The sun rose to greet a sleeping city covered in a fresh blanket of frost. Shops began to open for the day and bakeries opened their windows and doors to wake the city with the regular morning call of fresh pastries. The streets slowly became crowded as the day began. Among the crowd was a witch visiting from a nearby village. She was quite focused as she kept glancing from a small piece of paper to the names of the stores that lined either side of the cobblestone road.

The witch pushed her way through the growing crowd to a little clearing. She looked down at her list and sighed. Getting these items was seemingly becoming a challenge. She looked up and saw a florist building some bouquets and noticed some violets. The witched smiled and practically ran over.

"Excuse me how much for your violets?" The witch gave a small smile.

The florist popped his head up and gave a big smile that wrinkled the corners of his eyes. "Oh. I'm just getting rid of those. No one has been wanting violets this season."

"I wouldn't feel right just taking them from you." The witch started to search through her bag for a few coins, but the florist stopped her.

"No need. You're the first to want them. Take as many as you need," he answered. He reached over and took several and started to wrap them into a small bouquet.

The witch frowned a bit and put her money away. "Are you sure? I could trade you something then."

The florist handed her the violets. "Why don't you tell me your name? I am curious about the one who has come looking for my violets."

"Azrael." She stated and smiled.

"Well, Azrael it was a pleasure to meet you." The florist held out his hand. She shook his hand he pulled gently and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "It's not every day you run across a witch." He winked and let her hand go and went back to tend to his other flowers.

Azrael walked away smiling. It was the first time that an ordinary human was kind to her. She made a mental note to send blessings to the flourish in hopes he had beautiful flowers for the season. Azrael continued her day through the city mostly watching the bustling crowd. Her errands were mostly done except for some trinkets to practice her protective charm on to create protective pendants. She sat on the edge of a fountain going over her list one last time before going to search for the trinkets when a middle age woman walked up and sat next to her. Azrael didn't think much of it until the lady reached out and grabbed her arm.

"You know dear I couldn't help but overhear you and the florist and he seemed to think that you were a witch." The lady stared straight ahead. Azrael was taken aback by the sudden intrusion. "The last I checked any type of witchcraft was outlawed here. So forgive me for being so concerned."

Azrael didn't let her face falter. "Oh, you must have just misheard then." She tried pulling her arm away but the lady grabbed tighter. "Listen I'm quite busy and should get going."

The lady kept a firm grip and her face stayed blank. "I'm sure you are. I just thought I'd come over and have a nice chat."

"I'm going to go now." Azrael had a sinking feeling in her stomach about this lady and wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. "It was nice meeting you though."

"I can't let you go now." The lady turned to face Azrael. Her eyes were completely black. "How will the others know to find you?"

Azrael realized it was a demon witch hunter. She was in deep trouble if they caught her. "Shit," she mumbled under her breath. Her skin began to sting around her wrist as the hunter's nails dug into her wrist. Azrael looked back over to the hunter. She couldn't use any magic and not cause a scene so she did the next best thing. With her free hand, she punched the hunter in the nose.

The hunter let go to grab her bleeding nose and Azrael sprinted off. "SOMEONE GRAB HER!"

Azrael was sprinting through the crowd before anyone could comprehend what had happened. She found an empty ally way and b-lined for it. She made sure no one was around before she pulled out her dimensional medallion and with a click vanished. She reappeared in a small village. Though the medallion could transport its carrier to different dimensions, it also could transport to the holder's last place visited. Azrael stumbled forward as she appeared outside of the village. She looked around her making sure no one was around to see and when the coast was clear, she headed to her cottage.

Many in the village had sneaking suspicions about Azrael, but none ever spoke up. They mostly kept to themselves and never bothered Azrael. Azrael walked through the village quickly keeping her head down. Not many were around but those who were glanced her way but went back to whatever they were doing when they saw it was the strange girl who lived near the woods. Azrael made it to the other side of the village and headed towards her small cottage that was indeed placed on the edge of the forest line.

