their swords in hand but resting with the tips on the ground, as if they were waiting for battle. At the very top of the tower was a clay dove, holding an olive branch in its beak.

Not even seeing the cathedral, the people in the street and nearby buildings fled at the original structure’s collapse. Slowly, the doors opened and Angels streamed out, confused at the sudden change of scenery. The Crusading Cathedral worked on Angels in the same way the Conjuring Necropolis worked on Gargoyles, teleporting them from across one plain of existence to help whoever had summoned the cathedral. In this case, all the Angels that were on their way to try and stop the Demons had now been teleported to the scene of the battle.

Baltoh pointed his hand at them. “Angel Art: Rosary Restraints.” Countless chains of rosary beads were shot down at the Angels, tying them all up so that they could not leave and attack the Demons. “I’m sorry, but I cannot let any of you pass. I must do everything I can to keep Selene safe, even if that means taking part in the end of world.”

“You bastard!” Gabriel yelled, creating his sword and about to charge.

“Wait,” Rosemary said, putting her hand on Gabriel’s shoulder to stop him. “Baltoh, you understand that we cannot just sit idly by while the Demons try to destroy the earth, and I understand that you can’t just sit by while the woman you love is killed because we interfered. Neither you nor us can be convinced to abandon the duty beset upon us, so let’s stop arguing and fight as we are meant to, each trying to protect what we hold dear, with each cause equal in worthiness!” she said with painful resolve in her voice. Holding out her hand, Rosemary brought forth her broadsword into existence. “From this point on, there is no more judgment. You will hold nothing against us and we will hold nothing against you. We fight with honor, using only our swords, not our words.”

“Thank you,” Baltoh whispered, preparing for their attack.

Both Archangels flew towards him and brought their swords down towards his head, but he blocked them with his own with little effort. His tail suddenly jerked, reaching out and knocking aside Raphael who had tried a sneak attack from behind. With his face downcast, Baltoh easily pushed Gabriel and Rosemary back, then delivered a deep slash across their stomachs and sent them tumbling down out of the air.

Hitting the ground, Rosemary quickly cast a healing spell on herself. While her flesh and clothes stitched themselves back together, she looked back up at Baltoh, who’s eyes were still hidden by his hood, even as he turned and smacked aside a divinity ray from Michael with his sword.

‘Why do you not meet our gaze? Are you afraid to look upon us, or afraid of us looking upon you?’ Rosemary thought to herself as she took to the air. “Angel Art: Halo Discus!” She pulled a chain of halos from the one above her head and throwing them at him.

“Demon Art: Tombstone Shield,” Baltoh said in little more than a whisper.

A table-sized grave marker appeared before him, acting as a barrier and catching all the thrown halos. Baltoh then turned around, lazily blocking a frenzy of stabs and slashes from Gabriel as if he were moving in slow motion.

“Demon Art: Dark Shackles.” From the metal band around his wrist, several bladed chains shot forth like a thrown net and wrapped around Gabriel, sending him plummeting back to the street.

‘Why do you fight us now with so much shame when you have shown no hesitation in striking down an Archangel before? Why do you overpower us so easily, but fight like you haven’t slept in three days?’ Rosemary pondered as Michael got back up and fired a barrage of Feather Arrows at him.

Baltoh wrapped himself in his wings, completely unaffected by the attack. Rosemary shot forward with white flames streaming up her sword, increasing the cutting power. Baltoh opened up his defenses to block her attack, deflecting the strike with a lazy swing of his sword, still keeping his face cast in shadow. Moving silently, Raphael attacked from behind. Like Rosemary, his sword was burning with white flames, increasing the penetrating power so that it could break even Baltoh’s skin.

He plunged the sword into the hybrid’s back, lodging the tip in the solid muscle but unable to go in past the ribs. Baltoh shook only from the impact but showed no response to it, as if he hadn’t even felt the blade pierce his flesh. Instead, he pointed his finger at Rosemary with a black sphere of energy charging at the tip of his claw. “Demon Art: Abyss Blast.” He murmured, blasting her pointblank with a dense eruption of shadow energy that was so large in diameter that it completely consumed her.

She was thrown out of the sky, her flesh badly burned and smoke billowing from the singed fabric of the remains of her outfit. ‘Why do you show remorse, but not pain? Why do you finally let us strike you, but act more like you wanted it? Are you trying to block our attacks or punish yourself? Do you even know?’

Baltoh quickly turned around towards Raphael, pulling the sword from his hand with his own sword raised. He brought the jagged blade down, cutting a vertical line down that sliced off his wing, his arm, and his leg. Hollowing in pain and unable to maintain his elevation, Raphael landed in the street in a pool of his own blood.

