The pure mental field tore apart.
It was no longer a place. It was no longer a universe. It was an intersection of wills, a space where every thought created or destroyed an infinity of adjacent realities.
Gabriel, in her true form, unfurled her countless wings. Each beat generated bubble-universes, instantly crushed by the pressure of her presence. Her eyes — hundreds, thousands — observed SCP-682 across all its dimensions simultaneously.
But SCP-682…
was no longer a creature.
It had become a principle.
Its perfect form was not fixed. It existed as a coherent structure of hatred, a stable configuration within infinity. Where it stood, entire multiverses bent around it as if around a metaphysical center of gravity.
It was 682 who attacked first.
Entire layers of multiverses collapsed — not destroyed…
but rewritten to serve as vectors of attack.
Gabriel deployed a barrier of absolute authority.
682 struck.
The barrier cracked.
Gabriel stepped back for the first time.
She counterattacked.
Her wings folded, then slammed down in a single movement. Each feather became a conceptual spear, piercing entire realities to strike 682 from every possible axis.
The mental space exploded.
But it had no effect whatsoever on 682's perfect form.
The continuation of the battle reached a level so incomprehensible that the only certainty was that Gabriel was struck head-on. Her wings shattered. Eyes went dark. Her light flickered violently.
At the very moment when 682 was about to deliver the final blow…
A presence descended.
Space split apart like a veil.
Michael appeared.
But not in a classic angelic form.
His true appearance imposed itself: a being of pure cosmic warfare, an incarnation of divine will in motion. Circles of sacred fire revolved around him, engraved with primordial laws and thousands of eyes gazing everywhere and nowhere at once.
He drew the divine sword toward himself.
It left the non-ground where it was embedded and flew toward him, vibrating with recognition. When he grasped it…
He did not wield it.
He fused with it.
The blade dissolved. The light folded inward. And Michael became the weapon.
A shockwave traversed all existence. Entire multiverses were forcibly stabilized simply to avoid disintegrating under his presence.
Gabriel was hurled backward, torn from the battle and wrapped inside a protective sphere. Alive. Barely.
Michael looked at SCP-682.
Even though Michael was among those who had once wielded the divine sword, he could only use 38% of its true power. He merely hoped to hold on until the Foundation arrived.
On 682's side:
For the first time since its perfect state…
It felt something.
It was not fear, but the threat it had already sensed from the sword the first time with the old pigeon was now intensified with this one.
A battle of incomparable intensity and gravity unfolded between these two beings.
Heaven trembled.
Not physically.
Structurally.
The very foundations of the Celestial Kingdom — those that existed before time — vibrated under the waves emitted by the battle.
In the Hall of Convergences, space was saturated with presence.
Seraphim, with wings covered in living inscriptions.
Archangels, whose every breath influenced worlds.
Thrones, Dominions, Virtues.
At the center, standing, motionless despite the surrounding chaos: Sera.
Each clash between Michael and SCP-682 generated statistical fractures throughout all creation:
— reality collapse rate,
— saturation of fundamental laws,
— irreversible continuity losses.
A heavy silence reigned.
Then Azrael spoke.
— Michael has fused with the divine sword. — He is using the weapon at the highest level he can control.
The entities present were not foolish. They knew very well the magnitude of the situation and how unfavorable it was for them. They only needed confirmation.
A six-winged Seraph turned to Sera.
— Say it, Lady Sera. — Say what we all see.
Sera slowly closed her eyes.
When she reopened them, her voice did not tremble. But it was heavy.
— Michael… will not win.
It was a fact. Everyone here knew 682 would win. The outcome was already decided.
Another Archangel murmured:
— If Michael falls…
The Thrones shuddered. The Seraphim froze.
But as everyone tried to think of the best possible solution, a voice rose from the middle of the council.
— There remains… one option!
All turned.
Lucifer:
— You are all thinking it, he said calmly. — But you do not dare to say it.
Sera did not look at him.
— If you are speaking of him, know that calling upon his services will cause the destruction of all creation, just as 682 seeks to do. And must I remind you that we do not even know where he is?
