Chapter 18: Mechanics
It was midsummer, and cicadas chirped incessantly in the mortal realm.
The allied forces' main camp was situated on a vast open field, bordered by a river. A bridge spanned the river, half of which was fortified with high, solid stones. Gabriel loved to stand guard here at night; the high ground offered a wide view, and no movement could escape her angelic eyes.
Especially on clear, moonlit nights, gazing at the Milky Way from the mortal realm, even angels accustomed to the stars could easily be lost in its brilliance.
"The spiritual energy of the mortal realm, though not as rich as that of Heaven, is still pleasant. How about we ask His Highness for leave after the war and take a proper stroll?"
Samael looked at her in surprise, then smiled.
"That's really not like you."
Gabriel wasn't an angel who indulged in pleasure; on the contrary, she was usually busy with work. Samael was most familiar with her giving orders at work, so this… this childlike side of her was quite rare.
"What?! Then what do you think I should say?"
"More like, 'Let's go shoot that star down!'"
"The sun, moon, and stars were all created by my god, how could we possibly shoot them down!" Gabriel was annoyed by Samael's nonchalant attitude, and what kind of image did she have in his heart?!
Just as she was relentlessly pressing Samael for an answer, she heard a soft, unusual sound. The sound was neither too loud nor too soft, just right. Gabriel involuntarily released her grip on Samael's ear and looked towards the source of the sound.
It was Lilith.
Angels are all exceptionally beautiful, but Lilith seemed like an angel blessed by the starry night.
A golden-haired angel, bathed in starlight, watched them playfully frolicking, beautiful and charming.
The darling of the starlight.
This thought suddenly flashed through Samael's mind. He paused for a rare moment, then nodded, reverting to his usual taciturn Archangel.
Gabriel coughed and looked down, asking,
"Is there something you need?"
Lilith's eyes were bright; she looked at Gabriel and spoke in a light tone.
"I've come to bring His Highness a midnight snack."
She carried a basket woven from vines, quickly ascending the bridge and revealing the washed fruit and vegetable syrup inside.
"I didn't know His Highness Samael was here, but they've given him a generous portion."
The speaker meant no harm, but the listener felt somewhat awkward. Samael felt it was inappropriate for him to be there when he wasn't on duty, and he raised his hand to refuse.
"I don't need it..." Lilith, however, pressed an apple into his hand without further ado.
"These are fruits from mortal trees, yet they taste surprisingly good."
"Ever since Prince Beelzebub was forbidden from entering the granary, there's been so much food there it's overflowing. Please enjoy it without worry."
"If Beelzebub heard you say that, he'd be furious," Gabriel teased, biting into a fruit.
"I'm not afraid. The rules were set by Prince Lucifer, and so was the portion for the midnight snack," Lilith said nonchalantly, a smile playing on her lips as she watched Gabriel eat with his mouth full.
"Your Highness," she said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, but Gabriel couldn't bear to see her struggling on tiptoe.
"I'll do it myself. I don't know whether to call you brave or cowardly. Even the Seraphim are gossiping now, and Beelzebub is still your direct superior, isn't he?"
"So let me go the next day~" Lilith pleaded, her adoration for Gabriel practically overflowing.
Even if she didn't become a Throne of the Fourth Day, she still wanted to be with her idol.
"What kind of angel would lower themselves like that?" Gabriel was amused by her words. Although he didn't take it to heart, his attitude softened slightly. He stroked Lilith's hair, the smooth strands making him reluctant to let go.
"If you work hard to improve yourself, and you become a Throne, I will request His Highness to make an exception and appoint you as my deputy."
"Really!"
"Absolutely."
Satisfied with the assurance, Lilith finally had a chance to look at the Seraphim who had been silently watching them. Noticing that he had been watching them, she felt a little shy.
"I'm sorry for making you laugh."
"Do you really want to follow Gabriel that much?" Samael asked, curious about her earnestness.
"Yes, I'll have to trouble you." To become a Throne, the first person one must deal with is the Seraphim. Lilith knew this, and therefore treated Samael with even greater respect.
"It seems you have no idea how terrifying Gabriel can be when he's angry," Samael shook his head.
"If you did, you wouldn't think that way."
"Samael!" Gabriel glared angrily at his saboteur.
"See!" Samael had barely finished speaking when his wings were snapped shut again. He jolted, trying to dodge, but Gabriel held him firmly. With other angels around, he couldn't show his anger too obviously, so he could only sulk, his face turning red. Gabriel, confident he wouldn't dare move, grew even more smug.
"What, can't our Seraphim move?"
"Gabriel, let me go…"
Just as Gabriel was about to tease him again, her senses picked up on an unusual movement. She released Samael and saw that he was equally prepared, knowing he had also noticed.
"Lilith—"
"Your Highness?"
"Stand at the back."
Lilith, hearing this, didn't ask any further questions and obediently stood at the back. She heard the two officers in front, their expressions grim, exchanging whispers.
"How many have you found?"
"Everywhere."
"Demons?"
"Probably."
Their words were concise yet perfectly in sync. Lilith felt a pang of envy as she looked around at the pitch-black darkness.
She knew that in this situation, only her fellow Seraphim, Gabriel and Samael, could truly be considered comrades-in-arms.
