Little Pink Starfish

Floating in the middle of the universe, The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell thought.

When he reflected on it, his brother was truly an alien being.

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell looked at The Star Hated by All, who was smiling beside him.

The Star Hated by All was surrounding him with countless blades formed of magic. They were aimed at The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell, encircling him. His expression seemed as if he was enjoying the game, but his true intentions were impossible to guess.

<You’ve grown quite determined.>

The Star Hated by All said as he stroked his chin.

<When I rebelled against Papa, you were tormented, unsure of what to do.>

<Who are you saying was tormented?>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell swung his sword-bearing arm.

Clang—!

The surrounding magic shattered.

Fragments of magic scattered like shards.

The blade in the hand of The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell tilted toward The Star Hated by All.

<I’ve always wondered why you are my brother.>

<Is there any reason I should not be your brother?>

<There’s no reason.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s gaze sharpened.

<It’s just… unpleasant.>

From the moment The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell first faced the world, this one had existed.

A face made as if the same mold had been used with the same materials. Looking at The Star Hated by All, who resembled him so closely, The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell always felt discomfort.

Because they looked too much alike.

At that time, they didn’t even have titles, not to mention names.

Two nameless angels watched the creation of heaven and earth with the same face, the same expression, and the same heart.

<In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.> <In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.>

With hands clasped together, they roamed the barren world singing the same gospel.

<And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.>

<God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.>

<God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.”>

<There was evening, and there was morning—the first day.>

The brothers witnessed everything.

They saw light and darkness divide, life wriggling under daylight that embraced the world, and life shrinking under darkness that surrounded it at night.

They bestowed blessings upon the wriggling life.

They breathed comfort into the shrinking life.

Before long, the two brothers were given names, and people appeared who prayed to them.

‘Is it necessary for the two of us to do all this together?’

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell wondered. The Savior Who Is One and All commanded the brothers to travel through all worlds, bestowing blessings and comfort. It was not a difficult task. If it was not difficult, then why were two needed instead of one?

<Aren’t you curious, Michael?>

It was not The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell who first posed that question.

It was The Star Hated by All, who was still in the process of growing.

<Why do you need to exist in this world?>

<Why would I question such a thing?>

Rather, The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell did not question it.

<We were born by the hands of a perfect being. Since a perfect being created us, we only need to exist as we are.>

<I see.>

The Star Hated by All smiled.

<You are… pitiful.>

Crackle—!

Blades of magic stabbed into The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s body.

<You are a truly pitiful being.>

Looking at his brother pierced by the blades, The Star Hated by All sneered.

<Isn’t that so, brother? Born as a mighty being, you’ve stood by the creator’s side for an eternity. Why? Do you still think there’s no need to question it?>

<Enough.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell frowned.

The blades piercing his body scattered into rings of light.

The wounds quickly healed, and The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell gripped his sword once more.

<Only I can be there. No other being can remain by Father’s side. The creator is always alone. Because He cannot feel loneliness, He is lonely. That is why I must remain by His side.>

<You are so kind.>

The Star Hated by All’s lips curled up.

<Papa cannot feel loneliness. The fact that you feel loneliness by watching one who cannot feel it means that you yourself are lonely, doesn’t it?>

<And what of it?!>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell shouted.

<The constellations act based on their interests. Angels need a pillar to unite around. Even Enoch’s case proves it. The heavenly realm needs me. I exist because I am needed.>

<No, that’s wrong.>

The Star Hated by All approached The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell.

<If you don’t need heaven, then it’s just empty space. That’s why I fell into hell. One must choose where to stand. The environment doesn’t matter.>

I quite like hell.

The Star Hated by All muttered.

<Though it’s full of screams and all kinds of unpleasant demons and monsters, it’s a place I chose. Knowing I would fall there, I rebelled. Thus, I shall earn the right to be its king. I hear sinners’ screams like songs, intrigues are but mere playthings… I myself sort the wretched.>

<Are you now…>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell gave a hollow laugh.

<…telling me to fall as well?>

<Of course not.>

The Star Hated by All shook his head.

<I can’t imagine you falling into hell. It was already tiresome when we roamed the world together; to exist in the same place again would be a terrible joke.>

The Star Hated by All knew the younger days of The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell.

An innocent being who wholeheartedly followed The Savior Who Is One and All.

At one time, he found his brother’s path displeasing.

That contextless jealousy was proof they were still in their growing phase.

The growth of the two small beings stopped when The Savior Who Is One and All’s experiment ended.

[Yes, I see.]

Looking at the fully grown angels, The Savior Who Is One and All understood.

[You need not grow any further. From now on, you will only age.]

<I understand. I will exist as I am.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell nodded.

<Why…>

On the other hand, The Star Hated by All tilted his head.

<Why can’t we grow old?>

[I do not want you to be part of the cycle.]

The Savior Who Is One and All answered.

[For you to age, fall ill, draw your last breath, and be reborn…]

…I dislike that.

The Savior Who Is One and All simply answered that he disliked it.

The Star Hated by All imagined: what if he, like the countless other creations, floundered within the cycle? All creatures are born, die, and are reborn…

<If I had a next life, what would I like to be?>

He thought he might like to be an arthropod that never sees the sun, crawling underground. Or perhaps a tiny insect sipping nectar from flowers. A rustling leaf. A pile of rocks rolling on a battlefield. Or even be born as a human child.

All would be fine. For he had never lived like that before.

<Michael, I want to try reincarnation.>

Thus, while watching the drifting souls, he once spoke.

<I want to be born as something else.>

<You mustn’t, Lucifer.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell looked at The Star Hated by All and spoke.

<We exist to stand together by Father’s side. That’s why we resemble each other. I cannot exist alone. Father is absolute because He is one, but I am not a creator. Alone, I would be powerless.>

Why do you say such weak words so casually?

The Star Hated by All had thought.

Why… do you so easily reveal our frailty?

Thunk—!

<I was curious.>

The Star Hated by All said as he grasped the descending blade of The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell.<And only when I finally rebelled against Papa did I realize.>

<…Realize what?>

The arm of The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell trembled as he gripped his sword.

No matter how much power they exerted, no victor would emerge.

The brothers knew this. Their strength had been equal since their creation, and until the world vanished completely, neither would overcome the other. For they were made that way.

<You were neither weak nor fragile.>

When he had seized the heavenly realm with the fallen angels,

The Star Hated by All saw his brother’s face watching him.

He seemed weak. His face filled with anguish, unable to anticipate his brother’s rebellion.

He seemed fragile. As if now, finally, he might be able to defeat him.

<You hesitated to fight me until the end.>

Placing a hand on his brother’s head, The Star Hated by All spoke.

<That is why I was defeated.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s eyes widened.

He could not understand the tender smile on The Star Hated by All’s face as he looked at him.

<I always thought I must subdue you. I prepared myself for it, even devised plans—though I couldn’t guarantee success…>

The Star Hated by All shook his head.

<Yet you faced me without any preparation.>

<T-That’s because…>

<That was the cause of my defeat.>

The Star Hated by All had realized.

That there exists a strength built of frailty.

Not a force wielded by weapons or magic,

But a heart filled with hesitation can appear strong.

<I can never win against you, brother.>

In The Star Hated by All’s golden eyes, his brother’s face was reflected.

The unstable expression his brother had worn since their reunion.

<You have already won against me, and you will continue to do so.>

The Star Hated by All grabbed The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s blade,

<Understand this, Archangel. You have won again.>

Thrust—!

And with that, he pierced himself through the torso.