A tall strong man with bronze skin and long wavy blond hair came out of the temple. He had gold eyes and a halo like Avariel, but he had 4 white feathered wings on his back. He was wearing a silver muscle cuirass over a red gambeson. Over his armor, he had a white tabard with a red cross on it. He also wore a leather belt, white pants and silver greaves.

"Justus Dominus in omnibus viis suis: et sanctus in omnibus operibus suis" Avariel said bowing to Mitzrael when he got close.

"Amen, sister" The archangel said, examining her and the others. "What brings you here?" He asked.

"I’m Avariel. From the choir of angels. I went down to Violentia to save my sister, Nanael. She also used to be in the choir of angels. Now we need help getting back into Elysium." Avariel said, pointing to Nanael.

"Alone?" Mitzrael questioned her.

"I came alone. But I enlisted the help of this human, Matthew. He was stranded in Violentia and also needs help getting home." Avariel explained. "The succubus is going with him. It was a deal we made to be able to find you." The angel added.

"I understand. You must be tired from your journey. Please, come inside." Mitzrael said, gesturing towards the temple and guiding the way to a dining hall where they were served warm food.

While they all ate, Mitzrael listened to their stories with close attention.

Tylith now looked at Matthew with a newfound respect. She had no idea about what he went through before.

"The path to Elysium can only be opened in a few days. Please, stay until then." The archangel said, placing a hand on Matthew’s shoulder. "From there it will be easier for you to go back to Earth."

"Are you sure I should go to heaven? Even for a while?" Matthew asked him.

"Is there something you wished to confess, child?" Mitzrael gave him a smile. "The Salm that commands my orders says: ’God is just in all His ways, and saint in all His works’. You mustn’t fear. I am the one who guards and shows the way. I am the one who releases the oppressed. Deus sublevans opressos."

"I don’t know what any of that means." Matthew laughed at himself.

"It means I can help you." Mitzrael said gently.

Something about the way he spoke made Matthew remember professor Claude from the school. A soothing tone that relaxed him and made him feel safe.

"Tell me. Why do you think you can’t go to heaven?" The archangel asked.

And then Matthew told him about his life. How he killed, how he fought, the things he did. He told him all of the things he thought were evil. All the thoughts he had about doing terrible things.

Mitzrael didn’t interrupt him, he just nodded and listened.

"I guess I don’t deserve to go, do I?" Matthew sighed.

"You repented your sins." The archangel said. "You sacrificed yourself to save others. You convalesced in hell. I’d say you are more than ready to go to Elysium."

Matthew didn’t smile. He just looked down with tears in his eyes.

"Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti." Mitzrael said with his hand over Matthew’s head.

"Thank you." Matthew said with his heart now empty regrets.

In the next days, Matthew and the others helped in the garden and in the temple. Nanael cooked, Avariel farmed, Matthew cleaned. Ffyr and Tylith were bored out of their minds.

"Every day is the same thing!" Tylith complained, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I tried to prank the archangel with a bucket of water, but all he did was smile at me." Ffyr joined the complaining.

"I’m going to die of boredom." The demoness said, laying on the floor. "At least this place smells nice. Even though it feels like I’m burning."

"Can she get to heaven?" Matthew asked about Tylith to Avariel.

"Yeah. She can." Avariel said while eating some bread with milk. "It’s going to be way worse than here. But she’ll survive."

"Hope we don’t stay long." Tylith commented.

Before anyone could say anything else a booming voice like a roar came over the temple making everything tremble in resonance.

"TYLITH!"

It was Vine.

They all rushed outside to see the Black Rider mounted on his impressive ebony steed wearing the same clothes he had during the party. He carried only a sword on his waist and had a black viper coiled around his left arm.

Mitzrael was already there staring him down.

"The succubus is under my protection." The archangel said to the demon king.

"Give her back." Vine roared with the fur on his face wet with tears.

