Caliel knew he was facing Lucifer, the former archangel closest to the Almighty. He knew that to defeat him, he would have to engage in a fierce battle. Unfortunately, he had greatly underestimated Lucifer's strength, which far surpassed that of his own master. While angels were more powerful than humans, they could not rival the primordial angels, who themselves paled in comparison to the archangels. But Lucifer, being fallen, had led Caliel to believe that this fall had deprived him of his former strength. Each blow he received contradicted this, but despite being shaken by this, Caliel still hoped to defeat him. However, the current condition of his hand made this option futile.
He enraged. Trained by Metatron, Second to the Son, he found himself unable to touch his opponent, who outmatched him in every way. However desperate the situation seemed, he would accomplish his mission, even if he had to fight barehanded. As he prepared to defend himself, Lucifer made a strange gesture: he offered him his sword. Doubting, Caliel nevertheless summoned his celestial weapon and stared at his enemy.
The Great Tempter was an immoral, vile, and deceitful being; why did he return his weapon? How many times had the Devil been able to kill him and yet refrained from doing so? Caliël did not understand, and it infuriated him. Was it blasphemous to question? Furious that his opponent had forced him to ask these questions, the angel gripped his weapon and leaped. Unfortunately, in a frustrating habit, his attacks broke against his enemy's defense, whose pride led him to disdain opportunities to counterattack. Furious, Caliel stopped and shouted, "Will you take me seriously, deceitful being? Do you delight in seeing me so tormented, questioning your mercy? You, who slaughtered the heavenly people by the thousands during your Rebellion, now show pity? Spare me your hypocrisy! The Devil has no honor, no mercy, no kindness! So fight, Lucifer, Lord of Hell!"
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Suddenly, time froze, as if the Creator himself regretted his emissary's words. Caliel also froze, uncertain. Although he stared at his opponent, this one suddenly disappeared, and it was only due to luck that Caliel managed to place his sword in the path of the trident, preventing it from impaling him. The force still threw him backward, in the least favorable position to defend himself. Without the opportunity to react, Lucifer appeared beside him and, with a twist of his torso, drove his foot into Caliel's stomach.
Caliël finally understood the full extent of difference in their strength. The force of the blow propelled him with such power that despite the hundreds of meters separating him, he almost instantly reached the roof of the church below. Piercing the nave, he crashed to the ground so violently that he collapsed it into a deep crater, causing a gust of wind that overturned the benches and pushed the stone altar against the cross in the apse.
His consciousness failing, Caliël woke up drowning in pain, wondering about his survival. Never had he felt such agony, to the point of doubting the Holy Father's plan. What had he, a faithful servant, done to deserve such a fate? Motionless in the midst of a cloud of dust, Caliël felt strangely sheltered there, hidden in the smoke. Suddenly, his cover was swept away, and descending from the sky through the hole in the nave, Lucifer loomed over him, majestic yet terrifying.
"No one can save me now... Not even the Lord would dare."