Bang!
"What is this!?"
The golden chalice was slammed roughly onto the red carpet that stretched for hundreds of meters below, spilling its contents. Fine wine seeped in deep like the rage of the Sky Emperor. His face flushed red, his hands angrily tore the marriage proposal letter to shreds and burned it until not a speck of ash remained.
"Marry my daughter to a lowly-blooded Demon like him?! Nonsense!"
Everyone in the room bowed their heads, no one dared to speak. The Sky Emperor sitting on the throne clenched his hands on the armrests until they cracked, representing his exploding fury. His aura was overwhelmingly intimidating. One leg crossed over the other and one hand propped his chin, looking down arrogantly.
"Destroy everything he sent." His voice was quiet yet carried such weight that anyone would think a thousand times before defying it.
"You should reconsider, my husband." A woman with a melodious voice and a face as beautiful as a white dove walked gracefully past the officials of heaven. "This time, the proposal came from the Demon King of the Underworld who stopped the war in the mortal world."
The Sky Emperor accepted the caresses, touches, and affection of his wife who stood beside the throne, and the officials breathed a collective sigh of relief. "I will still refuse it." He stood, flicking his sleeves, hands folded behind his back, and was about to walk past the officials before stopping at the throne room door because his daughter stood there, intending to block him.
"Father..."
"I refuse."
Aetheria remained unmoved. She looked gently at her father who was burning with rage. As a father, love and affection would still overcome anger toward his daughter. He approached her and lovingly ruffled her head. He sighed, glanced behind him and said,
"You may leave."
The heavenly officials bowed and left the throne room in silence. As did the Empress, understanding that the princess wished to speak with her father alone. She left after giving a sweet smile to Aetheria and her husband.
"I have refused."
"I love him, father." Aetheria smiled happily, looking at her father with affection and without anger, both hands caressing her flat stomach and, "Would you like a cute and amazing grandchild?"
"You..." Seeing Aetheria lovingly caressing her stomach reignited his anger, rising to his head, boiling like a volcano about to erupt.
"If it's already like this, father must bless us." Aetheria's smile didn't fade, instead it widened. To her, this was happiness that the whole world needed to know—that she was in a relationship for love, and for the world's trust in the peace brought by the Demon King. "I want to be with him to keep the peace of the world, to be happy, and to grow old together. Father must remember that he is the one who brought peace to the world, no matter his background."
"Aetheria!" The Sky Emperor growled angrily. "You are my heir, how could you think of getting married, and to a Demon like him?!"
"Are those who live in darkness forever doomed to be sinners, father? Don't just see what you want to see, but see what others see as well."
The Sky Emperor's brow furrowed, his unbearable frustration showing. "Have you forgotten that he is a demon? Most of a demon's power is hidden, just like their true desires."
"He's not like that, father. Maybe if he were reborn, his soul would be too pure to be made a servant in heaven. A heavenly official? Or... the Sky Emperor?"
Hearing that only enraged the Sky Emperor further. "You... leave!"
Aetheria bowed respectfully, smiled, and turned. "This will be a new beginning." She looked back, "Tomorrow is my happy day. Father... and mother, I hope you will come for the blessing." Then, she vanished behind the wall.
"Come here."
A man dressed in black like a ninja appeared, one knee bent and head bowed in answer to the summons. The Sky Emperor faced him, eyes blazing with anger, both hands clenched behind the fabric of his sleeves.
"Prepare the heavenly armaments."
The order made him look up in shock, "W-What? D-did you give me the wrong order? The armory..." His words cut off at the stare and overwhelmingly intimidating aura.
"Who are you to question my order?"
"Forgive me!"
"Go."
He left. The Sky Emperor—or Galadriel, since I forgot to mention his name—gazed at the sea of clouds below the heavenly palace. With telepathic magic, he summoned all the heavenly officials who had just left, bringing no fewer than a hundred officials together with the archangels who served them.
