Chapter 485 (2): Tree of Life, Tree of Knowledge

The eighth heaven, Heaven of Stars.

Under the dome, four white palaces stretched into the clouds, accompanied by three smaller palaces. Lilting music filled the quiet scene, woven with bell tolls and instrumental lines into a sacred hymn with a unique melody and colors, praising the greatness of the Creator.

The Heaven of Stars sat far away from all noises and filth. There was no darkness here, only light—infinite, endless light.

The seven palaces represented the Seven Sacred Virtues, forming an arc. In the center was a pristine white open plaza with clear, moving creeks, quiet and serene.

Five figures appeared. The four humanoid ones were Mikhael, Auriel, Gerar, and Vilkul. They hovered down and slowly took their seats. Water swirled toward them and manifested white chairs of radiant Holy Light that matched their figures.

The fifth of them had a rougher form. The main body was a random geometric shape surrounded by golden halos, with four white wings. The form was constantly changing, with every form consisting of complex lines. At first glance, there didn’t seem to be any patterns. Looking closer... it was headache-inducing.

In some sense, the being of a hundred meters in diameter could be considered a source of corruption.

It was Cherub Milia, representing diligence.

Milia hadn’t reincarnated and thus had no concept of human life, having maintained her original angelic form. If Milia ever reincarnated into a human, she would likely become a female like Hesione given her inclination, according to relevant speculations and records.

Among the Seven Sacred Virtues, Milia and Hesione were closest.

“When did you return, Auriel?” An eye opened on the constantly shifting geometric space. Milia spoke in a gentle, slightly hoarse voice. “Your human forms look strange to me. Why don’t you transform back to your angelic forms through the Spring of Reincarnation?”

Among the Seven Sacred Virtues, five had become human through reincarnation, while Milia and Lahr alone maintained their angelic forms. Lahr was absent since he was under lockup.

“Milia, Hesione has returned to Heaven, too,” Auriel said impassively.

“Oh, where is she?” Milia said happily, then became confused. “If she’s here, why hasn’t she attended the White Council? Is she still at the Spring of Reincarnation?”

“No, Hesione is in the Heaven of Crystals,” Mikhael said. “She’s found the Anointed One.”

“The Anointed One!”

Milia’s irregular form twitched. She was happy to welcome the Anointed One and happy for her friend.

Hesione had once been the most favored angel, and she would continue to be. Mikhael would surely stop being as domineering.

“If the Anointed One is in the Heaven of Crystals, why are we here?”

“Don’t celebrate just yet, Milia,” Auriel cut in. “Hesione has fallen. The Lord of Deceit from Hell took her purity and tainted her body and soul. She hasn’t led the Anointed One back, but the Seven Deadly Sins of Hell.”

“???”

The irregular shape stopped shifting for three seconds before the motion resumed. “I don’t understand, Auriel. Would you say that again after putting aside your biases against Hesione?”

“No amount of rephrasing would change the fact that Hesione has fallen!”

Milia sensed a conspiracy. “No, something has to be wrong. I must ask Hesione in person.”

“Milia, you’ve been Hesione’s staunch supporter. You may mistrust Auriel and me, but you should consider Gerar’s and Vilkul’s testimonies.” Mikhael spoke up to stop Milia from leaving.

Milia turned to her two fellow Cherubim in question. Both nodded at her and explained, “Hesione has fallen. She lost her purity in the human world, and, to avoid responsibility, she saw the demon who took her purity as the Anointed One and took him to Heaven.”

“The demon is powerful,” Auriel added. “He’s Wayne, a human. With Hesione’s help, he was able to freely enter Hell and kill Gluttony and Wrath, becoming a new Deadly Sin with the moniker of the Lord of Deceit. He also brought in the Lord of Fear...”

“Hell entered a new phase because of Deceit. He’s the most terrifying Deadly Sin of this era, whose lies are threatening enough to distort the minds of any of the Seven Sacred Virtues.”

Auriel became increasingly angry as he spoke. “His raw power is also formidable, rivaling that of Mikhael. With Hesione helping him, we aren’t his match.”

“Auriel, based on what you say, there’s a possibility...” Milia said in confusion. “He’s human, and he’s killed two of the Seven Deadly Sins in Hell. Someone so powerful would fit the description of a god in the mortal realm. Could he actually be the Anointed One?”

“Impossible!” Gerar said.

“Absolutely impossible!” Vilkul followed.

“I know you’re close to Hesione, Milia, but this concerns Heaven’s safety,” Auriel concluded. “The Anointed One’s reputation must not be compromised. Stop trying to absolve Hesione.”

All three Sacred Virtues rejected the idea that Wayne could be the Anointed One.

“Why don’t you confirm it? If Wayne is the Anointed One, what you’re doing now...” Milia still couldn’t believe them. She had no reason to buy their claims when she was closer to Hesione.

“You’re one of the Seven Sacred Virtues, Milia,” Mikhael said. “We invited you to the council because we believe in your loyalty to Heaven. Do not disappoint us. Today’s meeting isn’t a personal one. It’s all for Heaven’s sake. Please put aside your personal feelings and think about everything from Heaven’s perspective.”

“Agreed,” Auriel said loudly. Learning that Mikhael had not sent other confidants to look for the Anointed One and that Mikhael never saw him as a pawn, he immediately became a close ally of Mikhael once more. From both an objective and personal standpoint, Hesione and Wayne were their greatest enemies now. They had to eliminate the degenerates threatening Heaven’s sanctity.

Auriel waved, projecting on a scroll of white light. The projection showed a young man with black hair and black eyes. Sitting on a bench, he was laughing while he manipulated four sinful replicas, painting a distinctly demonic picture.