Baltoh looked to the side, spotting Michael trying to sneak away to go stop Abaddon. With his hand limp and clammy, he pointed his fingers at him. “Demon Art: Claw Bullets,” he cast, launching his talons like rounds from mini guns at Michael.

The claws ripped apart the street like mortar shells as he corrected his aim, bringing up the five streams of razor bullets and finally riddling Michael with holes, sending him crashing down into the street like a WWII plane.

“Angel Art: Ultimate Penitence!” Gabriel cast, finally breaking free of his straightjacket of Hell chains.

Upon the name of the spell, a car-sized wooden cross fell out of the sky, straight towards Baltoh. But just as it was about to land square on the top of his head, it touched his halo and was instantly reduced to ash.

Near where Gabriel lay, Rosemary slowly got to her feet, having healed her burns and repaired her clothes. ‘You used to be so calm and tempered, your burning hatred under control and compacted like a star. Now it seems like the heat and power is still there, but the flames have died out, leaving only burns. Where is your hatred now directed? How can you live with so much anger in your heart, so much hatred?’

With roars of determination, she and Gabriel shot towards Baltoh with their swords burning with white flames, desperate to deliver any injury. Gabriel attacked directly with his sword above his head to try and deliver a killing strike and Rosemary went towards the side, planning on quickly shifting to the back while Gabriel drew his attention. Baltoh swung his sword to block Gabriel’s attack, but before Rosemary could strike, he reached out and stabbed him through the right lung with his hand, sending his clawed fingers bursting out of a gaping hole in Gabriel’s back. Without even looking at her, Baltoh then reached back with his tail and stabbed Rosemary through the stomach, running her through as if she were made of paper and then dropping her.

“Or is it that what you hate most of all is yourself?” Rosemary whispered as the air whistled past her.

Rosemary and Gabriel fell down into the street, where Michael and Raphael limped over to help them with their injuries as well as continue treating their own. Once they were all healed, the Archangels decided to go at it all together. Dredging up their power levels one last time, they took to the air and encircled Baltoh, keeping their distance while they channeled all their energy into their swords. In their hearts, none of them believed that it would truly work, but they had to do everything they could to try and beat him.

Roaring in both frustration and determination, they all lunged towards Baltoh with their swords held back, ready to stab.

“Angel Art: Crusading Canter,” he murmured, swinging his sword.

Instantly, the four Archangels all stopped in midflight as fountains of blood filled the air. They all cursed and gagged in pain as they looked down. In a single nanosecond, Baltoh had slashed them all across the stomach, cutting so deep that he had been just a few inches away from completely severing their lower bodies. Their torsos cut open and unable to walk, the Archangels once again fell out of the air and landed in the street, defeated and on death’s door. Unable to break free of the rosary chains that held them like piano wire, the crowd of Angels could do nothing but watch in horror and dread as their leaders crawled across the ground like worms, beaten and exhausted. The four fighters grouped together, desperate to come up with some kind of strategy.

“Is it possible? Has he always been this much stronger than us? Has every fight we ever had just been a game to him? Have we always been this weak and helpless compared to him?!” Michael cursed, spitting up blood from all of his entrails being cut right through.

“If we attack from the front, he gets us with his sword. Attack from the sides, he blocks with his wings. Attack from behind, he lashes out with that damned tail. We can’t even beat him with spells because he turns it back on us ten fold.” Raphael muttered, holding his glowing hand between the two halves of his body and slowly pulling himself back together.

“I’ve never seen him fight like this, fight so heartlessly. He rarely got so many injuries on us, so I always assumed our power levels were actually close. But now, he’s going for blood. He’s never truly gone after our lives,” Gabriel panted, his chin streaked with blood and his lungs struggling to function.

Rosemary slowly got to her feet, having healed herself just enough so that she could stand up, but was still using her hands to keep her organs from spilling out. “No, if he wanted us dead, we wouldn’t have even been able to draw our swords. He just wants to keep us down and out of the way. He’s not being heartless; no, it’s just the opposite. He is finally showing his heart and fighting for the woman he loves, the one woman who can truly take away his hatred.”

Upon healing his wounds, Michael stood up without turning to his friends. “I’ll hold him off, you three hunt that Demon down and stop his plans. There is only one way I can even have a chance of matching his strength, just make sure it doesn’t go to waste,” he said solemnly as he took to the air, flying slowly up to the same altitude as Baltoh.

