Final Grudge

There was still some unfinished business to be taken care of. Kaze-san descended into Hell. She marched up to the cold iron gate. The gatekeeper looked up with a curious expression. What was an angel doing here?

“You lost or something?” he asked. Kaze-san lifted her chin.

“I am here to see Lucifer,” she said. The gatekeeper whistled.

“Bold of you to come here and say that,” he said. “Do you have an appointment?” His earpiece crackled.

“Excuse me,” he said. The gatekeeper turned on the button.

“Yeah?” he asked. Kaze-san waited as the demon listened to what was floating into his ear.

“Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.” He narrowed his eyes as he looked confused. “Wait, are you sure? You can’t be serious. She—” The gatekeeper closed his mouth as he listened.

“Alright, alright. Fine,” he said. He pressed the button and turned back to Kaze-san. She stood there with no emotion on her face. The gatekeeper rolled his eyes.

“You can come in,” he said.

“Thank you,” Kaze-san said gracefully. She bowed and walked up to the gates as they opened.

“Don’t stay in there too long!” the gatekeeper shouted at her back. Kaze-san didn’t answer as the gates slid closed.

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The hallway was quiet. Kaze-san didn’t see anyone in sight. The walls looked like they were about to close in on her at any moment. That wasn’t her focus, however. She only had one thing in mind as she walked down the black stone halls.

She made it up to a door made of ash. Kaze-san took a breath and knocked.

“It’s open,” a raspy voice said. The angel opened the door a crack and poked her head inside. She found Lucifer sitting alone on the floor in darkness. He had his hands over his face. The angel narrowed her eyes as she made a face.

“What are you doing down there?” she asked. Lucifer looked out through his fingers.

“Oh, it’s you,” he said. “I would be lying if I said I hadn’t expected you to come down here.”

“I am not staying long.”

“I didn’t think you would. What do you want?”

“I want to know why.”

He laughed to himself. “Why what?”

“Why would you put my family through all of this? What was the point of all of this?”

“What is the point?”

“Yeah.”

He couldn’t hold back his smirk in the darkness. Lucifer broke down laughing. Kaze-san frowned as he could feel him staring at her. The great king himself shook his head. His guest folded her arms across her chest.

“My husband is dead. He’s not the man you remember him to be,” she said.

“I know,” Lucifer said.

“Then what was the point?”

“You don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what?”

Lucifer rose to his feet and glided over to the door. His eye was looking right into hers. Kaze-san stood her ground. A cold smile came across the king’s face.

 “Some grudges never die,” he said. The angel shivered but wouldn’t back down.

“So what do you think you are going to do now? Are you going to keep hunting my family done?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. Kaze-san bowed her head.

“Goodbye Lucifer,” she said. The angel turned and walked away. That would be the last exchange they would ever have. This was never going to be truly over. Now that she had her answer, Kaze-san knew what she needed to do next.

“I will keep you safe, no matter what,” she swore to herself. And with that, Kaze-san walked up to the gate and disappeared back to Heaven.