I'm an Illusionist by Trade, I have never seen a real Angel, until today

I should not have cast Real Magic (Part 1)
My Future is looking Dark (Part 2)
Real Magic Harms more than it Heals (Part 3)
My Days of Freedom are Over (Part 4)
I am in the strangest prison (Part 5)
I witnessed Order succumb to Chaos (Part 6)
There are two Voices of God (Part 7)
My Sins have caught up with Me (Part 8)
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I last left off where I thought it was the end? but it wasn?t.
It got so much worse.
The massive amalgamation of flesh and plant loomed over us, the angry face of Jacob glared down at me, a fit of burning anger in his eyes.
No longer were the earthen spirits in him benign, now corrupted and twisted, they seethed with hate and malicious intent. Something dark had empowered them.
?I-I?m sorry everyone?? I stuttered as I backed away.
?Zithero, do something!? Tasha shouted, ?you have the tools to make this right, do so!?
I froze in fear, I could barely think, just realizing that this was the end. My life was about to end, justly, by one I had wronged so thoroughly.
Jacob stomped towards me, lifting a massive trunk-sized leg ready to crush me where I stood.
I closed my eyes tightly, preparing for the inevitable.
?Mine!? Zepherina shouted excitedly as I heard creaking wood.
I opened my eyes to see that Zepherina standing firm before me, both her hands held high over her head, pushing the giant trunk-like foot up higher into the air.
Zepherina growled, ?Are you even trying??
Jacob growled in frustration, ?Move! This doesn?t concern you, girl!?
I flinched, as I could feel a pulse of anger swell from Zepherina.
?Do not call me girl, boy!? with that announcement, Zepherina pushed forward, heaving Jacob backward, forcing him to topple to the ground.
I stared in disbelief at the spectacle before me. Zepherina had just toppled the massive creature with a single push.
With urgency, I rushed over to fallen Jacob, who struggled to get back to his feet.
Zepherina placed her foot on Jacob?s neck, her eyes burning with anger as she glared at him.
Tasha rushed over, ?Zepherina, do not kill him!?
Zepherina?s lip quivered, and she pressed on Jacob?s throat.
Jacob stopped struggling, his face now pleading.
?Pathetic,? Zepherina growled, lifting her foot, and turning from him, ?fix him already so we can move on.? She crossed her arms over her chest.
I knelt by him, looking over his body, trying to figure out a way to save him, if there was any. ?Thank you, Zeph.? I turned to her, ?You saved my life.?
Zepherina huffed, ?... it was nothing.?
Tasha frowned, kneeling on the other side of Jacob?s massive wooden chest. She placed her gloved hand on his, ?so much pain??
Jacob growled, ?thanks to you!? he spat at me.
I moved my staff over his body, trying to coax the spirits inside to move as I wanted. My attempts to get them to rebuild his body, to heal his wounds, only met with a great deal of resistance.
Something dark was empowering the spirits, and worse yet, that darkness was surging from inside the prison.
?There?s a powerful darkness preventing me from healing him,? I announced.
Tasha nodded to me, ?I feel it too.?
Zepherina turned to us, her interest peaked, ?Is it another demon??
Tasha got to her feet, ?We need to call Jason? God charged him with protecting this area.?
?He has Boston!? Zepherina protested, ?We?re outside of the Boston area!? Zepherina stormed into the prison, walking past Jacob.
I closed my eyes and empowered the stone around Jacob to hold him tightly, yet firmly. I stood, and looked down at him, ?I?m not leaving you again, I promise.?
Jacob struggled against the stone, but they held firm, empowered by my ring and staff. ?I hate you!?
Tasha frowned, ?I hate to do this but?? she leaned over him, and kissed Jacob softly on the lips.
My eyes went wide as Tasha did this, but to my shock, Jacob?s body went slack.
Tasha had cast a spell from her lips to his, and it wrapped tightly around his mind.
?Calm your mind. Rest and sleep. Dream of better times,? Tasha soothed.
