Echoes of Betrayal: The Path of the Damned /// Chapther 0 /// Sins of the Past

REMAKE OF THIS STORY

It is mainly inspired by the video game Ultrakill and some things from the fandom (Judas and Midas Prime, and Lucifer), I also use 3 characters from other franchises (Ryōshū, Okita and Gray), my goal is not to offend by using religious themes, but to make a FICTIONAL story, I respect any believer of any religion

The War of Heaven and Hell: The Fall of Kings and the Death of God

The Tragedy of King Midas: Betrayal of Gold

In the depths of Hell, there is no tale more cautionary than that of King Midas, the infamous ruler who betrayed the gods through his greed and deception. Once a king of untold riches and violent conquests, Midas was known not only for his thirst for bloodshed but also for his unrelenting desire for wealth.

During his reign, Midas was a ruler feared for his violence. He conquered his enemies ruthlessly, destroying entire cities and plundering their wealth. Yet, no amount of gold was ever enough for the king. As his victories grew, so did his greed. He believed that his power was divinely ordained, and in a final act of hubris, he sought to cement this favor by making an offering to the gods: a grand temple, supposedly built entirely from pure gold made by his blood.

But instead of constructing the temple with true gold, Midas, in his greed, commissioned his builders to use ordinary stone and wood, thinly gilded with gold leaf. It was a fraud, a hollow tribute meant to deceive even the gods. Midas expected divine rewards in return, but instead, he received a curse—the Golden Touch. Everything he touched turned to gold, including his loved ones, who became lifeless statues of shimmering metal.

Midas’ greed became his downfall. Desperate to undo his curse, he prayed to the gods for forgiveness, but his pleas were ignored. In a final act of defiance, he touched a temple to God, turning the sacred building into solid gold. This was the ultimate act of sacrilege and fraud. The gods struck him down, beheading him and casting his soul into Hell.

Midas was initially sent to the Circle of Violence for his blood-soaked reign, but his final act of fraud could not be ignored. His soul was dragged to the Circle of Fraud, where he was imprisoned within a hollow golden effigy of himself. Inside, spikes pierced his body, and each attempt to escape renewed his suffering. Midas’ punishment was eternal: a prison of gold, the very thing he had once desired, now his everlasting torment.

The Betrayal: Judas and the Death of God

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, a great secret lay hidden—one that only a select few knew: the true fate of God. Long before the celestial war between Heaven and Hell, Judas Iscariot, the man infamous for betraying Jesus Christ for thirty silver coins, had ascended to Heaven after a long and arduous journey of repentance. His path was fraught with trials, a testament to his struggle for redemption. Yet, even in the realm of angels, where purity and light reigned, treachery simmered within him, nurtured by an insatiable desire for power and influence.

Upon his ascension, Judas was granted forgiveness by God Himself—a moment that should have marked the culmination of his redemption. Yet, the allure of power that had once driven him to betray his Savior lingered like a shadow in his heart. Whispering temptations taunted him, reminding him of the greatness he could achieve if only he seized the right opportunity. It was during his restless wanderings through the celestial halls that he discovered a dagger of pink fire, a divine artifact concealed deep within Heaven’s sacred archives. This dagger, forged from the very essence of cosmic flames, held the power to sever the fabric of divinity, a weapon capable of striking down even the most powerful celestial beings. Its shimmering blade danced with an otherworldly light, and the air around it crackled with raw energy.

Blinded by ambition and desperation, Judas became obsessed with the dagger's potential. He believed that if he wielded it, he could reshape the universe according to his desires, establishing himself as a ruler among the angels. He began to plot, waiting for the right moment to act, knowing that the dagger's power could help him reclaim the greatness he had lost. He envisioned a world where he would no longer be known as the betrayer, but as a figure of immense power and authority.

In a sinister twist of fate, Judas approached God under the guise of seeking wisdom, cloaking his dark intentions in false humility. The moment was ripe for deception. God, in His boundless compassion, extended His hand in blessing, unaware of the treachery that lay beneath Judas’s calm exterior. As the divine light surrounded them, Judas felt a surge of dark anticipation. In that fleeting instant, he struck. With a swift and calculated motion, he plunged the dagger deep into God's heart.

