In Heaven, Inari and Himari emerged from their portal. Himari gazed excitedly around the shining city of gleaming white marble adorned with gemstones, mosaics, banners, and stained glass of all colors. There were angels of all description (from basically just winged humans to anthropomorphic animals like Inari), as well as human souls that spanned all of history. Himari marveled as a samurai walked past her, chatting amiably with an American in a powdered wig.
"Hey, I recognize them from history books!" gasped Himari. "The American was George Washington, the father of the American nation, and the samurai was Dom Justo Takayama, a daimyo who converted to Christianity and was exiled to the Philippines for his faith!"
"You meet a lot of interesting people in the afterlife," said Inari. "I enjoy the company of George Washington Carver myself. That man is an absolute magician with peanuts! But we need to focus. This is about finding Tarfiel."
Inari ran up to an angel they seemed to recognize. "Ezequeel! Is Tarfiel up here?! I haven't seen her on Earth for days, and neither has her girlfriend!"
"Haven't you heard, Inari?" gasped Ezequeel. "Tarfiel joined a conspiracy with rogue demons to bring back Chaos. The Inquisition took her away."
"She can't actually be guilty," Himari said firmly. "I don't believe that for a single minute!"
"Neither do I," said Inari. "Tarfiel loved nature too much for that. It was her life's work. She would never devote herself to its antithesis. We need to get to the bottom of this!"
The pair spent hours asking angel after angel (as well as a few blessed souls) if they knew anything that could be helpful, but none did. Himari sighed defeatedly. "Is there anything we can do, Inari?"
The nine-tailed fox also sighed. "I just don't know, Himari. This strategy isn't working."
They were suddenly approached by a desperate-looking angel. He looked nearly human aside from his pair of blue wings and his eyes, which looked more like glowing sapphires than organic eyes. A silver halo ringed with blue sparks hovered over his head.
"I can't help but notice help but notice that you're looking for someone the Inquisition took away," he whispered secretively. "So am I. My name is Hank Cromwe... uhh... Polytimos. I need your help."
"What happened?" asked Inari.
"The Grand Library's been closed up, and the inquisitors took Azure Skywing away. She and I were... getting along rather well, if you know what I mean, and I intend to rescue her! I... just don't know how."
"You say the Grand Library was closed down?" asked Inari. "Then we should bring Penemue Caelestis into our confidences. She'll want the library reopened pronto, and she's good friends with Azure. We have to find her fast!"
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Senator Laz Deathfire was celebrating the successful passing of Decree 13666 with her allies in the Deathfire family palace. "A toast to a better Hell!" she laughed.
"The caveat letting children keep succession rights was a stroke of genius," Senator Gemyem said as she sipped her wine. "It'll make this law a lot more popular."
"Don't thank me!" laughed Laz. "Thank Princess Lamashtu and her wife. That addendum was already there when I got a hold of the bill. I merely allowed it to stay. I think Hecate must have made Lamashtu add that. She was always the better politician."
"But won't this anger the human-born?" asked Senator Zagam asked, nervousling fondling one of his bull horns. "Couldn't it make them angry enough... to rise up?"
"A human novelist once said that Chaos is a ladder," Laz smirked. "We stay in the shadows and let the rabble take their anger out on the Morningstar family... and then we swoop in and destroy the battered survivors of BOTH sides! Hell will belong to us then! Beelzebub will he our king!"
"A toast to King Beelzebub and to House Deathfire!" Senator Gemyem cheered.