Providence

The three angels were on their knees, screeching and writhing on the parking lot ground dotted and smeared with chunks of holy magma.

The ethereal voice that resounded in their heads spoke in a tongue only understood and withstood by habitants of the highest layer of Heaven: Primum Paraiso. Namely, the future-seeing angel, Paschar, and the one communicating with them, Maliel.

Nananiel was howling, digging his nails deep into the parts of the pavement untouched by magma, dragging his fingertips down repeatedly, leaving bloody streaks.

Each word from the cryptic language used by the Overseer was like having an entire colony of locust buzz and bite onto something in their Container's ear canal. Blood leaked out of every orifice throughout the ordeal and the screams weakened due to their angelic voices straining beyond repair.

It was the kind of torture that made one regret ever existing. Never before had Nananiel seen the ever-composed Dabriel in so much distress or the intense Irin on the verge of bawling. It all came to an end just as suddenly as it appeared, and gasps of relief expelled out of the three.

"Now that I have got your attention." A dulcet voice produced in their head. "Let us review what has occurred here. Irin."

The bloody Power Chief jumped up. "Yes, Father Maliel," she answered, lisping awkwardly due to the missing half of her jaw.

"No, wait, not you, you can't talk right. Dabriel. How about you?"

Dabriel, with angelic ichor leaking not only from his orifices but as well from the vicious sideways cut across his eyes Irin gifted him with, he slowly arose and spoke. "I came to help an angel in need, Father Maliel."

"And were you of help, Dabriel?"

"I believe so, yes," Dabriel said and exchanged looks with Nananiel, still struggling to get up on both feet.

"Interesting because I was under the impression Nananiel requested aid in saving the ill humans," the pleasant voice rebutted. "Or am I wrong, Nananiel?"

Without Maliel speaking the language of God, Nananiel could hear the cacophony of human screams booming from several sources.

He wasn't too sure about the other two angels, but it was his first time having a conversation with the eternal soul who stood above every other being in the universe. He tried to make words and produced nothing but air.

"Okay, I'll let you think about that," the voice said. "Dabriel. Irin. When two important pillars of the Second Sphere are in such tremendous dissonance, its effects spread out into the Realm you swore to protect. Look around. This is a mess, don't you agree?"

Irin and Dabriel bowed their heads. "Yes, Father Maliel," they said obediently.

"I am aware of your feelings toward each other and propose a solution. You are to leave with Elgorizel and come see me."

Now that was a name Nananiel hadn't heard in a while and then he spotted that unkind, bespectacled face emerging out of nowhere and approaching the three in the parking lot. The Container he wore was clad in an elegant blue suit as always with thin glasses settled low on the bridge of his nose.

"Sister Irin. Brother Dabriel." Elgorizel's turned even more stonily for the next name. "Nananiel."

"Are you going to take them to Primum Paraiso?" Nananiel asked. "What will they be—"

"Nananiel. Do you think asking that question right now is a good idea?" the beautiful voice resounded. Nananiel turned his head away, obeying a rather polite order to 'shut up.' "Elgorizel is tired, let him do his work."

"You two have got almost the entirety of Winterberry praying hysterically to all of this chaos you've created," Elgorizel said as he waved his hands around. "Irin. Clean it up."

Irin followed the First Sphere angel's order without uttering a word. She held out a hand, and as it made a fiery glow, the lava collected into a large mass and was sucked into her palm like a vacuum.

A moment after she was done and had her eyes meet with Elgorizel's, he pointed up and said, "You missed a spot."

They all looked up at the massive fissure her magmatic power left in the now crimson red sky. Again, Irin didn't even make a peep as she obeyed the command and brought out her spiky wings, but gave Elgorizel a conspicuous sneer before going up.

The Power with the mutilated face ascended to the red clouds of her making. All the crimson swirled her erect glowing hand and was absorbed into it.

A regular night sky returned to Winterberry.

Irin landed right before Elgorizel and withdrew her wings. She extended her hand to the side and a torrent of lava and rocks streamed into her palm.