The heavens trembled as the act unfolded. The very essence of creation shuddered under the weight of this ultimate betrayal. God staggered back in disbelief, the radiance of His being dimming as the dagger's power coursed through Him. The cosmos itself held its breath, suspended in a moment of horror as the implications of Judas's actions began to unfold. The light that once illuminated the heavens flickered and faded, leaving only darkness in its wake. God fell to the ground, His divine presence extinguished, and the cosmos was forever altered by the absence of its Creator.

In the aftermath, the Heavenly Council, comprised of the most powerful archangels, acted swiftly. Their shock transformed into righteous fury as they descended upon Judas. They recognized the magnitude of his treachery and enacted divine judgment with unwavering resolve. In a storm of chaos, the Council unleashed their wrath. They struck Judas down, not with mercy but with the weight of divine justice. In the fray, Judas lost his right arm and leg—each limb severed as a mark of his ultimate betrayal, a punishment befitting the magnitude of his crime.

Yet, Judas's punishment did not end there. His soul, now forever marked by betrayal and darkness, was condemned to join the dagger—a cursed existence locked away in the depths of Treachery, a prison designed for the worst of traitors. The dagger pulsed with an eerie energy, and as his soul merged with it, he could feel the eternal flames consuming him. Judas became a relic of his own making, forever imprisoned in a weapon of unimaginable power.

As the news of God’s death spread through Heaven, a pall of despair settled over the celestial realm. The lower angels began to murmur, their faith shattered and their loyalty wavering. Panic seeped through the ranks, and the Council, now leaderless and bereft of divine guidance, struggled to maintain order. Fabricating stories of God’s absence, they sought to prevent chaos from erupting. They painted narratives of divine silence, claiming that God was watching from afar, waiting for the right moment to return. But deep down, they knew the truth: God was dead, and the universe teetered on the brink of chaos.

Judas's dark legacy loomed large, a haunting reminder of ambition’s cost. His soul, entwined with the dagger of pink fire, screamed silently for eternity, trapped in the consequences of his own actions. His name became synonymous with treachery, whispered in hushed tones among the celestial beings. The Council lived in constant fear that the truth would be revealed, knowing that if the secret of God’s death emerged, it could plunge both Heaven and Hell into absolute anarchy.

The delicate balance of power shifted dangerously in the wake of God’s absence. The archangels, once loyal guardians of divine order, found themselves embroiled in power struggles, each vying for influence in a world devoid of its Creator. Dark forces in Hell sensed the opportunity to exploit the chaos, their whispers of rebellion growing louder as they plotted to overthrow the Council. They believed that the time had come to seize control, and that the cosmic balance could be tipped in their favor.

Meanwhile, the Council grappled with the weight of their decision, understanding that the echoes of Judas’s treachery would resonate throughout the cosmos for ages to come. The universe, now devoid of the divine presence it once took for granted, stood at a precipice, a fragile thread holding together the realms of light and darkness. As the absence of God sent ripples of instability through both realms, the specter of unrest loomed ever closer.

In the shadows, whispers of rebellion began to circulate among the lower angels, who questioned the Council's authority. They wondered why they should follow leaders who could offer no divine guidance. The growing unrest threatened to shatter the fragile order that the Council struggled to maintain. Amid this turmoil, the true nature of the dagger remained hidden—a weapon of unimaginable power that could reshape the universe itself. Some within the Council feared that if this secret were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used to further destabilize the already fragile balance of Heaven and Hell.

As the Council sought to locate the remnants of the dagger and keep it from being exploited, they understood that the consequences of Judas’s betrayal had only just begun to unfold. The universe was on the brink of conflict, with dark forces seeking to exploit the chaos. The Council's desperation grew as they realized that without God, their ability to maintain order was in jeopardy.

And so, within that darkness, the seeds of a new conflict began to take root—one that may ultimately lead to a reckoning with the very nature of creation itself. As Judas’s soul remained locked within the dagger, eternally tormented by his ambition, the cosmos held its breath, awaiting the storm that was destined to come.

