Wrath and Tilith returned together to the Law Enforcement Center so they could speak with Skortch.
The building of the Center stood out strongly among the dark giants, as it was snow-white, almost blinding those who passed by.
The hundred-story building did not merely stand out with its cleanliness, it mocked the filthy houses standing beside it.
Lucifer had not blessed the Center's building by accident; with this he also wanted to send a message to the people of Hell, that if they accepted his laws, this kind of purity could await them as well.
They entered through the door above which the following text stood in golden letters:
"Without Order there is no Freedom, only Chaos."
Wrath saw no point in having similar quotes displayed outside, since the majority of demons could not even read.
Inside, the air itself seemed cleaner.
Within the building, plants and flowers had survived, so there were plenty of them on every corridor, in every office, and this could have caused the freshness of the air.
On the lower level, some chaos had taken over; quite a few demons were shackled in the lobby. Most of them remained calm, because they feared Lucifer's prison, though there were some who were shouting and raging.
Wrath's presence brought a certain calm even to those who had been arguing and trying to resist earlier. Many feared him at least as much as they feared Lucifer's black madness.
They greeted their colleagues, Wrath tipped his hat to the receptionist, then they stepped into the elevator and went up to the hundredth floor.
At this level, no one was present at the moment; it stood empty, and there was only a single table with folders and documents on it, while the rest held nothing.
It was dark, there was little light, and the ornamental plants had withered, which caught Tilith's attention, especially since the air was far more stale and unpleasant.
Wrath glanced at Tilith, who had stopped beside one of the dead plants and was staring at the moldy wall.
— What is it now?
— These plants are saturated with Lucifer's power, aren't they?
— Something like that.
— Then how the hell did they wither? How often would you need to water them? Once a month?
— I don't know, as you can see, I'm busy.
— Is that why you don't even let the cleaning staff up here?
Tilith pointed at the empty bottles, the cigarette butts scattered everywhere, the mess and the filthy floor.
— They don't dare come to this floor. What do you think, why is no one here? Skortch is the only one willing to work for me. Come to think of it, he should already be here, shouldn't he?
— Not necessarily. That mountain is big and he's probably doing a thorough job to impress you. He's really into you.
— Then I say we join him.
***
Blood Mountain lay on the far side of Hell, far from the city, to the north.
Even with wings or vehicles, the journey would have taken weeks, but distances like these could be shortened by using the lightning metro running through underground tunnels.
The metro network covered all of Hell, so it was easy to get anywhere.
Aircraft could not be used because of the constant storms, but underground the journey was safe.
Wrath and Tilith walked down together to one of the stations and stopped on the platform, waiting for the approaching train.
The train arrived as well, with an ear-splitting screech and thunder.
The train was actually a living creature and was considered one of Hell's most ancient beings.
A caterpillar-like, red-bodied, blind creature pulled the cars through the tunnels, capable of moving at terrifying speed.
Surface vehicles operated on Hell's oil, but these creatures made do with a small amount of meat.
They loved it, but underground it was not easy for them to obtain meat, which was why demons were able to cooperate with them.
Beside the platform stood a stocky demon with a wheelbarrow. As the metro came to a stop, he tossed some fresh, bloody meat into its enormous mouth, and its thousands of teeth ground it apart.
Wrath and Tilith boarded the car, then sat down and patiently waited to reach Blood Mountain.
Tilith glanced toward Wrath conspicuously often, which he began to find strange.
— What is it?
— Hm?
— Something is bothering you, isn't it?
— No, it's just… you're sitting by the window.
— Yes, and? There's no nice view. — he pointed at the solid stone wall of the tunnel carved into the ground.
— I know, but… I like sitting by the window. Your seat looks better too, there's no spring sticking out of it.
— We can switch, if you want.
— You don't have to, it's really not necessary.
Wrath stood up, and Tilith smiled and took his seat.
***
After they got off at the station leading to Blood Mountain, they walked up to the surface and could already see the mountain itself.
Blood Mountain got its name from its red color and from a special substance flowing down from its peak that resembled blood.
In truth, of course, there was no blood at all; it was merely molten rock that broke through to the surface and was used in the construction of certain vehicles.
There was quite a lot of commotion; more and more demons gathered at the mountain, and soon the reason became clear.
One of the tunnels had completely collapsed and buried countless workers beneath it.
The danger of collapse had already passed, but there were no survivors; every worker had been crushed by the falling rocks.
Hundreds of bodies lay covered at the foot of the mountain.
Wrath asked whether his companion had possibly been here. One of the rescue team leaders escorted him to the body.
Wrath lifted the covering and could see that Skortch's body had been mangled beyond recognition.
Every single bone was shattered; almost nothing remained of him but a bloody pulp, and he could only be identified somewhat by his face and uniform.
Wrath pulled out a cigarette and lit it, then stared at the body.
— This wasn't an accident.
— You think someone deliberately collapsed the tunnel?
— How often does something like this happen? And right now, in a chaos mine? Skortch found something, or someone, who knew the truth. And judging by this, everyone was killed. They did a thorough job.
— So what now? Do we look around?
— It would be a waste of time, and dangerous for you as well. They might still be here, the ones who took care of Skortch.