Galadriel returned to his throne, sweeping his robe before sitting with an aura of supreme authority. The officials only stayed silent, not daring to speak, even breathing was difficult as Galadriel's anger felt thicker than before.
"Recorder of sins, come here."
One of the officials, an old man, stepped forward before Galadriel with a trembling body. "Y-yes, Sir."
"Give me all the records of crimes from the demon world."
The old man produced a heavenly scroll from his magic and handed it to Galadriel. "The record of sins."
"Spread it, and issue the order to attack the Underworld." Galadriel's words shocked everyone in the room.
"There will be no refusal."
Galadriel swept his robe, stood, and walked harshly past the officials. Without another word the officials scattered, descending to the mortal world as ordinary beings and mingling to carry out the order. Though sudden, to defy it was pointless.
Meanwhile, behind the great door, Lucifer stood, having unintentionally overheard the decree. For a long time he had mingled with the beings of the Underworld, and changed his judgment of them. Even family-like bonds had formed, affection, and he no longer felt oppressed under their rule. In short, Lucifer had come to genuinely like them, though it didn't show.
Hearing the order to attack struck him like lightning from the God of Thunder. This was difficult. His position as the highest archangel and his bond with the Underworld clashed, or he would have to choose one of the two to save. Yet it seemed Lucifer already had his choice, though it wasn't certain yet.
Lucifer vanished, disappearing from the door and leaving behind white feathers drifting softly. When he reappeared he was in a grand room, full of dazzling brilliance and beauty like heaven. Among them stood the majestic figure who had just issued the command.
"Why did you issue an order like that? If this is about Her Majesty the Goddess..." Before he could finish, his words were cut off.
"Do you think I'm letting personal matters influence my decision?"
"Then why did you..."
"Sinners should be eradicated."
"You...!"
"Leave."
"No."
Galadriel turned, staring sharply at Lucifer. On Lucifer's side he could feel the strong pressure from that sharp gaze. Harsh, angry, and piled-up frustration. "They are trying to atone for their sins, and I have witnessed it myself. Your order is completely unjustified."
"You dare defy me?"
"I am only defending what I believe is right."
"Leave. This is your last chance."
"No." Lucifer stepped closer, "You must revoke your order." He added with emphasis.
Galadriel was silent, staring, his hidden rage. Then, his gaze made Lucifer feel as if he were being choked. Again and again he tried to remove the black ring around his neck, struggling without wanting to beg. Being treated like this revealed the aura of hatred Lucifer had kept buried deep, overflowing, exploding with massive mana around him—wanting to fight back against Galadriel.
"How dare you oppose me."
The black ring tightened further around his neck, lifting him until his body was raised and his legs kicked. The stream of magic flowing from below that Lucifer released wasn't enough to counter, until he finally resolved to break his sacred oath and turn to attack Galadriel.
Galadriel slammed Lucifer's body down hard. "Imprison him in the sinner's chamber."
Two men came to drag Lucifer, hauling him out of the throne altar toward a room greatly avoided by officials and inhabitants of heaven. The end for sinners. However, if he broke the sacred oath, Lucifer could fight back, and he needed no long thought to do so.
Lucifer broke his oath, attacked the two men escorting him, and unleashed a strong hostile aura from within his body. Tremors shook the heavenly realm, rivers and pavilions were affected, even its inhabitants. Anger, hatred, and a bit of confusion that no one else would understand unless they knew him more deeply after this.
"To hell with angels!"
"Capture Lucifer!"
From two directions Lucifer was surrounded, while around him the light mana slowly turned black and exploded. Several of those who tried to approach were thrown back, wounded, and killed. Lucifer's form had truly changed, no longer the warm and gentle angel. Don't come near!!
That day, attacks, the sound of clashing, and magic filled the heavenly sky. Beauty was replaced by destruction. Death began, creating mounds of corpses and a sea of blood. An unexpected monster was born at that time. A bright future, maybe... no longer existed?