Minos and Sisyphus: The Fallen Kings of Hell

Minos: The Judge of Souls

Minos, in life, was the legendary king of Crete, renowned for his harsh justice and unwavering authority. Upon his death, the gods appointed him as the Judge of the Dead, where he would sit at the gates of Hell, assigning each soul its eternal punishment. Embracing this role with cold efficiency, he became an integral part of Hell’s system of torment, ruling over the Circle of Lust, where souls driven by insatiable desires were cast into violent storms, forever torn apart by their own passions.

As ruler of this desolate realm, Minos wielded his power with brutal fairness, ensuring that each soul received the punishment it deserved. Yet, as time passed, he grew disillusioned with the chaotic suffering that surrounded him. He believed that even the damned deserved a semblance of order. With God’s disappearance leading to a vacuum of authority, Minos saw an opportunity to reform the Circle of Lust.

Determined to enact his vision, he sought allies in Hell’s darker circles and crossed paths with Sisyphus, the king of Greed. Together, they hatched a plan to transform the Circle of Lust into a thriving city where love was not condemned but celebrated. This Renaissance began with magnificent constructions that replaced the violent storms with serene gardens, where souls could reflect on their desires without torment.

Under Minos’s benevolent rule, the Circle of Lust flourished. The spirits of the damned gathered to engage in meaningful dialogues about love, their past failures, and the lessons learned. Artists and poets emerged, expressing their stories through vibrant creations that adorned the city, turning the circle into a beacon of civilization and prosperity.

Yet, even as the city thrived, Minos remained aware of the tensions that lingered within Hell. While he had reshaped Lust into a place of learning, the absence of divine authority left a lingering uncertainty. Would the souls truly embrace this new understanding, or would they revert to their base desires?

In the heart of this vibrant city, Minos ruled not just as a judge but as a king, striving to create a realm where love was a celebration rather than a curse. The winds that once howled in torment now carried laughter and song, echoing through the transformed Circle of Lust. However, questions remained about the sustainability of his utopia and what might happen if the gods returned to reclaim their dominion.

Thus, Minos’s reign stood as both a blessing and a curse—a testament to the enduring complexity of desire, the struggle for redemption, and the quest for order in a realm that thrived on chaos.

Sisyphus: The Cunning King of Greed

If Minos was a ruler of justice and order, Sisyphus was the embodiment of defiance and cunning. Sisyphus had once been a mortal king, renowned for his cleverness and audacity in outwitting both gods and men. In life, he tricked the gods repeatedly, evading death and punishment through sheer guile. However, the gods eventually caught up to him, and for his deceit and greed, he was condemned to an eternity of torment.

In Hell, Sisyphus was assigned the eternal punishment of rolling a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top. This punishment, meant to break his spirit, instead sharpened his resolve. Sisyphus did not accept his fate; he analyzed it, searched for its weaknesses, and began to manipulate his situation to his advantage.

In time, Sisyphus found ways to exploit the weaknesses of Hell’s guards and demons, forming alliances with other cunning souls. Slowly, he rose through the ranks, gaining influence within the Circle of Greed, where those obsessed with wealth and power were condemned. He became more than just a prisoner; he became a ruler, using his knowledge of greed to control those who shared his insatiable desires.

Sisyphus' reign was one of manipulation and subtlety. He maintained a close relationship with Lucifer, the fallen angel and ruler of Hell, for the two shared a similar vision: a Hell that did not revel in pointless suffering but one where torment served a purpose. Together, they began to envision a Hell that was not merely chaotic but structured—an infernal machine where every soul played a part in its own damnation.

Sisyphus, with his cunning, saw that Hell could be reshaped into something far more efficient. He argued that greed, when properly harnessed, could drive both punishment and ambition. He proposed a new order in which the circles of Hell would function like a kingdom, where souls worked not only for their torment but also for the benefit of the higher lords, like himself and Lucifer. This vision of Hell, however, was viewed as heresy by the forces of Heaven.With the angels’ departure from Hell, the Circle of Greed, like the Circle of Lust, was left without celestial oversight. Sisyphus seized the opportunity to enact his own plans, seeing in this absence a chance to finally defy Heaven’s oppressive influence. Where Minos inspired his souls with order and peace, Sisyphus led a militant uprising, determined to turn Greed into a force capable of resisting any future control by Heaven or Hell.