Tilith raised her sharp claws.
— I can defend myself.
— I believe that, but I have another task for you. I'll give you an address; you'll find a Succubus House there. Talk to Lust, tell her I sent you, then question the succubi.
— The succubi?
— Yes. Among the miners, there must have been some who went there for entertainment. Maybe one of them was talkative, maybe drank more than they should have—anything could happen.
— Alright. And what will you do in the meantime?
— I'll look around.
***
After Tilith left, Wrath also went down to the station.
Wrath did not look around the mountain, nor did he want to return to the city; instead, he headed for the farthest corner of Hell, where there was nothing left but seas of lava and gigantic volcanoes.
Leaving the station, he approached the endless sea of lava and simply walked across it.
He did not have to walk far to cross the threshold of an illusion that concealed a small island, with a tall black tower rising from it.
He entered the building, and inside there were hundreds of thousands of bookshelves everywhere, holding billions upon billions of ancient books.
From behind one of the shelves, a magnificent angelic being flew toward Wrath on snow-white wings.
He wore a white suit, his hair was like gold, and his eyes shone blue.
At first glance, the angelic being appeared to be a handsome man, but as he drew closer to Wrath, feminine features emerged.
He remained beautiful—indeed, even more beautiful than before.
The Angel flew in front of Wrath holding a thick, dusty book, then immediately kissed him on the mouth.
— I missed you. — he whispered into his ear.
— I missed you too… Lucifer.
Lucifer set the book down on a nearby table, then began flipping through it.
— So tell me, what's going on in the city? — he asked while standing with his back turned.
— Just the usual. Murders, filth, evil demons.
— Why do I smell your siblings on you? — Lucifer turned, stepped closer to Wrath, and sniffed him. — Envy, Gluttony, Pride, Sloth, Greed, and… Lust? What did that demon want from you?
— Are you jealous? — Wrath asked with a grin.
Lucifer answered with a sly smile.
— A little.
— You have no reason to be.
Lucifer stepped back to a wide table, snapped his fingers, sweeping everything onto the floor, then leaned back onto it.
— Prove it.
Wrath did not keep the Angel waiting; he stepped up to the table and began kissing his neck, then his breasts.
Lucifer gave soft moans, signaling that he very much enjoyed how the burning kisses scorched his delicate, soft skin.
***
After their passionate lovemaking, Lucifer and Wrath lay beside each other on the table and stared at the endless bookshelves of the infinite tower stretching into the distance.
The floor was littered with shining feathers, books, crystals, and their discarded clothes.
Lucifer gazed upward with a smile.
— I adore your father's library. I simply can't get enough of the knowledge this place holds. He must have been a legendary figure; some of these books carry seals so powerful that even I couldn't open them except over centuries.
— The old man was very good at keeping secrets, since we still don't know where the hell he went. While he was with us, you know, there was some order in Hell. I think you would have gotten along.
— Demons have no interest in my kind of order, I am aware of that. — he noted somberly. — Perhaps I was too strict, my prison…
— Your prison is a necessary evil. Demons only understand fear, and the black madness is effective. You want what's best for those idiots, but it's hard for them to submit to an Angel after my father.
— I cannot surpass Satan, but I still wish this place were bearable for everyone. Who knows, perhaps I only want something good for myself, bringing the Heavenly Kingdom down here because I miss it so much. When I freed humanity, selfish desires drove me then as well. Perhaps I only wanted to rebel against my father, and nothing more.
— Nonsense. And even if that were true, the freedom you gave humanity was good for them. They could flourish, commit their own little mistakes, grow. Demons are the same. Believe me, in time they will like your vision. They're crazy about the fine air in the Center as well.
Lucifer gently ran his hand across Wrath's solid chest.
— Thank you for supporting me. Now tell me, why did you meet with all the Deadly Sins?
Wrath did not want to share the full truth with Lucifer. He believed he could solve the mystery of Envy's death on his own. He did not want to burden him with it.
— It's for a case I'm a bit stuck on. The person involved hid their tracks well, a real professional.
— Do you need my help?
— Ah, just a mid-rank demon was found dead in his bathtub, nothing serious. You just stay here and read, maybe you'll find where my old man went.
— Alright, I trust you completely, but if you need me, it only takes a word.
Lucifer took out a beautiful, shining red apple and handed it to Wrath, who immediately bit into it.
The apple was delicious, one of those delicacies Hell sadly did not possess.
— I might have one question for you. Is there any way for Angels to descend into Hell?
— No, God forbade it. That is my other punishment, that I can never see my siblings again. Why do you ask?
— Ah, nothing special, just Tilith's team carried out a raid and found angelic weapons on a few demons.
— They must have remained here from an older battle.
— Yes, yes, that's what she said too, but you know, it's better to be sure. I don't know what I'd do if an Angel appeared here, I wouldn't stand much of a chance against them.
— I would never let any of my siblings harm you. I would protect you at the cost of my life.
Lucifer climbed onto Wrath, then kissed him on the mouth.
Wrath enjoyed Lucifer's closeness, the sweet taste of his lips, and the hot pulse of his unique essence.