"With this I can finally kill this guy. And once everything disappears my legacy will definitely fall on that ideal boy."
"Yeah, though ti was short, I can tell he was a good soul. He's definitely worthy to be my successor."
"Not to ntion he even has the guidance from Apollo."
Aelthar was lost in his thoughts, muttering them in his heart with a happy smile on his pale face.
This journey to find his successor was quite long and tricky, and torturous too _ but ….(At least everything ended well…)
Or so he thought.
By the ti Aelthar finished his thoughts he found himself standing in the middle of a sea of darkness. With no end or the beginning in sight.
"His mind is as dark as his damned soul." The god muttered and not caring to spare any more thoughts to this strange conjecture.
Afraid of Nyx's or anyone else's interference, Aelthar didn't waste any ti and directly chose to sacrifice himself.
Burning his soul would definitely destroy the mind of mortal.
But before the energy of god's soul could even spread a square, a sneer sounded in the darkness. Suppressing all the violent power and forcing it back into the god's soul.
"So this is what people call a God now? Tis sure have changed."
A mocking voice ca from the front and as Aelthar looked up in seven parts confusion and three parts curiosity, he noticed two orbs of light flickering in the darkness.
The oozing red looked particularly clear and visible in this lightless world.
The god was confused when suddenly the red orbs disappeared, and the sound of footsteps started coming closer and closer.
Clink …. Clink …. Clink
(Shouldn't Rio be in a coma or howling in pain now that I entered his mind, what's this voice then?)
"Who's there?" The god asked now sure the flickering red weren't simple orbs but bloody pupils.
But the dark entity gave no response, and maintained it's speed.
As the distance between Aelthar and those pupils kept getting closer, a chilling aura spread all over and surrounded the god, suppressing his soul – trapping it in place, lest it ran away.
"Erebus??" Aelthar spoke, rembering Rio had ntioned sothing about the god of darkness before, but then shook his head.
He had seen Erebus and though the primordial was powerful, Aelthar felt the aura now was completely different. If not even more dangerous.
"A god reduced to a beggar in the mind of a mortal _ how pathetic."
As these words ca, Aelthar felt his soul shudder in fear for so reason, and then to his confusion, his body kneeled on the ground on it's own.
He tried to lift his head, but found no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't even do that.
It wasn't because so mysterious power suppressed him or sothing, it's just that his soul itself refused to follow his conscious commands, and kept kneeling.
As if surrendering to a higher power, hoping for a chance at survival.
And this to Aelthar, was the most horrific thought.
Aelthar was lost in thoughts, trapped in fear when a pale hand reached out in front of him. Grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up.
"You barge into my domain, and try to hurt my host _ quite gutsy, or should I say foolish?"
The mysterious entity spoke in a calm tone, but Aelthar ignored this…his entire attention focused on that face.
The nacing entity had the sa face as Rio, but his eyes _ they were different. Instead of those black pupils ho to the darkness he wields _ there were now pupils of a purest shade of red.
Whose very gaze pulled Aelthar into an illusion that he was staring into a cosmos covered in blood.
As the entity blinked, Aelthar found himself back in reality, his soul body covered in 'sweat' and trembling in fear.
A mory long ignored and forgotten played in his mind and the god couldn't help but break out in disbelief.
The mory was about a prophecy he heard in his travels thousands of years ago.
About a Devil born in darkness and drowned insane..Whose pupils will reflect the bloody rain..whose terror will end the hallowed reign, and plunge the world in endless pain.
No prayer will rise, no hope takes flight.. For the Devil will feast on the cosmic light.
— Being curious about everything Aelthar had searched around the world for origins of this prophecy, but after decades of finding nothing, he ignored it as so baseless rumor.
But only at this mont, did the god realize that the prophecy was real.
That the doom promised was the truth.
"D…de__Devil."
The god forced himself to mutter these words against his will, as if hoping that his wild guesses were wrong, _ Only to fall into the fear abyss as he noticed the mysterious entity curl his lips up and smirk in response.
"So you've heard of . I'm impressed." The devil replied with a charming smile.
As the words finished Aelthar felt a wave of energy pour into his soul, healing him instantly.
For a second, he found his soul return to it's peak form, and even surpass it by a few folds _ but there was no joy on the god's face.
Only terror.
And that's why , even though he had recovered all his strength, he didn't even think about struggling or fighting back, he just bowed his head and begged for rcy.
"I didn't know…Please let go. I can serve you…..I can serve him."
"I'm a god , but I'll be your servant. Just let go."
Aelthar's face, once sure of victory, was now filled with fear.
But all his prayers fell onto deaf ears.
"A God?" The Devil laughed as if he heard sothing funny. "Gods are just puppets. Pawns pulled by a string, you fools couldn't even see."