Once condemned to push a boulder eternally up a hill only for it to roll back each time, Sisyphus had honed his defiance, studying Hell’s systems and its weaknesses. He’d risen through the ranks, manipulating Hell’s inhabitants with cunning and subtlety, and now that the angels had withdrawn, he was prepared to take action. Rallying the restless husks in the Circle of Greed, Sisyphus trained them into an army. He convinced them that they could reclaim their own power—and his voice carried through the damned like a spark in dry tinder, igniting a rebellion.

The uprising was swift and ruthless. Sisyphus’s forces surged through Greed’s dark caverns, overpowering Hell’s guards and demons who had kept them under submission. In an organized, brutal insurrection, they defeated the demons, killing those who refused to align with their cause. Those who did surrender joined his growing force, drawn by Sisyphus’s vision of a Hell ruled not by mindless suffering but by a deliberate hierarchy, one that thrived on order, ambition, and resistance.

With each demon defeated, Sisyphus’s ranks grew, and he organized them with meticulous precision, training them as soldiers rather than prisoners. The Circle of Greed transformed from a realm of endless torment into a militarized kingdom, a place where greed itself fueled ambition and strength. Sisyphus’s rule over Greed became absolute; under his command, the souls within were not mere victims of punishment but soldiers with a shared purpose. He promised them that when Heaven returned to reclaim its dominion, Greed would be ready to meet them with resistance.

In the absence of Heaven’s gaze, Sisyphus’s reign turned the Circle of Greed into a stronghold, an infernal citadel prepared for the day when the angels might return. Heaven’s tyranny would find no foothold here, for Sisyphus, with his unbreakable will and his army of damned souls, was ready to defy any force that dared to impose its rule once more.

The Fall of the Kings

The Heavenly Council, wary of the growing influence of Sisyphus and Minos, saw their alliance with Lucifer as a threat. In particular, Sisyphus’ vision of a structured Hell, where torment had purpose and souls had a semblance of agency, was seen as an affront to the divine order. Heaven had always seen Hell as a place of pure punishment—chaotic, unrelenting suffering with no reprieve. Sisyphus and Lucifer’s ideas of reform were dangerously close to giving the damned too much power.

Thus, the Council ordered Gabriel, the warrior archangel, to descend into Hell and eliminate these two rising powers. Though Gabriel had his reservations about executing such a drastic order, he carried out his mission without question.
Gabriel first targeted Minos, whose power as a judge of the damned made him a key figure in Hell’s hierarchy. The battle was fierce but brief, for even the might of Minos could not stand against the full force of Heaven’s fury.

However, Minos did not truly die. As Gabriel struck him down, his soul resisted destruction, transforming into a powerful orb of energy. Before Minos could fully regenerate, Gabriel confined him to the Circle of Gluttony, locking him in a weakened state, unable to reclaim his former power. But even in this form, Minos waits, slowly regaining his strength, plotting his return.

Next, Gabriel turned his attention to Sisyphus. The cunning king had anticipated this assault, knowing that his growing influence had drawn the ire of Heaven. When Gabriel confronted him, Sisyphus fought back with all the power and intellect he had accumulated during his time in Hell. Their battle was a clash of strength and wits, with Sisyphus using his mastery of deception and strategy to hold his own against the angel.

However, despite his cunning, Sisyphus could not match Gabriel’s divine strength. Yet, as Gabriel struck him down, something unexpected occurred. Sisyphus did not die. Instead, he transformed into something more, a powerful entity capable of challenging the celestial forces. In this new form, Sisyphus engaged Gabriel in a brief but intense struggle. Ultimately, he was not yet fully aware of his new powers, and Gabriel managed to subdue him.

Unable to destroy Sisyphus entirely, Gabriel imprisoned him in the Circle of Heresy, sealing him in a prison meant to contain his ever-growing power. But even in this prison, Sisyphus bides his time, for he knows that his cunning and ambition will one day free him from these bonds. His mind continues to work, always searching for a way to escape and reclaim his position as one of the most dangerous figures in Hell.