Jacob?s eyes looked hazy and distant as his body relaxed as his eyes slid shut.
?What did you do to him?? I asked.
Tasha got to her feet, walking after Zepherina, ?something I am ashamed of.?
I frowned as I followed her. It must have been some kind of power only a succubus possessed, thus why she was not keen having to use it.
Zepherina forced her way inside the prison, pushing a pair of doors open. She gasped in shock.
Tasha and I followed, and my eyes went wide at the sight before me.
Every prison cell appeared locked, yet blood dripped from every one of them, every single floor blood stained the edges and streams of blood ran down hallways in slow-flowing streams. All leading to what would be a drain on the floor.
Instead of a drain, however, four hulking inmates stood around a massive circle. One more inmate, smaller than the others, stood at the center of a massive pentagram drawn on the floor in blood.
Standing inside the pentagram was the witch, Bella, and another man I hadn?t noticed until now.
He stood a good few centimeters taller than Bella and had a long beard tied off into four sections. A smart suit and expensive-looking shoes matched Bella?s own taste for expensive fashion.
Now, however, Bella wore an outfit that was synthetic, no jewelry on her was natural either. She had even gone as far as to not wear make-up which could have any kind of mineral in it.
Tasha let out a scream, and I turned to see her fall to her knees, her staff clattering to the floor.
?Lady Tasha!? I shouted as I rushed to her.
Tasha?s eye was wide as she looked around at the blood running down the walls, ?W-what have you done!?
?What I needed!? the man called out, ?to finally surpass my master! To finally call forth a beast of proper power!?
The fifth inmate growled now, ?get on with it you hack!?
The inmate had a thick Bostonian accent and had a few symbols of hate groups tattooed on his fingers.
?I wanna pluck this little birdie?s feathers off one by one while his little buddies watch!? the man laughed.
?Sanders?? another man?s voice croaked from somewhere above us, a similar accent as the inmate, ?you will not win this one either??
I looked up to see a man tied upside down to a make-shift cross, also upside down. Several thick, heavy chains bound him firmly to the cross, suspended a good ten meters above the floor.
?Jason?? Zepherina shouted at the man hanging.
?Hey, Zeph?? Jason, the man, grunted, struggling against his chains. It was then I noticed the massive wings, also covered in multiple chains. His wings struggled against them, but they were too thick to break.
?I?m afraid you?re too late to rescue anyone,? the summoner taunted, ?for now I shall bring back honor to the title of Immunda! I will be fully realized, for the master summoner whose name my Master had bestowed upon me!?
Bella stood by, glaring at us, ?Let us leave nothing to chance Andy, sick the dogs on these three!?
The man at the head, who must have been Andy, grinned, ?You heard the pretty lady, boys!?
The four men all turned to him, their eyes dull, their breathing labored.
?Tear our guests apart!? Andy shouted.
Tasha quickly transformed into her succubus form, flying into the air, ?you two handle the thugs, I?ll help Jason down!?
Zepherina grinned wide, ?oh ****-the-hell-yes!?
I swallowed hard, moving behind Zepherina.
Zepherina grinned to me, giving me a wink, ?Don?t worry Zith - I got you covered!?
Tasha met Jason in the air, and struck her staff against the chains, breaking them. She then helped Jason down from the cross, chanting the Lords? prayer as she did.
I watched as the pair of them descended, holy magic swirling around Jason, healing his wounds, and restoring his strength.
Jason?s body now resonated with a similar power that surrounded Sofia. The power with Jason was different, however, it was less ordered but dedicated. As if the holy spirits within him had a dedicated, joint purpose, in line with his will, rather than forced against it.
As Tasha broke the chains and healed Jason, I heard something I didn?t expect.
?Succubus!? Bella screamed, enraged, ?How dare you!?
Tasha stood, holding her staff at the ready. ?How dare I what??
?You!? Bella growled, her hands clenched into fists so tight I swear I could see blood dripping from them, ?How dare you, a demoness, follow God!? Bella glared daggers at Tasha.
