The Gates of Paradise
The deck of Noah's Ark lay battered and scorched, drifting silently through the stars. Holes torn by demonic blasts had been patched with flickering energy shields, barely holding back the void. The once-mighty ship groaned under the weight of loss physical and spiritual.
Adamus stood among the survivors, his cape billowing in the cosmic winds. His gaze fell upon Miriam, collapsed near the center of the deck, her shoulders trembling as she clutched the lifeless hand of her brother.
"My little brother… Moses…" she wept, her voice cracking under the burden of grief. "Why did he have to go? We were so close… So close to the land of milk and honey."
Aaron knelt beside her. His fingers brushed across Moses's still chest, now cold and silent. He lowered his head, tears sliding down his cheeks.
"I should've been there for you," Aaron whispered. "I should've been stronger."
All around them, the remaining Israelites gathered in mourning. Some cried openly, others stood in stunned silence. A young boy clenched his fists and shouted, "He saved us! More times than I can count!" Others nodded, their voices rising in reverence and sorrow.
From the far side of the deck, Noah leaned heavily against the railing, his body still aching from the blast he had taken. Blood stained the bandages across his chest. His wife stood close, her arm around their daughter Ham, who quietly wept into her mother's robe.
Gabriel stepped forward, his radiant form flickering against the starlight. His eyes were drawn to the fallen prophet.
"I never had the honor of meeting Moses in life," the Archangel said, voice calm but thick with the sorrow that emanated from the people. "But from the depth of your grief… and the fire I feel in your hearts… the prophecies about him must have been true. He was a warrior."
Gabriel leaned down and gently lifted Moses's body into his arms.
"Let's take him inside. He doesn't belong out here in the cold void. He deserves rest."
Miriam and Aaron followed silently, along with the Israelites. The doors of the Ark creaked open, and the procession entered solemnly.
Michael remained behind, scanning the ship's ruined structure. Large portions were held together by sheer force of divine will light-barriers forming walls where wood had failed.
"This ship…" Michael muttered, turning to Noah. "It's beyond repair. Do you think it can still function?"
Noah shook his head. "I've already tried. She's too far gone."
Michael's expression tightened, then softened. "It's all right. You're not far from the center of the Hyperverse. We'll carry you the rest of the way."
He turned toward the other Archangels.
"Summon the steeds."
At his command, radiant warhorses emerged from the stars, their hooves gliding through the vacuum as though it were air. Chains of divine energy materialized, and the Archangels began to tether themselves to the Ark, wings unfurling in preparation for the journey.
Meanwhile, on the damaged upper deck, Adamus stood silently beside Hunter and Kiyohime. All three bore the weight of loss differently Hunter clenched his jaw, eyes burning with fury, while Kiyohime lowered her head, silently honoring the fallen.
Then came the sound of soft footsteps.
Samael approached, arms folded behind his back, his expression unusually solemn.
"I'm sorry," he said. "For your friend."
Adamus's golden eyes flicked toward him. "Thank you. But I have a question."
He stepped forward, his voice darkening.
"Where does his soul go now?"
Samael frowned. "You already know who rules Heaven."
"Lucifer," Adamus said, his voice like a blade.
"Yes. And if Moses's soul reached Heaven…" Samael hesitated. "There's a chance it was erased. Or worse sent to Hell."
Adamus's fist clenched so tightly that golden energy surged from between his fingers.
Kiyohime's eyes widened. I've never seen him this furious before…
"That monster," Adamus growled. "Look at what he's done. To this world… this Hyperverse…"
Samael nodded. "But his reign is ending. With the death of Moses, you now carry one half of the power of faith. The other half is already waiting at the center of the Hyperverse. Once reunited, we can shatter the higher-dimensional gate. With your help, we'll enter Heaven and dethrone him."
"After that," he added, "you can return home. You've done enough. We'll handle the rest."
Adamus fell silent. His eyes drifted toward his friends.
"We could go back…" he said slowly. "Back to our own world. I could save my mother from her coma. Hunter could avenge his family. Kiyohime could rise to lead the samurai and honor her mom death."
He turned back to them, his expression resolute. "But I'm not leaving. Not yet."
Hunter scoffed. "You think I'd let you do this alone, kid? Hell no."
He looked out into the stars, fists resting on his hips.
"These people… their faith… they taught me something. And if Lucifer wants to crush that, then I've got a few things to say to him too."
Kiyohime smiled softly. "Wherever you go, I go. We're a crew. And we finish this together."
Adamus blinked. Then he smiled, full smile.
"Really?" he asked.
Without warning, he reached out, grabbing their golden life strings, and pulled them into an embrace. Energy swirled around them warm and eternal.
Samael stood back, watching the display with a faint smile.
So these are the warriors… The ones the prophecy spoke of… The ones Jesus called 'Vajra the Warrior on Fire.'
A rumble echoed through the cosmos as the Archangels, now chained to the Ark, began their sacred task. Divine steeds neighed, wings spreading wide. Then, with a flash of Infinite light, they began to pull.
The ship groaned, surged forward, and pierced through space at immeasurable speeds through nebulae, galaxies, realms unseen by mortal or angelic eyes.
And then… they saw it.
A blinding light a gateway at the center of creation. It shimmered with rainbow hues, spinning in every direction, collapsing space and time into a single point.
They passed through it.
And in an instant, the void gave way to life.
Trees of impossible size and color stretched. Lush grass coated the ground like silk. Rivers of golden water sparkled under skies filled with stars and rainbows. Animals wandered freely majestic, unafraid.
Food grew abundantly on every branch, every vine.
It was paradise.
The Ark finally slowed, descending onto soft earth, where all could breathe without effort. The Archangels released the chains and landed around the ship, wings folding, weapons sheathed.
They had arrived.
At the very heart of the Hyperverse of Israel.
Noah stood tall at the top of the battered Ark, his silhouette framed against the radiant expanse of Paradise. His voice, though wearied by battle and age, rang out with reverence.
"We've made it," he whispered, tears of relief shimmering in his eyes. "The world of milk and honey… Paradise."
Below him, the great doors of the Ark opened wide. One by one, the passengers stepped into the light. Waves of humanity flowed out onto the endless fields of green children laughed and ran barefoot through the soft grass, animals of every kind followed calmly behind, and elders stood in awe, their weary faces turned toward the warm sky.
Among them marched the Israelites, bearing their fallen leader. Moses's body was wrapped in sacred golden cloth, his form still and serene. The people followed him in solemn silence, mourning yet hopeful.
Families embraced. Laughter rang out. The rich and poor of every world they'd rescued now stood as one, breathing in peace for the first time in what felt like eternity.
And high above it all, Adamus, Hunter, Kiyohime, Noah, his wife, Ham, and the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Samael stood watching from the deck.