The rise, fall and punishment of Lucifer

Lucifer, enraged by the death of his allies Minos and Sisyphus, rallied the infernal legions of Hell with a declaration of unrelenting war upon Heaven. The realms were soon engulfed in a brutal, ceaseless conflict that shattered the fragile balance between order and chaos. With the might of Hell at his command, Lucifer led an army that blazed through Heaven’s golden gates, leaving fires of fury and vengeance in their wake. Heaven’s radiant skies, once a place of divine peace, became choked with smoke and the roar of battle. The ethereal clouds bled as angelic and demonic armies collided, their clash resounding across creation, shaking the very foundations of both realms.

Heaven's forces, guided by the unwavering Gabriel, answered with celestial fury, summoning powers that had remained dormant for eons. Shining warriors in armor wrought from starlight and silver met the onslaught with shields of light, wielding swords that radiated the fire of justice. Angels soared, their wings flashing with brilliance, while the demons swarmed, their blackened forms twisting through the heavens like a living storm. Every strike in this cosmic clash tore through the heavens or split the earth below, as Heaven's legions and Hell's armies laid waste to all in their path. Mountains crumbled and oceans boiled as the tide of war surged through both realms, each side determined to break the other, regardless of the cost.

In the depths of the Abyss, Hell's warlords unleashed beasts of unimaginable horror, creatures crafted from the nightmares of the damned. These monstrous forces surged forward like a tide of darkness, crashing against the walls of Heaven. But Gabriel, wielding Heaven’s might, stood unshaken. With the rallying cry of the seraphim, he led a counteroffensive, pushing back the demonic hordes and driving deep into Lucifer’s ranks. Their fierce clashes echoed throughout creation, disrupting even the farthest reaches of the universe, as the sounds of tortured souls, fierce oaths, and war cries filled the ether. Heaven became a battlefield drenched in chaos, its pristine beauty marred by smoke and ash, and the radiant halls, once resplendent with divine light, now bore the scars of infernal fire.

Even with his cunning and unyielding fury, Lucifer found himself overpowered by Gabriel, whose might was bolstered by Heaven’s eternal will. In a moment that sealed his fate, Lucifer was ambushed by Gabriel's forces, weakened and betrayed, with the distant screams of his fallen comrades piercing the chaos. Gabriel, relentless in his pursuit of justice, fought with an intensity that no demon could withstand, striking down each of Lucifer’s defenders as he advanced. Lucifer, the once-proud ruler of Hell, found himself at the mercy of the angelic host. His defeat marked not only the end of his rebellion but the final reckoning for a war that had nearly torn apart the universe itself.

After suffering a crushing defeat in the war against Heaven, Lucifer was captured by Gabriel. The once-proud ruler of Hell, weakened and demoralized, was sentenced to a cruel fate. Gabriel bound him in chains of celestial steel, inscribed with runes of suppression, and cast him into a frozen forest on Earth.

There, in a desolate wasteland of perpetual snow and ice, Lucifer was blinded and left to wander, unable to see, move freely, or use his former powers. His prison was a silent, frozen forest, where each gust of wind served as a constant reminder of his fall from grace. Bound and powerless, Lucifer’s punishment is eternal, a fitting end for the prince of darkness.

Despite his relentless ambition and cunning, Lucifer suffered a crushing defeat in this grand war. In a moment that would seal his fate, he was ambushed by Gabriel, who wielded the power of Heaven’s might with unyielding determination. The once-proud ruler of Hell, now weakened and demoralized, found himself overpowered. With the screams of his fallen followers ringing in his ears, Lucifer was captured and brought before the Heavenly Council, a council that judged him not just for his rebellion but for the chaos he had unleashed across both realms.

Gabriel, tasked with delivering justice, enacted a punishment that was both cruel and poetic. He bound Lucifer in chains of celestial steel, forged in the heart of Heaven itself and inscribed with ancient runes of suppression that sapped the once-mighty angel of his formidable power. These chains were not just a physical restraint; they were a manifestation of divine judgment, designed to ensure that Lucifer could never again rise to threaten the celestial order.

