Uriel took off his horse and left the animal rest. Mephistopheles has long since stood up and was ordering around the building of a war camp.

“I don't know why we need such luxuries,” murmured he so low that only Uriel heard. “How long my brother thinks we will fight? Do we need a place to eat, when we could stand around our tents?”

“Eating while standing makes you sick,” Uriel repeated the words his caretakers said whenever he had tried to do so.

Mephistopheles laughed. “Ah, that old tale? Oh, it's a simple lie and nothing more. After all, I tried to test it as soon as my brother told me. Been perfectly fine ever since.”

Ah, another lie for obedient children?

“I still don't know how people believe such foolishness. And -” Mephistopheles looked at everyone in the camp, his sharp grin showing off even sharp teeth, “- do not tell me they fear the result. If we feared everything, would we be here, in another kingdom to fight a bloody conquest?”

No one answered. One soldier, still fresh and uninformed about the General's rage, dared to speak. “They have been taught that by their parents, maybe? And it's something they believe, like you and your hair…”

“Have your parents told you no tales?” Mephistopheles barked as if he were a wild wolf. “I can name you at least three heroes, whose power comes from their hair. And they all ended as legends!” He traced fingers through his long red hair. “What's your name, soldier?”

The man whispered something that even Uriel could not hear. Somehow, the General did. “At least you spoke up, unlike that bunch. Kadiran, huh? I'll try to remember that name.”

“Sir, that sounds like a simple superstition. You blindly believe in something…”

“And?” Mephistopheles turned to Uriel - only he could move so fast in full armor. “Once again, we are at war. Who does not fight with belief? Some believe in justice, some in power, some in luck. I believe in myself. What are you fighting for?”

Ah, the important question. Uriel would have traded his share from the Heaven kingdom to anyone that gave him an answer. Could he say he still fought for justice? His armored shone with reflected sunlight. Even after so much time, few red droplets had stuck to it - the curse of the first sinner. Fighting for the people? As if those endless wars that forced them to die away from home would ever help them! Yet he had seen it start; he had to fight to the end!

“I fight because it is my duty,” answered Uriel. Such a fake answer would never satisfy Lord Mastema.

His brother, however, smiled. “Duty. Had my brother taught you nothing? Duty to whom - that would answer my question.” Lord Mephistopheles walked away. He didn't pry for anything else. “I advise you to fight for something. Hell, you can fight because you believe it's your fate to win if you want! You can fight because you want to kill people! But those that walk on without direction in war often find themselves unable to walk anymore.”

Lord Mastema's servant left as soon as he gave his report. Without a single word more than needed, he disappeared in the forest, swallowed by the wild green.

“Can we trust him?” asked Uriel. “Could he be trying to lower our guard so that my brother's army will plow through us?”

“Do you think anyone on your family would strike an alliance with Mastema? No matter how much he hates us, he wouldn't kill us. Not when he can't fight alone when his life depends on it.” Mephistopheles grinned, his red eyes sparkling like fresh blood. “As long as the war keeps on, he depends on us. He wants the war to end - even more than us.”

“He has guaranteed death for us, huh? Once we give him Justina, he will throw us to the dogs?” Uriel had not suspected anything less of him.

“That's just like our plan for him. We will be faster. While he is busy installing himself as a ruler and quashing rebellions… That's why we'll kill as few as possible. The more the people, the greater the rebellions. And once we kill Mastema, we will destroy that plague we started from the source.” Mephistopheles clenched fist shut. He said nothing else.

“Is this your whole plan? If so, it is doomed to fail. Mastema has already foreseen this conversation. We need to find a way to outtrick him. Otherwise we'd only walk in his traps.” Uriel crossed hands. Had his time with Lord Mastema destroyed his patience for stupidity so much?

“And if I have a weapon that cannot fail? Something so horrific that even Mastema will beg us to not use it?”

No smile had frightened Uriel so much. Lord Mastema smirked gallantly, slowly freezing the blood in the people's bodies. Mephistopheles' grin set his body ablaze. 

“I said plague, did I not? Have you heard of those horrible illnesses that come from distant lands? My brother, Beelzebub - the navy admiral - has found one so horrible that it could kill a whole kingdom. He has also found doctors that will cure it for us. Even Mastema would not know about it. If push comes to a shove, we will unleash a plague. How will Mastema fight that?”

Uriel stepped back. “You… This must be one of your strange jokes.” What monster would throw away so many lives to kill one?

“He will do far more horrific things to murder us. I prefer open war, but how will we drive Mastema to that?” Mephistopheles spoke lightly. Life mattered to him less than to Lord Mastema. “When you are fighting strong opponents, you need to be ready of anything. The harder the battle, the further you need to go.”

“This will not be a fight. It would be but a slaughter.” Uriel had not imagined it. Were all rulers of Pandemonium such monsters? “You will kill so many people to win nothing. Would you rule over an empty kingdom?”

“Over a kingdom without scheming tyrants to steal power.”

Uriel had never before wished for a battle to begin. Maybe Mephistopheles would fall in the upcoming fight. Lord Mastema at least knew he could not rule in an empty domain. 

 On AO3 and FFN here.