Noah turned to the trio that had helped carry them through all of this.
"Thank you," he said, his voice choked with emotion. He pulled each of them into a grateful embrace. "For everything. You didn't have to help us, but you did."
He turned and made his way down into Paradise, his wife following closely.
Ham lingered. She stepped toward Hunter and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For saving me… back there. I know you and your friends have to go back to your world. But… can you promise me something?"
Hunter looked down at her, his normally brash expression softening. "What is it?"
She held his gaze. "Promise you'll come visit me someday."
Hunter gave a gentle smile. "First chance I get."
They hugged again, and then Ham descended into the new world with the others.
Adamus turned to Samael. "What's the plan now? You said the power of faith had to merge before we could destroy the higher-dimensional shield and enter Heaven."
Samael opened his mouth to speak but Michael stepped forward, cutting him off.
"You don't dictate how things run here," Michael snapped. His eyes flared with divine fury. "Hand over the power of faith. We'll breach the shield ourselves. We don't need you."
He turned sharply and pointed to the horizon.
There, standing tall in the radiant heart of paradise, was a massive castle its spires piercing the endless sky, bathed in light beyond mortal color.
"That castle," Michael said coldly, "contains the portal. The way back. The gate that leads outside the Hyperverse of Israel. We don't need your help.
Adamus's eyes narrowed. "Before Moses died, I made him a promise to restore faith to Heaven. And with all due respect… I don't trust that you can do it alone. We're coming."
Michael's hand went to his sword. "Are you calling us weak? Are you calling me weak?"
In a flash, his blade gleamed in his hand, divine fire licking its edge.
Gabriel intervened, grasping Michael's wrist before the sword could rise further. "Enough," he said. "There is strength in this one. In all three of them. Their aid may be what tips the scales."
Kiyohime stepped forward, her eyes distant. She'd been watching something far below the Queen of the Goshenites, smiling through tears as she held her children in the arms of peace.
"We must save this world," Kiyohime said softly. "So families like that… can live free of fear."
She turned to the Archangels. "We won't be a burden. And we're not leaving until this Hyperverse is safe for everyone."
Michael paused. Then slowly, he sheathed his sword.
"Fine," he said. "But the final decision isn't ours to make. We still have to wait."
"Wait for who?" Adamus asked.
Gabriel's eyes lifted to the horizon. "Jesus. The other half of faith."
Suddenly, Gabriel went still. His eyes widened.
"I can sense him," he whispered.
Everyone turned. From the edge of the great field where the crowds had gathered, a great murmur began to rise.
Adamus looked out and saw it an enormous gathering, larger than any other. Israelites were kneeling. Others were weeping. In the center of the crowd lay Moses's body, still wrapped in golden cloth… and above him, a figure stood.
The figure radiated something ancient and eternal.
His skin gleamed like burnished bronze, as though it had been refined in holy fire. His feet shimmered with molten light. His hair was white pure and flowing like wool down his shoulders, and his eyes were flames, burning with a power that was both terrifying and gentle.
A long robe covered his form, bound across his chest with a golden sash. He did not speak at first, only stared down at Moses with a look of sorrow and promise.
Then he spoke.
"When I return to my Father," the figure said, his voice shaking the very wind, "I will bring you back, Moses. For all you've done."
Miriam gasped, kneeling beside her brother's body.
"Did you just say… your Father is Yahweh?" she asked, breathless. "You can bring my brother back?"
The figure looked at her and nodded with divine certainty.
"Yes," he said. "Because Yahweh is my Father. And I… am Yahweh in the flesh. I am the other half of faith. I once was all of faith until I chose to divide myself. But I have returned. And I will restore Moses… and recreate the Hyperverse of Israel for you my people."
Aaron stepped forward, wide-eyed. "Are you saying… are you Jesus Christ? The prophecy? Yahweh born in flesh?"
Jesus stood, towering with divine stillness. "Yes," he said. "I am the prophecy. Before Abraham was, I AM."
The crowd erupted. Murmurs turned to cries. Some wept. Others trembled.
"He's the one," someone whispered.
"No way… This is the prophecy?"
"He looks just like the legends said…"
"This is Paradise… where else would Yahweh walk among us?"
Skeptics shouted, "Liar!" But others drowned them out. "We believe!" they cried.
One voice rose from the crowd. "You said you could bring Moses back. If we believe in you… will we live forever? Will the Hyperverse be reborn?"
Jesus stepped forward.
"I am the resurrection and the life," he declared. "Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Together me, reunited with myself we shall bring back everything. All who believed and reached Paradise… shall never know death again."
The people rushed toward him.
"I believe!"
"I always believed!"
"Please… tell me my children will be safe!"
The cries came from a mother in the crowd, her voice trembling with desperation. Around her, thousands pressed forward, calling out in joy, in sorrow, in fear. The Archangels moved quickly, wings flared, swords at the ready not to strike, but to shield the Savior from being overwhelmed.
But Jesus raised his hand.
"Let them through," he said gently. "Let me be with my people. Now that I am flesh… I can feel their love."
The crowd surged forward, no longer with fear, but with awe and adoration. They wept. They laughed. They fell to their knees, reaching for the one who had become human for their sake. And Jesus walked among them, healing with a touch, mending broken limbs, restoring sight, lifting the old and the young in his arms as if they weighed nothing at all.
At last, Adamus and his crew arrived with the Archangels. Adamus stood among the people, quietly watching. His Hazel eyes locked onto Jesus as he moved with divine warmth, his very presence mending bodies and hearts.
"So this," Adamus murmured, "is the other half of faith."
Michael took a step forward and placed a hand on Jesus's shoulder. His expression was calm but filled with purpose.
"He's here," Michael said softly. "The other half of faith."
He pointed toward Adamus.
Jesus turned, his eyes following Michael's gesture. Then, without a word, he began walking calm, steady through the murmuring crowd. His gaze never left Adamus as he approached.
Adamus stood with his crew, watching in silence as the figure drew near.
Jesus stopped in front of him. A warm smile spread across his face, and emotion welled behind his eyes. Then, without hesitation, he stepped in and pulled Adamus into an embrace.
"You don't remember me," Jesus whispered.
Adamus blinked, taken aback. "I… don't. Have we met?"
Jesus stepped back, smiling knowingly. "Activate your angel eyes see with your true sight. Then you'll understand."
Adamus narrowed his gaze. "No. I'd rather you just tell me."
Jesus placed a hand over Adamus's heart. "In another life… we met. You protected something very dear to me. And now, you do it again."
He turned to the crowd, raising his voice but before he could speak further, a small hand tugged at his robe. A little girl stood beside him, wide-eyed and innocent.
"Mister…" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. "Are we safe now? From the End Times energy? Are we… gonna live here forever in this new place called Paradise? Is your father gonna fix the Hyperverse?"