"These people are hostile. Lilith, go to the main tent and report to Prince Lucifer." Samael stared intently at a spot in the darkness, his expression more grave than ever before.
They had been fighting the demons for so long; had the enemy finally succumbed to its true nature and prepared to launch a sneak attack?
"What are you standing there for! Go!"
Lilith, her face pale from the shout, spread her wings and flew away without a word.
She skimmed across the ground, glancing again into the shadows. She saw countless pairs of red eyes shining in the darkness, covering the entire mountainside! As if they had noticed her presence, they raised their heads, their glowing eyes staring in her direction like a pack of hungry wolves.
"Damn it! When did they get here? I didn't even notice!" Gabriel clenched his fists, looking at the demons swarming around them.
"This isn't the time to blame yourself," Samael said, much calmer than her. He watched the approaching shadows, his fighting instincts instantly awakened. Just as he was considering the best angle to strike, he heard a cry of alarm.
"It's Lilith!"
Samael recognized the voice and, without a word, took to the ground. He immediately saw the Archangel of Power, entangled in white silk and struggling in mid-air.
Snake-like hair materialized in his hand, severing the threads binding the Archangel in a flash.
"Gabriel!" He frowned, catching the exhausted Lilith as she fell, calling out without turning his head.
Ignoring his words, Gabriel followed closely behind. As Samael lifted Lilith into the air, her longsword, glowing white, descended.
A clang rang out. Gabriel, startled, saw the nick in her sword, only to find the demon's body unharmed.
"Why can't I cut it?"
Undeterred, she channeled the Archangel's power back into her sword, holding her breath as she slashed downwards.
The demon's hard arm fell with the sound. She instinctively exhaled, but before she could relax, the demon, its arm severed, seemed unaffected, moving without any hindrance, and instead opened its mouth towards her.
Gabriel, filled with astonishment, jumped back and snatched the liquid sprayed from the enemy.
The liquid seemed highly poisonous; wherever it touched, it instantly turned black, sizzling and corroding.
"Unbreakable!"
The commotion caused by the Seraphim's power quickly awakened the main force. The angels resting in their tents grabbed their weapons and went out to meet the enemy, but they soon discovered that
this enemy was far too formidable.
Water couldn't penetrate it, fire couldn't burn it, swords couldn't cut it, and hammers couldn't break it.
They feared neither injury nor death; even with only one hand remaining, that hand would crawl forward.
"What kind of monster is this!"
An unprecedented tension swept through the entire tent, filled with the fear of impending doom. The angelic officers fought on the front lines, constantly bolstering their slightly demoralized morale.
The tense atmosphere persisted throughout the night. As darkness fell and the sun rose, the angels finally stopped the invading enemy army outside the river. The initial fervor of fighting to the bitter end faded, leaving only the exhaustion of a night's rest. All the soldiers leaned on their halberds for support, but what terrified them was that, compared to their weariness, the demons with their hardened bodies showed no signs of exhaustion.
If it weren't for their lingering demonic habit of resting at sunrise, the angels probably wouldn't have lasted much longer.
Lucifer ordered Gabriel, Samael, and Belial to hold the front lines, while the remaining Seraphim went into the tent to discuss important matters.
"It's the Mechanical Legion," Atledis said, adding quietly when everyone looked at him.
"That is, mechanical demons. I've only heard of their existence, but I've never seen them in person."
Lucifer glanced at the listless Elf King, not giving it much thought.
"I don't recall any such kind among the demons created by the gods."
"That's natural, because they aren't demons in the true sense of the word," Atledis said in a cryptic tone.
"They were created by demons."
Lucifer paused, unsure whether he was surprised by the Elf King's expression or by the fact that demons created demons.
Logically, he shouldn't be so surprised. Since angels could create angels, albeit with difficulty—like his creation of Asmodeus—then demons creating demons wasn't unusual.
He was simply astonished. How could demons create such a vast mechanical army?
"How much do you know about mechanical demons?"
Atledis shook his head, indicating he didn't know.
"Anything more, you'd have to ask their creator, the demon Malbas."
"Demons? The Elf King's words are strange! If he's a demon, why would he tell us?"
"His Highness Michael may not know," Atledis said gently, looking at the seraph who had interrupted.
"Malbus and Agares have always been at odds. After Agares banished him to the Underworld, the mechanical legion he created was taken over by Agares."
"So, to know the mechanical legion's weakness, you have to ask Malbus, who created him?" Lucifer asked, frowning.
"Your wisdom is well-known," Atledis sighed, bowing his head.
"I understand. Michael and I will set off now to find Malbus. You are in charge here."
Without further delay, Lucifer led Michael to find the demon Malbus.
On the way, Michael asked his superior with concern.
"Is it really alright to entrust such a heavy responsibility to the Elf King, Your Highness? He seems too weak."
"Since Atledis knows of the mechanical demon's existence, he must already have countermeasures. There's no need to worry."
"Oh…" Michael responded, then suddenly realized something.
"Wait, could it be that the Elf King already...?"
"Hmm, it seems we all underestimated him," Lucifer said calmly. Although this war was initiated by demons, it seems the elves are not entirely unaware of the demons' intentions.
(You provide the author Danmu's [Hebrew Mythology]: The arduous journey of a world's creation.)