Chapter 4

(Figure's P.O.V)

Underworld! The transcendent abyss of the dead also referred to as the netherworld in various religious traditions and myths, is situated beneath the world of the living. Humans are very imaginative creatures, an imagination even the supernaturals would envy.

The concept of an underworld appears in nearly every civilization and "may be as old as humanity itself." Accounts of living people traveling to the underworld, often for heroic reasons, are common features of underworld myths.

Other stories, such as the ancient Greek story of the recently deceased Patroclus haunting Achilles until his body could be properly buried for this purpose, reinforce traditions that the entrance of souls to the underworld requires proper observance of the ceremony. Social status individuals were dressed and equipped to better navigate the underworld.

A number of mythologies include the concept of the deceased's soul traveling to the underworld on its own, with the dead being transported across a defining obstacle such as a lake or a river to reach this destination.

These are just a few of the stories that have been buried in the river of time, and time is unforgiving; it can even make impossible things happen with its ability to change everything as it passes; with time, a 'Fact' became a 'Tale,' a 'Tale' became a 'Legend,' and finally the 'Legend' became 'Myths.' These 'Myths' have remained as traces of the reality that this world once had and known, and all of this is accounted for by one single thing: 'belief.'

If there's one thing I know for certain about 'belief,' it's that it's a very fragile concept used to motivate the masses and as a way of life.

It was used in ancient times, with the crusades being the most prominent example - the belief that most rulers of old exploited fear of God and the promise of paradise to motivate the masses to do their bidding. Because of the times, most humans lacked significant thought - they never examined concepts that contradicted their rulers or even the word of God. As a result, they lived in an age of fear, oppression, and manipulation.

Darwin was correct: we have evolved.

To me, the concept is simple: you believe in what you think compliments you and who you are as a person, ignore the haters and live life with the shoulder you've chosen to rely on for support - I've already learned that lesson, as have probably the majority of others.

Aside from the benefit of motivation and raising morale by telling sugar-coated stories about long-dead beings, there is a deadly edge to this principle. Those who use belief to motivate themselves unknowingly cross a delicate balance.

...hanging over a pit of despair

Belief is a two-edged blade; if it is used as a foundation in life, then when - or if - that source of equilibrium is broken, despair becomes your new best buddy.

And trust me... I've slept with despair... She does not make good company.

Anyway, Where am I?

Ahh...Lucifaad

Supposedly the crown jewel of the underworld, with enormous spires and vast black obsidian walls, Lucifaad made kingdoms such as "Ancient Britain" and "Lilith" appear minuscule in comparison... even the ancient city of thorns appeared puny.

It was evidence of how prideful Lucifer was—he had an ego, for sure—and it had served as the old Satan's main centre of resource planning from the start of the great war until now. To this point, any attempt to even try to take the city has been deemed impossible due to the levels of security that was unmatched by anything ever seen in history.

A lot of faith was placed in the city, and a lot of workforces were used to ensure that it remained that way for as long. While seizing it was nearly impossible, simply holding it kept Satan's descendant's morale high.

In another word, Arrogance.

Like a wise man once said, "There are two scenarios that lead to arrogance: one is when you're wrong and you can't face it; the other is when you're right and nobody else can face it."

Descendants of the original Satans are the haughty fools, like in the first scenario, whereas Lucifer was in the second scenario. Personally, I believe there is nothing wrong with being arrogant until you have the conviction to back up your assertion, but do I prefer it?

That's what I'd say: no. Again, in my opinion, ignorance is always preferable to arrogance.

(P.O.V End)

A man was gazing intently at the six golden objects that had been laid out on the table in front of him while he remained seated comfortably in his chair. The man had long silver hair and a toned and rather muscular body.

His hair was lengthy. On the right side of his head, a small section of his hair was tied into a single braid, and his fingernails were dark in colour. He had cyan eyes that phosphoresce in the dark. He accessorized his look with black earrings and white gloves that covered his palms.