“Michael, no! You know what will happen if you use that technique! There is another way!” Gabriel shouted, having almost finished healing his wounds.

Up in the sky, Michael turned to face Baltoh without his sword. “You’re stronger than us, Baltoh; it’s impossible for me to deny that any longer. But even if you’re stronger, that doesn’t mean I’ll let you win!” he challenged, bringing his right hand towards his left wrist.

“Angel Art: Final Crucifixion! Demon Art: Debt Retrieval!” Baltoh called, clapping his hands together.

Two crosses rose up behind Gabriel and Raphael, making their faces pale in fear. But even though the crosses were summoned, the spell did not fully activate due to Baltoh’s control. A huge skeletal hand then burst and grabbed Rosemary, holding her in its grip.

“If you so much as think about breaking one of your rosary chains, I swear on everything between Heaven and Hell that I will kill them. Move your hand an inch and I will initiate the crucifixion for your brothers and their deaths will be on your conscience. I have nothing against the girl, so I will spare her,” Baltoh threatened, glaring at Michael.

“Goddamn you,” the Archangel hissed as he lowered his hand.

“He already did.”

The stalemate was suddenly broken as Baltoh and the Archangels all sensed the Demons complete their spells. Across New York, the five Demons that Abaddon had stationed grinned as their summoned artifacts rose up from the semi-permeable portal to Hell. The objects they had summoned were house-sized cauldrons, adorned with engravings of humans being cooked and eaten and filled with liquid flames. The mouths of the cauldrons were actually portals, leading straight to the Lake of Fire in the center of Hell. They were normally used as an environmental advantage, where the caster would pull their enemies into it and incinerate them in the inferno. However, they would all serve different purposes on this day.

In the center of New York, Abaddon was laughing at the top of his lungs and his Horror Obelisk began to glow and sent out a wave of dark energy like an EMP. The wave stretched out in all directions like the beginnings of a tsunami, having no effect on the city itself but supercharging the Inferno Abysses. Upon receiving the strengthening transmission, the five cauldrons all shot geysers of Hellfire straight up into the sky. Immediately, the sky became as red as blood with black clouds and the sun became dark as if there was a solar eclipse as the cauldrons changed their purpose, no longer pulling things into Hell but instead sending them out.

Fences of red light and Hellfire shot out from each cauldron, linking them to each other with the red light forming a pentagram around all of New York City with the Horror Obelisk in the center and the Hellfire encircling it all in a massive ring. Upon the pattern’s completion, there was a deafening crash heard throughout the world as the ring of Hellfire tore through the dimensional barrier between Earth and Hell like a cookie cutter. Across the globe, people were panicking as they tried to understand what was going on and what had happened to the sky, while anyone trying to get in or out of New York was instantly incinerated in the wall of Hellfire. Even the water flowing in an out of the city was vaporized on contact with the burning perimeter.

Fearful of what he had allowed to happen, Baltoh shot off towards the center of New York to fight Abaddon and retrieve Selene. The Archangels quickly followed suit, praying that they would be able to reverse whatever had happened. Baltoh was the first to arrive at the Horror Obelisk, followed by the Archangels. Abaddon was there, already surrounded by his fellow Demons. With the sun no longer shining and the sky as dark as twilight, the Demons were no longer invisible, scaring off any people who were in the street. Beside Abaddon, his pet Gargoyle stood with Selene tied up in its tail, looking around wildly. Baltoh tried to ignore the tightness in his chest as he looked at her, searching for any sign of trauma or injury.

“What the Hell have you done?!” Raphael demanded.

“Hell, Hell is the keyword. By harnessing all the hatred and anger in this city, we were able to weaken the barrier between universes and open the portal to Hell. As we speak, this city is slowly sinking, weighed down by its own darkness. Soon it will sink in between the dimensions, and once it gets right between them, it shall be obliterated and the true doorway will be opened. While they cannot yet leave the perimeter, Gargoyles are streaming into the city from Hell. You should say goodbye to New York, because it will be a part of Earth for only another two weeks, and in a month it will be obliterated and a true inter-dimensional doorway will be opened in its place. This city is essentially a hot ember on a sheet of paper, burning through and creating a hole that cannot be fixed.

If you want someone to thank, turn to Baltoh. Only by retrieving bits and pieces of his energy from jumping between dimensions were we able to create a portal stable enough for a few of us to pass through. You have no idea how many eons we had to wait in Hell to gather enough of his energy.”

Baltoh had his eyes downcast and was staring at the ground with blood dripping from his clenched fists.