— We do not know, but we know who does. And I have a plan to ensure that he will not become a problem for us.
A Throne spoke, its voice resounding like a distant tide:
— You propose a catastrophe predating creation itself. We do not know its danger. Lady Sera, you cannot agree to such nonsense.
An even older Archangel stepped forward.
— Your presence here should already be forbidden, and yet you dare come and propose such things.
Murmurs rose throughout the assembly. Clearly, no one supported this solution.
Lucifer stared intensely at Sera, silently asking her to trust him.
Sera hesitated. They possessed many artifacts created by FATHER himself.
They could merge their essences.
Create a collective entity.
They had, in truth, infinite possibilities to attack 682 — but the method with the highest chance of success was Lucifer's.
She made her decision swiftly.
She closed her eyes.
Then spoke.
— I approve Lucifer's proposal.
The assembly exploded.
— WHAT?!
— You condemn everything Father created!
Voices overlapped.
Sera raised her voice.
— SILENCE.
The hall froze.
— We have no more time. Michael fights alone against an entity that already exceeds our predictive models. Every second increases 682's probability of victory and its spread across all creation.
Her gaze swept the assembly.
— You speak of alternatives, but none guarantee anything. Lucifer's… is the only one that can work.
An Archangel clenched his fists.
— And if he betrays us?
Then, Sera answered without hesitation:
— Then we will have lost. But if we do nothing, we will lose anyway.
A heavy silence fell.
Then a clear voice rose.
— Let me go.
All turned.
Uriel.
His wings of fire vibrated slowly.
— Authorize me to join Michael. I will carry one of the Trumpets of Celebration. Together we will have a better chance of survival against 682.
The Trumpets of Celebration were originally created to praise and celebrate GOD after all creation was completed, but they also possessed immense power in battle.
Sera accepted Uriel's request, and he was instantly teleported beside Michael, for this would give them more time to execute their plan.
A spatial distortion crossed the secondary council chamber.
Baraquiel appeared.
In his arms was Gabriel.
Her true body was fractured.
Lines of shattered reality ran across her skin. Her very essence trembled.
She was immediately taken to intensive care, surrounded by several Seraphim who flooded her with power to heal her.
Gradually, her wounds stopped spreading.
She opened her eyes.
— Michael…
Baraquiel:
— Calm yourself, my sister. We are in a safe place.
She was quickly informed of the situation and tried to immediately go to the assembly, but was stopped by another of her brothers, Faramiel, who ordered her to rest. She complied, reluctantly.
Meanwhile, Baraquiel returned to the council chamber and was addressed by Sera. He was stunned by Lucifer's presence but decided not to focus on it for now.
Sera:
— Baraquiel, since Gabriel is unable to do so, I want you to go to the Second Kingdom and find a human soul. His name is Job. After you find him, bring him here.
Baraquiel:
— Yes, Lady Sera.
A white light enveloped Baraquiel and he vanished.
The Second Kingdom of Heaven was not even comparable to the First.
Endless plains of gentle light, crossed by rivers of pale gold, overflown by constellations frozen in eternal twilight.
Not only was its environment superior to the First Kingdom, but this place was reserved for a specific category of individuals.
Here rested the human souls who had seen what no flesh should ever witness: the prophets, those who had fulfilled GOD's design.
There was a time when angels actively searched for GOD after He departed from creation.
But GOD, from wherever He was, continued to interact with Earth and accomplished all the events of the Bible with its prophets and occurrences, without the angels knowing.
Through the Bible, this holy book written by multiple prophets, the angels were able to roughly understand what GOD had done.
In the Second Kingdom, there were not many souls, so finding a specific one was not difficult.
Baraquiel asked several human souls for information and eventually identified where Job was.
At the top of a hill, sewing something, sat a man.
His body seemed made of tempered light.
Baraquiel approached slowly.
Job lifted his eyes.
— Oh! Hello. I am pleased to receive a visit from a Principality, but should you not be finding a solution for this SCP?
Even though the hologram had stopped after Gabriel teleported 682 out of the Omni-Space, with the various tremors spreading throughout Heaven, Job suspected that the anomaly had not yet been defeated or contained.