"Do you wish to go with him?" Mitzrael asked Tylith with a docile voice. "You don’t have to."

"No." Tylith said recoiling behind Matthew. She was clearly scared.

"But my songbird. After that night I thought..." Vine said, extending his hand.

"You thought wrong." Tylith spat in disgust. "I only did what I did to get away from you."

"Why?" Vine asked, almost crying.

Tylith just flinched and took a step back. Her hand massaged the bite mark on her.

"You’re scared? Did I hurt you?" The demon king asked while dismounting his horse and trying to get close to her, but being held back by Mitzrael. "I’m sorry, my songbird, I would never do anything to hurt you on purpose."

"I don’t want to be with you." Tylith said, hugging herself.

"But you... I thought..." Vine tried to organize his thoughts, but couldn’t understand her. "You don’t want to be my queen?"

"I want to be free." The succubus answered him. "I don’t want your gilded cage. I’m not your bird!" Her voice was decisive.

"What is this about? Is that human putting ideas in your head?" The demon king pointed at Matthew.

"It’s not him, you imbecile! It’s you!" Tylith screamed at him, shaking in both anger and fear.

Vine fell to his knees.

"What did I do? I never hurt you. I gave you freedom to do anything you wanted. I made sure you’d never be harmed. Everything you wanted, I made sure you had it!" He protested. "Why are you running away from me?"

"Because I don’t want to be yours. I don’t want your things. I don’t want your protection." Tylith had tears in her eyes. "You are the Black Rider. I am powerless against you. How long do you think you could endure until you lost patience and just took me? I can’t live like this. I can’t live being the focus of your obsession. Just waiting for the day you’d put me in a cage. I don’t want you."

Vine was openly crying now.

"My songbird." The demon king looked at her eyes.

"I’m not your bird." Tylith repeated herself.

He then closed his eyes and stayed still for a few seconds in silence.

"You should leave now, Fames." Mitzrael said to the Black Rider trying to be gentle. "You need to understand her wishes."

At this moment, the sky turned black with heavy clouds and a strong wind blew over the temple lifting a thousand petals and making them dance in the air.

"Fames! You mustn’t! This is hallowed ground. You must not break the order." Mitzrael protested.

"I don’t care." Vine gnarled. "If I can’t have her. I’ll destroy everything."

"Inside the temple! Run!" Mitzrael urged the people around to flee. "Stop this, Fames!"

Suddenly a lightning fell over Mitzrael that screamed in pain and fell to his knee.

"Mitzrael can’t defeat him alone." Avariel pulled her sword.

"Can we even help?" Matthew asked while the archangel got up and punched the demon king with a flash of holy light.

"We have to." Avariel said.

Nanael pushed Tylith away towards the temple with the rest of the people there.

Matthew took out his swords, again leaving Belial’s blade in his Inventory.

Vine kicked Mitzrael away from him and pulled his sword from the scabbard. The blade was covered with small electric jolts, like a tesla coil.

Ffyr sent a fireball that exploded on the back of the demon king and flew high avoiding a lighting bolt he sent back at her.

Avariel charged with her blade and traded some strikes with the Black Rider. But when their blades locked in place, Vine’s viper bit her on her hand making her lose strength.

That gave the opportunity for the demon king to push her away with a shoulder strike and lift his sword to cut her in half.

When his sword went down, it met a gold blade made entirely of mana, protecting the angel.

It was Mitzrael that, in the same movement, blasted the demon king away with a gilded magic missile.

Matthew stood still. He didn’t have demonic mana anymore. He was at half the strength he had the past 2 years. He still had the Unholy Mana skill that could raise his stats. But would it alone be enough to fight a demon king?

Then a lightning bolt struck Mitzrael who tried to protect himself with a mana shield made of holy mana, but broke through his defense.

Matthew didn’t have the luxury of doubt. He brought out the Unholy Mana, covering himself in miasma, and charged against the Black Rider.