Her mother rushed in, apologizing, scooping the child away. But the crowd had heard. Murmurs spread like wildfire.
"Yeah… answer that!"
"Is this truly forever?"
"Will the worlds be rebuilt?"
"What about Lucifer? Are we safe from him?"
Michael stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Jesus does not have to answe"
But Jesus raised a hand, silencing him.
"It's all right, Michael."
He turned back to the people and spoke clearly:
"A long time ago, when Lucifer rose to challenge the throne of Heaven, he did something no one imagined. He seized Yahweh my Father and the very throne itself. A mass of Multiple infinities ofr white energy… and he began to absorb it. Their powers merged, but within Yahweh… was something deeper. Something alive. Something divine."
Jesus looked up into the sky.
"It was the Holy Spirit. And it fought back."
The people listened in stunned silence.
"Their powers collided. A war not of bodies, but of narratives each vying to become the sole author of all existence. Lucifer sought to rewrite the Hyperverse. The Holy Spirit would not allow it. Their clash birthed a cataclysmic explosion that tore the heavens apart."
Jesus placed a hand over his heart.
"In that moment, the Holy Spirit cast something away. Something fragile… yet eternal. Faith. That was me. I was hurled across the stars, far beyond Lucifer's grasp to grow, to return."
He paused, his voice growing heavier.
"And as I was cast away… Lucifer won. He seized the Narrative. He rewrote everything Heaven, Earth, the entire Hyperverse. What you know, what you remember… is his version."
A hush fell over the crowd as he continued.
"But the Holy Spirit still resists. Even now, it fights back not with swords, but with story. In this eternal tug of war, this cosmic struggle for authorship, their battle rages on."
Jesus's eyes scanned the people, then landed once more on Adamus.
Jesus turned, now looking directly at Adamus.
"And as I Yahweh walk this world in flesh as Jesus, I remain mortal. I experience life as one of you. I have felt the weight of sorrow. I have tasted the fear, the confusion, the pain that Lucifer has unleashed in this twisted world he's rewritten. Every shadow, every silence I have lived it."
He stepped closer, his voice steady.
"But in this mortal form, I have grown. I have gained strength, wisdom, and understanding not for myself, but to return to Heaven and give it back to Yahweh. To make Him whole again. Stronger than before."
Jesus looked out over the crowd warriors, angels, mortals, and the broken-hearted then turned his gaze back to Adamus.
"For every sin Lucifer committed across the Hyperverse," he said solemnly, "someone must answer. A sacrifice must be made."
He placed his hand over his heart once more, the light of faith pulsing gently beneath his palm.
"And who better… than me?"
His eyes met Adamus's steady, unwavering.
"I will absorb all the power of faith," Jesus continued. "And then… I will offer myself to Yahweh. I will become whole."
His voice lowered to a sacred whisper, yet it echoed through paradise.
"And from that final offering I will recreate everything."
The golden light of the sun caught Jesus's face human, but radiant.
"My Father and I," he said, voice calm and resolute, "used the energy of the End Times not to destroy in hate… but to burn away the rot. And now, I return to Heaven to rebuild it."
He opened his arms wide, a gentle breeze passing through the crowd.
"Sinless. Untouched. A perfect world where no one will die. No one will suffer."
The people froze in reverent silence. Then, as the words settled into their hearts, the stillness shattered. Voices cried out all at once questions, praises, desperate hopes. Some reached for Jesus, others wept in joy. More Archangels arrived, their wings outstretched to hold back the crowd.
Gabriel approached and whispered, "I think it's time we get to work on that plan."
Jesus nodded. "Let's go."
The Archangel brothers turned, leading Jesus, Adamus, and his crew away. They walked through Paradise, past rivers of gold and trees of light, until a colossal golden church stood before them. Its steeples pierced the sky, bells chiming with no hands to ring them.
Inside, Adamus's eyes widened.
"Wow…" he breathed.
The church was overwhelming in its beauty. Towering statues of angels lined the marble walls, their expressions sculpted with divine precision some weeping, others triumphant. Above them, crosses of glowing crystal floated midair, radiating soft, holy light. Rainbow-tinted stained glass framed the cathedral windows, casting prismatic colors across the floor like shifting fragments of heaven.
At the front stood a long, monumental table wide as a warship its surface etched with radiant celestial patterns, each one softly glowing, pulsing with ancient power.
Adamus whispered, "This place truly is paradise. Everything is beautiful… even the buildings."
Beside him, Samael stood silent for a moment, then spoke with quiet gravity. "It wasn't always like this."
Adamus turned.
"When we lost Heaven and the narrative to Lucifer, he rewrote everything in the Hyperverse. Everything."
Samael looked up at the cathedral ceiling, as if remembering something painful. "But he couldn't rewrite us. The Archangels at least not all of us we were too strong. Too anchored in the original narrative. He couldn't erase us… so he cast us out."
His voice darkened.
"To the center of the Hyperverse. A place of ruin. Darkness. Despair. It was horrible. We had nothing."
He looked around slowly, his tone softening.
"We built this paradise ourselves."
Then just as the weight of his words settled
"Take a seat," Michael said, his voice cutting through the silence like a sword.
As they sat, Adamus scanned the table's surface. "What is this?"
Samael answered, "This is Heaven. Or rather, a living map of it. Constantly expanding. Made of holy fabric."
"We need a plan," he continued. "A real one. To take down Lucifer when we get there."
Michael stepped forward and pointed to a glowing section of the map near the perimeter.
"These are the barriers," Michael said, gesturing across the glowing war map that hovered above the great table. "Here is where the Powers guard Heaven heavenly soldiers, Thrones, Ophanim. All of them powerful. All of them under Lucifer's spell."
The map shifted ranks of angels, formations of light and fire.
"We must defeat them," Michael continued, "but we cannot kill them. They are still our brothers and sisters."
He paused.
"After that, we'll push inward. Through each rank of angel: Seraphim. Cherubim. Dominions. Virtues. Principalities. Layer by layer… until we reach the throne."
His eyes scanned the room, steady and sharp until
Kiyohime's voice cut through.
"Wait why is Yahweh and his throne still in Heaven? Why didn't Lucifer destroy it?"
A beat of silence. Then Michael answered, his voice low and firm.
"He couldn't."
All eyes turned to him.
"Lucifer's power wasn't great enough," Michael said. "Even after rewriting the Hyperverse. Even after bending reality to his will. The Throne of Yahweh… remained."
Then he continued, unwavering.
"There, at the end, we'll charge in," Michael said. "Jesus will complete the sacrifice. The two fates will merge into him. He will return to the throne…"
As he spoke, a flicker of light danced across the war table's surface an image of the throne, distant, untouched, unyielding.
"…and restore the Hyperverse."
He paused, then continued with grim finality.