True to Abaddon’s words, the city was shaking violently as Gargoyles began bursting out of the ground by the thousands, popping up like weeds and streaming into the air in packs so dense that they looked like pillars of smoke. They immediately tried to fly out of the city, but were unable to pass the burning ring around the pentagram, even if they flew a mile above the wall of Hellfire. Until the portal was truly opened, the forces of Hell could get into New York, but they could not leave and neither could humans get in. Following the mindless pawns, Demons began to appear by the dozens, laughing at their imminent freedom as they began feasting on the people of New York.

“Even if you destroy this Obelisk or the Inferno Abysses, you will not stop the process. The doorway has already been carved, now we just need to wait for this city to sink between universes and open it up. There is no way you can stop it.” Abaddon laughed.

“Selene, give me Selene,” Baltoh growled, his face downcast. Abaddon just smirked. “I did what you want, I followed your instructions. You promised me you would return Selene safely.” He looked up at them with his halo burning like a bonfire.

“Very well, she is free to go. Take back your weakness.”

Upon the command of Abaddon, the Gargoyle lowered Selene down onto her feet and released her. Nearly falling to the ground, Selene stared at Baltoh with wide eyes as she slowly walked towards him. Baltoh was in the same state, moving as if he were sleepwalking towards her. They met in the middle of the street and wrapped their arms around each other, holding each other tightly as they each breathed in sweet relief.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry I didn’t get there in time. I’m sorry I let this happen to you and Molly,” Baltoh murmured, clutching her naked body.

“No, I’m just glad I’m with you again. I thought I would never see you again,” she replied, burying her face in the side of his neck.

Baltoh turned as he felt a hand on his shoulder and was face to face with Michael, who had a much softer expression his face. “This is a side of you that I have never seen, this woman has truly revealed what separates you from the Demons. Even after how hard we just fought, I think I can finally trust you in your resolve to face these Demons. Don’t get me wrong; I hate you, I think you’re an abomination, and we still have a score to settle after this, but I think it’s time for us to finally work on the same side.” Michael then walked past Baltoh with his sword slung over his shoulder and one of his rare smiles on his face. “So, if my info is correct, you are the one known as Abaddon. I must say, you’ve been giving us a lot of trouble, but I would be lying if I didn’t say if I’ve never been this impressed by a Demon. However, you made one fatal flaw in your plan.” He said.

“What was that?” Abaddon growled.

“You’ve been working so hard getting reinforcements, that you forgot about ours,” he said, knocking his heal on the ground.

Instantly, all the Demons and Gargoyles New York shielded their eyes as blinding rays of golden light shone down from the red sky, completely illuminating the city. Descending from the center of the light were thousands of Angels and dozens of Archangels, entering the null-space of New York and ready for battle. The armies of Heaven landed on the roofs of buildings and in the streets, staring at the Abaddon and his group.

“I hope you realize that this means war.” Michael said confidently. Abaddon cracked a smile.

“What am I worried about? War is what I was born for,” he said, drawing his spinal sword. Bile, Shama, Dagon, Midgard, and Nergal all brought forth their weapons, as well as all the Demons situated behind them and in the sky.

“Selene, I have to get you to safety,” Baltoh whispered in her ear while everyone’s attention was diverted.

“All right, just promise me you’ll make it back,” she whispered, pressing her lips against his once again.

Even surrounded by Demons and Angels, Baltoh allowed himself to enjoy the kiss, but suddenly, Selene jerked and Baltoh felt something stab him in the stomach. He stepped back and looked down, feeling the breath being ripped from his lungs. Selene had just been pierced right below the rib cage by a javelin, resembling the skeleton of a snake and burning with black flames.

Somehow, the massive battle that was imminent just a few moments ago was now stopped as every Angel, Gargoyle, Archangel, and Demon stared at the two lovers. With wide eyes, Abaddon looked up at a Demon standing on a nearby building. The beast was laughing as it drew another javelin from the back of its neck, cursing Baltoh as a traitor.

But while the Demon was bragging about his kill, Abaddon was filled with dread. “Oh no,” he whispered, turning back to the two lovers.

“Baltoh...” Selene gasped as blood began to pour from the wound.

Baltoh was paralyzed, his mind unable to process the sight of her wound. Her whole body shaking, Selene tried to put her hands on the javelin, but before she could do anything, the sleeve of black flames flared up and began to consume her. Selene shrieked in pain as the fire ate away at her with incredible speed. Baltoh caught her as she fell and began healing her, but no matter how much power her put into the spell, her weak human body was the perfect fuel for the Demonic flames and she was being destroyed faster than he could restore her. He clutched her tightly as the black fire moved out in all directions, reducing her body to ash in seconds. Not only was it destroying her body, but her soul as well, meaning that she would cease to exist in all forms.

