Chapter 11: War
Agares was the second demon created by God, but just as all beings in the three realms only remember Lucifer as the first seraphim created by God, when it comes to demons, most beings only know Baal and not Agares.
Although God ordained creation in seven days, the time before the names 'Sun and Moon' appeared was actually very long. This period was the time of fierce battles between the seventy-two demon gods. Agares remained hidden, coldly watching Baal ascend to the throne in the bloody war, until God cast millions of demons into Hell, at which point he revealed his fangs.
Although Vasak rejected his attempts to win him over, he successfully recruited Samigina and Valif for his own use. After driving the disobedient Malbas to a remote part of Hell, he swiftly brought the low-ranking demons, whom the power-worshipping Baal looked down upon, into his territory, forming an unparalleled demon army.
By the time Baal realized what was happening, it was too late. Even the bravest individual couldn't withstand tens of millions of demons. Through countless trials of blood and fire, Agares finally transformed himself into a great demon feared by all.
But despite all that, Agares still harbored one regret.
His lack of exceptional power was a major obstacle. Among the countless demons with special abilities, he was like a forgotten god, unworthy of any special power.
Hate for the rulers of Heaven constantly lingered in his mind. Agares was unwilling to be mediocre, even loathing mediocrity.
His ambition and intellect couldn't tolerate his weakness. Deep down, he envied powerful demons like Baal. He looked down at the golden pen in his hand, deeply captivated by its shimmering beauty.
The ability to bring calligraphy to life was the power to move mountains and overturn seas.
His once hopeless dream had now been realized; how could he not be overjoyed?
"That elf was utterly foolish. The treasure was like a pearl covered in dust in his hands. Only I can unleash its true power," Agares coldly watched as the elf's corpse was dragged away.
At this moment, his subordinate Samigina, one of the original seventy-two demons, spoke up beside him.
"The elf is dead. The elven race will not let this go unpunished. Rather than waiting to be killed, we should seize the opportunity to launch a group attack."
It was he who led over five thousand demons in a feint attack to confuse the elves, causing them to focus on the front lines and neglect their defenses, which led to Agares piercing his heart with a sneak attack.
"But what if we really go to war with the elves and incur the wrath of the gods?" Walif, disguised as a goblin alongside Agares, was filled with worry. The elves were few in number; in the event of a major war, they would surely seek help from Heaven. Which demon hadn't heard of Lucifer?
"Haven't he favored angels and others enough over the years?" Agares snorted unhappily at this. He looked at the golden pen in his hand; such a treasure must belong to the gods. Now that he had seized it, it was destined to end badly.
However, he didn't say this aloud. Among the seventy-two demons, few were as rebellious as him. Most demons were born with a deep reverence for their creator. So he softened his tone, speaking in a soothing yet seductive manner.
"We're just asking for equal treatment. We are all creations, so why must we live in the dark, sunless hell? Why can't we occupy heaven? If we're to serve, who says demons are inferior to angels?"
Several demons nodded in agreement. Seeing that they had been appeased, Agares then spoke to Samigina.
"This matter still needs to be discussed with Baal. Send a lesser demon back to inform him that this place has been breached by us, and keep the matter of the divine pen a secret for now." Halfway through his sentence, Agares changed his mind.
"You should go yourself and sound out Baal's attitude towards the war. If he's willing to fight, then relay the message truthfully."
The matter of the magic brush can't be hidden anyway, so it's better to use it to demonstrate sincerity in cooperation. Agares thought to himself, watching Samigina transform into a horse and ride away.
Three days later, a day before the Elf King's birthday, while the elves were busy with preparations, the demons acted swiftly, initiating war.
Everything went as the demons had predicted. After a brief resistance, the elves sent messengers to Heaven to report and request aid.
Lucifer received the elves' message and was shocked to learn that even Atreides was seriously wounded in the war.
"After the king personally led the attack, he managed to turn the tide for a time, but then, I don't know what method the demon used, towering waves of water came crashing down from the sky..."
The little elf with fiery red hair described the devastation of the flooded elven territory in broken sentences. He was of fire element and naturally afraid of water; the memory terrified him, and he couldn't help but weep. Michael, the second-in-command of the Seraphim, felt pity for him and was immediately filled with righteous indignation.
"Damn demons! Don't worry, little elf, I will definitely help you defeat them!"
"Don't be impulsive, Michael," Lucifer called out to his impulsive adjutant.
"I must report this to my god."
"When will that be? According to the little fire elf, look at the state of the elven territory!" It seemed that at some point, the gods stopped summoning angels as often as before, and stopped responding to their requests for audiences. Even Lucifer's requests were only granted once out of three.
"That will have to wait for my god's permission," Lucifer remained calm. The demonic activity had alerted him to something unusual, and he didn't want to act rashly before investigating. However, Michael's temperament was completely different from his.
Upon hearing that Michael had led five hundred angels and rushed down to the mortal realm on griffins, Lucifer's azure eyes darkened for a moment.
"Your Highness, Michael's actions, though impulsive, are not without reason. I believe the Elven race cannot wait," Metatronta said gently, noticing his troubled expression.
"I understand that, but I fear things are not so simple."
Just as Lucifer had said, the five hundred angels of Heaven had been defeated in the mortal realm, and even with Michael's abilities, he had returned to the Seventh Heaven in a sorry state, without any angel mocking him.
"How can hellfire appear in the mortal realm?" Gabriel asked incredulously.
"It wasn't just hellfire, but the flood that engulfed the elven lands wasn't an ordinary flood either," Beelzebub said, gesturing with his hand. "In my opinion, it was more like the waters of the Abyss, which is why the elves couldn't resist."
"Your Highness…" The six-winged archangel folded his wings and knelt before Lucifer. His once-white feathers were now stained with black ash. He didn't care about his appearance, only his heart ached for the five hundred angels who had followed him down; they had all been reduced to ashes in the flames summoned by the demon.
Lucifer rose from his seat and brushed past him without even glancing at him. Michael bowed deeply, but felt a force lift him up. He stood blankly on the ground, then suddenly realized what was happening, turned around, and looked at Lucifer, who had already walked out of the hall. His eyes gradually reddened.
(You provided the author Danmu's [Hebrew Mythology]: The Difficult Journey of a World's Development)