Baraquiel:
— I am sorry to disturb you, but the situation is critical. The angelic council wishes to bring you for a discussion.
Job:
— May I know why?
Baraquiel:
— Unfortunately, I do not know. I was not present at the meeting.
Job sighed. He already suspected the reason, though he hoped it was not that.
— Very well. Let us go. In any case, I have no choice.
Through Baraquiel, Job was instantly transported to the assembly.
It was not his first time here. Long ago, he and the other prophets had gathered here, but the current situation was far more serious.
He walked calmly into the center of the assembly and stood at the podium, staring directly into Sera's eyes. He noticed a strange angel and, drawing from his knowledge, concluded it was Lucifer, but did not react, knowing from GOD that the true darkness was named Ru. Thus, Lucifer's presence did not disturb him much.
*(It hurts me to say this, but in Hazbin Hotel, Lucifer is ki... kind... I never thought I would one day place the words kind and Lucifer in the same sentence, but well… ) :( *
Sera:
— Dear Job, we summoned you for a precise reason. First, to have you accept our request, we must inform you of the situation.
Job nodded. Sera then showed him the battle between Uriel, Michael, and 682. Job watched in horror. He did not know which angels they were, but he was certain they were immensely powerful Seraphim — stronger even than Lady Sera. Thus, he deduced they were Michael and Uriel. And if even they could not contain 682, then it was only a matter of time before it destroyed everything.
— As you can see, the situation is catastrophic. Therefore, we ask you to listen to our request.
— From the way you speak, I feel you are about to ask me for something impossible.
— ...We wish for you to show us where the seal of one of the primordial beasts lies — specifically, Leviathan.
Upon hearing this, Job froze.
Of course. That is why I was summoned, he thought.
Job:
— You truly ask me to show you where that being lies? You... you...
Job stepped back.
— You do not intend to ask for its help, do you?
Sera:
— Unfortunately, the situation...
Job:
— I stop you right there, Lady Sera. I will never show you where Leviathan is.
Many angels were shocked by Job's reaction. Although they agreed Leviathan should never be released, they were stunned to see Job — the wisest and most patient of men — lose his composure.
( Restoring the context: GOD, despite His absence within creation, has always interacted with Earth and carried out all the events of the Bible, except that Lucifer… was not responsible for all the evils of the world… damn, it hurts to say that but rather Ru. And it was Ru who acted in all the deeds in which Lucifer is cited in the Bible, except for the Garden of Eden. Now, why then did GOD make it so that His son would be accused? Well, to ensure that Ru's power, which would have multiplied through the fear it generated, would not become a threat.
Now, for Job — for those who do not know him, I invite you to read the Bible — but in the Bible, the true Bible, Satan/Lucifer went to Heaven and challenged GOD, saying that His most righteous servant, the most upright man of that era, would curse GOD if Satan made him lose everything he possessed, because for Satan, Job behaved well only because of his wealth. GOD accepted. Then Satan destroyed everything that belonged to Job and killed his entire family. In short, Job lamented and said something about creation. GOD then decided to show him how He had created all things. In Job's vision, he saw all the wonders and secrets of creation, but at the very end, GOD decided to show Job the immensity of His power by revealing to him the primordial beasts: Behemoth and Leviathan.
In the Book of Job:
15 Look now at Behemoth, which I made as I made you; He eats grass like an ox. 16 Behold, his strength is in his loins, And his power in the muscles of his belly. 17 He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. 18 His bones are tubes of bronze, His limbs like bars of iron. 19 He is the first of the works of God; Only his Maker can draw the sword against him. 20 Surely the mountains bring him forth food, Where all the beasts of the field play.
For Leviathan:
18 His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. 19 Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap out. 20 Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes. 21 His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth. 24 His heart is as hard as stone, Hard as the lower millstone. 33 On earth there is not his like, A creature made without fear. 34 He looks on everything that is high; He is king over all the sons of pride.
Well, I'm explaining all this simply because I don't want to go back in time to explain their origins. Now the rest will be long, so please read carefully for the understanding of the story.
