At the River Lethe, Setsuna and Noyz manage to fight off Arachne, who was trying to throw them in, but Cage Skull does get knocked in. They’ve arrived at the end of the river, so they don’t really need his services anymore anyway…But now Noyz and Setsuna, having lost track of Arachne again, are lost in the maze-like Forest of Suicides. Belial is lecturing Arachne about her failure, and to remember where her allegiance lies, “You haven’t forgotten who saved you that time, have you?” He has a chess knight on a “map” of the Forest and it sends out the Sea Beast Kelpie. A VOICE, sounding like Kira, tells Setsuna to cut beneath him which destroys the Kelpie. Belial: “I should have known it wouldn’t work against you and that sword. He, he is invincible.” Kira: “I recognize the air of Hell.” (Communicated via the Sword.) Belial relents and invites the duo (or trio, if you count the Sword) into the Palace.
In his chambers, Arachne takes Noyz hostage and, since he talks all the time, reveals that Arachne is “actually the Princess’ brother”!!! He is going to play a game with Setsuna – a form of roulette. Since Kurai is not in his chambers, there are 6 more places she could be (6 more chambers, one for each Satan.) Each will spin a wheel, designating a door. If Setsuna finds Kurai first, he can rescue her. But there is another twist: Noyz is strapped to a chair outfitted with 100s of needles. “If either one does not return with Kurai by the time the hourglass runs out…” Noyz will die. 1st spin: Belial gets Asteroth. Setsuna gets Asmodeus.
In Asteroth’s chambers, Astarte explains to Kurai that, to make different angels, God mixes different DNA. He especially wanted to create “Holy Hermit Adam Kadamon, who was both sexes and could control…light and dark. But the only success was Seraphita.” Originally they (Astarte/Asteroth) were separate but God instead Astarte’s consciousness into Asteroth. He went mad and they Fell. Lucifer made it so only one consciousness was at the front at a time – when s/he is Astarte, Asteroth is in the black/male snake they carry; when Asteroth, Astarte is in the while/female snake. Suddenly she freaks out and wants Kurai to stay, by Astarte eating her. Abaddon appears and rescues her – he bit off his hand to release his chains. He impales Astarte and they sadly leave her dying. But Asteroth awakens unharmed. With her last strength Astarte broke the spell. Belial is now in the chamber and comments on it – if the spell could be broken why didn’t he do it himself? Asteroth replies, “Shut up! You made yourself into what you are!” and that he told Kurai everything so Lucifer shan’t have his bride. “Or…you’ll [do it]? That’s if you meet the requirements!” Belial: “[Kurai will show] because I’m still holding my trump card.”
In Asmodeus’ chambers, Setsuna fights with a nymph/fairy. After the fight Asmodeus says, “The butterfly I want is one of kind…[promiscuous] but opens her heart to no one…cruel and arrogant…vile yet…pure…” He “collects” his butterfly/woman conquests. Setsuna demands Kurai. Of course he doesn’t know who that is but says, “Since my gift is ruined (the now dead nymph) now you’ll get into the birdcage to go to the wedding and get Kurai back.” Recall Setsuna is still in Alexiel’s body. Asmodeus wants to break up the wedding to piss Lucifer off. Turns out his “butterfly” is Belial, but s/he only wants Lucifer. The wedding ceremony, ending with Kurai’s death, will consolidate Lucifer’s power. It will “seal up” the power so Hell won’t be “overwhelmed by the power of the demon lord.”
In Belial’s chambers, the sand in the hourglass is almost out. Noyz swears she’ll kill Arachne and that he is a “fake.” “Princess Kurai is the true leader!” Arachne destroys the hourglass as he leaves, to “give [Noyz] more time to be tortured. I look forward to you coming to kill me.”
Outside Astarte’s chambers, Kurai comes upon Arachne, who fights Abaddon and drugs Kurai. We learn his story: In Anagura, a prophecy was told that the third prince shall be the next King. Prince (Arachne) was that prince, who was served by a manservant Kai. One day angel assassins attacked the palace. They were speaking among themselves and said Kurai was the 3rd child so therefore the true ruler. Kai was Arachne’s only love and support in the kingdom, but upon hearing the angels he denounced him: “You’re a fake! What have I been risking my life for?” Arachne killed him, then the Queen’s sister’s daughter, the real Arachne, to masquerade as her. He passed information to the angels and hence helped destroy Anagura. He is safe in Hell because he is Marked by Lucifer – he used the power of the Mark to kill all the people who where in his way, all to regain the Anaguran throne.
