Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Large as a berserker, Beleth stared at me with dark red eyes that swirled a vortex of flames and arched his lips into a sneer.

“Hight God? You break through and think your—”

Piercing through space and shattering the confines of laws and concepts, Noctem whipped through the vastness of time and struck against steel, batting Beleth from the skies with enough force, an explosion rivaling the shattering of worlds thundered through my ears.

Like a beam of light racing through mountains and rivers, I watched the limp body of Beleth vanish over the horizon. And my eyes swayed towards the army just outside the tower connected to the Bridge of the Damned.

“ARSENE!!!”

Staring at the Prince of Hell gathered at the front of the amassing army, abyssal wings flared from my back as I soared down from the skies and past the bridge that began to release a suppressive power.

Taken back by the sudden force, trying to crush my soul to dust. I only froze for a second before continuing on my way. Such a crushing force wouldn’t affect someone like me. And even if it did, I’d not stop my step. Lucifer has no dominion over me.

“Little Prince of the First Hell, Alzimar, and is that Archduke Bune I spot sucking you off?” I asked aloud for all to hear, releasing my demonic aura that seemed to make devils look like cute kittens.

Bloodlust crackled through the air and billowed like a storm around me as I landed just outside the tower, hearing the sounds of slaughter from within.

In contrast to the hulking body of Beleth, the Prince appeared thin with ash-like skin and yellow eyes that burned with a rancid evil. He was tall but thin, with fangs as long as a vampire’s.

“Was it you who called this king without honorifics?” I question, staring dead at Alzimar.

A tinge of fear flickered over the ashen skin devil but recovered almost immediately, but I could feel the unease in this man’s heart. He was scared. And it was growing.

“This is not a battle you can win, Arsene.” Said Alzimar in a rasping tone.

Noctem shuttered, fracturing space and time in this higher realm as I stepped forward, leaving behind a trail of destruction as I approached with a dark grimace.

Devils and demons all parted like the red sea as I pressed ahead, stopping five paces away from the Prince.

‘I’m a magnanimous Lord. So I’ll give you one chance.” I rose a single finger. ” One. Surrender to this King, and I’ll allow Beleths transgression to fade.”

“ARSENE!!!!”

Noctem swept into action and twisted in a beautiful semi-arc of black light striking against the berserker devil hammering his ax towards my head.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

Ash and brimstone stormed the skies, parting clouds, and the earth beneath my feet shattered, pushing me down into a crater more than seven kilometers deep.

Fire danced over my skin, threatening to scar my flesh, as magma pooled over my feet. Ash that burned fell over my skin, leaving only the burning eyes of Beleth’s cleaving strike over my spear before my eyes.

The King of Hell reached out, and an orb of hellish qi formed at his palm directly at my head and ignited.

But as he moved, so too did I. Reaching my palm out, I grabbed the very orb-bleeding the Concept of Fire and Death. And crushed the very orb before his eyes like it were an egg. Fire and death danced over my flesh as I laughed at his stupefied expression.

“You’ll have to do better than that. Get serious, or this King will take your head!” I howled as the darkness crowned me, protecting me from harm. My left leg whipped through the flames just as Beleth moved to defend; connecting with his arm, the King of Hell was blasted out of the pit.

“P-P-P-Paragon!” Stammered Beleth flexing his muscles to stop his flight.

I smiled and slowly soared out of the hellish pit without injury and shrugged. “I’m a paragon in every aspect but technique. But my hax allows me to fight you guys pretty evenly. Who knew the soul was so important?”

Everything seemed slower. It seemed like no matter what, Beleth did. I had a counter. Whether it was gathering power from my pride, the Hells, the Abyss, or for myself, I instantly knew how to counter his moves. But he could do the same. He had blocked all of my strikes none of my hits had landed. 𝒃𝒆𝒅𝒏𝒐𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝙘𝙤𝒎

But… this ash. Looking up at the skies at the strange ash falling over my skin, burning deep into my soul, made me frown. It was piercing through my barrier of darkness.

‘This is Arakiel Wings,’ Lily said to me. “No matter what you do. This ash will burn your Soul and Body. You’ll find that many strange things have changed the Hells. Whether it’s Arakiels Angelic Wings, burning for all eternity, or his blood forming rivers, many Fallen have managed to change the Hells with their Fall. ”

I hummed in response to Lily. And stared dead at Beleth and slid my gaze to Alzimar and Archduke Bune approaching their King in the skies of Avenos.

“You’ve grown,” said Beleth calmly. “It wasn’t that long ago you were barely a half-blood.” I frowned but still listened. “But this is where it all ends, Arsene Snow.”

Pushing out my senses, the moment the hairs over the nape of my neck stood on end, I quickly caught sight of dozens of formations, releasing a deadly light that carried nodes of scarlet. Unease swelled through my veins, and a powerful trapping force suddenly came over me like a hammer wishing to push me down to the Hells.

Chains suddenly began to pierce through the depths of Hell and around me faster than I could see and snatched hold of me.

Grunting as the chains of Hell coiled around me, I frowned as almighty essence suddenly attempted to seal my Qi.

“Don’t even attempt to escape. Not even Higher Beings can escape those chains.” Beleth remarked with an icy grimace. ” The Nobles of my Court are all chanting the Infernal Mantra. There is no escape for you, Arsene Snow.”