Zepherina gave a firm punch to the first thug who rushed us, another whipped around her flank towards me, ?watch out!? a third grabbed her, and she hurled him rather effortlessly over her shoulder.
I tried to move back from him before Jason rushed to my side, punching the guy in the gut, and shoving a massive pistol in his mouth.
?In nomine Patris, et Filii et, Spiritus Sancti!? he said as he pulled the trigger.
The instant he did, a surge of holy power blasted through Jason, surging through his body, and focusing out the end of the pistol, blasting the man?s head clean off.
?Jason!? Tasha gasped.
Jason turned to us, pulling the silver and white pistol up with his other hand, ?these guys are corpses infested with demon spirits? They aren?t even human anymore. Immunda gave them some kind of dose of demon blood before we put them on death row.?
Zepherina laughed, ?So they?re fair game!? with this she grabbed a man she was grappling with, and gave a quick twist of his head, breaking his neck.
To my shock, the man didn?t go down, but stumbled backward, his head reversed. He grinned, his head slowly turning around.
My stomach turned, I glanced at Tasha, to see she had turned away.
?These guys aren?t the big fish!? Jason shouted, ?Immunda?s trying to channel Asmodai into Sanders!?
The man who stood with Immunda and Bella now cackled, ?Trying?? his eyes were now glowing green, his voice deepening, and resonating through the halls, ?there is no trying??
Immense darkness rose inside of the man the likes of which I had never seen before.
I staggered back as Zepherina punched her fist through the chest of the inmate, whose head she had just turned around.
Immunda grunted, ?Now?. I? Immunda? channel Asmodai, Lord of Wrath, into this vessel!?
Andy?s head wretched back for a moment, and then when it returned, his eyes were black as pitch, save for a pair of glowing bright green irises. ?You should have stayed home, Jason.?
Jason?s fists clenched tightly around his pistol, and he took aim at Andy, ?You *******!? the holy spirits surged through Jason, but weaker this time.
I frowned, why is it weaker? I wondered.
?In nomine Patris, et Filii et, Spiritus Sancti!? Jason shouted, firing another blast of holy energy, now directed at Andy.
Andy smacked the spell away with little effort, continuing to advance on us, ?Fool boy! Did you truly think you could defeat the Lord of Hate while you hold vengeance in your heart??
Jason gritted his teeth, and charged at Andy, ?Go back to Hell!?
?Jason no!? Tasha screamed.
With a single punch to the gut, Andy sent Jason hurtling towards me.
?If I do, I?ll give your dear mother your regards,? Andy taunted, ?as you?ll never see her again.?
I knelt down and stop Jason, doing my best to help.
Jason coughed up blood as he slid to my feet.
?Finally!? Zepherina shouted, charging forward, ?my turn bitch!?
Zepherina?s punch knocked Andy to the floor, but he quickly got back to his feet.
?Impetuous girl!? he growled as he hurled a punch at Zepherina.
Zepherina caught his punch, her smile fading, ?here I thought some Lord of Hell would be a challenge.?
Andy grunted, hurling another punch at Zepherina.
She caught his second fist, pushing him back, ?Is this it? Is this all I get to deal with? All that waiting and build up?? Zepherina pushed both of his fists back, causing him to slide back on the ground, ?for this??
Andy winced as he flexed his hands, ?this vessel? why isn?t it stronger??
Zepherina advanced towards him quickly, ?That?s the same question I have!? she punched him in the gut, knocking him up into the air and flat onto his back.
Andy gasped like a fish out of water.
I grinned, turning to Jason, and chanting a healing spell over him, Seems we?re saved after all. I thought to myself, ensuring I did not speak during the spell.
Tasha frowned, ?Zeph??
Zepherina?s fists clenched tightly as she loomed over Andy, ?you, and your entire demon horde, are pathetic. If you ever plan on coming up here, then you better plan for me being here to send you all screaming back, one by one.?
Andy got to his feet before Zepherina grabbed him by the throat.
