They reached the central spire—the largest of the collapsed structures, jutting from the ground at a forty-five-degree angle. Stairs had been carved into its exterior, leading to an entrance about halfway up.

Inside, the spire had been hollowed out and converted into something between a palace and a fortress. The walls were decorated with tapestries and art, but there were also murder holes, defensive positions, and magical barriers visible to Satou's enhanced perception.

Seraphine led them to a large chamber at the spire's heart. A circular room with a conference table, maps covering the walls, and large windows offering views of the entire city.

"This is my war room," Seraphine explained. "Where we'll plan our defense."

Several women entered—clearly Seraphine's council. A succubus with four wings instead of the usual two. A human woman who radiated magical power despite having no visible demon features. An elf with corruption marks spreading across her skin in artistic patterns. And others, each one clearly important and powerful in their own right.

"My council," Seraphine introduced. "These are my most trusted advisors and military commanders. I've brought them here to brief on our situation and plan our response to The Reaper."

She turned to address the council. "This is Satou, the provisional seventh-seat who recently defeated Richard Clay and marked Chronus himself. He's here to help us fight The Reaper."

The council members looked at Satou with expressions ranging from skepticism to hope.

"One person?" the four-winged succubus asked. "My lady, with all respect, The Reaper has killed demon lords. How can one provisional seat make a difference?"

"Because he has a weapon that The Reaper has never encountered," Seraphine replied. "A Reality-Class blade that erases existence itself. It's our best chance—possibly our only chance—of killing The Reaper before he destroys everything we've built."

She looked around at her council. "I know this seems desperate. Because it is. But this is what we have. So we're going to plan around it, support it, and pray to whatever powers still listen that it works."

The meeting that followed lasted hours. Seraphine's council briefed them on the city's defenses, military strength, and civilian status. The news was mixed.

"We have approximately eight thousand combat-ready defenders," the military commander reported—a stern-faced succubus named Lilith. "All female, all trained. Our primary strength is in magic and mobility. Succubi can fly, which gives us advantage in the vertical battlefield the Fallen Spires creates. But we're not front-line fighters. We're assassins, seductresses, magical specialists. Against The Reaper's escort force, we can hold. Against The Reaper himself..."

She didn't need to finish that sentence.

"Our defenses are strong but not impenetrable," another advisor added. "The collapsed spires create natural chokepoints and defensive positions. But The Reaper won't try to breach—he'll just walk through the front gate and challenge us to stop him. That's his pattern."

"Then we don't meet him at the gate," Satou said. Everyone turned to look at him. "If his pattern is announcing his arrival and challenging us to face him, we break that pattern. We choose the battlefield. We control the engagement."

"How?" Seraphine asked.

"We evacuate the civilians to the deepest, most protected areas of the spires," Satou outlined. "We turn the outer city into a kill box—no people to protect, just traps, ambush points, and firing positions. When The Reaper enters, we hit him from every angle simultaneously. Not to kill him—we know that won't work—but to distract, disorient, and separate him from his escort. That's when I strike."

"That could work," Lilith said thoughtfully. "If we're not trying to protect the outer districts, we can set up much more aggressive defenses. Collapse buildings on him. Flood areas with magic. Use the vertical nature of the city against conventional assault."

"How long do we have?" Seraphine asked.

"My latest intelligence puts The Reaper eight days out," one of the advisors reported. "Maybe seven if he pushes hard. That gives us one week to prepare."

"Then we start immediately," Seraphine commanded. "Lilith, begin evacuation protocols. Move all non-combatants to the central spires. Set up defensive positions in the outer districts. I want every advantage we can create."

She turned to Satou. "You need to familiarize yourself with the city layout. Know the terrain you'll be fighting in. Cassius, I assume you'll be scouting?"

"Once night falls completely," Cassius confirmed. "I can cover significant ground in darkness."

"Good. Use that." Seraphine looked at her council. "We have seven days to prepare for the fight of our lives. Seven days to make ready for a battle we probably can't win. But we're going to try anyway, because that's what we do. We survive. We adapt. We refuse to bow."

Her mismatched eyes swept across everyone present. "The Fallen Spires has stood for three hundred years. It will stand for three hundred more. Or we will die defending it. Either way, The Reaper will learn that we don't surrender. We don't submit. We fight."

The council erupted in agreement—hands on weapons, voices raised in determination, the energy of people preparing for war.

As the meeting dispersed and various advisors left to begin preparations, Seraphine pulled Satou aside.

"I need to show you something," she said quietly. "Follow me."

She led him deeper into the central spire, down corridors lined with ancient stone, until they reached a door sealed with powerful magic. Seraphine's hands glowed as she dispelled the wards, and the door swung open.

Inside was a small chapel—or what remained of one. It was clearly part of the original cathedral, preserved when the rest was repurposed. Pews still stood, an altar remained at the front, and stained glass windows showed scenes of angels and saints.

But the images had been altered. The angels now had corrupted features. The saints had horns and tails. Dark symbols had been added to the holy imagery.

"This is where it started," Seraphine said softly. "Three hundred years ago, when I was still an angel, before my fall. This was the place where I made my choice—to reject the rigid order of heaven, to embrace the freedom of corruption, to become what I am now."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.