In a final act of humiliation, Gabriel cast Lucifer into a frozen forest on Earth, a desolate wasteland perpetually shrouded in snow and ice. Here, the atmosphere was heavy with despair, the air sharp and biting, echoing the chill of his fall from grace. Each tree stood as a silent sentinel, witnesses to the prince of darkness, now reduced to a mere shadow of his former self.

Blinded by darkness and bound by chains, Lucifer was left to wander through this unforgiving landscape, unable to see, unable to move freely, and unable to call upon any remnants of his former powers. The frost bit into his flesh, a constant reminder of his vulnerability. Each gust of wind whipped through the barren branches, whispering tales of his once-mighty reign, now reduced to a memory.

In the distance, the sounds of the world continued, life carrying on in a vibrant tapestry beyond his reach. Yet in this silent prison, Lucifer was utterly alone. The echo of his own thoughts became a tormenting chorus, the weight of his failures pressing down upon him like the heavy snow that blanketed the ground. He was forced to confront the truth of his existence: the prince of darkness, now a prisoner of the very light he had once sought to extinguish.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, but time held little meaning in this frozen wasteland. With each passing moment, Lucifer grappled with the reality of his eternal punishment. In the cold embrace of despair, he reflected on his choices—his ambitions, his betrayals, and the desperate acts that had led to this moment of humiliation. He realized that this was not merely a physical confinement; it was a profound reckoning with the darkness within himself.

Yet, even in this state of desolation, a flicker of defiance burned within him. The fires of ambition had not been fully extinguished. In the depths of his despair, he began to plot. Though his body was bound and his powers suppressed, the essence of Lucifer—cunning, manipulative, and fiercely intelligent—remained. He understood that while he was trapped in this frozen prison, the seeds of chaos still lay dormant within the realms of Heaven and Hell.

In time, he would find a way to exploit his predicament, to gather strength from the whispers of the damned and the unquiet spirits of the lost. The darkness may have chained him, but it would not quell his desire for revenge. In the silence of the frozen forest, amidst the shadows of his regret, Lucifer began to weave a plan, one that would echo throughout eternity—a plan to reclaim his throne and unleash a new wave of darkness upon the world.

Lucifer's punishment may have been eternal, but he was determined that it would not be the end of his story.

The Rise of Malakar: The Infernal Architect

In the wake of Lucifer’s imprisonment, Hell was left vulnerable, its balance of power shattered and ready for exploitation. Out of this chaos rose a new and terrifying force: Malakar, The Infernal Architect. Unlike any demon that had come before, Malakar was a creature of profound purpose, whose very presence warped Hell into a nightmarish vision of his dark ambitions. His cracked obsidian skin pulsed with veins of molten fire, a shifting landscape of glowing orange and red that signaled his mastery over Hell’s own fabric. His eyes burned with an eternal flame that incinerated the will of even the most resilient souls.

Malakar did not seek power for its own sake; his ambitions went beyond domination. He was driven to remake Hell into a perfect, merciless machine of torment, each punishment a finely crafted masterpiece of suffering. Descending upon the circles of Hell with chilling precision, Malakar reshaped each realm to reflect his vision, transforming Hell’s torments from chaotic expressions of sin into an exquisite art form of horror.

In the Circle of Limbo, Malakar began his reign with a massacre, setting fire to the tranquil plains, turning what was once a purgatorial peace into a landscape of torment and flames. The serene light of Limbo dimmed as terror seized the souls there, plunging them into the chaos of his new Hell.

Moving to Lust, Malakar left a colossal, decaying corpse of King Minos sprawled across the landscape—a macabre reminder of his power. Here, he amplified desires into endless, unsatisfied yearning, trapping the damned in an eternal cycle of lust, where their bodies and minds were consumed by hungers that could never be quenched.

In the Circle of Gluttony, he turned all sustenance to ash and smoke, leaving the damned to gnaw at their own desperation. Each attempt to eat was an empty promise, a cruel reminder of their hunger that shattered their sanity bit by bit. He decimated almost the entire population, reducing them to hollow husks, driven mad by longing and despair.