Genesis 1:2 — The earth was without form and void; darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
For the Jews and the Babylonians, the universe is surrounded by primordial waters. These same waters constituted the entirety of all things before GOD decided to create the universe. Thus, in creating the world, GOD delimited creation from the primordial waters. This is an empty and cold place, comparable to nothingness, to the void, or even to chaos. It was on the second day of creation, when GOD placed the boundaries between these waters and His creation, that He caused the primordial beasts to emerge from these waters. They are the personification of this nothingness; their purpose is now to destroy all things in order to return to the complete primordial void.
Now I will place these elements into the story. Know that the primordial sea is above the main universe and the many other universes, due to the expansion of the main universe, but also above the omni-space. It transcends everything, and even the angels cannot access it. Now, in the story, GOD created the primordial beasts when the world consisted only of primordial waters, but the angels did not yet exist. He sealed them and created the angels to help Him with creation. They were therefore unaware of the existence of the primordial beasts. But since GOD carried out all the events of the Bible while deceiving the vigilance of the angels so that they would not interfere, it is only after the creation of the Bible that they learned the origin of these beings, also because they were able to speak to the various prophets in Heaven. Thus, only Job is best placed to know the power of the primordial beasts, since he is the only one to whom GOD showed these beings.)
Job stood upright, but his hands trembled slightly. His gaze swept across the assembly.
— You do not understand what you are about to do.
His voice was calm.
— Know that even if you have learned of its existence from the Bible, the authors of it could not describe with mere words the power of the primordial beasts. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could describe them. Even I, who have seen them, would not know how to describe them with simple words.
The assembly was silent. All the entities present were reconsidering the question of using the Leviathan's help, and no one could blame Job if he said that the Leviathan was too dangerous. What could they possibly say?
Sera slowly closed her eyes.
— Very well, Job, I accept your choice. You may return to the second kingdom.
Job slowly bowed his head.
— May wisdom guide you… and may you make the right choice to manage this situation.
Barely had Job left when the voices erupted.
— Lady Sera, Job's words have convinced us. We cannot rely on the Leviathan. It would be better to resort to another method.
— Enough.
The protests ceased instantly.
— Baraquiel, I want you to go to Earth and find a descendant of Job. He will show us where the Leviathan is.
At that moment, many angels were furious, not only because Sera had ignored their words, but also because she still wanted to resort to the Leviathan.
A Throne stood up.
— We will not participate in this blasphemy.
Then another, then several — Dominions, Virtues, Principalities, even some Archangels turned their wings away.
— This choice is a betrayal of the cosmic order.
— You listen to our stupid brother, the very one who brought corruption into the world, as if he were a genius. That vermin should have remained in Hell.
— You are playing with the very structure of Existence.
— Father… would be ashamed of your actions.
Sera remained impassive. Lucifer too. The words of their brothers and sisters were harsh only because of anger and differences of opinion, but deep down, they all wanted the same thing: to protect the creation of their FATHER.
Sera did not know what her brothers and sisters who had left the assembly intended to do. For the moment, she would content herself with discussing with those who were still there. She summoned Baraquiel and ordered him to go and find a descendant of Job so that he could show them the place where the Leviathan was.
He left without delay.
IN THE PAST, ON EARTH!!!
POV of ???????????
My name is Constantine. And for a long time, I believed my life was nothing but a succession of mistakes, losses, and survival.
I was born in Rome. My parents — what can I say about them? They were normal parents, a normal life, everything was so peaceful, so simple. I wish everything had stayed that way, but unfortunately, fate is a bitch.
It was when I was 8 that I witnessed my parents' death, as they were about to take me to the dentist. An unknown reckless driver driving a truck crashed into our car… I remember opening my eyes and seeing that I was upside down because the car had flipped, seeing my father and mother with multiple head injuries, unconscious, screaming their names, seeing that police officer pulling me out of where I was, hearing him tell me that my parents were still alive and that they were going to save them. But unfortunately, fate is a bitch… the car ended up exploding without warning, killing my parents and the two police officers who tried to get them out.