"From there, we strike. We take the fight straight to Lucifer. We'll tear through his corrupted army, bring him down, and reclaim Heaven. Yahweh will return. Balance will be restored. And the entire Hyperverse… will be made whole."
Silence followed heavy, charged with hope.
Then Jesus nodded slowly. "It's a sound plan."
He turned his gaze toward the golden warrior seated at the far end of the table.
"But Adamus…"
All eyes shifted.
"…what do you think?"
Before Adamus could answer, Michael waved him off. "Who cares? It's perfect."
Adamus rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm… not much of a planner, to be honest. But one of my crew is."
He gestured to Kiyohime, who was already deep in thought, eyes scanning the map like a hawk stalking prey.
"I've got a plan," she said without looking up.
Everyone leaned in.
"There are too many enemies to fight directly. Charging from the gate to the throne is reckless."
Michael scoffed. "It's not reckless. My army is strong."
Kiyohime remained calm, her eyes scanning the glowing war map across the table.
"While we were on the Ark… and after we landed in Paradise," she said quietly, "I counted."
The room fell still.
"Your army numbers in the trillions. Impressive. But from what I'm seeing here…" she gestured toward the shifting layers of angelic formations "there's far more on the battlefield ahead."
She looked up, her gaze piercing.
"Much more."
A beat.
"Based on these formations ranks of Powers, Thrones, Ophanim, and all seven choirs of Heaven we're outnumbered by an overwhelming margin."
She stepped forward, voice clear and steady.
"Percentage-wise, we hold only five percent of Heaven's army. The rest ninety-five percent stands with Lucifer."
The war room went quiet. Even the light on the table seemed to dim beneath the weight of her words.
She looked up, gaze firm.
"We need a sneaky plan. We sneak in. Quiet. Precise. Infiltration not war."
Michael narrowed his eyes. "And how do we sneak into Heaven?"
Gabriel stepped in. "We have angel disguises armor that masks divine energy. Even Lucifer won't detect it."
"Perfect," Kiyohime said. "We'll use them. And Adamus…"
She turned to him. "Your golden flames they reject Lucifer's narrative. Even beings with omnipresence can't track them. If you coat us in your fire, and we wear those armors, we'll be invisible in every sense."
Michael folded his arms. "Fine. But what about the army? It's still a small team sneaking in."
Kiyohime smirked. "That's where Adamus comes in again."
She looked at him directly. "You can store things in your higher-dimensional cards, right? Even living beings?"
Adamus nodded. "Yeah. I can seal entire armies."
"Good. Before we leave, seal the Archangel army into your cards. When we reach the center of Heaven then you unleash them."
Michael's eyes lit up. "Now that is a plan."
Samael added, "And on the way in, we can use holy water and other blessings to uncorrupt any angels we meet. They'll join us in battle."
Michael turned, voice commanding. "Then it's settled. I'll prepare the army. Everyone, get ready for war."
Assembling the Strike Team.
Outside the church, warriors gathered. The air shimmered with power.
Kiyohime, Adamus, and Hunter stepped forward in slim, golden armor lightweight, flexible, and engraved with sacred symbols. Their cloaks shimmered faintly with golden flame, though the fire remained invisible to the eye.
Jesus's robes already shielded him from Lucifer's narrative. The Archangel brothers Michael, Gabriel, and Samael remained in their own blessed armor.
Adamus's eyes ignited with golden fire as divine energy surged through him. He raised his hand, and from within his body erupted a cascade of radiant flames each spark forming into a glowing, higher-dimensional card. They hovered around him like fragments of cosmic law, pulsing with impossible energy.
With a flash of motion, Adamus activated his super speed blurring across the battlefield like a streak of golden light. One by one, he appeared before each warrior of the Archangel army, placing a card in their hand.
"Keep this," he told each of them. "When the time comes… I'll use it to summon you all into battle."
His voice carried conviction. The soldiers nodded, holding the cards like sacred relics.
Finally, Adamus returned to the center. A new card began to form in his palm bright, pulsing, still unfinished. As he stared at it, glowing text began to appear across its surface.
"Archangel's Army."
A vivid image unfolded on the card: the full host of Archangels standing in perfect formation, weapons raised, wings flared, their divine purpose shining in their eyes.
Below the image, glowing words inscribed themselves in celestial script:
"Can be summoned into battle an army of warriors that will fight on your behalf."
Adamus nodded, pressing the card to his chest. It shimmered once… then merged into him, sealed within his being.
"When the moment comes," he said calmly, "I'll call them."
Michael mounted a golden horse with massive wings.
Samael rode a black steed with dark flames dancing around its hooves.
Gabriel's horse was sky-blue, its mane flowing like water.
Adamus looked around. "Do we get horses, too?"
As if on cue, the other Archangels brought forward mounts holy horses meant for chosen riders.
Hunter's was red, armored and wild-eyed.
Kiyohime's was pink with twin white horns.
Adamus felt a warm breath on his neck. Something licked his ear.
He turned and his eyes lit up.
"…Pegasus?"
The glowing white horse stood proud, its rainbow horn shining. The Archangel leading it laughed.
"He won't let anyone else ride him. Seems he's chosen you, kid."
Adamus climbed onto Pegasus's back, smiling. "Glad to see you again."
The strike team formed up. Adamus extended his hand, and golden flames surged around them all invisible to the eye, all burning with protective power. A divine shield.
Then they rode.
Wings flapping, hooves striking clouds, they soared upward leaving Paradise behind. Higher. Faster. Until the skies warped and space and time itself bent around them.
Adamus called out, "How long is the ride?"
Michael, at the front, answered, "Not far. These horses don't ride through speed… they shatter the concept of it. Especially Pegasus."
They rose into higher dimensional space, until at last… they saw it.
A barrier massive and iridescent woven from rainbow light and shifting divine geometry. It spanned the entire sky, composed of twenty layers of dimensionality. Each layer mirrored the next, forming a twenty-dimensional shield each reflection folding into the other like a celestial maze.
Michael pointed. "This is it. The barrier to Heaven. It cannot be broken by force only by faith."
Jesus and Adamus stepped forward. Their horses moved in unison, side by side. The two focused their energy… their faith.
White light and holy radiance collided and merged then struck the barrier.
CRACK.
It shattered like glass made of stars.
Samael called out, "Lucifer can't detect us… but he'll feel that break."
"Then let's move!" Michael shouted.
They charged through.
Immediately, pressure crushed in from all sides an unbearable weight pressing against their very souls.
The Dimensional pressure was too high. Too raw. Too real.
Armor split.
Skin sizzled.
Minds buckled under the strain of higher-dimensional existence.
Hunter:
"This dimensional pressure… it's too much!"
Michael:
"I know. Heaven has multiple layers of higher dimensions. It goes all the way up to 50 dimensions.
