Dissension - Part 4

"Alright, Malique. Here goes nothing," Michael's voice serves as the trigger as four out of seven Demons of Sins charge towards them.

"Abaddon, Asmodeus, and Belphegor, after me," Mammon indicates, instantly showing who goes first. He leaps upward toward Michael and Malique.

Arrows fly in their direction, and Michael easily deflects them using the spear, twirling it to create a makeshift shield. The arrows disperse into a different locations, and one of them finds its way back to Abaddon, who is already wielding his blade.

Malique quickly reacts and saves Michael from being pierced by flicking his sword to deflect the chain mid-air. However, Sathanas continues her attack, crashing down on them with her mace aimed for a kill.

"Got you now!" she exclaims.

"A bit overconfident, aren't we?" Michael teases when the smoke clears, revealing that her strike missed by a foot.

"You little shit... Ah!" Before Sathanas can raise her mace for a second swing, Michael kicks her away, creating distance and avoiding the incoming danger.

"Oh no... Malique!" Michael immediately releases his weapon, which vanishes into thin air and grabs Malique, dragging him out of harm's way. With an injured leg, Malique might not have been able to dodge the charge, so Michael takes measures to carry him himself.

Although they manage to evade the attack, they find themselves surrounded by their enemies. Mammon, with his bow aimed, is already there. But as usual, Mammon's shot misses its mark and hits the ground instead.

This time, Malique faces the dire situation by summoning his wings and skilfully manoeuvring them to avoid the attack, landing beside Mammon. Michael takes advantage of the opportunity and hurls his spear in Mammon's direction, aiming for the head.

Just as the spear's tip is about to claim Mammon's life, it gets called back to its summoner. Instead of flesh, the cold steel clashes against another weapon. The spear manages to spare Malique's life, but it remains stuck against a deadly mace.

"Tch, stop interrupting me," Sathanas claims as she presses the mace harder, testing her strength against Michael.

"I could say the same thing to you," Michael retorts. He refuses to be defeated by her, not just because of the shame it would bring but also because of his unwavering belief. A Knight of God would never be defeated by the Sinners.

"Michael!" Now back on his two feet, Malique hugs Michael under his arms and lifts him, using his wings to send them into the air.

"Fuck, that kid has keen senses," Belphegor exclaims, stopping himself before colliding with Sathanas. Attempting the same move, he tries to go after them but fails.

"Why did you do that?" Sathanas blames Belphegor's choice of action. "I already had him right there."

"What difference would it make? The kid's already on you, even if you can overpower Michael," Belphegor reasons, which is out of character for him. "You could even say I saved your life there."

"Quit it, you two," Mammon orders. "I can't get a shot because you guys are blocking the way."

"You and your fucking shots never hit," Belphegor and Sathanas simultaneously voice their frustration, finding it hard to stay angry when Mammon consistently misses.

"Oh, come on. You guys know how long I haven't been doing this right?" Mammon replies. "Anyhow, where's Abaddon?"

They notice a chain attempting to bite Malique's bleeding leg but failing due to a measurement error. Now that the coast is clear, Malique wastes no time and zooms away, holding Michael close to him, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and their pursuers.

"Abaddon already told you, no more fighting!" Abaddon vents his anger. "We might have lost them now!"

"Don't fret, Abaddon. They couldn't have gone that far when both of them are together," Mammon states, flapping his wings and following after Abaddon, who is already searching for them.

"Malique put me down," Michael instructs after confirming that the four chasers are still out of sight.

"But, Michael..."

"No buts," Michael cuts him short. "Trust me."

"Alright."

Following the command, Malique gently lowers Michael when he deems it appropriate, carefully landing himself as well. Despite the pain persisting, Malique flinches slightly as his wounded leg supports their landing.

"Quick, Malique," Michael urges, and they both lie down in the sand. "Use your wings to throw sand and cover us."

Without wasting a moment, Malique follows the instruction and coats both of them with hot pebbles. Believing that their body parts are well hidden, Malique retracts his wings and overhears the buzzing sound of four creatures hovering above them.

"Don't worry, I don't think they saw your wings," Michael whispers to Malique, using his hand to create a small space in front of his lips, preventing sand from flooding his mouth.

"How did you know about this technique?" Malique mimics Michael's behaviour, creating the same space and revealing their camouflage, yet the pursuers remain oblivious.

"I was instructed to observe humans on Earth many times," Michael begins his story with the faintest voice to avoid detection. "Not just for observation, though. I was also tasked with granting them wealth according to God's will and shaping history as it was written."

Surprisingly, Michael relaxes a bit, and his other hand slowly positions itself to support his face from the rough sand. Malique experiences a similar sensation as he starts to feel less pain in his leg, even though sand breaches his wound.

"So, you were involved in the war among humans too?" Malique continues with his curious questions about humans, which he mostly knows nothing about compared to the punishment they face in Hell.

"Yes, I was," Michael answers. "But rest assured, I never took a human's life while I was there. It was not my job to end mortal lives."

"What do humans call what we're doing right now?" Malique asks, intrigued by the concept of hiding in the human world.

"Nothing fancy. They call it camouflage or cover," Michael entertains Malique with his knowledge. "It's hiding oneself by imitating the surroundings for an advantage."

"How effective is it?" Malique asks one final question.

"See for yourself. Can you hear them flying over us?" Michael asks.

Indeed, all they can hear is the sound of creatures gliding and the whistle of the wind as it sweeps the landscape. Taking a brave step, Michael pulls himself up and scans the area, checking if their pursuers are still nearby.

"Looks clear to me," Michael informs, and Malique emerges from the sand. StrAngely enough, his wounded leg appears untouched, but upon closer inspection, one can see tiny grains covering the open wound, acting as makeshift skin.

"Are you sure it won't bother you?" Michael asks.

"It's fine," Malique reassures him, shaking off the sand and allowing blood to flow once again. "By tomorrow, I'll be as fit as a fiddle."

Suddenly, a tip of an arrow, dripping with blood, pierces Malique's chest as he is shot from behind. He collapses to the ground, and Michael faces the active shooter, who is filled with joy at finally making a hit.

"Well played, both of you," Mammon salutes them for their intelligent strategy. "But don't forget that we all have a sixth sense to find each other."

Michael pays no attention to Mammon; instead, he kneels next to the unconscious Angel, contemplating how to save him. As Mammon finishes speaking, the other three Archdemons appear beside him, and he aims for a second shot, intending to dig into his target's brain.

"What the!?" Mammon exclaims.

A figure steps in between the crossfire catches the flying arrow and surprises everyone present. He was expected to be there, but not to intervene in the fight. Witnessing him aid the opposing team is a heart-breaking moment for all six Demons of Sins.

"Lucifer?"