The rest was rather blurry: foster families from which I ran away several times, juvenile delinquency. I did many things that I regret to this day. Now that I think about it, many of those families truly wanted me to integrate and not withdraw into myself. Those people were good. I regret having made them suffer through my actions.
After several years locked in a boarding school, I finally obtained my university degrees. I had decided to work hard, to make more effort, to change. I did not want what had happened in the past to dictate my present and my future.
So I studied. Relentlessly. Law. Psychology. Criminology. I became a criminal investigator.
After several successful missions carried out by my partner and me, we were tasked with reopening an old case, and I can say that this case was the most incomprehensible I had ever seen. Several people had disappeared, and their bodies were found drained of blood and internal organs. According to the file, the former investigators had opted for a serial killer. The investigation had been closed because the murders had ceased and they severely lacked evidence. But unfortunately, it seems that today a new body was found in the same state as those of that time, which explains the reopening of the case.
After several investigations, my partner and I finally found a lead, but as fate is a bitch, the killer somehow managed to kill my partner.
In the end, I managed to kill that person — although I would rather say that thing. It was a demon. I myself was shocked at the time, but thanks to some strange ability, I don't know how, I managed to kill it. And it was after obtaining these powers, and after avenging my partner, that my life changed once again.
I eventually learned of the existence of my maternal family. My mother constantly avoided talking to me about her parents or whether she had brothers and sisters. As a child, I never questioned it, but now I understand why.
My new "family" informed me of the truth: I was a descendant of Job. We all are. We are the guardians of a legacy hidden for millennia.
But frankly, I didn't give a damn about what they were telling me. I had a huge — a fucking huge — hatred toward them.
— Where were you when I was hungry? — Where were you when I slept on the streets? — Where were you when I was afraid?
During all those years when fate was playing the bitch with me, they never intervened. Why now?
They eventually explained, even though I was reluctant to listen, that my mother, being the eldest, should have inherited the title of patriarch of the family, but she ran away with my father. My family did not stop her, understanding her desire to live a normal life. But after years of searching to get news of their daughter, they eventually learned of her death and did everything in their power to find me.
It took me a long time to forgive them. A very long time. But in the end… I accepted them.
By joining this family, I learned many things, notably that the descendants of the various prophets in the Bible were all close-knit families. Despite their supernatural powers, they never interfered in the face of any demonic threat, and they never would, because they trusted the angels who watch over the Earth.
Several families of prophets have their own peculiarities. For example, every descendant of the family of Moses must go on an Exodus into the Sahara Desert and return after 30 days. The descendants of the family of Jeremiah tended to prophesy catastrophes and others; their powers to see the future were undoubtedly the most powerful. The descendants of John the Baptist — well, not really descendants, since he had no children — are rather the descendants of his most faithful disciples who today form his family. They baptized many members of the different families.
All in all, this life wasn't so bad.
Well… until now.
Today, I am standing in the middle of a city in panic. The skies tremble. Satellites go mad. Compasses spin on themselves. News and social networks speak of solar eruptions, of magnetic storms, of a possible collapse of the Earth's field. I know. SCP-682 (for Constantine, the latter was still fighting Gabriel because of the hologram that had stopped… well, you know the drill).
And this battle is tearing apart the very structure of reality.
— Immediate evacuation! I shouted. — Head to the nuclear shelters! — Leave everything behind!
My colleagues tried as best they could to restore order in the crowd, but they were all gripped by panic.
After evacuating everyone, I told my superior that I needed to grab something at home. He authorized me to leave urgently, but advised me that if the situation worsened, I should not try to return to them, but rather take refuge in the nearest shelter to my position.
As I was heading toward my home, something happened.
The air froze.
Time slowed. A light descended. And she appeared before me. Immense wings, white as the first dawn.
A gaze capable of dissolving lies.
An angel.
I froze.
— …Fuck.
Baraquiel:
— Constantine, I am sorry, but you will have to come with me. The future of creation depends on it.
Honestly, now that I think about it, did I tell you that fate is a bitch...