But Lucifer… he made sure to add five more."
He paused, eyes narrowing.
"Lucifer added more dimensionality to the path leading to Heaven."
"When people try to travel there or leave he made More dimensional pressure, so no one could pass."
"Only the most powerful… like Yahweh. And now Lucifer with Yahweh's power can do it."
He turned toward Adamus.
"But with the power of faith surrounding us… and Adamus's golden flames…"
"We can make it too."
Adamus clenched his fists, golden sparks flickering from his knuckles.
"Don't worry."
His golden flames erupted divine, adaptive, alive. They surged outward, coiling around the team like serpents of compassion and will. The flames shimmered across layers of reality, not just shielding their bodies, but uplifting their entire being.
With each beat of Adamus will , the fire wrapped tighter, reweaving their essence, elevating them forcing their existence to align with the 55th dimension.
What once crushed them now became part of them.
They kept flying faster than speed, beyond motion, beyond direction until they saw it.
A gleaming edge. A radiant boundary that wasn't just bright it was light, stretching outward without end.
The outer wall of Heaven.
Can be skipped
Narrator:
"Heaven is a higher-dimensional spiritual realm a place that transcends both time and space. It is not bound by motion, matter, or memory.
There is only one Heaven in the entire Hyperverse of Israel.
No alternate timelines.
No parallel versions.
No variations.
Only now eternal and absolute.
Mortals cannot survive here. The sheer dimensional and spiritual pressure would unravel their very existence.
Heaven is layered seven levels, each spanning between 20 and 50 dimensions, infinite in size and forever expanding, with no fixed edge, only growth.
Though it may seem to have suns, moons, days, and nights these are illusions, crafted from divine magic to comfort mortal minds.
They are not real time.
There is no time in Heaven only will, only presence, only eternity."
End of narration.
It had an edge… and yet, that edge expanded constantly, unstoppably. Spanning infinity. Growing at an infinite rate, rewriting space as it breathed.
And standing before it, unmoving…
The Powers.
Towering sentinels of law and judgment. Eyes burning. Weapons drawn. Waiting.
As the crew flew toward the edge of Heaven chasing the ever-growing tide of infinity a storm gathered in the heart of the enemy.
Far away, within the highest castle in Heaven, Lucifer sat upon his golden throne.
Massive in stature, adorned in gold and white robes laced with armor, he lounged in a chair sculpted from starlight and dominance. His curly red hair shimmered like fire, his bright blue eyes staring down at five glowing chessboards spread before him each one resting on a hovering platform of reality.
Across from him, seated at every board… the Holy Spirit. Silent. Composed.
Each Lucifer, a variant of himself from parallel multiverses, played against the divine.
Lucifer growled, yanking at his crimson curls. "No, no, no…"
He stood suddenly, pacing.
"All the multiverses that were here… gone. The chessboards destroyed one by one… erased by the End Times energy. There's only five left."
He turned to his glowing orb, a divine globe hovering before him showing all that remained of his reach.
"And that kid… Vajra?" His voice trembled. "I don't even know where he is."
He watched in dread as the orb displayed golden trails Adamus and the others.
"They've already defeated everyone I sent… they met up with the Archangels. They flew straight to the center of the Hyperverse a place where my omnipresence doesn't even work. I can't see in. I can't hear in. I don't know what they're planning…"
Suddenly, the orb pulsed red.
Lucifer's eyes widened. "What… what was that?"
He leaned in and saw it.
His higher-dimensional shield. Shattered.
"No NO!"
He screamed, shaking the palace with divine rage. Through his omnipresence, his voice echoed everywhere at once.
"GUARDS!"
Golden gates creaked open. His elite entered armored, winged, divine.
Lucifer pointed to the vision in the orb. "They're coming. I know they are. Send reinforcements to Yahweh's castle guard it to the maximum. No one enters. Not even me. If they try, kill them where they stand. Increase security around the gates. Everyone is on high alert. NOW!"
The Powers saluted.
"Yes, Lord Lucifer."
They vanished in a burst of holy fire spreading the message across Heaven.
Lucifer turned back to his chessboards just in time to see another one vanish. Another multiverse, gone.
Silence fell. He stood, stepped down from his throne, and walked toward the window.
Outside, towering statues of himself filled the golden skyline. Angels bowed in silent reverence. Devotion carved into architecture. Monuments of his reign.
"They will not take this from me," he whispered. "The love this realm feels for me. The power I command. The dominion I earned… No one will undo it."
Meanwhile…
Racing across the sky, Adamus, Kiyohime, Hunter, Michael, Samael, Gabriel, and Jesus finally reached the shimmering boundary the edge of Heaven.
Massive golden clouds rolled endlessly, veiling their approach. They dove into the mist, silent, hidden.
Far above, the Powers patrolled the skies unaware. Their horses galloped across the divine firmament, hooves clashing against light itself.
Beneath those clouds, just out of sight, the team waited… ready.
Adamus, Kiyohime, Hunter, Michael, Samael, Gabriel, and Jesus including their horses remained hidden within the endless golden clouds at the edge of Heaven.
Above and around them, the Powers patrolled: silent titans in radiant armor, eyes burning with celestial judgment. Their weapons crackled with divine flame. Thunder rumbled beneath their boots.
Michael peeked through the mist and whispered, "Come on… we should be good. We blend in well enough."
Hunter hesitated. "Wait. Wouldn't the other angels recognize you three? I know they can't sense our energy anymore but they'll still know your faces."
Gabriel gave a subtle smile. "All three of us are under a veil. A facial spell our appearances are completely altered. They won't recognize us."
Michael nodded and added, "And you guys too. That special armor you're wearing it's enchanted. Same type of veil. You don't look like yourselves."
He looked ahead toward the marching ranks of angelic soldiers.
"As far as they know… you're just another part of Lucifer's army.
Samael nodded. "Now let's move. We're already in uniform."
With that, the entire crew stepped out of the clouds, leaving the horses behind in the mist.
They blended into the divine crowd marching as if they belonged.
The heavenly army surrounded them. Powers clad in gleaming armor of every hue some crimson like wrath, others white as judgment, black as absolution, or gold as sovereignty. Each set of armor was forged with purpose, radiating a divine concept vengeance, mercy, truth, or dominion. Some shimmered like molten metal. Others pulsed like starlight trapped in glass.
They all carried weapons no two alike.
Some bore swords forged from living flame, their blades howling with the cries of justice. Others wielded bows strung with golden light, firing arrows that could pierce through dimensions. There were curved daggers made from condensed time, their edges severing memory as well as flesh. Some held massive hammers etched with celestial runes, others carried staves that bled holy fire or shields that could bend space itself.
