Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

A distilling silence engulfed this battered realm freezing everyone where they lay. Grimful faces flickered throughout everyone as they glared at Tenebrae.

“I am doing my job,” Moloch remarked as his body materialized. My gaze fell upon a young man no more than sixteen, his hair a silky black reaching his shoulders and his eyes a tint of red, consumed with a cross shape pattern within his pupil. He grinned: “I’m here to collect debts. I’m tired of waiting. The only one who doesn’t owe heaven would be Zariel. The rest need to pay up. And that includes you, who just did something that has my heart throbbing.”

“A lot of nerve from a little shit.” Izavith spat as the strange image of the Monolith of End hissing behind her back trembled. I frowned: The secret of the Monolith of End was known only by a few. It was… an artifact so powerful it could lead to the primordial realm. It was a key to a place, unlike anything we’d ever seen. And I was sure that was but one function. For her to be able to mirror its image is… unwarranted.

“You speak as if I need to obey. We of the Abyss do not need approval by anyone other than the All.” she pointed her sword, which slowly twisted into a glaive, and she smiled. “But I’ve heard of you.”

An innocent smile rose over Moloch’s expression, but the chill that never left my heart reached my bones.

“You wound Luci, and you believe I will be that easy to take down?” Moloch mused a chuckle of amusement within the back of his throat.

Izavith grinned, and a wave of unease overwhelmed my senses as she soared towards the young-looking Fallen. His innocent smile dissipated as she arrived a meter away. Perhaps it was realization within Moloch, or perhaps it was fear, but whatever it was, an ungodly weapon drew itself from the void within his palm. 𝘰𝑣𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

“An executioner sword,” I muttered, taken back by the dark edge blade written in Enochian and infernal.

“That blade… was forged out of Molochs Bones, at the heart of the Myriad Heaven. I heard that there was not one bone he did not use.” Tenebrae said, glazed at me, and rustled my hair. ” What do you think I should do? Father permitted me to use all my power. But— all those children I helped raise.”

“I suspect even if the Father carries out his divine punishment, the Abyssal Fiends will be fine; there are not the Ones to control. Abyss would interfere…. And there is the fact that the Abyssal Fiends only recently became aware.” I remarked grimly. ” All they knew was to kill and destroy. That’s what they have done since birth. And… there is a scarier one than Izavith her—”

“NO! Has the battle ended?” A thunderous wave of calamity swept over the realm burning demons and angels alike as waves of sword qi reached far into the thirty-three heavens. A sensation of defeat blanketed the bed of chaos, drowning all in fear.

“Iliana,” I muttered.

“Devil of the Abyss,” Lilith said, arriving by my side, her hollow eyes narrowing. “Things finally seem to be getting interesting. I wonder, Sene… what will you do?” She glanced at Uriel and then at me. ” You got a real enemy, and once Illiana appears… her innate ability will activate. Reall chaos will erupt.”

“Innate?”

“Anyone who fears her, even a little, can never harm her. Even almighty attacks will bounce off like nothing.” Lilith said, smiling. “A long time ago, after Vita crossed blades with Hellmaster, Iliana found the Hell Lord. And battled him to a draw.”

“What!” I looked at her, taken back. “Hellmaster was….”

“I’m sure Hellmaster was going easy; that pacifist rarely shows his true power. But it was enough to calm Iliana’s rampage. That woman is terrifying. She, unlike Vita, is a Chosen of the Abyss. A true champion. If there was ever a person to fear… it would be that mad woman. Whose power would shame even Shiva… Although, she’s just an idiot.”

“Eh?”

“Vita!!!!!! It’s my turn! No fair! And what’s with the monolith? Looks stupid. Although it looks strong too… Maybe I’ll copy it?” She swung her blade a few times, and on her third swing, a towering monolith gleaming with an emerald light dominated the realm. She grinned, her blood-stained eyes glowing happily. And snapped her eyes at the frowning Moloch. ” Fight me.”

Pressure drilled into my bones, nearly dragging me to my knee’s as my face paled of blood, as a wave of blood roiled from my eyes and mouth. Iliana grinned. ” Mine now! Hmmm. Not bad…”

“What a monster… ” Mephisto acknowledged.

“Agreed,” Lucifer added, arriving beside Moloch.

“Oh! Two of you! Bet!!! Why don’t you both come to me? Let’s keep things interesting.” Iliana howled as her wild, bloody hair danced through the skies. Her cheeks flushed with a bloodlust I knew all too well. She licked her lips. “Hellmaster refused a rematch, and shiva… that little bitch just likes to run.”

“When did she meet them?” Lilith muttered, with a sense of loss. Seemingly unsure how to deal with Iliana. We merely stared at the woman who stopped everything.

“You’ve gotten… even stronger,” Vita muttered helplessly, lowering her glaive. She sighed. “Am I to be your next hunt?”

“Of course! But… I might have to go after him first.” Iliana stared at Mephisto, a hungry grin on each end of her lips.” Weak… but dangerous.” She turned to Moloch. ” You, on the other hand… you seem hungry. Come on! Allow me a battle!”

Moloch sneered and glanced at Tenebrae and then Iliana. ” I’ve no interest in fighting a battle that doesn’t benefit me. We’ll meet again, Tenebrae. I’m curious about what it is you did to cause such a stir within my court.”

“Are you running?” Iliana thundered, turning the faces of even Uriel somewhat pale as she arrived before Molock, but as she did. His body twisted into Nodes of Etherial light.

“Till we meet again, Devil of the Abyss.” He said, his crackle of laughter echoing with a heavy-weight.

Iliana swore, stomping her feet over the ground. She glared angrily at Lucifer, who shrugged.

“I don’t need to run. I can defeat you.” He replied with confidence that didn’t seem to match the reality. But then again… I don’t know how strong Lucifer was. And battle at their level relies a lot on luck and skill.