"What do you mean you weren't able to capture him?" Asmodeus asked, anger clearly in his tone.
A Velkrath creature answered, " I'm sorry, King, but he was just too fast,he shapeshifted into his tiger form and suddenly disappeared.
Asmodeus rose from his throne , dark, jagged, and forged from soulstone. He descended slowly, each step heavy with wrath.
"Do you think your excuses will rewrite your failure?"
"I gave you a simple task , catch Ramiel. You failed. You deserve death."
The creature trembled and bowed deeply. "Please, forgive me. I beg you—"
Before he could finish, Asmodeus struck him with a clawed hand, slicing through flesh. His fingers glowed with blood-fire. The creature shrieked.
"There is no mercy in Hell," Asmodeus said coldly.
He turned to a demon guard. "Take his body. Feed him to the Dreadmaws."
From the shadows, Mammon leaned casually against the wall. "What's wrong, Asmodeus? You seem… testy." A sly grin tugged at his lips.
"What are you doing here, Mammon?"
"I smelled greed in the air," Mammon said, shrugging. "Naturally, I followed it. You know… I am greed." Asmodeus narrowed his eyes.
"Has power clouded your mind that much?" "You wish to keep the throne for yourself" Mammon continued. "You forget you're only acting king. The true ruler of Hell… is still cursed."
"And what are you suggesting? That I've failed?" "I'm I not doing a perfect job at keeping Hell well"
Mammon chuckled. "I don't care who rules. But others? Not everyone is thrilled by your reign." He stepped forward. "And by trying to kill Morningstar's tiger… you didn't just fail. You declared war."
He vanished into shadows, leaving Asmodeus seething.
Asmodeus gritted his teeth and said,
"I've started a war against Lucifer."
Asmodeus decided to go for the meeting which his assembly had called. They had important issues they wanted to discuss with him. Asmodeus teleported to the meeting room. When he got there, everyone was already sitting, waiting for him.
"You took so long to arrive," one of the assembly members said.
Asmodeus raised his eyebrow at him , that kind of look that says something dangerous. The assembly member who said that suddenly laughed nervously.
"What I mean to say is that you took your time, which was perfect, right?"
He looked at other members to support his point, and all of them did. They were not ready to face Asmodeus' wrath.
Callus, a high member of the assembly, suddenly said,
"Asmodeus, the reason why we made this meeting is to discuss some vital issues with you," Callus began.
Damnien, another high member known for his loyalty to Asmodeus, flared up. "Callus, how dare you call the king by his name?"
Callus replied calmly, "He is the acting king, need I remind you. He is no different, or in any higher power, than us, except for the fact that he's sitting on a throne that clearly doesn't belong to him."
Damnien was about to respond when Asmodeus raised a hand, silencing him.
"What Callus said is true. I am not the king, just the acting king. Now, that aside, what are the vital issues you want to discuss?"
"It's about a rumor," Calus said, "that Lucifer has awakened. And you know how quickly rumors spread in Hell. We're not sure if it's true, but I implore you to investigate it."
Asmodeus laughed coldly. "Hah! New rumors surface every day. If he has truly awakened, then why hasn't he come to his kingdom?"
"I don't know why," Calus replied. "There might be something holding him back."
Asmodeus's eyes narrowed. "And yet… if the rumors are true, I hear he plans to marry a fox and make her his bride."
A wave of gasps and murmurs erupted in the hall."Unacceptable!" someone shouted. "Why would he do something like that? Has he forgotten our tradition?"
"Silence!" Calus said firmly. "There must be a reason behind his actions."
"Oh really? Whether this is a rumor or not, Calus, you and I, and everyone here, know that no custom must be broken. If the rumors are actually true, then he is not fit to be the King of Hell. Or perhaps being away from hell for so long, he's forgotten what he ought to do… and what he ought not to do." Asmodeus replied.
Callus smirked. "Tch, Tch… they say pride goes before a fall, as the prince of lust and pride, it must really bruise your pride to know that the true king may be awake, doesn't it?"
Asmodeus and Callus locked eyes. It was brief, so fast most didn't catch it, but the tension between them was razor-sharp.
Suddenly, the silence shattered.
A servant stumbled into the room.
"How dare you interrupt this meeting?! I'm going to skin you alive!" Damnien roared, rising to his feet.
The servant, shaking and pale, stuttered. "I-I'm sorry, Elders… but I received a letter just now. It said to deliver it to the Assembly immediately."
