Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

The Laws of Space cried as my power continued to bleed from my pores. Trembling under the pressure of the rising divinity that shook the earth beneath my feet, flickers of darkness whipped over my flesh like lightning bolts.

A scarlet glow of the deepest of sins filled my eyes as the Runes of the Abyss began to awaken. Blessing me with strength that could enhance my chances of victory, I stared at Belphegor, Kain, Andor, and my former friend Baphomet—covered in their respectful glow of divinity rippling from their bodies, the demonic essence within the sanctuary twisted akin to a vengeful dragon.

Kain moved.

Bolting like a wisp of light, the clanks of steel followed by the sea of embers filled my sight as Loki materialized, blocking his strike, as his leg whipped over the head of kain, sending the light within his eyes into a field of stars. The young demon’s body whipped past his brethren, crashing into the wall.

The God of trickery smiled, ” My True Master has granted me quite a range of powers, so why don’t we get this over with?”

I could see a slight frown flicker over the thin lips of Belphegor, and I wasn’t sure why but as the black essence of a higher being slowly began to wrap around Loki, his eyes turned into pooling darkness that stirred even me.

Images of a time before this one flickered through my mind, with Mephisto’s hands poised behind his back, eyeing me with a look that could kill.

“The Power of Black Sabbath is one of Absolution. Only by reaching the realm of concepts can one—-”

The fleeting memory faded.

A shimmer of a black essence coiled around the Spear of Noctem as a dark concept took root over its edge. My spear had no longer felt like it was my own; it had felt heavy, almost impossible to hold, but the Sigil of Pride and Greed did not allow me to drop what was mine.

“Scramble,” Lilith uttered with a snap as everyone in the room suddenly switched places; no more was I standing by Lilith, but instead by Belphegor, whose gaze lingered on me. He was not surprised, but everyone else was.

Whipping my spear towards the man who held a halbert of pure chaotic force materialized instantly. The Concept of Supremacy erupted like a flood, thundering with the power of an ancient god.

BOOOOOM*

“NOT ENOUGH, BOY!” Belphegor thundered, blocking my strike without a change in expression as the halbert suddenly twisted with the power of Absolution.

‘ARSENE DODGE!” Lilith howled, but it was too late.

I didn’t have a lot of time, but I had managed to block his strike, but that did very little as I was taken off my feet into the air and through the mysterious runes covering this sanctuary. Blood was spilling from my arms through the sheer force Belphegor brought me, causing my organs to shift.

By the time I manage to stop my body from moving, I found myself in the confines of space, without a single planet in sight. 𝘣𝑒𝑑𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘦𝘭.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, the laws of space trembled, and within a single moment, Belphegor was there, no more than seven meters away.

“This is better; that planet was a little restrictive.” He uttered as the unease in me took on a new color.

My fingers tightened around the Spear of Noctem as I calmly stared at this monster which blocked a full-on attack by a concept like it were nothing.

“This part of the Abyss is akin to the border between each heaven, so in your case, it resembles the bridge between the Fourth Heaven and Fifth,” He said, in a calm chilling voice, “And it is known as Heavens End.”

Heavens End. A zone exclusive to those of the highest peak and is known to be where the Abritors of Fate reside.

“Aren’t you breaking your deal?” I said, looking around,” I made it out of your Cathedral.”

‘But your wife hasn’t, and I’ve called a few more High God Demons and Devils to take care of her. It will be quite a feast.”

“Eh?”

He smiled.

“Belphegor, “I calmly uttered as the Hollowing began flicking through my soul. “You’re not going to touch my children.”

The Demon Fallen bellowed into laughter, ” My boy, can you stop me?”

Diving deep into the Hollowing, I arched a single hand and silently prayed to the abyss.

“Arsene, your not ready to take power from the Abyss,” Izavith sounded in my mind. “Using the lingering effects it has on you is enough if you keep going—”

Blocking out her words, I felt like the shackles around me began to fade. My wings vanished, but the scales over my body began to creep towards my neck and face.

“Oh? Interesting I—”

Blood gushed as a fist connected with Belphegor’s jaw, following the creation of a black hole from the sheer force of my fist that devoured us, spitting us out in a random place in the abyss as I pierced my spear forward.

Filling the cold, dark abyss with almighty essence that shattered stars and worlds, a myriad of abyssal fiends of all levels stormed the skies as my spear came cleaving down, aking to the great serpent falling to earth.

Filled with all seven sins and seven virtues from my angelic bloodline, I howled, releasing a bellowing cry that sounded from all abyssal creatures.

“Severing Chains!” I thundered out my own Technique I’d been working on since I gained Seraphina’s angelic heritage. And with Lilith Into Abyss Working with me, I was, for all intended purposes, a Paragon.

Adding the Concept of Supremacy to my spear, Belphegor’s laughter of delight resounded as his chaotic dao met my spear.

Time skipped, and dao bled like stars as we were pushed into sub-space, along with the myriad of Abyssal Fiends who all charged, not at me, but Belphegor.

“NOT ENOUGH, BOY! NOT EVEN CLOSE!” he howled as a power of an elder God Exploded out, filling the fleeting streaks of light of subspace with the familiar dao of Madness.

Shaken to my core, I was almost forced out of the Hollowing as Belphegor’s halbert cleaved down a random Abyssal Fiends and latched his fingers onto its blood as he stared me dead in the eye.

“If you wish to contest with higher bings like me, you better master your blood laws.” He said and clenched his fist, turning the field of Abyssal fiends into a sea of blood. None of them even saw what had happened as their bodies all exploded.

“Now your turn.”