Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

“Your awake,” A strangely calm voice said as I lifted myself off the cold grass. Towards a small fire, crackling with embers. A grizzled man sat with a kind smile on his face. Draped in hide armor, with a shortsword covered in infernal runes around its scabbard, the stranger sat with a fur coat over his body. Several scars pressed over his cheek and forearm as he looked at me. “We taught you died.”

“We,” I replied, struggling to stand as weakness overcame me. My stomach grumbled like a stampede of bears.

“You look hungry, kid.” The stranger said, towards the fire; he picked up a ball of foil and tossed it to me. Catching what I assumed was a potato. I didn’t waste any time as I bit through the foil towards the sweet joy within. “You got some balls, kid. Careful. That potato came from the Nine Hells. It’s poisonous. If you—”

Devouring the entire mass of potatoes without care, I smiled, feeling oddly satisfied. I hated Sweet Potatoes, but I can admit when something was amazing. And just this once, sweet potatoes come out with a win. Just this time.

“What’s your name, kid.” The stranger asked, shaking his head. “We found you up north of the Kendensia Forest, unconscious. That’s forbidden territory. It’s marked by a Prince of Hell.”

Hiccuping, I lifted my gaze to the dozen or so potatoes cooking and the stranger, whose throbbing artery looked quite appetizing under this bloody night. “Which one.”

“Zaid”

My brow rose, but I displayed no emotion as I hummed in response. ” This doesn’t feel like the Hells,” I said, unsure of what had happened after losing consciousness. “Were are we?”

“Iluthath… or what’s left of it. The name is Carlton, Leader of the Mercenary group Barabatos.” He said, poking at the fire with a stick. Embers flared into the skies as the crackles of wood caught my attention. ” Did you fall from the Bed of Chaos? Is that why you appeared in the Kendensia Forest?”

I shrugged. ” No idea. Last I remember, I was within the Overworld.”

Carlton ran his hands through his ashen hair and scratched at his unkempt beard. ” The Overworld, eh?” He looked me over and shook his head. ” I see. And whose side do you belong to?”

“Commander!” A cold voice dragged on, drawing my attention as I turned to a woman well past her prime, beaten by war. Scars trailed over her neck and arms, similar to Carlton’s. “We have movement.”

Touching my nose, which suddenly began to bleed, I frowned and quickly scanned my body, withered by adaptation with a few minor spells.

“What kind.” Carlton calmly asked.

“We can’t determine who they belong to yet, but we think it’s Seraphic.” The woman answered her level well into Elder God. “It might be a squad of Templars.”

“Keep an eye out. And let’s get the men fed and packed. We can’t stay here. It wasn’t a great stop anyway.” He mused and looked at me. ” What do you think, kid.”

“What do I think of what?” I mused, grabbing another potato with my bare hands through the fire. I smiled.

Carlton frown. “I did say they were poisonous. One is fine, but too is a death sentence.”

“My body is withered. I need substance. But that doesn’t matter; who are these templars after you?” I calmly asked, munching down with a bright smile, a little too happy to eat something I hated. But dear God, I was too hungry.

Noticing Carlton glance at the woman with a deep frown. He spoke. “Kid, how old are you?”

“Why does that matter?” I mused.

“Because any kid knows of this basic information,” he replied guardedly, rising to his feet with his sword still sheath.

Glancing at the two Elder Gods, I shifted my focus to the potato in my hand. “I’m tired. Very tired. And a little confused by what’s going on.” I paused, taking another bite, as a wave of warmth fluttered my system, giving this bleak world more color. “Well? I can only assume I’ve been asleep for a long time.”

“And yet you appear to be a young man, around eighteen, with a cultivation of High God. A great feat. This is why we didn’t leave you behind; we assumed you to be an incomprehensible genius. There is no high god that looks as young as you.”

My frown deepened to such a degree I lowered the meal as a growing frustration tugged at my consciousness. ” What the hell are you talking about? You make it sound like you two aren’t… immortals.”

“You are from the Age of Darkness.” The woman yelped, gasping, with her hands over her mouth. She staggered back with a look of wonder in her eye.

“Dear God.” Said Carlton, “Surely you jest!”

‘Lily, you there!” I shouted, looking up only to receive silence. I stared as the skies flared with a blazing inferno of flames. ” Shit.” Pulling out my Holocube from my soul, my frown deepened as I tried to connect to Noctem. But nothing.

“A holocube… From Genesis.” Carlton whispered, unsheathing his sword. ” Put it away, now!”

My eyes rose to his, and before I could release a slew of curses, the Holocube within my palm suddenly trembled. Azure flames sprang from its core as a pillar of ephemeral light shot into the skies, erupting in a conflagration of fireworks.

“Shit, our position is compromised! Let’s move! Now!” Carlton bellowed loudly.

Staring at the Holocube releasing foreign energy, coldness brewed in my heart as the light receded to my will. I looked at the skies and rose towards the Heavens teeming in warfare. 𝑏𝘦𝘥𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘦𝑙．𝑜𝑟𝘨

Angels wielding flaming weapons battled against devils and demons as humans such as Elves, Versi, Gnormes, Ilthad, and many more worked together to combat the angelic side.

Qi danced through the skies as screams and howls plagued my ears, only to be drowned by explosions the longer I ascended. Pushing past the various atmosphere to the Bed of Chaos, I saw utter terror as abyss fiends ran wild.

World burned, and stars shrank, as if cowards, as hundreds of Gods waged war amongst each other. Death spilled like liquid as I felt the incarnation of death flutters this infinite realm with his almighty aura.

“Lilith… What the hell happened? What is going on?”