He embodied the very definition of perfection, reaching a level of flawlessness so high that it bordered on sinful levels. Even the most innocuous movement on his part could make him appear exceedingly alluring. This man had a face so exquisitely beautiful that it would make even a god or goddess of beauty green with jealousy.

But he did not divert his attention from the one thing that was directly in front of him, which was a set of six shards that, from a normal perspective, appeared to be some ordinary broken ornamental materials. However, they were not even close to being that; rather, they were the shards of the legendary Excalibur, the most powerful holy sword and ultimate holy sword that had been crafted by the god.

In spite of the fact that it was widely believed to be the most powerful holy sword, the True Excalibur was shattered into seven pieces when King Arthur passed away. There have been a lot of different hypotheses put up to explain its apparent destruction. The notion that it was shattered in a fight is by far the most prevalent and widely disseminated explanation for what took place, as this is what the vast majority of people think took place.

On the other hand, this is not how things actually work; a holy sword, regardless of how weak it may be, cannot be broken or destroyed as long as God is around. This is demonstrated by the fact that Excalibur wasn't destroyed while God was still alive, albeit the specific reason for this event is an unknown absolute certainty.

However, what was more interesting was that the shards, despite having been split, had preserved a vast quantity of holy power. This sacred power was more than sufficient to kill a high-class devil simply by being in the same room as the shards.

The pommel, the hilt, the crossguard, and the three sections of the blade itself—the lower, the middle, and the upper section—were all believed to be the three-bladed shards. The scabbard, however, was not a shard in and of itself; instead, it is the scabbard that is thought to be a shard.

The pommel was the first shard to be broken, and it was claimed to have housed an amorphous gem that could alter its colour according to how it felt. Once it was shattered, the gem gained the power of transparency, which gives the user the ability to become invisible.

The second piece was the hilt; this was the part that was responsible for the creation of the ability to bring light, the power of the king of knights, and the power to destroy in order to bring forth justice.

The third component was called the crossguard, and it was composed of a divine metal that had been blessed by the god. Its colour was royal blue, and it had majestic golden accents. This component was meant to symbolize the authority of a king, a ruler who reigns.

Even though King Arthur was a knight and a swordsman, this does not mean that he did not learn the way of magic throughout his life. The blade itself was divided into three parts, and each part held a different property as well as a different domain of magic that King Arthur perfected over the course of his lifetime. Therefore, the three domains were mimicry, speed, and nightmare. And the mastery that he had over these three elements was eventually passed down to the three shards.

The last and final piece was the scabbard, which was transformed into a sword by the angels because they were the first to recover it. The angels believed that this world would never see another worthy wielder of True Excalibur, so they concluded that the blade could not be recovered because it was damaged beyond repair. As a result, the only option was to repair the scabbard and use it in some way.

"I have collected the six shards, now there is one more to go," the figure said in a magnetic voice that could send shudders down the spine of anyone. This was not due to his tone or his beautiful voice, but rather due to the emptiness that was contained in his tone.

He raised his hand in the direction of the six shards, and each of them reacted to him by emitting faint vibrations that were composed of holy energy. Not only did these shards react to him, but they also reacted to one another and other shards. This suggests that they possessed a form of semi-sentience.

They were trying to join themselves to return back to their prior and original shape, and a minuscule attraction force could be felt in between them as they did so. However, the process was unable to move forward because one of them was missing, therefore it was stuck.

Knock! Knock!

The man became aware of a knocking sound coming from his door.

"Young Master, Lord Lucifer has issued a request of your summon at his court, please visit him as early as possible," said the voice of a lady, most likely a maid who had come to inform him of his father's request to meet with him.

"Please visit him as soon as possible," she pleaded with him as if she was desperate.

'What is that old man after now? I should probably kill him. He's starting to irritate me.' The man grunted in irritation, but he chose to meet him anyhow. He waved his palm, and the shards vanished in a silver, almost cyan-colored circle.