A few weapons were unrecognizable crafted from pure energy, abstract shapes in constant flux, or strange divine materials not meant for mortal comprehension. One angel held a ring of floating blades that orbited them like moons. Another gripped a staff that changed form with each heartbeat one moment a spear, the next a whip of lightning.
There were endless legion stretching across the firmament, each one emanating divine authority like a star given form.
And behind them, towering in the distance, stood the Gates of Heaven radiant, colossal, and alive with light. But no path was made for them. No welcome offered. Each guard stood firm, eyes sharp, weapons drawn ready for battle.
The intruders moved carefully, masked by enchantment, trying to blend in... praying that not a single angel would notice who they truly were.
Overhead, Thrones and Ophanim spun slowly wheels of fire within wheels, covered in eyes. They didn't speak. They didn't move with haste. But their presence pressed down like gravity. They were the chariots of divine justice, conduits of balance and unseen decree.
There were millions of them in the sky, radiant constructs flying in synchronized orbit. Wings of light stretched from their burning forms, and from their endless rotations poured elemental and spiritual authority.
Each one was slightly different.
Some were green, pulsing with the essence of Earth cradling the power of mountains and roots, shaping the ground with silent authority.
Others burned in scarlet flame, trailing fire across the heavens, their very turning igniting the air.
Some spun in brilliant blue, commanding the oceans and skies water and wind swirling in their wake.
A few glowed with yellow brilliance, stirring storms with every rotation tempest-bringers, shapers of divine thunder.
And higher still were those without color abstract, shifting in forms beyond human understanding. These Ophanim governed concepts: memory, death, time, will, and silence. Their presence could not be seen only felt, as if the laws of reality bowed with each turn of their wheels.
They did not descend. They hovered, watching. Judging. Ready.
And they were watching.
The crew kept walking, heads down, silent until
An angel descended in front of them, clutching a stack of glowing papers. A courier.
He landed near a massive guard one of the higher Powers his wings outstretched, armored chest like a fortress.
The courier called out, "We're on high alert. Orders from Lord Lucifer. A threat is en route to Heaven possibly already here."
The towering Power roared, his voice shaking the air:
"Everyone, high alert! We must protect our Lord Lucifer! Our Father!"
The words echoed across the field.
The crew froze for a moment, glancing at one another. Tension tightened in the air.
Hunter leaned in. "Guys… we gotta be careful. We need to hurry. We're surrounded."
Michael's face hardened. " Lucifer.… a monster. I never thought I'd live to hear my brothers and sisters call him 'Lord.'"
Jesus nodded, voice low with restrained anger. "It's blasphemy. Disgusting. But it won't stop us."
They kept moving, slipping deeper into formation blending seamlessly among Heaven's defenders.
Eventually, they reached a massive gate towering, radiant, flanked by a battalion of elite Powers.
As the disguised crew approached, one of the guards stepped forward, raising a hand to halt them. But this Power was different. Larger. Denser. His presence pressed down like gravity.
He stood 18 feet tall, massive and imposing, with broad, muscular limbs that barely fit within his golden and green armor. His long white hair flowed down his back like a divine banner, and though his chestplate glowed, most of his body was exposed confident, unafraid.
"Hold it," the Power said, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Who are you?"
The group exchanged quick, tense glances.
Adamus stepped forward, keeping his voice steady. "We're just headed back to our assigned patrol pools, sir."
The massive angel tilted his head.
"My name is Raphael . Head of the Powers. And I demand you all turn around. We've received direct warning from Lord Lucifer enemies are already on their way here. We need soldiers on the ground, not leaving the gates."
Michael stepped forward. "We don't take orders from you."
Raphael laughed a deep, booming sound that echoed through the gate like thunder. "A young Power with no discipline," he said. "I remember when I was like you. Fresh wings. Eager to disobey."
He stepped forward, voice low and threatening. "But remember this I lead the Powers."
Suddenly, Raphael summoned a massive staff, nearly as tall as himself, crowned with a golden cross at the top. With a single, fluid motion, he swung the staff sideways
CRACK!
The blow slammed into Michael, launching him across the gate plaza, crashing into the side of a holy pillar.
Raphael turned back, sneering. "I'm the leader here. What I say goes. Lord Lucifer entrusted this task to me and all of you will follow orders. Get back to work. Start searching for the intruders."
The surrounding Powers shouted, "Yes, Commander Raphael!" and moved out.
The disguised crew glanced at Michael as he pulled himself up from the rubble, eyes burning with rage. Gabriel stepped beside him quickly, placing a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Stay calm," Gabriel whispered. "We have to stay undercover until we get inside. Don't blow this."
Samael and Hunter stepped forward to smooth things over. "Apologies, Commander," Samael said, bowing slightly. "We'll return to our assigned patrols immediately."
Hunter added, "We'll fall in line, sir."
As they turned to go, Jesus descended toward Michael, whispering, "It's not worth it. You'll get your chance to fight him but not here. Not now."
Michael clenched his jaw but nodded.
Then
Raphael's head suddenly jerked around. His nostrils flared. His eyes locked on one person.
"What is that?" he shouted, pointing. "I smell… a demon."
His eyes fell on Kiyohime.
He stormed toward her. "Why do you reek of infernal blood?" he barked.
Kiyohime held her ground. "I was slaying demons earlier, sir. Must've forgotten to clean the armor."
Raphael wasn't convinced. He grabbed her by the arm, gripping tightly. "I don't believe you. You're a demon in disguise. Guards! Take her away!"
Several Powers moved to grab her. Kiyohime shoved them back with sharp, fluid grace, but Raphael's grip held firm. She struggled, but couldn't break free.
"I like when demons fight," he sneered.
Suddenly
A burst of golden light flashed behind him. Flames erupted like a nova.
Adamus.
Golden fire swirled around his arm as he surged forward.
With a roar, he slammed a glowing fist straight into Raphael's face.
BOOM.
The massive Power staggered backward, his grip breaking. Kiyohime was free.
Adamus landed beside Kiyohime, his golden boots skidding across the marble floor, flames spiraling around him.
"Sorry, guys…" he muttered, golden eyes glowing like suns. "I think I blew our cover."
His radiant fire crackled across his shoulders, licking the air.
The rest of the crew stepped forward no hesitation, only resolve.
Michael unfurled his wings in full a blazing span of authority. He drew his golden sword, forged from the Light of Time. Its edge ignited with red holy flames that burned hotter than all the suns in the Hyperverse combined. The blade could slice through time itself severing past, present, and future in a single strike.
"I don't want to fight my brothers and sisters…" he said solemnly. "But if this is the path then so be it."
Samael raised his hand. A massive black sword erupted into existence wreathed in flickering shadow-flames, veins of red lightning crawling across its surface like living cracks in reality.
It was forged from Yahweh's shadow his poison, his curse. A blade powerful enough to plunge the entire Hyperverse into darkness.