“Kekekeke—”

“Let me get this straight,” Auriel said with disdain. “Gerar and Vilkul can testify that the man is Wayne. I have not falsified this to slander him. In fact, I’ve pulled back.”

Gerar and Vilkul nodded. Auriel had indeed pulled back.

“Even if you say so...” Milia stared at the scroll of white light and then at her four colleagues, who seemed certain of their judgment. “I still have to meet Hesione,” she said stiffly. “If possible, I’d also like to meet the Anointed One.”

“He’s a demon. The Lord of Deceit!” Auriel corrected.

“Alright, the human named Wayne,” Milia corrected herself.

“Milia, we’ll accompany you to the Heaven of Crystals. You can reserve your judgment for now, but once you meet Wayne, you’ll see what it means when someone is born a demon.” Auriel scoffed, stopping Milia from snitching on them. “Before then, you will not contact Hesione.”

“But...”

“Milia!” Vilkul spoke up. “Put aside your personal feelings. This is all for Heaven. Do not betray our trust in you!”

Milia fell silent. She agreed to enter the Heaven of Crystals with her fellow Sacred Virtues and make her decision after she had a clear look at Wayne.

She would see for herself whether Hesione had fallen.

“What about Lahr?” she asked. “Shouldn’t we bring him?”

“Don’t talk about the traitor,” Auriel growled. “He’s worked with Pride and leaked the information about the Anointed One, even telling us the wrong interpretation. He’s why we still haven’t found the Anointed One.”

“That can’t be. Are you sure you’re talking about Lahr?” Milia couldn’t believe it. She knew that Lahr was put in a holding cell as punishment for improper conduct, ordered by Viceroy Mikhael, but she didn’t know what improper conduct it was.

Auriel’s response stunned her. It wasn’t just misconduct, but a felony worthy of a one-way trip to Hell!

It was so absurd that she immediately turned to Mikhael for confirmation.

Mikhael shook his head. “I cannot confirm or disprove that claim yet. We’ll only know once we defeat the demon.”

“Mikhael, Pride showed up in Londan, and hailing from Londan is one of the identifiable traits of the Anointed One. If Lahr hasn’t leaked the information, Pride couldn’t have known. Are you still going to believe that Lahr is innocent?”

“Lahr is a Śār, so we cannot just sentence him,” Mikhael said, shaking his head. “It’s all your speculation, and you don’t have concrete proof, do you?”

“But—”

“Auriel, I am the Viceroy of Heaven.”

“...”

***

Meanwhile, a massive six-winged figure lay hidden amid the white mountain ranges in a corner of Heaven. It was a white sacred dragon with a dignified form. Its massive body resembled a fluctuating mountain, covered in scales that shimmered with sacred light. Every scale looked like it had been carved out of the purest white jade, reflecting everything and glowing gold and white.

The sacred dragon’s golden eyes were deep and wise, projecting a compassionate yet inviolable dignity. Its incredible wingspan meant that a beat of its wings could be felt across all of Heaven.

The pure white wings were adorned with golden patterns of six eyes. It was Lahr, a Seraph, Śār, and Tolerance of the Seven Sacred Virtues.

Lahr looked ahead at the screen of light that broadcast the White Council. He had heard the full conversation between the Sacred Virtues.

A ray of golden light flickered, taking the shape of a man with flowing blond hair right in front of Lahr. Compared to the sacred dragon’s massive size, the man looked insignificant, like a grain of sand.

The glowing figure was Mikhael. In all of Heaven, only his form was this radiant, made so because he worried that his humility would prevent others from seeing how brilliant he was.

“What do you have to say, Lahr?”

“Hesione is acting strangely,” The sacred dragon said, breathing out white sacred flames. “The Anointed One she’s found is strange. According to Auriel, Vilkul, and Gerar, he is Deceit, a new Deadly Sin in Hell. I believe you should head to Hell and confirm if Gluttony and Wrath have truly died.”

“Not now.”

“Why? Powerful as you are, do you really still fear Pride?”

“I won’t say it’s fear. His power is self-evident, but I defeated him once and could naturally defeat him again. However...” Mikhael thought for a moment. “If Pride can revise the Seven Deadly Sins, his power must have caught up with mine once again. Did I hit this height first, or did he? I don’t know yet.”

“So?”

“Hesione should be taken down first. She’s the most important factor. As the prophecy says, she’s become human...” Mikhael narrowed his eyes, his handsome face darkening. “I am Father’s most excellent child. I have power that rivals that of gods. Yet Hesione is the one who enjoys Father’s favor. I don’t understand why Father made her the successor!”

“Mikhael, the prophecy doesn’t point to Hesione directly. She’s become a human, but you have, too. Even Auriel, Gerar, and Vilkul have reincarnated into humans.”

Lahr shook his massive head, the motion stirring the roiling sea of clouds. “You should pay attention to the other Virtues, too. Don’t just fixate on Hesione.”

“No, the prophecy specifies the most favored angel, which already points to Hesione,” Mikhael said coldly. “Once she becomes human, understands the Seven Deadly Sins, and gathers angels, humans, and demons alike, she will become the new master of Heaven. It’s your interpretation, so you must know the truth better than I do.”

“Perhaps. But the prophecy contains too many vague expressions. You’ve been targeting Hesione too much.”

“I haven’t. I’m acting on what I’ve proven. With the heart of an angel and the body of a human, I’ve learned about the Seven Deadly Sins. Yet I do not have the qualification to enter the tenth heaven. I’m not the angel in the prophecy...”

Mikhael’s eyes blazed fiercely. “She’s too weak, which is an original sin. If she cannot protect what she needs to protect, she does not deserve to inherit all of Father’s legacy. I’m the first angel, the first Sacred Virtue, and the Viceroy of Heaven. I began to follow Father first. I alone am qualified to be His successor.”