𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒫𝓁𝒶𝓎𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉
𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘵- 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘴

≿━━━༺❀༻━━━≾

For the past few months, the archdemons have been hunting down high-class demons responsible for wreaking havoc—causing imbalance and impurities in the world.

While Satan and Baal went overseas to find the infamous demon that killed millions of people through genocide, Asmodeus and Belphy stayed in the Philippines to investigate the anomaly that caused the rapid increase of souls that never crossed the river of death.

"Why is this party so boring?" Naboboryong wika ni Belphy na naging dahilan upang mabatukan siya kaagad ng katabing si Asmodeus.

"This is a funeral, you prick!" Napakamot naman ng batok ang binata dahil ngayon niya lang napansin na puro nakaputi at itim na kasuotan ang mga tao sa loob ng bahay na pinaglalamayan.

Was it a funeral? He had no idea.

"Why are we even attending this funeral?" Magkasalubong kilay na tanong ni Belphy sa sarili habang nakatingin sa picture ng isang batang babae.

They don't even know who died. All they knew was that Lilith brought them here. She paid the funeral service for the child. It was she who dedicated every flower and gift to the altar. She sponsored the food and other necessities needed.

"I don't know. Maybe it's one of her charity works. We know how soft she is with children." Komento ni Asmodeus habang taimtim na nakaupo sa labas at hinahantay na lumabas ng bahay si Lilith.

Tanging kibit-balikat na lang ang naging sagot ni Belphy. Mayamaya pa ay lumabas sa pinto ang isang babaeng naka-kulay itim na skin tight dress. She removed her glasses and shot them a look of approval—signalling them to stand up.

"Are we heading home?" Atat na usisa ni Belphy habang humihikab. Nakasunod lang ito sa likuran ni Lilith na naglalakad patungo sa kalsada kung saan naka-parking ang sasakyan nila.

"No, we're heading to the church." Nanlaki naman ang mata ng mga ito lalong lalo na si Belphy. Asmodeus has been to the church before, but it was only near the church bell and not in the prayer room. Not to mention Belphy, he'd rather die.

A demon marching on the church is the same as deciding to become a DIY roasted barbeque that will later on turn to nothing but ashes.

"What?" Aniya ni Lilith matapos makapasok sa backseat. Nakita niya kasi sa rear view mirror ang reaksyon ni Asmodeus at Belphegor na nasa driver at shotgon seat. Mukhang balisa ang mga ito at hindi mapakali ang mga mata.

"You're not serious, are you?" Paninigurado pa ni Belphy.

Lilith rolled her eyes. She knows what he's worried about. "We will light a candle outside the church." Kaagad namataan ang pagtataka sa mukha ng dalawang binata.

Light a candle outside the church? Nagkatinginan si Asmodeus at Belphegor. Is the Mistress of demon trying to convert herself into a virgin saint? Doesn't make any sense.

Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto ay nakarating ang mga ito sa isang simbahan. Lilith picked up three black candles on the seat and wore her sunglassses before stepping out of the car. Nakasunod naman sa kanya si Asmodeus at Belphy na nagmumukhang body guard dahil sa formal suit na suot nilang dalawa.

Pagdating nila sa labas ng simbahan ay pumunta ang mga ito sa gilid ng corridor kung saan naroon ang mga nakahilerang istante na puno ng mga pundi at nakasinding kadila. There are people of different ages lighting a candle while praying.

Pinanood ng dalawang hudyo kung paano ilagay ni Lilith ang tatlong itim na kandila sa lagayan bago ito sindihan. She remained silent, fixating her gaze on the flickering flames of the small candle, without uttering a single word.

"Are you praying?" Hindi mapigilang tanong ni Asmodeus, although it's impossible—he couldn't just help but ask.

"I met that little girl selling Sampaguita in front of this church," panimula ni Lilith. "Every day, she comes here and lights a candle to pray for the health of her friends and family. She prayed for them." Belphy tilts, unsure of what's so special about that little girl praying.

"But she wasn't praying to their so-called God. She was praying to Lucifer." Umawang ang labi ng mga ito.

A mere child is praying to Lucifer? A human praying to a demon?

When Lilith asked the girl why she would pray to an evil entity who caused the birth of the sins in the world, she simply answered, "Because nobody prays to him, and he might feel lonely." One day, she suddenly died due to poor health.

"That's why you paid for everything in her funeral?" Bulalas ni Belphegor. Now, it all makes sense to him.