It wasn't much to look at from the outside. Inside however was quite a different story. One wall was a huge bookshelf filled with many books Azrael had collected over her travels. Spellbooks that ranged in all different languages. Most of which Azrael cannot read but has mentally made a checklist of learning. The other wall had small shelves with random unlabeled bottles. The room smelled of fresh citrus as a simmer pot continued on the stove. Azrael checked the simmering pot and then lifted the rug on the floor to reveal a hidden door. With a loud creek, Azrael opened the door and it thudded to the floor. She climbed down the ladder and turned to face her small witch's workshop

This place was a mess. Plants and powders spilled all over the place. Books stacked to waist level, some toppled over. Potion bottles that were half empty and the others missing tops. Azrael went through to place her bag of goodies on a stool and headed back upstairs ignoring the mess that she kept saying she'd clean up.

~~~*~~~

A group of angels stood together in deep conversation dressed out in full battle armor. Around them screams of dying infernal and the yells of angel warriors. The celestial army has been fighting the legions of demons for months now with no end in sight.

A tall stoic angel stood sword over his shoulder. "There's been talk of another attack."

"We can't take much more of this without fresh fighters. They're wearing us down." Another spoke up. "If we keep this up then the infernal armies are going to advance leaving us with a mess to clean up."

The first angel looked over and acknowledged him. "I've sent for re-enforcements but it seems that we're not the only ones sending for help."

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The battle carried on. The celestial forces were desperate for help, but none had come for months. Armies were stretched thin over a vast amount of dimensions this war was covering. Somehow the infernal army kept growing and the celestials couldn't keep up.

As the group of celestials continued their discussion, a blinding light occurred in the distance and an explosion shook everyone to their core. The group rushed out to find the commotion but saw nothing. That was until there was another large blast of light.

"Get your weapons ready!"

The angels flew off towards the chaos amongst the chaos. Dead infernal littered the ground and confusion soon ran through the group. As they flew closer, they were met with another angel, but not one they had seen before. He had large inky black wings and a black halo to match. A sword in each hand. Each dripping with infernal blood staining the ground. He turned to face the group ready to fight again.

The leader stepped forward sword drawn. He wouldn't take a chance of losing his men to some stranger. "Who are you." It was a demand more than a question. He had his sword raised and pointed toward the stranger.

The stranger cleaned his swords quickly before placing them back in their sheaths. "I was sent to help." He held his hands up in surrender.

"Just you? We asked for another army, not one hotshot." One of the others popped off. The others glanced over and then back at the stranger. "How will one more soldier help?"

The stranger raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He kept his ears peeled for any infernal trying to sneak up on them, but he kept his eyes trained on the group in front of him.

Another leaned over to whisper. "He isn't a regular angel."

The other snapped his head over. "Then what the hell is he!"

"Death angel." It was the stranger who spoke. He was calm as he spoke. Everyone stopped talking and went ghostly white. "My name is Raden. I am one of ten death angels that have been sent out to help fight." He turned his gaze to the one that decided to run his mouth. "I'm as strong as twenty of you combined." He glared his eyes glowed a dull red.

"Yeah, and I'm a god." The other rolled his eyes. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Raden.

Raden tilted his head and placed his hand on the hilt of his swords. He kept his eyes trained on the other trying to challenge him. "I wouldn't if I was you."

"What? Attack you," the other said, "You come here out of the blue and act like you're better than all of us. Yeah, I don't like that."

Raden chuckled. "I am better than you." His ears perked up at the sound of a faint screech. "Enough playing around there's another fleet coming."

Sure enough, there was another group of infernal speeding toward them. Each one readied their weapons and stood their ground. Raden glanced over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. He unsheathed his swords and flew towards the hoard. He made contact with the first demon as he cleanly sliced through its neck and the body fell to the ground below. He was now sounded by a very pissed-off demon hoard. Raden readied his swords again. Two attacked from behind but Raden folded his wings in and dropped a few below as they flew past. With one beat of his wings, Raden flew upward toward the two demons. He managed to pierce one through the back but the other was too fast and latched onto his back. This caused him to drop a sword and yell out in pain as the demon's claws dug into his shoulder blade. At this point, the other angels had raced in to help with the hoard as Raden's focus was now on the demon who sunk its claws deeper. He sheathed his sword and reached back with his good arm placing his hand on the demon's face. A brilliant light hit the demon causing it to screech out and let go of Raden. He turned to face the demon and saw a burnt handprint on its face. The demon snarled and went in for another attack. Raden held his hand out as the same brilliant light shot across the sky hitting the demon in the chest. It let out a blood curling screech and burnt to ash in mere seconds.