“Baltoh, I love you,” Selene tearfully murmured as the flames moved up her chest, practically erasing her from existence.

Baltoh tried to speak but his vocal cords failed to work, leaving him mute. He just looked at her, his mouth hanging open as he desperately tried to talk. Even though he couldn’t say anything, Selene smiled as if he did and kissed him, gently pressing her lips against his before the black flames fully consumed her and reduced her to ash. Baltoh’s arms closed around himself as she disappeared, leaving him with his whole body shaking and air refusing to enter or leave his lungs. All the Angels and Archangels were silent, while the Gargoyles and Demons laughed at the death and Baltoh’s pain.

The traumatized hybrid lowered his shaking hands, scooping up the ashes that had once been the woman he loved. He stared at the black powder in his palms, shifting and splashing as his tears slowly dripped into them, the first tears that he had ever experienced. The ash fell away between his fingers and two streaks of tears ran down his face like rivers. Looking up at the sky, Baltoh took a deep breath and released a howl of anguish.

While the cry had a normal volume, it was carried by Baltoh’s energy and spread across the globe. Everywhere, people turned their attention away from the hellish sky and their prayers as the howl reached their ears, so saturated with Baltoh’s pain that they struggled to not be brought to their knees by its weight. The sound was so heavy, so mournful, and so painful, that everyone who heard it could literally feel Baltoh’s pain in their own hearts, and even began to weep without even knowing why.

In New York, all the humans were unable to stand as the sadness in the Baltoh’s howl hit them the hardest due to their proximity to him, and all the Archangels fought with all their might not to drop their swords as Baltoh’s pain assailed them like an electric shock. Even the Demons and Gargoyles were silenced, not through any sort of sympathy, but because the emotions and pain transmitted through the sound were agonizing and weighing down on them like lead weights.

Finally, the howl came to a stop, and the whole world fell silent. Everyone watched as Baltoh sat on the ground, waiting to see what would happen. In the blink of an eye, broken glass filled the air, brought on by every window in the city simultaneously shattering into powder. Looking around, all eyes were turned on Baltoh as cracks began to appear in the ground around him. In a great crash, a pool-sized crater instantly formed underneath him, lowering him into the ground as if he had suddenly become as heavy as a mountain.

‘Oh no, it’s as I feared. That blasted fool has doomed us all!’ Abaddon thought to himself.

A miniature tornado wrapped around Baltoh, picking up Selene’s ashes and spinning them around him as he slowly got to his feet, his face downcast and hidden by his hood. As he stood up, everyone was forced down by the invisible weight of his energy. The Gargoyles and Angels fell out of the sky like birds passing through a cloud of toxic gas and everyone on the ground gritted their teeth as they tried not to be flattened. Without moving his wings, Baltoh slowly rose up in the air and hovered back onto the level ground, facing Abaddon and the Horror Obelisk.

“You underestimated me. You underestimated my love, my power, and my hatred,” he hissed, his face hidden in shadow but his eyes glowing like coals.

Slowly, Baltoh’s burning halo began to elevate, floating high above him. As he raised his wings and pointed them at the halo, a tremor ran through both Rosemary and Abaddon.

“No, he wouldn’t dare...” Abaddon muttered.

“Baltoh, are you insane?!” Rosemary shouted.

“What is he doing?” Dagon asked.

Slowly, Baltoh brought the halo down, having it hover in front of him vertically with his four wings outstretched around it, holding it in place like four fingers around a coin.

“It’s a spell unlike any other, his most powerful technique,” Rosemary said, answering the same question as asked by Raphael. “I saw him use it once when I was a rookie Archangel trying to lessen the Gargoyle population in Hell. I was there for just a day but I saw it once and it still haunts me from the God-like power it unleashed.”

“It’s a spell so powerful that it has no name and originates from neither light nor darkness. It is strong enough to obliterate the Masters of Torture and Titans. Even the Hell Princes are wary of its power!” Abaddon explained in terror as Baltoh’s halo began to spin like a gyroscope between the tips of his wings

“Every time he uses it, he risks destroying Hell itself in the process. It is a jet of pure energy straight from his soul, the collective hatred of every spirit that he was born from, all joined together into one deluge of power that puts Archangel and Demon spells to shame. If he uses that spell here, he could annihilate the entire planet,” Rosemary gasped, shocking everyone in earshot.