An innocent child who prays for the ruler of hell just because she believes nobody prays for him. Lighting this candle in the same church means that Lilith, as the Mistress of the Circles of hell, honors and respects the child's faith.

"If someone decided to send up prayers for me, thinking I'm the Demon of Lust, I could only imagine myself disappointed with their naughtiest wishes. Like really? A divine hotline for your lustful desires?" Walang humpay na pagbubunganga ni Asmodeus habang iniisip kung ano nga ba ang mangyayari kung sakaling may magdasal nga sa kanya tungkol sa mga tinatagong kulo ng mga ito.

Sana paisahin ako ng girlfriend ko. Sana maka-ten rounds kami ni misis. Sana ma-bj sa birthday ko. Sana sampal-sampalin ako ti—

Napahalakhak na lang si Asmodeus dahil sa mga iniisip niyang maaaring maging dasal sa kanya ng mga tao.

Dahil dito ay napaisip din si Belphegor. He was the Demon of Sloth. If others would want to pray for him, what for? Wish for more lazy days? No class? No work? There will be a lot to mention especially if it stems from this country dahil maraming batugan at mga palamunin sa Pilipinas.

"Let's go home before Avalon turns the kitchen into a bonfire while attempting to be a wannabe chef for her culinary masterpiece," Lilith mumbled sarcastically before returning to the car.

Kapwa natawa si Asmodeus at Belphy. Lilith got Avalon on her hands through a stupid rule in Inferno: Bounty Demon Hunters are not allowed to give birth to a cambion (demon baby). They are to offer their life and vitality to their Lord until they die.

Avalon, a thousand-year-old demon, has long wanted to quit being a Bounty Demon Hunter, settle down, and become a mother. However, she could not do what she wished due to that rule. Kaya ibinida ni Lilith ang batang mortal na kinupkop niya.

She used Loki to turn Avalon against Lucifer. Lilith also promised her that the rule would be abolished at the right time. She can forget being a Bounty Demon Hunter and become Loki's babysitter—fulfilling her dream of becoming a responsible parent.

Nasa labas pa lang ng gate nakaparada ang sasakyan na minamaneho ni Asmodues nang makaramdam ng kakaiba ang mga ito. Inside their house was another presence of a demon, not one but two of them. At hindi nga nagkamali ang mga ito nang biglang makarinig ng pagbasag ng mga bagay sa loob ng bahay at ang palahaw na iyak ni Loki.

Agad na tumalima ang mga ito. Sa isang kisap-mata ay nawala silang tatlo sa sasakyan. Nang makarating sila sa pinanggalingan ng sigaw ay naabutan nilang hawak-hawak ni Avalon ang maliit na paa ni Loki habang nakalambitin ang maliit na katawan nito pababa ng hagdan.

The whole house was a mess, not because of Avalon alone, but because Achlys and Kore were also there—fighting against her.

"You have betrayed and disappointed our Lord! You have succumbed to your own greed and ambition! You are a disgrace to the Bounty Demon Hunters!" Achlys exclaimed with so much disdain in her voice.

Nadungawan ni Avalon si Lilith kasama pa ni Asmodeus at Belphy sa baba kaya naman tinanguan niya ang mga ito. Binitawan niya si Loki at kaagad naman itong sinalo ni Asmodeus sa baba.

Nang mawala na sa hawak ni Avalon ang umiiyak na bata ay kaagad na nagbago ang ekspresyon sa mga mata nito. Her body was full of lengthy bruises and wounds from their beatings.

Tinanggap niya ang lahat ng iyon mula sa kanilang mga sandata at kamay upang hindi nila mapagdiskitahan si Loki na walang kamuwang-muwang sa nangyayari. Ayaw niya rin pumalag sa mga ito. She doesn't want the child to witness her doing violence.

With blood flowing down her forehead, her once gentle eyes blazed fiery red. Her majestic black wings with razor-sharp feathers erupted from her back, exuding an aura of danger and power. She gripped the stair railings tightly, her fingernails piercing into the metal as her horn began to push its way out of her forehead, signaling the onset of her demonic transformation.

Now, she will show them why she is the strongest Bounty Demon Hunter in the Infernal Region.

Hinarap niya ang mga ito. When she motioned her hand, her spear appeared in thin air. Taas noo niyang hinarap ang dalawang kauri niya na walang kahit anong bahid ng galos at sugat sa katawan. They must've thought they are stronger than her just because there are two of them. But they were entirely wrong, she was only holding back because of Loki.

