Achieving Heaven Through Hell Part 3: Only the Results

Chapter 24: Wholeness

Chapter 24: Wholeness

Need-to-know information!

St. Anger = Risotto Nero

Blackbird = Ghiaccio

Aoxomoxoa = Prosciutto

Good Vibrations = Pesci

Thriller = Illuso

Playlist = Melone

Willin' = Formaggio

Truly = Gelato

Deeply = Sorbet

Octavia squeezed her eyes shut, tears pouring from them, staining the white silk encasing her head. She waited for the the brief pain of holy metal burning her flesh, the weight of the axe as it parsed bone and flesh, cleaving her head from her shoulders.

And waited.

And waited.

What was going on? Uncle Sally wouldn't draw this out any longer than he had to. She pulled herself out of her mind, taking in her surroundings. The room wasn't quiet, there were people there with her, breathing, moving, but not the clatter of guards armor, not the murmur of the crowd that had shown up, not even the low thrum of Uncle Sally's aura.

Wait.

No.

While not on her uncle's level, she could definitely sense that there were several powerful demons present.

"Get her up," said a voice to her left. "And take that bag off her head."

She gasped as hands fastened around her wrists and shoulders, hauling her away from the block and to her feet.

"There you go, Starlight," said a soothing, masculine voice. "Everything's okay, you're okay."

The sack was pulled from her head and she squinted at the light, looking around, utterly confused. Standing about her was a group of demons, six in total. Closest to her was a dryad demon and a tengu of some stripe, on their faces were looks of cautious relief.

"Hey, kid," the tengu said, smiling winsomely. "We cut it pretty fine, but we got you out of there. You're safe now, no one can get you while you're in the mirror world."

"What?" Octavia got to her feet, looking around the room: it was the same execution room she had walked into, only now it was empty save for her and, apparently, her saviors(?). "What happened? Mirror world? Who the fuck are you?!"

A tall, stoic-faced demon stepped forward, despite him being dressed like a jester, she could tell from the deference of the other eight that this one must have been the leader. "Princess, my name is St. Anger, leader of Il Nove. We have been hired by your father to keep you safe until the Decree expires. He anticipated Lucifer altering the Decree, so we've been sticking close to Sallos, waiting for the right time."

Octavia glanced around at them, trying to remember. "Il Nove..."

"Allow me to introduce the team. As stated before, I am St. Anger, leader of Il Nove. Here..." He gestured to a somewhat shorter demon to his left, he was cat-like in overall shape, but his body was covered head to toe in a glossy white armor or some manner of sealed exosuit, his face a pair of glowing eyes and a mouth floating in a swirling mass of silvery white gas behind a transparent faceplate. "Is my second-in-command, Blackbird."

Blackbird clicked his heels together and bowed, crossing his right arm across his chest and his left behind his back, as was considered the proper way to greet someone of nigh-peer rank. 'Presumptuous, arrogant, but versed in court etiquette?'