?Think you can tell your demon buddies that when you get back down there? Give them that message for me, will you?? she drew her fist back, ready to land a finishing blow on him, ?Next time you want to conquer the mortal realm, come prepared!?
Andy?s eyes burned with fury and he gritted his teeth, ?I will not be undone? by you??
?Send him back to Hell Zeph!? I encouraged.
Zepherina finally cracked a smile, ?will do!?
Immunda?s scream broke my premature celebration. ?Wait, what are you-No!?
A sickening sound of a blade slicing through flesh slid through the room, and Bella?s voice now resonated through the air.
?Take this prideful fool?s soul, his blood, and his body. Take my hate! My vengeance! My wrath! I shall be your conduit! I give unto you everything I am and ever will be! O? great Asmodai, let your true hate and power surge through me!?
I watched as Immunda?s lifeless body fell to the ground.
At first a spry man no older than thirty, but upon landing on the ground, his body rapidly aged.
His skin wrinkled and his hair whitened. Immunda?s eyes, though opened, grew milky and sunken as he collapsed to the ground. Even his clothing aged and rotted.
As his body finished aging, blood rushed out of his throat and swirled around Bella?s body. The blood sapped from his form mummified his remains before they decayed further, turning to dust, joining the blood that floated into the air.
Bella rose into the air, the blood and dust swirling around her, coating her body. When she reached the apex of the circle, she grabbed her temples with both hands, and screamed an angry cry of pain.
?Kill them all! Every last human being! Cleanse their filth from this world! Let my hatred of humanity fuel you, O? Lord Asmodai! For hate?s sake! Purge the wicked! Purge the Good! Purge them all! Let God sort them out!!? Bella howled in a fit of painful madness.
Darkness, greater than before, now pulsed and cascaded around and through Bella.
I could watch as it engulfed her very soul in a dark and potent torrent of energy, her body twitching and convulsing as it flowed through her, corrupting her to her very core.
Andy, however, got a second wind, and now pushed hard against Zepherina?s grip.
Zepherina hurled a punch, only to have her fist caught by Andy.
?You?re as prideful as the rest of your bloodline,? Andy taunted, ?but too green.? With that he grabbed Zepherina by the shoulders, and hurled her into the air, sending her sailing to the second floor, and crashing into the bars of a cell.
Tasha rushed in front of me, her staff at the ready, ?Stay back!?
Andy grinned wide, ?I know how to handle a succubus, girl. Step aside. I am bound only by my pact with this pathetic mortal.?
?What foul pact is that?? Tasha questioned, likely stalling for time.
?I must kill Jason,? his face fell, ?and then the pact is complete. I will be free to rid this world of my failure and unleash my Master upon this earth!?
?We will not let that happen!? Tasha declared.
Jason got to his feet, his teeth gritted. ?****? he?s stronger than before when he kicked my ass.?
Tasha backed up towards us, holding her staff at the ready, ?Jason, you cannot attack him for Sara?s sake, he?ll fuel himself on your hate of him.?
Andy grinned, ?Oh my sweet Sara? she waits for me to bring her forth once again. For me to ravage.?
Jason glared at Andy, ?shut your ****in? mouth!?
Andy cracked his neck, and his knuckles, ?come on then, come at me.?
Jason moved past me before Tasha stopped him.
?Jason!? Tasha shouted, ?calm yourself! Go back to the temple, get Sofia!?
Andy?s eyes went wide as Tasha spoke her name.
?She can handle this!? Tasha confirmed.
Jason nodded and turned, closing his eyes.
Andy?s wide eyes then relaxed, as he grinned wickedly to us, ?something wrong, Avatar of Saint Michael??
Jason?s eyes opened, ?... I can?t open the temple doors.?
Tasha turned to him, taking another step back as Andy advanced on us, ?what do you mean??
?Did you not notice the wards on this place?? Andy taunted, ?Did you honestly think I would leave anything to chance? That I would allow you access to your precious Guardian Temple?? he chuckled.
I frowned, holding my staff defensively.