"You lot are just placeholders with a better PR, that's all."
As the Devil finished mocking, he simply raised his arm and snapped his fingers.
The sound, releasing a shockwave which suppressed the god's strengthened soul instantly, turning all its fa, fear, and fury,_ and freezing it into a tiny crystal. Not larger than the size of a nail.
Aelthar didn't even get a chance to scream or howl in pain before death gripped his heart and darkness covered his sight.
The Devil plucked the floating crystal in his fingers, looking at it with a hungry gaze.
The pure violent energy enough to shatter so mini worlds or blast a large chunk of land for normal ones _ looked particularly pale in the devil's eyes.
"This will do for now." The Devil muttered and tossed the orb into his mouth and swallowed.
No flourish. No gloating. And no ceremony.
As if killing a god and sucking his soul was simply a child's ga.
….
The system who was originally responsible for protecting Rio's mind from any and all possessions, and was now just trapped in a corner, forced to watch all this scene from the sidelines.
(Should've died and gone to the Veil.. But instead you ca knocking on the devil's door.)
The system thought, feeling all traces of the god's soul disappear.
Permanently.
(A true Death for a god __ when was the last ti it happened?) The system couldn't help but mutter, but then sothing dawned on it and it's curiosity instantly got replaced by anger.
"Damn it, that was my dinner." System shouted in anger. "Spit it out."
{ Seriously system….}
Done with his business, the Devil was about to summon his throne and rest, when an unpleasant voice attracted his attention.
He turned his head, glancing in a faraway corner where a small ball of blue floated freely. Fuming in anger over it's missing nutrients.
System was still too lost in anger to notice, it wasn't trapped anymore, and it's voice wasn't suppressed no longer _ so it kept shouting.
"Rio promised that. I was supposed to eat that soul and get stronger."
"Get an upgrade and beco all powerful to suppress this devil and beco the boss of his brainspace again."
"But now this bastard ate Aelthar, damn it…"
"You are saying sothing."
The system was still mumbling complaints when a figure suddenly appeared in front of it, and spoke calmly.
"Wha _ no.. Nothing. I_ I wasn't saying anything." The system imdiately realized it's blunder and broke out in cold sweat. Hurriedly declining all responsibilities.
"I think you had so complaints about ." The Devil spoke, gently stroking the system with his pale hands.
System couldn't help but shudder and cry a few tears seeing that 'smile'.
It was just wondering if it was next on the devil's dinner nu, – when the Devil just turned around and walked away.
"I'm in a good mood today. So I'll let it slide. But don't forget your place, the next ti."
The devil disappeared after leaving those words. And only after making sure that the damned depressing aura was gone, did the system dare to breathe a sigh of relief.
(That was close.) System thought, and shook it's head.
[But now what will I answer Rio when he asks why I couldn't upgrade?]
[Should I tell him about the Devil???] The system was wondering if it should finally be honest, when suddenly another sound of snapping fingers was heard.
And as if shattering so chain, a lock placed onto the system's powers disappeared.
The first breakthrough.
The system finally leveled up after coming to Arcadia.
System felt the familiar flow of energy and surge in powers, and couldn't help but wonder who did this?
(Did The Being finally heard my prayers and answered my call?) The system wondered, recalling the only figure who was strong enough to do 'this'.
But then as if to mock the trapped toad living at the bottom of the barrel, - the voice of Devil echoed in darkness.
"I'll et him on my own wish. Don't ruin our first eting with your blabber."
[....] (Of course there's this bastard too.)
—- -------
While the battle in the brain ended, Rio, who was knocked unconscious after Aelthar's sneaky move, slowly opened his eyes. _ only to frown once more, seeing a sword pointed to his head, aid to take his life next instant.
"Leon…."
#####
Author note - lmao what is this idiot protagonist doing? Why's he trying to kill Rio in his 'sleep' now?
He really forgot the beating he received earlier. Looks like he needs so more, don't he…
Cough cough
Enough jokes, onto serious things, this is the first ti you people see The Devil make a move himself on screen.
The impact of it may feel less since Rio, a re mortal now, also beat Aelthar before. So what's the Devil hype?
But you'll see it very very soon. This is all just build up for when he finally shows up in real, instead of playing in Rio's mind. (Which happens in next arc btw)
This arc is almost over with 2 or possibly 3 chapters remaining now. So buckle up.
Cause shit's about to get serious now.
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Also I have so poetic prophecies about the devil here, you guys can take a look at em for fun.
"When mountains crumble to ash and sand,
And the last tree withers in his hand..
The air itself will turn to deadly knives,
And the Devil will crown himself… King of Dead Lives."
..
"From the pit where ti itself decays,
He'll climb, adorned in mortal frays.
His eyes—twin storms of slaughter's hue—
Will paint the world in nightmares true."
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