Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

It had taken well over a thousand years for this weakness within me to fade. The Qi… I began to call Chaos Qi, no longer withered my body during the passive of time but was now strengthing my physical form.

It was the same for my first and second knights. Their expressions were no longer pale, and news from Noctem had stated that the worse had passed. But there were many deaths. Too many for me to recover from.

But in such little time, I had become a five-star immortal. There was nothing to complain about. All that was left was to fuse the remaining material to my right eye and gift it to the little parasite. Damn. I can’t believe I’m having three. What the hell were you thinking, Arsene?

Damn, nearly pulling out my hair, I drew in a long breathtaking solace in the fact I only needed to wait sixteen years before tossing their little asses out.

“You ready, Arsene?” Came the voice of Mephisto as he stepped through the threshold of my door. Arms poised behind his back, he stood in his regal attire. One I’d only seen him use within the Hells.

“Remind me again what this is for?”

“How is your memory so bad?” Said Freya rolling her eyes. She sighed, a hue of exhaustion slipping into the creases of her frown. “Irkalla wasn’t given to you so that it may be neglected or used to train your son.”

“Hey… is that any way to talk to your master!”

“It might not be… but how do you keep forgetting. He said it yesterday!” She snapped, puffing out her cheeks.

“I got you. Why do I need to remember?”

“Typical.” Mephisto sighed. ” Anyway, are they coming with us? Because I only prepared a surprise for you, and don’t you dare peek into the laws of Irkalla? I want you to be surprised.”

A chill danced along my spine. I turned to him: “After hearing some of your stories… why do I feel ill at ease?”

“Disciple. Trust Master.”

Taking a brief moment, I nodded, yes: “There not… they have work on Noctem.”

“Great!” Said the Trickster placing his arm on my shoulder, turning the entire world to emerald flames.

Blinding heat gnawed at my flesh whilst the foul smelt of brimstone stung. We appeared on a large crest… A teleportation crest wrote in infernal within what appeared to be a tower. But there was something ancient about this—

“FATHER!!!!”

“Good luck!” Mephisto said, pivoting off his feet and into the air as the voice of my rage-induced child stung my ears.

Stary light pierced down from within the dark tower lit by emerald torches; I caught sight of Zaid wielding a greatsword, cleaving his blade toward me as though it were a falling star, his bloodshot eyes looking for blood.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

“IS THAT ALL, BOY!!!!” I howled, catching the blade with my palm, enduring the flickers of lightning transfixed with the laws of time and space around his sword.

“DIE!!!!” he roared as he opened his mouth, releasing a beaming the size of an entire mountain, and yet despite the Hell Stone melting away beneath my feet, I easily withstood the blast sealing any foreign energy that dared to touch my body.

“Disappointing.” I attested, flinging his body into a nearby statute depicting a foreign Fallen. Zaid coughed up a mouthful of blood as he crashed, but without hesitation, I Shadow Stepped before him, kicking his head deeper into the statue before he could gather himself.

Over and over, I stomped his face in, shattering the statue and dirtying my feet. “Is that all, boy?” I spat as Chaos Qi swelled from my body.

There was only one reason I called this energy Chaos Qi… it was because it was uncontrollable. Its primary instinct that mirrored my own was to destroy.

“Get up, boy, this isn’t over,” I said towards the rubble that laid Zaid’s body.

Suddenly an eruption of a tainted Draconic Qi shot up in a pillar, tearing a hole in the tower revealing the scarlet Heavens. Zaid stood up, seven stars shimming over his head, while his body began to be covered by demonic scales. 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘭．𝘦𝘵

“Is that it, boy? Is that all you have to show this, King? But you’ve yet to even draw blood. Where is your pride?” I wildly laugh, dusting off the debris storming through the air.

I was impressed. Zaid was truly powerful. More so than those rankers I fought. But that wasn’t enough.

“SEVEN HELLS!!!” He howled when the blade within his hand suddenly began to give off the aura of the very Hells. Layers of sinful qi began to gather as I felt the aura of Irkalla begin to gather around his sword, along with what I could only conclude was the aura of the other Hells.

Zaid glared daggers at me: “This is my realm. MINE!!!”

Unsure of what Mephisto did to put him in such a feral mood, I accepted the challenge.

“Then come.”

Gesturing merely to provoke, Zaid took the bait, and in less than a blink of an eye, he tore through space and time as if it didn’t exist and slashed at my chest.

He was quick, faster than anyone else, but… when I battled against Zariel. I learned speed means nothing against instantaneous actions. It was an obvious conclusion but one I didn’t truly understand till I fought him.

Applying the Concept of Shadow Step to my entire being, my arm flashed, catching the greatsword. When an explosion swallowed me whole in a blaze of seven flames, the entire tower exploded, leaving nothing behind but the teleportation sigil.

And me.

I stared at Zaid ten meters away and then at my palm, leaking a sliver of blood that quickly healed. I smiled and turned to him: ‘You drew blood. But your Intent is lacking. Don’t you know the only way to stop regeneration is Intent?”

“How? How are you not in pieces?”

… That attack… It channels the powers of the Nine Hells. He used Seven, but most of the energy is being wasted. Seems to be a new technique.

“Zaid… if you keep disappointing me, I’ll put you on a leash.” I coldly told him, ” You are making me and your Mother lose face. Are you truly my seed?”

Slivers of blood trickled down Zaid’s contorting expression as he hovered in the skies. I began to step into the air, finding this battle somewhat entertaining.

Most of what I said was bullshit. I only wanted to torture his mind. There was so many opening because of it. Zaid was definitely a talent. A monstrous one. I’d love to recognize him, but he must make me feel like I was in a life-and-death battle. This much isn’t enough.

Freya and Mimir were far stronger. But they are not of my blood.

I cracked my neck and stopped once we stood on equal elevation: “I’ve yet to draw my spear. Yet to cast a spell, show me more, boy. Or I’ll kill you today. Show me what Belius has been teaching you.”Eyes widening as I relayed his secrets, I almost sneered: “If you don’t… I’ll deliver your head to your mothers.”

Instantaneously appearing directly before him, arcs of black lightning thundered like an explosion rattling the realm as my fist connected against his face. Blood whipped over my cheek as his body was flung through the nearby castle, tearing through many rooms.

I followed, piercing through space. I appeared where Zaids body was about to land, whipping my palm against his cheek, slapping him into a nearby wall, and watched with a sneer as he dirtied my palm.

“GET UP, ZAID. SHOW ME YOU’RE A FUCKING SNOW!!!”

Planting my foot over his face, brutally stomping him through another wall. Blood pooled over the ground as he staggered to his feet.

“I can’t even use you as a practice dummy. You keep flying away with each hit. Come on, boy. Show me more.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~” Bellowing at me, a tingly sensation suddenly sent off warning bells in my head as a demonic gleam shimmered from his scarlet eyes.

The brutal wounds over his face began to heal despite my use of Intent. He suddenly began to chuckle, to laugh in a depraved manner: “I swear, father. I swear I’ll kill you. I swear it.”

Summoning a handkerchief, I smirked, pushing down the faint premonition of danger, and began cleaning his blood: “The reality is always different from what we perceive. If you don’t step it up, I’ll be bathing in your blood.”