The Third Estate

When it came, the invasion of Hell was a remarkably simple operation. Content in his ultimate superiority over the talking animals that were Mankind, Satan had never even considered that they might some day choose to strike back. So on the day that the battle between Good and Evil gained a third player, the denizens of Hell were completely unprepared for the Blitzkrieg assault unleashed by the forces of Man. The assorted demons and fallen angels still wielded the weapons that had served them for millennia, but pitchforks and flaming sword proved no match for 120mm HESH rounds from the armoured columns, and those devils which took flight to attack from the air simply made themselves targets for Stinger missiles.

Lucifer lead a final, furious defence of his citadel alongside his lieutenants, inflicting so many casualties on his attackers that the plan to capture and put him on trial for crimes against humanity was abandoned. So in the end the Morning Star, who had dared rebel against the Lord God, and who had finally been defeated only by the Archangel Michael himself, was torn to pieces along with his final redoubt by the impersonal shelling of mobile artillery.

The angels of Heaven, watching the unprecedented conflict, were first shocked by Humanity's presumption, and then delighted as they realised that their eternal war had been brought to an end at last by the very beings they sought to protect. The towers of the Crystal City resonated as the Host gathered for a song of praise and thanksgiving such as had not been heard since the Fall. And hence there was no opposition as the vanguard of the army of Humanity crashed through the gates of Heaven...