?Immunda and Bella performed everything I requested of them, and more,? Andy taunted, ?down to the most important detail: corrupting the very ground we stand upon.? he raised his hands up, motioning to the surrounding walls covered in blood.
?What foul magic did you make them perform?? Tasha asked.
?A hundred souls sent to hell after forsaking God before us? Not all were used to bring about my grand entrance upon this world,? he grinned, ?no, some were used to ward off this place from goodness, and obscure it from your sight.?
I grabbed my staff, ?You might have warded it from holy magic, but the soil is still soil!? I slammed my staff down onto the ground, and the ground shook and quaked beneath Andy?s feet.
He stumbled, and with that, I took the initiative.
?Run!? I cried as I made my way to the exit, Tasha and Jason following behind.
?We have to stop him!? Tasha complained.
Jason grumbled, ?I can?t clear my head, I keep thinking of that sick ******* and my motha!?
?Jason, clear your mind!?
?Easier said than done Tash!?, Jason shot back.
The doors to the exit slammed shut before us, and I slammed into them hard before I could stop myself.
I tumbled backward against Jason and Tasha, dazed and a bit befuddled by the doors closing on me.
?Zithero!? Tasha cried out, ?are you all right??
I groaned in pain, ?I think so.?
Andy now groaned in pain, ?This vessel? is nearly complete!? with a roar of pain, Andy fell to one knee.
A massive fleshy wing ripped out of his back as more dark energy surged through Bella, channeled into Andy.
Bella! That was it! She was his tether from this world into the next! She was the source of his unending dark power. That seal, the entire circle! If I could somehow stop it, somehow break that circle, then Andy?s power would stop growing!
Something interrupted my concentration, another black wing snapped out of Andy?s back, blood and sinew flecking across the surrounding floor.
Andy got to his feet and flapped his wings, rising off the ground. ?Now, Beast of the Earth, let us see you conjure the ground against me.?
Something hurled a set of iron bars at Andy from the upper floor. He let his wings down and fell quickly to dodge the thrown piece of debris.
?Who dares?? Andy growled, turning to where the object originated.
?My entire life?? Zepherina?s voice echoed through the hallways with an eerie resonance.
?Oh, no?? Tasha whispered.
Jason frowned, ?****.?
?... Do you know what it is like to live in a world of paper mache?? She stood now at the top of one staircase leading down to the ground level, her eyes closed.
Something was different about her. Her body and spirit seemed to be a single entity, which was impossible, under normal circumstances.
A spirit and body may interact, but as different segments of someone?s trinity. Their body, soul, and mind.
Yet, as Zepherina stood now, all three were as one.
A grin came over Zepherina?s face, ?did you know, until today, I?d never even felt pain before?? Zepherina rubbed her thumb over her lip, a crimson dollop of blood glistening on her thumb. ?But today? You drew blood.?
?Zepherina! Calm down!? Tasha pleaded.
Jason grabbed Tasha?s shoulders, pulling her back, ?don?t try, she?s not listening to us.?
Zepherina?s eyes shot open, they were black like Andy?s, but her irises were different.
They were no longer solid, they were like steam. A violet and luminescent steam swirling in her eyes.
?... no.? Andy whispered, ?how??
?Now, I finally have a worthy opponent.? Zepherina hurled her coat off of her body, her wings now spreading wide.
Her wings were different too, as her eyes were, they had changed. They were no longer pure and white but now shimmered in brilliant black obsidian.
Zepherina jumped into the air, her wings spread. Yet as they moved it sounded not unlike glass sliding against glass as she landed in front of Andy, her lips turning into a wicked smile. ?Now, let?s get serious.?
?What happened to her?? I asked.
Tasha frowned, ?she?s taken on her true form.?
I turned to Tasha, ?What do you mean??
Jason heaved a sigh, ?Zepherina?s not a Nephilim like me or Sofia.?
?How?? I demanded.
?Zepherina,? Jason confessed, ?is a full-blooded Cherubim.?


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