Greed transformed under Malakar’s rule into a desolate wasteland where all treasures turned to dust at the touch. The followers of Sisyphus were condemned to push boulders up jagged slopes, only to watch them roll back down, each attempt to grasp their avarice dissolving into futility.

In Wrath, Malakar unleashed Leviathan—a monstrous, nightmarish creature born from his own twisted imagination. With serpentine bodies that could crush legions of souls, Leviathan became the eternal guard of Hell’s seas, ensuring none could escape. The Circle became an arena of unending battles, where the damned fought eternally, clashing in endless cycles of violence without hope of victory, their rage a tool of their own suffering.

The boatmen of Hell’s rivers, now without souls to guide, wandered aimlessly, their purpose stripped away by the Infernal Architect’s ruthless efficiency. In Heresy, Malakar rained blood from the higher circles, drenching the damned in a downpour of torment, each drop a reminder of their desecrations. The Circle of Violence became a realm of endless dismemberment, where sinners were torn apart and reassembled in a perpetual cycle of agony.

In Fraud, the ground itself betrayed the damned. The gold that had supported them was transformed into a worthless metal, collapsing beneath their feet and intensifying their torment. Finally, in Treachery, Malakar crafted the ultimate punishment—a void of absolute isolation. This infinite, eternal emptiness left traitors alone with nothing but their own regrets, an endless abyss where hope was a memory and escape an impossibility.

Malakar’s reign was absolute. His punishments were calculated, meticulously designed to strip away every last shred of hope from those condemned to his domain. Hell became a place of relentless suffering, each punishment refined to cruel perfection, far worse than anything Lucifer had ever envisioned.

But Malakar’s ambition did not end with Hell. He began probing the mystery of God’s disappearance, hoping to confirm rumors of a crumbling divine order. If God was truly absent—whether lost, slain, or hidden—Malakar knew he held the key to seizing control of not only Hell but the entire universe. Summoning his most loyal minions, he tasked them with gathering knowledge, piecing together dark rituals to reach into the universe’s depths and unveil what had been hidden from Heaven and Hell alike.

As the balance of power in Hell trembled under his influence, whispers of rebellion began to rise. Remnants of Lucifer’s followers, still loyal to the former King, began rallying against Malakar’s oppressive regime. They longed for the chaotic freedom Lucifer had once allowed, even in torment.

In this cosmic game of ambition and defiance, Malakar was no longer just the architect of Hell’s torments—he had become a key player in a grander, dangerous game. As the realms reverberated with the weight of his dark vision, the stage was set for an epic confrontation that would test the boundaries of power, loyalty, and existence itself.

The Fragile Balance of Heaven and Hell

How many had he killed? Had he ever thought to count? How much cruelty did he embody, and to what end? How many had he condemned to oblivion—and who had ever truly benefited?

Two defeats at the hands of treachery had changed Gabriel. The perfect kingdom, once the shining reflection of divine will, was now fractured, and only he remained to piece it back together. But as he stood before the cold, dying light of what once was, a sharp revelation pierced him: the pieces had never fit together to begin with.

The Council of Heaven, self-proclaimed guardians of order and unity, still clung to the fading memory of God’s fire, though its warmth had long since vanished. And like fools, they still dared to claim to act in His name, unaware—or unwilling to see—how far His light had fallen from their reach. But Gabriel saw the truth. The kingdom had changed, warped by those same powers who cowered behind their hollow authority. And as the fire sputtered, struggling to cling to life, he gazed at his sword—a weapon reborn, no longer a servant of a long-departed will, but his own.

His mind made, Gabriel strode into the grand council chamber. One by one, they met their ends, his sword slicing cleanly through each of their pleas, each self-righteous protest. Death stained the hall in solemn silence, each corpse a final testament to Gabriel’s judgment. The once-mighty Council, now corpses, lay scattered, their essence dripping from Gabriel’s blade.

At last, only one remained, cornered against the cold marble wall, trembling. His panicked breaths filled the space, the once-proud councilor now stripped of all bravado, his voice reduced to desperate, pleading gasps.

“W-wait! Y-you can’t do this! Our authority forbids it! This is treason, heresy! Murder! We are the supreme order—our laws demand your obedience!”

