"Careful, Seraphiel," my father's voice was practically mocking the guy. "Or else what, demon slug?" Seraphiel asked like he was going to lose it just by any further slight provocation.
"Wouldn't want Heaven's doorman burning his wings...now, would we?" my father continued, like he wanted to see the extent to which the guy's self-control could reach.
He let out an arrogant laugh, like he was trying to subdue the urge he had to strike Astaroth that very moment. "Still the same arrogant demon, Astaroth." Holy guy spat, he was definitely not going to take it easy. "It's no wonder kinds like yours can't even tell the simple difference between power... and pride."
"You dare insult my kind, you hypocrite." My father spat—he was disgusted, it seemed.
"Hypocrite? I am no hypocrite. I just told you the truth." The guy replied.
"Oh, I know the truth, and I'll show you what truth is when I shove it down your holy a**"
My father raised his arms wide, and a dark spiral sprang forth. The angel, on the other hand, raised a staff, and golden runes burned brightly. "Then let Heaven judge you once more, demon!"
"Gladly!!" my father exclaimed, lunging into to air.
In a flash of movement, they both vanished.
The shockwave sent bursts across the courtyard as it shook the air, and marble fragmented.
To be honest, I could barely keep my balance. Just don't tell anyone.
The balance of light and fire met midair, as it fell like a waterfall—emitting red and gold light.
Just when the fight was getting good, the headmistress finally crawled out of her shell and interrupted it. Barely.
"Stop it! Both of you!" she said, but her voice only drowned in the chaos she unintentionally created.
It went on for not too long—but long enough for me to feel like the roof was about to collapse.
The aura pressure was so intense that even lesser-rank students who were still scurrying to meet the chaos fainted.
Like they fainted. I just flinched...a little.
But the barrier spells that held together our.... You know what I'm talking about, seemed to flicker.
The spells weren't strong enough to witness the clashing of two S-rank beings.
And then—
A single voice cut through the chaos like a receiving a whip in a silent hall.
"That's enough."
Believe me when I say, those words didn't just order.
They commanded.
It was almost as if creation itself paused to listen to the words yet to be uttered.
My mind blanked and came back once more. The woman who commanded them seemed to be neither light nor darkness.
Well, you don't see that every day, do you?
She was something ancient and whole. She wore a black cloak that seemed to come from the fabric of twilight and starlight. Even my father seemed to step back, but it was only an inch.
NOTHING MORE THAN THAT!
"Lady Caelira..." Seraphiel muttered under his breath as he lowered his staff slowly.
"High Matriarch of Balance," my father said as he gritted his teeth. It was clearly from sheer irritation.
"So you two would tear the fabric of the realm just to prove how big your egos are? Pathetic." Her eyes swept from the angel to Astaroth, and from the look of things, she was clearly unimpressed.
Not something either of the S-ranks would take lightly on a normal occasion.
Silence.
The divine and the demic auras slowly stepped backwards into themselves.
And that's when I caught his name—finally.
"Seraphiel Valanir..." I muttered under my breath, barely audible for anyone else to hear. "Man sounds like a skin care brand. If I may ask, do you glow in the dark, or is all that angelic aura for show?"
"Watch your tongue, demon." The angel answered sharply.
I smirked. "Oh, don't worry, I wash it with Valanir™—for that divine freshness."
Even my father choked out a laugh.
...
The floor beneath us had cracked, runes were now dim, and the aura was a bit faint—overall, it looked like someone had tried inviting God and Satan to the same party without choosing one of them.
My eyes scanned the arena and darted for a fraction of a second on the half-dead students who were carried out by the healers who wore the face that screamed 'I didn't fucking sign up for this, degenerates.'
And at the centre of the entire chaos were two humanoid forms of cosmic egos and uncontrolled rebellion.
On top of that, they glared at each other— Astaroth and Seraphiel – like 'let's-see-who-blinks-first' kind of stare. It was almost predatory.
After everything seemed to have died down a bit, she stepped through, now facing the entire crowd of students.
Lady Caelira. She had silver hair like Seraphina, but hers was a lot more decorated and polished. It shone like a billion stars and had something like star dust all over it. She wore this expression that looked like she could judge this for eternity.
That even made gravity remember what it was.
"I got summoned and now I witness the lack of self-control of two mature full-fleshed S-ranks? I mean, seriously? I wasn't summoned here to babysit two over-sized toddlers playing 'who-has-the-bigger-ego'. You too should be bigger than this."
She turned to Seraphiel. "I thought you let it slide already? You are an angel for Heaven's sake," Seraphiel tried to protest— he opened his mouth, but nothing could come forth.
That was the power that Lady Caelira possessed.
The power to shut people up.
I meant it.
She then turned to my dad, who was looking like he was irritated by her presence alone.
"And you, Astaroth, since you got cast out of Heaven, and had grown those horns of yours, you lost every shroud of self-control you had left." She reprimanded.
My dad simply looked away. He wasn't the type to take correction. He never did.
Even my mother couldn't tell him he was wrong. She could only give a suggestion.
I even found it hard not to chew on the previous insult.
That's just how I am. Deal with it.
"Over-sized toddlers? More like oversized containers of aura," I mumbled under my breath. Thank hell it wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear.
They'd all probably be in my pants again.
Literally.