In the blink of an eye, Avalon dashed in front of them and punched them in the chest. Mabilis na tumalsik ang mga ito palayo. Achlys managed to use her chains to hold on to the pillar and prevent herself from the impact, but Kore wasn't fast enough. Bumaon ang katawan nito sa pader.

"You should have never come to this place!" Walang emosyong wika ni Avalon sa mga ito. "You should have told us you found the Mistress!" Sigaw ni Kore habang sinusubukan nitong umahon mula sa pagkakalubog sa pader. Anger was written in her eyes.

"And what? Return to Inferno? Leave the life that I started here?" Achlys scoffed in utter annoyance and disbelief.

The life that she had? What life can a demon like her have?

"Are you hearing yourself, Avalon? Life? In this wretched world? We are demons! Life is nonexistent to us!" Patutsada pa ni Achlys. For her, it was absurd. A demon should never care about those things!

"In this world, I can be a woman. I can be a mother. I can be a person who is not bound by any responsibilities!" Avalon fired back, running straight towards Achlys. Nagsanggaan ang sandata nilang dalawa. Nagtagisan ng tingin ang mga ito. Their wings were spread, giving them the force they needed to withstand each other.

"You betrayed our Lord!" In full force, Avalon pushed her away. Sunod niyang sinugod ay si Kore na papalapit sa kanya. Umikot ito upang sampalin ang mukha ni Kore gamit ang matulis niyang pakpak.

"I did not betray him! My mission in this realm is to hunt for demons! I've done my part! As for the Mistress—" She could not continue her words when Achlys and Kore moved in sync, trying to overpower her with multiple attacks.

Kick after kick. Blow after blow. She managed to dodge them all. Ngunit kapalit ng pag-iwas niya sa tira ng mga ito ay ang pagkasira naman ng living room sa second floor ng mansyon. The entire room was a scene of destruction. The furniture was shattered, while the walls and doors were irreparably damaged.

"The Mistress needs to go back as the Lord commanded! Without her presence, the Infernal Region is destined to spiral into chaos!" Aniya ni Kore habang walang pakundangang hinahampas ng espada si Avalon na siyang naiiwasan naman nito nang walang kahirap-hirap.

"The Hellfire of Retribution can support itself! The Mistress extracted some of her powers to support the Circles of Hell even with her absence!" Dipensa pa ni Avalon.

Achlys and Kore managed to hold her spear, stopping Avalon from swinging her weapon. In return, Avalon flapped her wings, lifting them and soaring through the air, leading them out of the mansion. Causing the roof to crumble and fall apart.

Sabay na napatingala si Belphegor at Asmodeus sa mansyon nilang may malaking sira sa bubong. "Haven't we made sure that Avalon hid her track so Achlys and Kore could not find her?" Takang tanong ni Asmodeus habang hinihele si Loki upang patahanin ito.

"With Simeon's protection, it's impossible for them to find us." Dagdag naman ni Belphy habang nag-uunat na nakatingin kay Lilith na mukhang may malalim na iniisip.

A few more seconds later, they heard a loud thud. Mula sa himpapawid ay bumagsak ang mga ito sa ground floor ng bahay. Achlys and Kore were burried on the concrete floor. Nakadiin ang sandata ni Avalon sa leeg nilang dalawa gamit ang paa nito. Kung kanina ay puno ng pasa at sugat si Avalon, doble-doble naman ang natanggap ng mga ito kumpara sa kanya ngayon.

Nahihirapan man ay napatingala ang dalawa, at napakurap ang mga ito nang mabungaran si Lilith kasama si Asmodeus at Belphegor.

"M-Mistress. . . " Nabitin sa ere ang sasabihin ng mga ito nang biglang pumula ang mata ng dalaga.

"Please, go back and reclaim your rightful place as the Mistress of the Circles of Hell." Nagsusumamong wika ni Achlys na siyang ikinasalubong ng kilay ni Asmodeus. SOmething doesn't add up to her statement.

"Reclaim her rightful place? Whether she leaves hell or not, she remains the unrivaled Mistress of the Circles of Hell." Matigas na wika ng binata. Umiling si Kore.

"A brazen woman is trying to steal the Mistress' title! She boldly claims to be the hidden daughter of the Lilim Clan of demons! The disappearance of the Mistress made her the only candidate worthy to be the seven archdemon's wife!" Sunod-sunod na hinaing ni Kore. Kapwa natigilan ang mga ito maliban kay Lilith na taimtim lang na nakatitig sa kanya.