Gabriel stared coldly, his voice like thunder: “You command nothing. Your words hold no power over me, nor anyone else. Do you truly believe that you can talk my blade back into its sheath?”

“But—but the people are with us! The citizens of Heaven know we are just!”

“They follow you out of fear and desperation,” Gabriel replied. “I will show them they have nothing to fear from the likes of you. No rank, no origin, no ancient authority will stop a sword’s edge.”

The councilor’s face twisted in panic as he clutched at his chest. “Please, Gabriel! Think of the Father’s will! We—we follow His light! Our mission is sacred! If you kill us, Heaven is lost!”

Gabriel took another step forward. “Face it, brother. God is dead. The fire is gone, and you are chasing phantoms.”

Now, Gabriel’s shadow loomed over him, the terrorized councilor reduced to a quivering form on the marble floor. He raised his sword for the final strike as the councilor gasped out his last, pitiful argument.

“B-b-but the Father’s light! Without us, you’ll never reconnect with it!”

Gabriel’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t need you to reclaim His light.”

A single, clean stroke cut through the councilor’s neck, the blow as swift as it was final. The head fell to the floor, and the body slumped, lifeless, moments later.

Gabriel turned from the room, a silent testament to those waiting outside. As he stepped beyond the doors, the assembled angels looked upon him, and, without speaking a word, he made his message clear. His outstretched arm, his purpose revealed, echoed across the heavens and through the cosmos.

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Heaven and Hell are on the brink of a new war, one far more devastating than any before, as the very foundations of creation begin to crumble.

On Earth, the legacies of the fallen kings persist through their descendants:

• From Midas, there is a girl named Gray, a regular girl living an ordinary life.

Gray is a young Welsh girl with green eyes and grayish hair, speaking with a slight Welsh accent.Gray’s clothing consistently includes a skirt and a hooded garment, typically in shades of black and gray, often paired with a cape or jacket. When she is angry, her eyes turn gold.

• Descended from Judas, a hitman named Kira possesses the power of void manipulation.

Kira has shoulder-length black hair framing her pale, ethereal face. Her completely dark eyes hold an unsettling depth, and a prominent scar crosses the pupil of her right eye, a stark reminder of her troubled past. She wears dark, fitted military clothing that accentuates her tall, slim figure, with a snug jacket and dark pants that lend her an air of strength and resilience. A black cape billows behind her, adding an aura of mystery. A black belt cinches her waist, and her right hand has been replaced by a sleek mechanical one, symbolizing her survival and adaptability. Despite her formidable appearance, Kira rarely displays emotion, her cold demeanor mirroring her inner struggle and vigilant nature.

• The bloodline of Minos continues with a samurai named Okita Souji, a master of the sword

She has fair skin, short beige hair that shades into yellow, styled with distinctive Saber-like bangs, and beautiful dark beige eyes with hints of white. Her outfit includes a short kimono that reveals her shoulders and part of her arms, in white with a mint-green underlayer, fastened with a black sash and a white cord. On her forearms, she wears protective gauntlets, paired with black boots equipped with similar protective features. Over this, she wears a Haori, the traditional Shinsengumi cloak, predominantly mint-green with white edges. She also carries a sword at her side, along with a long black scarf and a black ribbon tied in her hair.

• From Sisyphus, a woman called Ryōshū.

Ryōshū, a woman of unassuming yet formidable presence, is marked by her intense, red eyes and short, sharp black bob. She casually wears her work coat draped over her shoulders, secured by a slender belt that prominently displays her ID card against a crimson-lined interior, creating a striking contrast with the crisp white of her shirt cuffs that emerge from beneath. Her attire is rounded out with simple black trousers, and on her left hand, a single black glove adds a subtle, ominous touch. Ryōshū is rarely seen without her Odachi—an imposing weapon resting on her back. The blade bears the mysterious script “無我夢中 阿鼻叫喚 支離滅裂,” while its gilded hilt, adorned with delicate butterfly patterns, gleams brightly. Completing the blade’s scabbard, a crimson ribbon trails gracefully, adding a vibrant accent to her otherwise austere look.