He meets up with Belial. The wedding is about to begin. Belial is reminiscing, and we learn his back story: Angels are born genderless. Belial originally would be male but he took a potion to become female, except the process stopped halfway through: “Inside I was neither man nor woman.” He is a true hermaphrodite – Top male, bottom female, cannot bear children. Upon their first meeting, Lucifer says, “Does that vile butterfly of yours spread its wings for anyone?” S/he says s/he cannot love a man who loves her, so she loves Lucifer because he hates her – but there is a moment between repulsion and attraction – “Maybe love will end the moment it begins.” Kurai, hearing this, begins to cry, and thinks, “Will that really satisfy your love, Hatter?” The wedding march is “black hymns…blessing the darkness…solemn ringing of the bell 13 times.” The Satan Mammon brings a “brilliant golden present.” Lucifer is presented with Asmodeus’ gift – Alexiel, caged, and stuffed for display. Kurai screams in horror and loss, and Abaddon crashes in through the ceiling, smashing up the place because he feels bad she feels bad. Asmodeus laughs, “Who knew it’d be this great of a party?” Astaroth: “Stupid mess…I’m going home.” A masked servant of Asmodeus’ grabs Kurai and runs.
Arachne has come to possess Kurai’s royal jade earring and is putting it on when Noyz approaches him. Arachne tries to summon the Dragons but can’t, giving Noyz’s sword a chance to stab him. He admits he killed Boyz because he reminded him of Kai. He gives Noyz the earrings and her [Noyz’s] mother’s ring (he took a long time ago) and says she now must protect Kurai. Arachne dies and Noyz realizes he broke the hourglass to save her; it was “the Arachne that loved the Princess.”
Abaddon is smashing everything. Lucifer is on the ground. Belial tries to get Kurai but they fall down a hole – and the masked servant is revealed to be Setsuna, carrying Nanatsusaya. He stabs the wall as they fall, hanging off the sword. They hear music and a Voice around them. Kurai: “This isn’t a wall…This statue thing, it looks exactly like Sakuya’s [Kira’s] face…”
Assiah – A scout of Kamael’s, while discovering the previously destroyed buildings are repairing themselves, encounters a threatening spook in a cloak...
Heaven – Raphy explains to Mika that Nanatsusaya killed Alexiel’s guardian angel a few incarnations prior to Setsuna. Around the same time Jibril was interfering too much with Sevy so e had her reborn as a human, Sara Mudo, never expecting she’d make it to Jibril’s body with her memory intact. Sara refuses to believe she is the reincarnation of Jibril because existing only to monitor Setsuna’s activity “is like tricking him!” Raphy is annoyed and says she’ll never regain her sight if she doesn’t accept the truth. Mika is so irritated he gets up to leave but is stopped by a phone call from Assiah...
...where Kamael’s scouts were attacked by a man in a cloak “with the Three Wings, the Symbol of the Savior!” He says, “Tell your boss – I’m waiting right here [for him].” Mika immediately goes to Assiah to answer this challenge. In other section, Kira is absorbing Hell’s energy via the Sword in Sheol, and wondering, “Before I was sealed away in Heaven as an evil sword…what was I?!” His thoughts are interrupted by a GLOMP and being pestered for a smoke by the “Three Winged Savior” – Kato! (in a Setsuna mask, by Uri.) Kato: “I wanted to see you so badly I crawled out of my grave.” He explains that with his plant-based body and Setsuna’s wing he is the only being who can impersonate Setsuna. Kira has a bad feeling and goes down to Hell, as leaving Kato to watch over Setsuna’s body. After he leaves Kato says, “There must be something wrong with you, Kira – how could you take me at my word?” A black bird (raven/crow) lights on Kato – it is Uriel, who reveals himself when Mika tries to attack Kato. Uriel has put the immediate area under a spell, where nothing can enter or leave the barrier. He demands Raphael resurrect Setsuna (he has a soft spot for Setsuna because he forgave him for what he did to him/Alexiel.) Raphy agrees, but only if Sara will kiss him. Mika fumes. On Assiah Raphy’s powers are limited so it may not work.
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