Avalon's foot slipped off her spear in a swift, tension-filled moment. Achlys and Kore gasped for air, their mind racing to explain the current situation in Inferno.

"To this very moment, if the Savants knew about the Mistress's disappearance, they would spare no effort to acknowledge that woman! We refused to be led by a woman we barely know, whose identity and capability to lead us are unknown!" May diin na wika ni Achlys na mayroong matang nangungusap.

They all looked at Lilith, waiting for a reaction. However, despite hearing someone was trying to usurp her throne, she seemed unbothered by it. Surprisingly, she looks calm, as if she had already expected it to happen. That leads them to question her true intention in leaving hell.

"Is that so? Then let her claim her right to the throne." Nagsinghapan ang mga ito. Even Belphegor, who momentarily has intrusive thoughts of killing that woman who thinks highly of herself, is stunned to hear Lilith's tolerant reply.

Her statement also confirmed that the Lilim Clan of demons has a hidden daughter! Claim her right to the throne as if it were her birthright. "Is that the reason why you left? To give your sister a chance?" Hindi napigilang tanong ni Belphegor nang pagtagpi-tagpiin ang lahat ng pangyayari.

Well, there's that. That woman always wanted to prove that she was better than her. But that's not the actual reason behind it.

Even so, she nods her head. "All this time, that was your reason? Here we are, losing our shits, taking the risk to visit this rotten realm just so we could find you. I thought you hated the fact that you were engaged to us!" Lilith frowned just after hearing Asmodeus' exasperated sigh.

"I thought you went here to find the lost souls that could not cross the river of death?" Dahil sa naging tanong ng dalaga ay sabay na napakagat ng labi si Belphy at Asmodeus. That was a slip of a tongue. But that's not important at the moment.

"Are you seriously going to let that bitch become the new Mistress of the Circles of Hell?" Iritadong pag-iiba ng usapan ni Belphegor bago kunin si Loki sa braso ni Asmodeus na tulog na tulog na. It baffles him how, despite having loud disturbances, this human child can sleep soundly.

"Aren't you curious about her? She might become the Mistress you never thought you'd need." Sumama kaagad ang timpla ng mukha ni Asmodeus at Belphegor.

Just thinking about about it makes them livid. Hindi man nila ito kilala ay nararamdaman na nila kung anong klaseng babae ito. Lilith paved the way for her. If she was a hidden daughter, there must be a reason why her existence was kept a secret. Considering that she was in the shadows, they could only imagine her envy and hatred for Lilith.

"No! We cannot accept that lascivious woman! She cannot lead!" Pagdidiinan ni Achlys.

Lilith looks at her in amusement. "Give her time to prove herself. Be patient with her. She needs acceptance and validation the most." Aniya rito, at hindi nila alam kung seryoso ba ito o pawang sarkasmo lang.

"E-even so. . . I doubt if the Lords will acknowledge her. But even if they don't, if the Savants approve her, they can't do anything about it. She remains a candidate as long as she can conjure the Hellfire of Retribution." Lilith turned her back to them to sit on a couch.

"How is that my problem? She can take the title of the Mistress of the Circles of Hell if she does her duties. She can marry any archdemon when she sets her mind to it." She crossed her legs and smiled at them. "At least I have my freedom back." She added.

Parehong bumagsak ang balikat ni Achlys at Kore, tuluyan ng nawalan ng pag-asa ang mga ito lalo na't matitinigan ang pinalidad sa boses ng dilag habang nagsasalita ito. As Asmodeus and Belphegor locked eyes, their silent communication spoke volumes as if they were engaged in a conversation within their own minds. They don't see themselves together with another woman not unless it was Lilith.

"Well. . ." Lilith stood up, twirling the ends of her curly red hair. "If you're really that worried about marrying another demon," She paused, biting the inside of her left cheek as she looked at Asmodeus and Belphy.

"You can inform Satan and Baal about this shenanigan and see if you can devise a solution to your problem." She suggested before turning her back to them.

"Where are you going?" They asked in unison. She can't just leave them in a situation like this.

"She told you where I am, right?" Umiwas ng tingin si Achlys at Kore dahil sa naging tanong nito pabalik.

When Lilith said she. . they knew precisely who she was referring to.

"Since she decided to stick her nose into my business again, I shall honor her uninvited presence in my life and pay her a visit to give her the drama she's looking for." She smirked, eyes glimmering with so much anticipation.

Maybe I should bring an apple to remind her how she doomed humanity. 

G O L U C K Y C H A R M