Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

I’d requested Avar to use the tractor beam to lower me back down, beside Eroma, who stared, and I felt the hollowness of his heart, the pain he held for what lay ahead.

I’ll admit I was not very in touch with my family, as much as I would like; looking back now, it was foolish of me to give him that grimoire. Grey was a soul bender, so I’d fate that he was immune to any soul attacks, but recalling those pale cheeks, the dark shadows beneath his eyes, and the fact I enabled the idea of killing my grandfather left a bitter taste akin to the Brimstone in the air.

Eroma’s weapon of choice was a short sword, a little longer than a dagger but shorter than a sword. Holding his hand over the hilt of his blade, he nodded.

“You sure?”

“No. But we need to settle this.” Eroma said, releasing a long breath that shook my cold heart.

I fucked up on this. I should’ve been here.

“Then let’s go. Stick close no matter what happens.” I commanded, turning to examine the Valley of Ser’ven, erupting in a hail of fire and Brimstone stained by the blood of angels and demons alike.

Flames brimming a scarlet glow reflected through my eyes, coiling like a raging sea engulfing anything it touched or crossed; war cries stirred me awake.

Unable to help myself from watching Demons and Angels being burnt alive as they howled in agony, trailing over the ground desperately trying to rid their bodies of flames. Those that weren’t burnt alive had the misfortune of being felled by the hail of firepower piercing down through the stratosphere.

“War is Hell,” He said.

I patted Eroma’s shoulder, gathering my Divinity, and shot ahead as he trailed a step behind.

“Shadow Void,” I chanted, creating an invisible domain that protected Eroma and me from any unnecessary cannon fire while also masking our presence.

We became like shadows as we shot from the outskirts of the battle into the heart of everything. “Do it, Avar,” I coldly commanded and leaped into the skies; spreading my wings wide, I pointed towards the Heavens as a building light banished the darkness.

“Arsene, what the Hell are you doing?” Avar relayed deep within my soul.

“Just attack,” I commanded

“Fine.”

Gathering the attention of every demon and angel alike, with my fallen-like wings arched wide and my horns piercing up, my eyes fused with the Weave, I arched my hand, and from my palm, a spiraling black light expanded.

“Who are you!”

“DEMON!”

“DEVIL!”

“It’s Arsene Snow,” I coldly uttered like a sovereign looking down. The Heaven trembled as my Sigil blanketed the skies, bringing about eternal darkness that swallowed the flames below. The winds vanished, as did the battle below.

And as everyone locked eyes with me, Avar’s star cannons fired. Falling from the Abyss, I pointed down as the starlight came through my Sigil. Billions of light skimmed over my eyes as whatever touched my Sigil was tarnished while becoming mine to use as I see fit.

“Die,” I uttered as armageddon erupted over the land. Mushrooms clouds shrouded the horizons as, one after the other, my tainted power carved away life alongside the lives of everyone. No more were their screams; no more was there a war but a slaughter.

“You were this strong?” Eroma commented, the disbelief in his voice evident.

“I could do this easily with the help of the Flames of Hellfire, but all I did was Tarnish the cannon fire Avar sent to me and direct it to my will. Most of this is not my power.” I softly explained, relaying a quick order for Avar to hold fire.

“Can you sense him?” I shortly asked as we landed back on the ground.

Eroma did not respond immediately, ” I sense something, but I’m not too sure.”

His words had made my skin crawl as I, too, could feel something coming deep within the heart of this Vally.

“A-A-Arsene.” A sudden weak cry rang.

Not bothering to glance back at the angel commander, staggering to her feet, I spoke, ” I’d leave if I were—” .

Bellowing in laughter to my interest, I turned to look at the torn armor, tainted by blood and ash. “And who might you be?”

“We’re all coming, Snow!” She spat, coughing up a slew of blood over her golden armor. “It’s complete, you know. It’s only a matter of time before you are strung up and killed! Your entire bloodline must perish.”

I chuckled and walked up toward the little commander who thought herself relevant, leaning onto her flaming sword that dissolved into nothingness alongside her armor, revealing a battered body. Bones were protruding from every angle, from her legs to her chest. She was only standing due to sheer will.

Falling over, unable to find anything to support herself, I squatted down over the High God, barely clinging to life, and parted her hair from her face.

“You are quite beautiful.”

Tilting my head as she tried to spit on me, I dodged the saliva and chuckled, ” Such fire, a shame, you threaten the family.” I said, palming the whole of her face like a basketball. “Now, scream for me.”

Igniting the Flames of Hellfire, just at the temperature that wouldn’t kill her, a rich scream that sent chills dancing along my spine filled the empty silence of fallen ash.

“No one is going to touch my daughters,” I whispered, enjoying the screams that had her body trashing in my hands. Clawing at my skin as she desperately attempted to flee, the commander angel’s skin bubbled like popcorn, turning a charcoal black, till her body went stiff and her screams still.

“Let’s go now,” I said, dropping the foolish sack of useless waste.

“Wasn’t that a little much?”

“You’re not the one having kids,” I said, pushing off my feet deeper into the Vally. The battle had only stopped for a moment and would resume in a little. But I’d made a path for us.

“I’ll lead,” Eroma uttered as the Dao of Light ignited, and he flashed ahead at a startling speed in a blink of an eye.

Rushing after him, I kept looking for potential dangers, as the closer I got, the more my instincts began to scream.