The red lightning wasn't natural.
It came from Hell's gates born in the thunder of Gehenna.
The sword didn't glow.
It swallowed light.
He glanced at Adamus, voice steady.
"I understand. You had to protect your woman. I would've done the same."
Gabriel stepped forward calm, lethal.
In his hand was a sword so transparent it shimmered like air, invisible to most eyes. Only flashes of white lightning traced its edges, flickering with violent purity.
Forged from higher-dimensional energy, the blade existed on levels even spirits struggled to perceive. It could slice through matter, soul even concepts.
The white lightning wasn't mere electricity.
It was faith made manifest the raw power of Gabriel's unwavering belief in his Lord.
Hunter lifted both arms as his body radiated with twin energies: the white energy of faith and his personal blue aura. From his chest, water spiraled outward like a whirlpool and then took form.
A colossal water dragon burst forth beneath him, coiling in midair, its body made of roaring currents and divine tide. Hovering atop it, Hunter reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the higher-dimensional cards Adamus had given him.
The card glowed, pulsing with layered energy.
With a swift motion, he activated it
and from the light emerged his blade.
Etched with holy runes and humming with stacked layers of reality, the sword resonated with power drawn from beyond 5 dimensions.
Kiyohime stepped up last. Her eyes turned deep violet, glowing with yokai magic. Two white horns spiraled up from her head, curving like a crowned halo. Around her spun a violent vortex of purple and black energy, collapsing and folding like a dimensional tear.
The entire crew stood back-to-back a circle of defiance, surrounded by swirling power, eyes fixed on the enemy.
Across the courtyard, Raphael II rose to his feet. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth. He wiped it away, unfazed.
"Well then," he said darkly, cracking his neck. "Looks like we've found the intruders."
His voice rose to a commanding roar as he turned to the surrounding Powers:
"Attack!"
The guards moved as one, weapons flaring, wings spread, divine armor shimmering like a rainbow wall of death.
Raphael charged forward, staff in hand, moving like a storm.
And the crew stood their ground unshaken.
The moment the Powers charged, Michael was the first to break formation.
He burst forward like a divine missile, wings flaring wide, flames trailing behind him. His golden sword, wrapped in roaring fire, clashed head-on with Raphael's massive staff the shockwave from their collision cracked the sky itself.
BOOM!
Raphael's towering frame didn't budge. With monstrous force, he grabbed Michael's entire body in both hands, lifted him, and slammed him into the holy marble floor.
Michael grunted, barely dodging a devastating punch to the face. He rolled aside, letting Raphael's knuckles crater the stone. In a flash, Michael's sword swept low, cutting across Raphael's legs, golden flames trailing.
The giant Power stumbled, collapsing to one knee.
Michael took flight instantly, twisting midair, and drove his flaming sword into Raphael's stomach with a cry of fury.
But Raphael bellowed in response his chest expanded, then unleashed a sonic scream that shattered the air and sent Michael flying backward through a wall of light.
As smoke cleared, Raphael's wounds began glowing flesh knitting together, bones snapping into place.
He rose again, fully healed.
And without a word, they charged at each other once more the clash of Archangel and Power shaking Heaven's foundation.
Above them in the sky, Samael and Gabriel had already broken formation, soaring high dodging streaks of light as a squadron of Powers pursued them, staffs glowing and firing rapid blasts of divine energy.
ZRRMMM! ZRAKKK!
Samael dove through a spiral, his black sword tearing the sky as he sliced through a wave of attacks. Red lightning trailed behind him like a comet. Beside him, Gabriel twisted mid-flight, his invisible blade dancing through the air, every swing breaking apart the blasts around him with ghostlike precision.
Then
they stopped.
Their path blocked.
A massive wall of Thrones and Ophanim loomed before them.
Wheels of fire within wheels, covered in countless eyes, hovering in absolute silence. The air grew still. Time seemed to warp.
And then
The Thrones attacked.
Blades made from wings lashed out, slicing across the air. Streams of holy fire surged forward like tidal waves of purity.
BOOM!
Samael and Gabriel were blasted from the skies, crashing through clouds like falling stars.
They hit the ground hard divine clouds cushioning them, but not enough to stop the bruises or blood. Slowly, both archangels stood, panting, scorched, but alive.
They looked up and froze.
Dozens of Powers surrounded them.
Behind. Above. Encircling like predators.
And beyond… the Thrones hovered wheels of fire within wheels, eyes upon eyes, unblinking.
Samael and Gabriel rose slowly, their bodies beginning to heal wounds glowing with divine regeneration.
Without a word, they nodded to each other.
They charged.
Explosions of divine light ignited the battlefield as they slammed into the circle of Powers and Thrones. Samael's black sword sliced through the air, trailing red lightning, while Gabriel's invisible blade flashed only when it tore through armor and soul.
From above, Thrones launched spirals of holy flame. The archangels twisted through them, countering with precision, slicing the air to unleash shockwaves. They carved through their enemies but the numbers grew.
Elsewhere...
Hunter raced through the sky on his water dragon, blade clashing with a Power mid-air. He kicked the angel's face, sent him spiraling, then slashed another with glowing water energy of faith and his will. He moved like a force of nature rising, cutting, and crashing through the defenders.
But then
A massive fireball screamed from the heavens
BOOM!
It struck the dragon, shattering it into steam.
Hunter fell, twisting midair, catching himself. From his sword, he summoned torrents of liquid energy, slicing through the wings of several Thrones as they descended on him.
But while his focus was forward
Blades pierced him from behind.
Powers had stabbed him from all sides. He gasped, collapsing.
Before the final blow could land
"FREEZE!"
Kiyohime's voice rang like a curse from the void.
Her eyes glowed bright violet. Every soldier around her stopped mid-motion frozen in time. Hundreds of Powers and Thrones suspended in stillness.
She dashed forward, catching Hunter as he fell. Her hand glowed as she unsheathed her Sword of Death and stabbed it into the air above him rewriting time in his body.
Hunter's wounds closed. He gasped in breath.
Around them, her toroidal energy field exploded outward purple-black spirals compressing gravity and time. Dozens of frozen enemies were slammed to the ground, knocked unconscious.
Then
The clouds shook.
A shadow fell across them.
They turned.
Their blood ran cold.
Descending from the skies came the Mother Cherubim.
Not a childlike being of innocence
But a divine guardian of terror and mystery.
Her body was built of radiant, shifting light, yet it cast a shadow across dimensions across memory itself. She was glory made dreadful, judgment clothed in storm.
Her wings one like a thundercloud swollen with divine wrath, the other like a storming eagle mid-dive spread wide enough to cover entire mountain ranges. The wind they generated bent the light around her, warping Heaven's golden clouds into spiraling vortexes.