"I did your job for you," Elgorizel said and eyed Dabriel and Irin, one at a time, "and dispatched a couple of angels to handle the souls who've witnessed your little spectacle. We're off." Elgorizel snapped his fingers, and they vanished in a white flash.

Nananiel finally regained the strength to stand up once again and slogged his way back to the Burger Queen.

He managed about three feet worth of walking before fainting.

Nananiel awoke and sat up with a pained grunt. He was on the floor of the ruined Burger Queen and kneeled beside him with her hand inside a round glass jar was a familiar angelic soul.

"Kalmiya?" he said incredulously and then began to sniff. He pulled a face.

"Sorry, Elder Brother Nananiel," she lamented and as she pulled her hand away from the jar, sparkling white gel stretched between her brown fingertips and the receptacle like melted cheese. "Pegasus gel. Smells—"

"Like pegasus stool."

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"Essentially yes. Considering the fact of how its made, it isn't all that shocking," she said and smiled nervously. She wore a black suit and a maroon overcoat. "You've been inflicted with severe White Magic wounds. Irin's holy lava."

"I understand it was the only way," Nananiel said and felt the gooey substance drip down his cheek. While in their Containers, angels had fantastic self-healing abilities, although when it came to powerful-enough Black-Magic inflicted wounds, the process would be a lot slower and direct healing spells were required to speed up the process. However, when an angel endures a devastating White-Magic based wound, the option to use a direct healing spell wasn't available. Pegasus gel was a common, although not beloved way to go around the problem.

"It doesn't smell that bad," Kalmiya said, while pinching her nose.

Nananiel just stared at her and let her believe he was being convinced. He hadn't seen the young Dominion angel since the attack at the Adytum. She had her Container invaded by a Tainted soul and was forced to become a trap that condemned her and other Dominions to Limbo.

His face slowly crumpled as he continued observing her. So much to apologize for because of his incompetence.

"Elder Brother Nananiel," a stern voice called.

An angel wearing a Container clad in typical Dominion fashion, like Kalmiya, a gray overcoat over a black suit approached Nananiel. Deep urgency was painted on his rough face. "I don't know if you remember who I am—"

"Of course I remember who you are, Harahel. You are a Dominion."

The angel's face lit up.

Nananiel let out another grunt and forced himself to his feet, ignoring Kalmiya's protesting. The first thing he focused on were the Burger Queen employees lying on the floor together in a circle.

"We've cured them, Elder Brother Nananiel."

Nananiel made a fist and then released it. "How?" he asked despondently. "What was I doing wrong?"

"Elder Brother Nananiel," Harahel said softly as he neared Nananiel. "It is a mistake any of us could've made. The zungefiend is a complex demonic organism that didn't spawn into this universe naturally. No, it was created by ever-nefarious Tainted a long, long, long time ago and attached to it is a spell or rather, a condition."

"White Magic can be used to exorcize it," Kalmiya continued and stood up. "However, if not applied to the organisms' core, then such exorcism efforts will cause it to mutate. To grow stronger."

Nananiel glanced at the slumbering employees and spotted Rachel amongst them. "Where was the core, then?"

"The base of the tongue within the tongue," Harahel answered.

"You mean the tongue in the mouth of the demon's face."

"Yes, Elder Brother Nananiel. Just concentrate all White Magic energy on that one spot and it will die. The human will be safe."

"The way we learned… many angels would not approve," Kalmiya said. "We've been consulting tomes on the supernatural left behind Tainted in several Realms. They grant us superb knowledge."

"You could be executed for that," Nananiel said gravely.

"I know…"

Nananiel sighed and looked up at the pale moon through the tear his holy sword made for the building. "Well?" he said without looking at either of the two. A scorching twinge hit him out of nowhere in the gut and got a loud grunt out of him. "What're you still doing here? Go, you can leave now."

"Elder Brother Nananiel," Harahel said. "You shouldn't be here."

Nananiel pressed onto his gut, hoping it would grant him some relief, but it failed. The gel's poop smell was tag teaming with the pain for extra discomfort. "You know of my banishment from Heaven. I must secure income and shelter somehow."

"This isn't right. This is beneath you, Elder Brother Nananiel."

