The Gatekeeper of Tartarus

 

Kou and the others had arrived at the same chamber where they’d once faced Echidna.

A vast space—likely a hangar meant to house some kind of interstellar warship.

「Kou. That shadow…」

「Matt, stay back.」

「Understood.」

Following Kou’s command, Matt retreated to the rear.

「So this is the lair of the infamous Mother of All Monsters, Echidna.」

「‘Mother of All Monsters’, is it? My, how flattering, O feeble king who long sought shelter beneath a witch’s wings.」

Echidna’s avatar appeared—her appearance was exactly the same as when Kou and Asia last encountered her.

「But the victory is yours, I concede. To think you would flood my stronghold with those absurd weapons and reduce it to rubble.」

「Your actions were suicidal, Echidna. Give up and merge with Libya already.」

「Oh, but this is not the end, not yet. Come forth!」

From the control room at the back of the chamber, a silhouette emerged.

A dark and blue Mythology Weapon, matching the one seen in the footage recorded by Kasha. Six radiant wings fanned out behind its back like a halo.

「This one’s strong.」

「Undoubtedly. Even I can tell.」

Asia narrowed her eyes, glaring at the machine as though trying to pierce its core.

「Uriel—one of the Seven Archangel Series crafted by Astraea, the highest-grade of them all. This is a Teras that combines myth and machine perfectly, I imagine its specs have been upgraded considerably.」

「Asia?」

Kou glanced back toward her in the rear seat, questioning.

「Uriel… I’ve heard the name from Astraea, it kept the same name after becoming a Teras?」

「Most likely. After all, Mount Etna and the region around it is where Typhon was sealed. And according to the Book of Enoch, Uriel is said to be the very angel who guards the gates of Tartarus.」

「The Gatekeeper of Tartarus…」

「Impressive as always, Asia-dono. Correct. This Uriel is not one of my kin. Like Arthur there, it was originally an Antique Silhouette posted here to monitor Typhon-sama.」

Echidna smiled with childlike delight.

「Then why did an angel become a Teras?」

「It’s drawn from the tale of his fall from grace. An angel deemed heretical by the whims of man. In another version, Uriel is also said to be a Cherub possessing the flaming sword. But during the Interplanetary War Era, Astraea modeled the Seven Archangels after the Genesis myths. Uriel was classified as a Seraphim.」

「The pinnacle of the Angel Series… turned into a fallen angel, huh.」

「Such legends do exist. Uriel’s name originally meant ‘Flame of God.’ But in the Middle Ages, angel worship became so intense that any angel unnamed in the scriptures was declared fallen. Uriel, too, was counted among them… until later, when he was canonized as a saint.」

「A saint? But… he’s an angel. That’s absurd.」

「He was conflated with Saint Uriel of Brittany in Celtic lands. Some sects still recognize him as an angel, though.」

Asia’s words were measured and deliberate. The very concept of angels varied wildly with the sect, the era, and prevailing values.

「Humans are truly unreasonable creatures. Many beings deemed monsters were once gods of the land. I, Echidna, am no different. Outis, surely your homeland too is riddled with such beings.」

Echidna cut in. All Mythology Weapons in this place were derived from Earth’s folklore. That knowledge was passed down even to her.

「…I can sort of see that.」

Uriel slowly advanced toward them.

「So—the Gatekeeper of Tartarus. He must have been one of the first to become a Teras; Typhon wouldn’t have allowed his existence otherwise.」

「What do you mean, Asia?」

「Among the Seven Archangels, Uriel is the guardian of Wednesday. Wednesday comes from the Norse god Odin. Later on, Odin was equated with Mercurius.」

「Mercurius… you mean Hermes!」

「Exactly. Guarding Tartarus is a fitting role for him. Prometheus and Typhon were both confined there, after all.」

「Makes sense. We should take him down. Mythology Weapons like the Teras won’t probably serve Hermes, but if there’s a connection in myth…」

「That’s the idea. And be careful—if Uriel incorporates those legends, he’s an ultra-close-range brawler. Might even go for joint locks.」

「Why would an angel do that?!」

Kou couldn’t help shouting. The thought of an angel using joint locks was too bizarre.

「It’s from the legend of Saint Jacob. Saint Jacob fought a being said to be either God or an angel until dawn in a pure grappling match. Uriel fits that role better than any other, so he is the prime candidate. When Uriel realized he couldn’t win, he dislocated Jacob’s hip to gain the upper hand—but Jacob clung to him and won through sheer persistence.」

「……」

Kou was speechless. An angel dislocating his opponent’s hips in a wrestling match—Kou’s mental image of angels was crumbling.

「In short, Uriel is a real bruiser even among angels!」

「Got it. But he’s not truly an angel—he’s a Teras.」

Just as Unit 5 stepped forward, Arthur moved to the front.

「This is my moment to shine.」

「Leave it to us, Kou-niichan!」

Arthur and Flack held Kou back and stepped forward.

Kou hesitated, then nodded.

「Alright. I’ll leave it to you.」

「Gladly!」

Arthur raised his rifle-type charged particle cannon—Exkaribur—and began to advance.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

「My name is Arthur. That form—you must be Uriel-dono. Come, let us do battle with honor!」

「So be it.」

The synthesized voice answered Arthur. Low. Eerie. Unnatural.

「I am Uriel, A Teras derived from the Seraphim of old. You, who call yourself King Arthur—and the one who rides you—prepare yourselves.」

「Let’s go, Arthur!」

They both moved at once.

Each attempted to outmaneuver the other, their motions resembling a dogfight—both seeking to gain the rear position.

「A confined space favors that kind of movement.」

Uriel, too, was equipped with a charged particle cannon. That weapon—

「Hnn…」

Its wings unfurled horizontally, transforming into six twin-linked cannons. A design that fused thrusters and main cannon into one.

Arthur, with masterful agility, dodged most of the barrage—but one shot hit squarely.

「Not even a scratch…」

Flack, Arthur’s contractor, was visibly surprised.

「Of course not! No mere blast can pierce the armor of a knight’s resolve!」

Arthur showed no damage, not even where the blast had landed.

He had taken the hit on plating developed during the Pioneering Era, not on the newly built armor.

「Then let us settle this up close.」

Uriel spat the words, drawing a sword wreathed in blue flame.

His six wings flared to full thrust, and in an instant, he closed the distance.

 

 

 

AN:

This time we introduce Uriel. I used to write occult action rom-coms as original fiction for Comiket, so this topic brings back some nostalgia. I hear Winter Comiket is on again—but I probably can’t attend.

By the way, Uriel isn’t considered an angel in Catholicism. Only three named angels are canon in scripture. His reappearance came via being equated with Saint Uriel of Brittany (Celtic region).

In the Apocalypse of Peter, Uriel is the Angel of Repentance, casting blasphemers into eternal fire, he is the strictest of the angels ruling the underworld.

In Judaism, though, he is an angel. Religious traditions from Semitic roots can be quite complex!

In the Book of Enoch, Uriel is one of the Seven Archangels, ruling over Wednesday. As mentioned in the chapter, that links him to Odin and later to Mercurius.

Other magical systems assign him to the North and Earth, or as an angel of Summer and Fire.