Her four faces glared in every direction:
Lion. Ox. Eagle. Man.
Each expression divine. Each one ancient. Each one burning with wrath and wisdom.
The lion roared, shaking the battlefield for miles.
The eagle screamed with a cry that shattered courage.
Her ox-like hooves and sharpened eagle claws raked the clouds beneath her, sparks of gold and white lightning erupting from every step.
Her arms were no less fearsome
One like a lion's, thick with muscle and crowned with savage claws.
Another, slender and sharp like a hawk's talon, curved and crackling with air-bound fury.
A third resembled a man's human in shape, but larger than life, covered in ancient, radiant fur.
The last arm was the limb of a beast unknown long, jointed like a serpent's coil, feathered and scaled, its hand ending in six glowing fingers tipped with burning light.
Her entire form was covered in a mix of holy fur and divine feathers living textures of radiant gold and stormy shadow, as if her body was stitched together from the heavens themselves.
Judgment is here.
Kiyohime and Hunter stood firm.
"I think we can take her," Kiyohime said coldly.
Then wings swept behind them.
Michael, Samael, and Gabriel landed beside them, battered but alive.
And then more massive Cherubim descended from the sky, its many wings blazing with fire and judgment.
More followed.
"We need to move!" Michael snapped. "There are too many at this rate, we'll never escape the edge of Heaven!"
Gabriel's gaze locked onto the Cherubim. "We won't get far until we deal with her."
Michael looked around, breath heavy. "Where's Jesus? Where's Vajra?"
But there was no time to answer.
They were surrounded.
More Powers. More Thrones. Waves of holy warriors, converging. No time to rest.
The crew raised their weapons
And charged.
Elsewhere...
Adamus and Jesus stood side by side on a battlefield of shattered stone and flaming ruins.
Jesus, encased in a glowing holy shield, carried a circular emblem marked with radiant crosses. Any enemy that touched it was launched backward by divine backlash thrown by their own force.
Adamus moved like a golden comet in front of him.
Punch. Dodge. Kick. Cross-jab.
Every hit dropped another Power soldier.
As he fought, his voice cut through the chaos.
"We need to move! Where did the others go?"
Jesus, still inside his unbreakable barrier, scanned the battle calmly. "We'll deal with them soon. First we finish this wave."
Adamus's golden flames spiraled violently around him.
He reached out, connecting his Life Strings to every nearby soldier.
With a yank, he pulled dozens toward him and punched.
A thunderclap of divine force exploded outward, scattering bodies like leaves in a storm.
From above, Thrones fired beams of holy wind and flame.
Adamus stood firm.
"COUNTER!" he roared.
He swung his arm, sending their attacks right back at them, with matching force and velocity exploding them from the sky.
Still they kept coming. The waves were endless.
Adamus's eyes narrowed.
He looked down. Fallen weapons: swords, spears, staves, bows.
He reached out Life Strings lashed out like whips, binding to the weapons.
"Naro Nerve Sync... Activate."
Suddenly, the discarded weapons rose. Hovered.
And began to move.
Guided by Life Strings, they came alive fighting on Adamus's behalf. Blades clashed against former wielders. Confusion erupted in enemy ranks.
He turned to Jesus. "Let's go."
Jesus nodded, his shield parting just enough to move.
Together, they launched forward
toward the battlefield where the Mother Cherubim awaited.
Adamus and Jesus raced across the battlefield gold and light streaking behind them. But from above, the skies cracked open.
More soldiers. More Cherubim.
Adamus's eyes widened as he saw his crew locked in battle surrounded by multiple massive Cherubim, wings of storm and judgment darkening the light.
Without hesitation, Adamus leapt, golden flames spiraling around his fist.
CRACK!
His punch landed clean across a Cherubim's jaw, sending the colossal creature crashing down from the sky in a fiery blaze of feathers and light.
The moment he landed, the entire crew closed ranks panting, bruised, bloodied, but alive.
Michael, catching his breath, looked to Adamus.
"It's time," he said. "You need to summon your higher-dimensional card. Summon the Archangel Army my army."
Kiyohime shook her head. "Not yet. We wait until we reach the center. Even with them, we'd still be outnumbered."
Jesus, standing behind them, his holy shield glowing with protective light, spoke calmly.
"Then we purify them. Restore their memories. Their free will."
He raised a hand. "Every suit of armor you wear contains a vial of holy water. Check your pockets."
Each crew member reached down a tiny vial, shimmering with divine purity, tucked into their gear.
They nodded.
The second phase began.
Gabriel poured his holy water onto his invisible sword.
The moment the liquid touched the blade, it lit with divine brilliance white lightning erupting from its edges, dancing violently across its length.
Then he charged.
Every slash across a corrupted Power sizzled with sacred energy
lightning and holiness combined, striking like judgment itself.
Each blow didn't just wound.
It purified.
The corrupted fell to their knees, eyes wide, gasping as the light surged through them.
Some trembled.
Others wept.
"I… remember…" they whispered.
And with every slice, another awoke
called back from corruption
by the wrath and mercy in Gabriel's blade.
Michael treated the vial like oil, pouring it over his flaming blade. The flames exploded outward into a sacred wildfire, sweeping across the field in a wave.
Powers and Thrones caught in the blaze fell to their knees, screaming but not in pain in freedom.
Samael poured the holy water onto his massive dark wings. As he flew overhead, the water vaporized into holy mist, clinging to his blade. Every slice against a Cherubim shattered corrupted symbols, removing the mark of the Beast, cleansing their bodies.
Hunter summoned his water dragon once more this time infused with the vial. The serpent of living water weaved through the skies, biting and coiling around corrupted soldiers, purifying them on contact.
Kiyohime, a demon by birth, felt no pain from the holy water.
She poured it onto her blade, her purple vortex spinning wider.
"Freeze."
With her glowing eyes, she stopped hundreds in place then stabbed through their corruption, one by one.
Each soul awakened.
Each mark vanished.
Adamus, flames roaring like a furnace, poured the water over his fists.
Every punch thundered like judgment.
Each impact purged the dark symbols etched into the corrupted angels.
Cherubim fell. Thrones blinked in shock before being silenced.
Hundreds were freed.
The tide began to turn.
The battlefield shifted.
Former enemies cleansed rose to fight with the crew, turning on their corrupted comrades.
Weapons changed hands. Armor re-lit.
The flame of faith was returning.
But high above, inside his golden palace, Lucifer watched through a glowing orb. His hands shook.
"No. No… they're winning."
He stepped closer, eyes wide. "The angels… they're breaking the Mark of the Beast. They're remembering…"
His voice, now filled with rage, echoed across all dimensions.
"Come to me… now."
His omnipresence reached only the ones he wanted.
Three figures appeared before him, kneeling in perfect formation each radiating a distinct, unsettling aura.