They exchanged glances for a moment, evidently wondering whether it was better to stand up or stand down. Finally, Mephisto, seeing the stares of both magistrates, Hack and Alastor, pressed his lips tighter together. He took a moment to compose himself before he dragged an impeccable smile onto his face, with which literally anything could be sold, and bowed his head slightly.

"As you wish, our lord. Forgive us for our earlier behaviour," he chuckled out completely smoothly and sonorously, and the others let it be known that they agreed with him. Lucifer also smiled more widely.

"Then we have nothing to talk about. I won't stay much longer. I have my duties, just as you have yours," he said as he got up and headed towards the door, with the Hunter of Hell following him along with his entourage of committee officials, noting something hastily in their notebooks. They left together, and the committee continued, but as soon as the door of the Room closed, Lucifer turned his gaze to Beelzebub.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going back to the Throne Room with you. That's exactly what I was talking about, thank you...."

"Be silent," the God of War interrupted him firmly. "We both know I shouldn't have done that because they'll take advantage of it. And you're only taking their side because they let you this time. They told you to undo it all, didn't they? I know them and I ask: where are you going?"

"To the Throne Room," Beelzebub repeated.

"For what?"

"I want to talk to you and-"

"We're talking," Lucifer cut off.

"Are you... Are you angry because I left the Hall and went to them?"

"No. I am angry because I find you on the opposite side, because you are helping them. You would have stopped this committee if it wasn't for me. Why do you want to go back to the Hall? There is nothing there that is close to you. It's me and the papers. Go back to them drinking tea and pretending to work."

"You can't possibly be serious," Beelzebub stared at him intently. He knew that Lucifer was jealous of demons and that sooner or later he would do something stupid, but he had his place in the Hall since the beginning of Hell, the door of his flat going straight out into it.

"I say. I'm not going to fire you, after all, you know, but you're much more like a demon between them than a god with me. I do what is necessary," he hissed before he walked on, and Beelzebub slowly swallowed what he had heard and turned back to the demons.

The God of Memories glanced once more at the Ksira looking through one of his own books. He had been thinking intensely since his visit to Paradise about what to do with her. He really wanted her to avoid a fight during Heaven's attack and not become enraged when it finally reached her who had taken over their throne.

He wasn't worried about her having to stain her hands; she was much better at it than he would ever be, he knew that. What worried him was what would happen when Uzifiel's soldiers entered, whether they would try to do something worse, knowing that no one would punish them.

If she had been in full sight in the Heavens, where the battle that was approaching did not reach and where nothing could be justified by the laws of the battlefield, he knew that Yahweh would not kill her. It was not out of the question. He might lock her up in the dungeons, do some nasty things to her - but the current lord of Paradise had never had any imagination, so she was safe there.

The longer he thought about it, the more certain he became that this might be a lost battle after all. The Almighty wanted it to be so. And he had too few options to be sure he would protect the princess here when it all blew up. He had promised her far more than he could provide, so... there had to be at least a way for her to wait until he could do anything. Send her somewhere because even if it wasn't Heaven... here, demons or Lucifer attack her.

"Will you staring like that for much longer?" she asked, lifting her gaze from the pages.

"No, I've thought it over, and I think I can get you a small troop from under the banner of Hell. You will go for the throne," he declared finally. He could almost feel the Almighty panting on his neck as he became angry.

"Tell me what you want in return. That sounds too good, and I won't sleep with you and give you the throne when things settled down. So?"

"I just want you back in the Heavens."

"Am I bothering you that much? You wanted me to stay. What are you up to?"

"Can you believe me for once? Did I ask you to do something?" he stared at her steadily until she finally shook her head slightly, returning to her reading.

"Get the soldiers, and I'll disappear," she replied finally.