The hoard was killed off by the others a few minutes later with the help of Raden and they went back to the camps as another group of celestials took their place. As they entered, the whispers started but Raden kept a blank face as he followed the others.

"You might want to get that checked out. It looks pretty nasty." One of the angels gestured to the wound on Raden's shoulder.

Raden glanced over to the angel. "Noted." The angel nodded but kept silent after that. Raden glanced back at him. He seemed a bit younger than the others. "What's your name?"

The angel looked back toward him. "Zadkiel sir."

"No need to call me sir." Raden chuckled. "I'm not your superior."

"That's what the others were saying. That you were sent here to take over..."

Raden stopped walking. "I wasn't sent here as a replacement for your leading general. I was ordered here because you all needed my assistance more."

The entire group soon stopped and turned to listen to Raden. "What do you mean we needed your assistance more?" Zadkiel asked.

"I was fighting with another division in another realm before I was ordered here after we cleared that realm mostly," Raden explained. He looked around at the group in front of him as they stared blankly at him. "You do understand that I was only sent here as a last resort because you all can't clear a battlefront that should have been completed months ago."

"You will not come in here and insult our division..."

Raden looked over at what he could only assume was the ring leader. "I can and will insult you as I please." He narrowed his eyes at the angel. "You're all the ones that can't do a simple job of ridding a few weak demons." Raden then pushed past the other as he went to find a medic to heal him before he went back up.

A few hours had passed and Raden was back in the air with a freshly bandaged shoulder. He was alone but he preferred it this way. Death angels were trained to fight with others but to get in and out as ordered and prepare for the next batch of orders. There wasn't much time for a brotherhood unlike the regular warriors here. He flew around still pissed he lost one of his weapons and wouldn't be able to receive another one until this mission was completed.

The group before had lifted off for a second round of demon hunting. They soon ran into Raden and he wasn't too keen on sharing the skies with them.

The ring leader from before flew over to Raden. Raden rolled his eyes. "You have miles of air and you choose here."

"We started on the wrong foot. I talked to my higher-ups and everything was explained." He held out a hand for Raden. "I owe you an apology."

Raden looked down and hesitantly shook his hand.

The ring leader let Raden's hand go. "Name is Deimos. Thought you should know if we're to work together."

Raden nodded and went back to watching the skies. Soon enough they heard the screeches. Each pulled their weapons ready for the attack. Another hoard appeared but this time they tried ambushing them from below. Something Raden knew all too well from many battles before. Raden held out his hand and a blast of white light shot through several demons. The others screamed in anger and rose quicker. Raden and Deimos dived swords leading the way. The others followed behind to catch any demons that passed. They collided with the hoard with a loud explosion of anger. Raden and Deimos traded blows with demon after demon. It was almost like a dance between the two as they floated through the air almost effortlessly.

As the hoard started to thin, the demons spread, making it more challenging. Each was focused on one demon trying to push them back together. Raden was chasing after a particular speedy demon when one flew and almost knocked him out of the sky. Deimos flew by shortly after catching up with the demon and slitting its throat. Raden nodded in approval and chased after another finally grabbing it. He forced his sword through the demon's stomach and twisted it for good measure. He let the limp body slide off and fall to the earth. The others had disappeared chasing after what was left of the hoard. Raden thought better of going after them.

Deimos flew back up to find Raden. "You finally catch the bastard?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I'm about to," Deimos said.

Raden looked over confused. "Wha..."

Deimos pierced his sword through Raden's side. "No one comes into my territory and insults me," he whispered into Raden's ear.

Raden couldn't find the words to say. He could barely breathe then he found himself falling. Deimos pulled his sword back and let go of Raden. Raden lightly touched his side and faintly saw bright red blood staining his hand but then the world went black.