"It's the punishment that was given to me justly, Brother Harahel," Nananiel said and finally looked back at the two. "And do not call me 'Elder Brother' I am not your superior anymore, and right now, technically, you are mine. Both of you are—"

"I will never accept that," Kalmiya said, shaking her head and got up close to Nananiel. "It should be you leading the Dominions—"

"No," Nananiel said firmly. "My blunder is unforgivable. The breaking of the Great Seals. And not every angelic soul has returned from Limbo currently, correct?"

Kalmiya averted her gaze and lowered her head.

"The Tainted Generation are formidable foes, there's no need for all the blame to be put on you!" Harahel expressed and put his hand over his chest. "I, and many other Dominions, share the same sentiment towards you. We've always enjoyed serving you as subordinates."

"I'm a fraud," Nananiel said. "I'm no hero—"

"You defeated Skaggsy," Kalmiya reminded.

"I did no such thing." Nananiel took in a deep breath and let it out after a couple of seconds. It was about time he said it aloud. "By the time I reached him, he was fatally injured. I barely did anything. I landed a finishing blow that any low-rank angel could make and took the glory for it. Irin is the true hero."

Silence.

Nananiel made a wry smile. It felt just as good as it burned. Like being fed pancakes while having your fingers smashed by a hammer. Finally, he peeled off the mask that reeked of the same stench the pegasus gel smeared on his face gave off.

"You're lying," Kalmiya said with her brows furrowed.

"I have been, yes. Right now, no." Nananiel said.

Harahel passed a hand over his hairless head. "I don't understand why you're putting in such an effort to make us lose confidence in your, Elder Brother Nananiel—"

"Do not call me that—"

"Elder Brother Nananiel!" Harahel and Kalmiya shouted.

"Whatever you can try to convince us about yourself will never be as bad as Elder Sister Irin," Harahel snapped. "Irin is a heathen!"

"Watch your tongue. That is your superior you are talking about—"

"The plague in Zurich. We know all about it but were ordered to stay put or else we would've been punished. What happened there could've led to a catastrophic disaster hurting the human race."

"When it comes to such preternatural diseases, you know us angels are ill-equipped for it."

"That may be, but staying put didn't feel right. Why is it that the situation was resolved by the Tainted Generation instead of us? It's not right! Nothing makes sense anymore and the new First Sphere Project that Irin is leading it's… it's… it's…"

"Demonic," Kalmiya said and shivered as she crossed her arms. "Irin is tampering with human souls! That is a direct violation of our creed! We were created to protect the purity of the human soul. Father's will was for us to watch over the human soul, not tarnish it with experiments! Mixing human souls with angel essence? I don't care if it was approved by the First Sphere. That is something I will never stand by! Have you seen them? The… Irin's Archangels?"

"Father Maliel approved of it, Kalmiya," Nananiel said.

"The Father I believe in wouldn't approve of such atrocities."

"It's sickening," Harahel added. "I do not believe it was done out of consent."

"Neither do I." Nananiel shook his head. "But listen, you are showing blatant insubordination towards your Dominion Chief and the will of the First Sphere. You could get in a lot of trouble, you two."

"We need to make a move—"

"Stop!" Nananiel said, raising a hand and scowled at them. "Don't say another word."

Harahel thinned his eyes. "The ones on top have lost their minds," he hissed. "A change must be forced."

Nananiel stepped back and cleaned the sweat on his palms off his pants. "You want to cause a war in Heaven? You two are the ones who have lost their mind."

"We are Dominions. Our priority is the safety of the human race. The Chief threatens their existence. If Irin is allowed to carry on her will any longer, then there will be a war that'll tear this universe apart."

"Get out of here. Both of you. Harahel. Kalmiya"

Harahel and Kalmiya shared looks and frowned.

"Now! Before I report you!"

They grew out their wings and exited through the fissure in the ceiling.

Nananiel gave the destroyed place another look. "What a night," he said and walked to the closet to get started on cleaning. This time, he didn't faint.

No other angel was in the vicinity, yet he still felt holy essence in the air. Must be residue left behind.