821 Stairway to Heaven "Whoa, is this it?" Elena asked, her voice tinged with awe as she gazed up at the towering monoliths.
"I don't see anything strange," Evie commented, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Is this some kind of portal that would transport us to Heaven?"
Azazel chuckled, a deep rumble of amusement echoing through the air. "Of course not, there's going to be stairs. A lot of stairs."
"Stairs?" Ren, Evie, and Elena exchanged bewildered glances, trying to process the unexpected twist of getting into Heaven.
Who knew that it would involve stairs of all things?!
"We're going by stairs?" Elena's voice carried a hint of exasperation. She was feeling tired already at just the thought of it.
"Can we go by elevators?" Evie commented. "I can feel the ordeal already," Ren remarked dryly, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Desira snorted in agreement. "Those angels, always making things difficult."
Malifira smirked. "They won't be angels, and it wouldn't be the Heaven Realm if they were going to make it easy for us."
"But where are the stairs?" Iraelyn asked, scanning the area in search of the missing stairs.
Vivi, too, looked around, her eyes narrowing as she tried to discern any sign of the stairway amidst the towering monoliths.
"Let's see . . ." Azazel approached one of the monoliths, and traced his hand over its surface. "According to what I know, there's a lot of magical energy needed to open the stairs towards Heaven."
As Azazel's hand made contact with the monolith, a faint shimmer of energy rippled across its surface, causing intricate runes to glow softly in the moonlight.
Dark magical energy swirled around Azazel like a tempestuous storm, crackling and pulsating with an otherworldly intensity. The air around him vibrated with raw power as a surge of magical energy rippled through him, causing his entire body to thrum with power. The dark aura enveloping Azazel intensified, swirling around him like a vortex of malevolent energy, its tendrils reaching out as if hungry to consume his very essence. As Azazel's hand made contact with the surface of the monolith, it acted like an insatiable black hole, siphoning off his magical energy with an unyielding force, pulling everything within its grasp into its depths.
"Lord Azazel!" Desira and the others exclaimed in alarm, their voices filled with concern for their friend.
But Azazel waved them off with a determined shout. "Just stay there. I'm fine. This won't kill me!"
The strain of channeling such immense magical energy was evident on Azazel's face, his features contorted in a grimace of effort. Beads of sweat glistened upon his brow as he fought to maintain control over the swirling maelstrom of power that was draining from him.
"It won't kill you, but it will make you weak for days to come," Malifira remarked dryly, her eyes narrowed as she observed Azazel's struggle.
"Shouldn't we help him?" Ren inquired, his brow furrowed with concern as he watched Azazel.
"He'll be fine," Iraelyn interjected, her voice calm and composed. "Lord Azazel knows what he's doing and he wouldn't be killed by something like this. It's better that he alone exhausts his magic while the rest of us stay at our optimum force in case something happens."
"I see . . ." Ren nodded in understanding, his gaze never leaving Azazel as the Demon Lord continued to channel the dark energy into the monolith.
Meanwhile, the monolith glowed with an intense brightness, illuminating the surrounding area with an ethereal light. The ground beneath Azazel's feet trembled as the magical energy surged through the monolith, pulsating with an otherworldly rhythm.
With a sudden burst of power, Azazel was pushed back, his form reverting to that of a child as the magical energy drained his reserves to their very limit. Despite the strain, Azazel stood and grinned, his eyes sparkled with delight and relief that his plan worked as he watched the next scene. In a dazzling display of magic, the endless stairs materialized before their eyes, each step shimmering with an iridescent glow. The formation of the stairs was a sight to behold on its own. As the last step fell into place, the monolith ceased its glowing, returning to its silent and imposing state. Azazel stood before the stairs, his breath ragged and labored, but a triumphant smile gracing his lips.
"We did it," Azazel declared, his voice filled with pride and satisfaction. "The path to the Heaven is now open to us."
With a sense of awe and wonder, the group approached the stairs, and marveled its intricate design. Each step they took seemed to resonate with the echoes of magic, guiding them towards their ultimate destination.
And as they began their ascent towards the Heaven Realm, Desira was already complaining. "Ugh . . . My outfit isn't fit for climbing these darn stairs," complained Desira, adjusting her attire uncomfortably.
"Stay alert, everyone. Angels or flying beasts might attack us," cautioned Iraelyn as she hoisted the weak Azazel onto her back.
20:31
Vivi let out a sigh. "Iraelyn, can you carry me too?"
"I could, but climbing these stairs will strengthen your legs, so you have to walk, Vivi," replied Iraelyn matter-of-factly.
"Are you implying that my legs are weak?" Vivi retorted with a hint of indignation.
"I wonder how many stairs there are?" pondered Evie aloud. "Maybe if I start counting, I'll have an idea of just how many stairs it'll take to reach Heaven."
She chuckled to herself and began counting each step with excitement.
Ren could only shake his head at her peculiar sense of humor.
"Can I summon Tiki to carry us?" Elena inquired, looking hopeful. There was no way that she would climb hundred thousands of stairs! She would be bored to death!
Vivi and Desira's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can you really?"
"He's a lizard, so climbing should be a breeze for him," Ren replied.
Elena proceeded to summon Tiki, adjusting his size to match the width of the stairs and the length needed to accommodate the group.
Eventually, everyone hopped onto Tiki's back, preferring the convenience of riding over the laborious task of climbing. Not to mention, it saved time since Tiki could ascend multiple steps with a single bound and was remarkably swift.
"At this rate, we'll reach the top in no time," remarked Azazel with a laugh, the wind tousling his hair as they ascended the stairway to Heaven.