Asmodeus narrowed his eyes. "Where did the letter come from?"
"It… it just appeared to me while I was standing outside," the servant whispered. Asmodeus took the letter from his hands and motioned him away. The servant bowed quickly and fled the room, relieved he was still alive.
This was Hell, after all. And the slightest misstep could mean the cruelest kind of death.
Asmodeus opened the letter and began to read aloud:
"Dear Assemblies
I'm sure you're all shocked to hear that I have awoken. This letter serves to inform you of my upcoming wedding, which will be hosted in the kingdom of Duskhelm as I am marrying the first princess of their realm.
You are all cordially invited.
From Rhonex."
Asmodeus raised a brow. "Well, that answers our question, doesn't it?"
Damnien leaned forward. "When is the date of the wedding?"
Asmodeus glanced back at the letter. "It doesn't state the exact date, only that once it's finalized, he'll inform us."
The High Lord, who rarely spoke in meetings, finally broke his silence. "I've heard whispers that he has lost his memories. That he hardly recalls anything… perhaps not even his true name."
The room went still.
"He probably doesn't even realize he's Lucifer," the High Lord continued. "And as for this wedding, we don't know what it truly is. He could be planning to gather all the fox into one place just to drain their souls dry. Need I remind you, he was cursed by the Celestial being. We don't know the nature of that curse or what effects it has on him." He looked around at the assembly members. "My advice? Let's not act rashly. Let the event unfold. We'll attend the wedding and uncover the truth for ourselves. In the meantime, there are more pressing matters at hand."
Everyone fell silent again, the weight of the unknown lingering in the air.
In HELL, the Assembly was made up of twelve powerful beings, each ranked under a class of authority and power. At the head of the table stood Uriel, the Lord, representing the highest class. As he spoke, all twelve listened closely. They rarely disagreed with Uriel's judgment, and this time was no exception.
At the far end of the table sat Seraphine , a mysterious and ambitious member of the High Class. She had dismissed the rumors of Lucifer's awakening and marriage as baseless gossip. But now, sitting here and hearing the confirmations, she realized it was all true.
"How can Lucifer marry someone else... and worse, from another clan?" she muttered internally. "There has to be a reason... but I won't let anyone take the title of being Queen of HELL from me. Not while I live."
Uriel continued, "I'm sure you're all aware of the growing problem we face. The Ancient Shaft, sealed for over a million years, is starting to crack."
Gasps and murmurs echoed around the room.
He went on, "The power leaking from it… it's demonic. But not just any demonic force, ancient and pure. Whatever is inside, it's something we've never encountered before."
A tense silence fell. "I sent five of HELL strongest demons to investigate. It's been thirty days… and there's been no word. Worse, I've completely lost their demonic aura. Which can only mean one thing."
"They're dead," someone said grimly.
"Whatever is inside that shaft...might have killed them"
Asmodeus leaned forward, a smirk playing on his lips. "I heard about it … and yet the fact that the Celestials council have done nothing about it. Everyone is just waiting for them to act. I will get back to you all about this, We cannot afford to wait any longer."
Callus then said, "We should try to resolve our internal conflicts before addressing external ones. Internal conflicts is always the most dangerous."
Everyone in the Assembly clearly understood the hidden message behind Callus words.
Asmodeus stood up. "Meeting dismissed."
And with that, he vanished.
He reappeared in a secret part of Hell, one that no soul, demon, or Assembly member knew about. It was hidden deep within the layers of the underworld, shrouded in darkness and sealed from time itself.
Suddenly, a chilling aura swept through the space.
Asmodeus immediately dropped to his knees and bowed.
A voice echoed, deep, ancient, and dangerously commanding.
"How are things in Hell?"
"As expected, not well… my lord," Asmodeus responded carefully. "There is a rumor that Lucifer has awakened. He even sent out a wedding invitation. But we are unsure, it could be a trap."
"It is no trap," the voice growled.
This… being was what Asmodeus served. He had never seen its face. It always stood with its back turned, shrouded in shadow. He didn't even know its gender. All he knew was its unmatched power, and the fear it commanded.
"I can feel it, his aura. His power. He has awakened. But he is weak… not whole. I want you to exploit that."
There was a pause.
"Use the fox bride..... I've already sent someone to take care of this. Focus on keeping Hell in order. If I need you to act further, I will summon you."
"Yes, my lord," Asmodeus said with his head still bowed.
And just like that, the presence vanished, leaving Asmodeus alone in the suffocating silence.