22 Chapter Twenty-Two: Ten Year War

Zirian charged ahead of his men as the black flame was dispersed by the human alliance armies' magic shield.

Zirian saw Jason charge at him as he raised his sword, bringing it down onto Jason's axe.

The hit caused many soldiers around the two to be blown back hundreds of feet.

The clashes many times before Zirian smiled. "You have grown strong, Hero. Let us not be disturbed." Zirian snapped his fingers as the ground he and Jason stood on removed itself from the earth, and raised into the sky.

A mage tried to undo the magic but Emperor Stravos stopped her. "This is his fight, Lilith."

"Yes, father."

Zirian and Jason stared menacingly at each other before Zirian sighed. "I know Alice would have never wanted this. That is what you are going to tell me."

"Then why? Why go to war?"

"I'll tell you only for you beat me, Jason."

Jason griped his axe as he steeped himself. "You are not allow to say my name!" He suddenly disappeared and reappeared before Zirian, who blocked his axe with a big of struggle. Zirian pushes Jason back as Jason's axe began to glow orange, as the surface became covered in orange veins that pulsed very second.

"Ah, I forgot you knew how to channel your courage. Very well, then I will meet you with mine." Zirian closed his eyes as both his armor and sword began to crack, before white veins emerge within the cracks.

He charged at Jason who swiftly blocked the blade of his sword, counter attacking with a kick. Zirian avoided the kick and punched Jason on the right shoulder, which moved him a bit to the right.

Jason rubbed his shoulder as he charged at Zirian. Zirian dodged to the right as Jason stuck out his foot, tripping him. He then turned and swung his axe down, embedding it into Zirian's stomach.

Zirian stumbles backwards onto the ground.

"Why did you start this war?" Jason asked as his eyes began to swell with tears.

Zirian smiled. "There is a secret order. An order that wishes to control the world. They are the Court of the Seven Holy Virtues, Jason. This war has birthed a peaceful world, but one that they have some control."

"This was to stop them?" Jason asked.

"No. No. My family led an order for generations against them. We were only called the Order of Free Will, rep- represented by the sword. I believe they will always exist, but a new force will rise against them." Zirian grunted as he grabbed a seal from within his storage ring. "I-I ask you to destroy this in front of me, before I die."

"Why?" Jason took the seal in his hand.

"It is the last seal. The late King Haytham would've destroyed his. Won't you do this for me?"

Jason looked into Zirian's eyes, seeing the hatred he has seen over the years suddenly gone. His hand turned red as the seal melted away.

"Thank you, Jason. Thank you. This war was to...to...to..." grunted as he grabbed the blade of the axe, pushing it deeper into his stomach. "...bring... pea...ce..."

"There will be peace now, King Zirian. Go, be with Alice." Jason spoke calmly and softly, not like he spoke to an enemy, but to a friend.

Jason tried removing his axe, but Zirian wouldn't allow him. "There is... peace? Yes... I think... I will... go... to..." he gripped Jason's right hand as his eyes became cloudy. Zirian smiled as his pulse began to slow, before stopping completely as his left hand slipped off the blade of the axe. "...Paradise."

Jason removed his axe from Zirian and closed his eyes. He grabbed his sword and laid it on him, laying Zirian's hands on the hilt.

"May you rest with your daughter, King Zirian."

The ground they were on began to slowly descend from the sky as everyone form both sides waited to see who lived. As it landed, the human alliance began to cheer as the demons began to retreat, falling back to their territory.

Jason wipes the tears he had off his face as he raised his axe high into the sky. "The Demon Lord Zirian is dead!"

The alliance repeated and chanted his sentence.

"The Demon Lord Zirian is dead!"

———

Alice sat in The Void, trying to create a gateway out and back to Astrea. She felt like it had been days, but did not grow hungry or tired.

'This is taking forever.' Alice thought.

- System apologizes again for being unable to grant Host the skill: Creation with use of 'Perfection'. -

'I've told you, System. It's fine. The item description says that it's not possible.' Alice sighed. "This would be much easier though." Suddenly, she felt something wrong, like someone just disappeared from the world. She felt an urge of needing to return no matter what, and unlocked them ability to create a gateway. It was in the shape of a golden arch with a dim light pouring through it, she jumped through and found herself in the middle of the forest she had been at a few days ago.

She saw decaying corpses that seemed like they had been there for years. Finding her dagger protruding from one of their bodies, she pulled it out, creating a new scabbard for it, sheathing the weapon.

"Why are there... bodies here?" Alice walked for a few steps before wobbling. 'System what's wrong with me?'

- Sytem Mirror -

A mirror appeared in front of her as she stared in awe. It's was what she originally made her body look like, before being forced into a body of an infant.

She had smooth, snowlike white skin. She was about five feet, seven inches tall and had a nice figure. Long and curly pink and white hair traveled down her smooth back. It reached Alice's waist line. The body had two big pretty pink eyes, and a pair of nice, firm d-cup breasts. She still had her storage ring, but that was it.

'System, why am I naked? Wasn't I wearing a robe?'

- It only existed in the void. -

Alice checked her stats and skills to find them all the same. 'Hey wait...what's the difference between Skill Creation, Item Creation, and Creation?

- Creation can be used to create souls and life, while Item Creation and Skill Creation can only create items and skills to be used. -

Alice sighed and created clothes to wear. She created underwear, gray pants and black boots. She put on a simple white shirt and a black coat. In the front, the coat stopped right above her waist, but went down to the back of her knees and was split from behind. It had sleeves that went down to just below her elbows.

'I should go find father.' Alice allowed her now beautiful burning black wings to breathe, and began to fly through the sky. The further she flew, she realized she flew over where Lucifina's capital city would be.

In its place was a completely destroyed wasteland, filled with soldiers of the Stravos Empire, the Kingdom of Inferna, and many other countries. They seems to be fighting the Army of Lucifina, and we're losing.

She saw a floating piece of land begin to slowly descend down into the ground, and saw a young man clad in silver armor. He paid respects to a Demon who slid dead right next to him.

Alice wasn't feeling great about what she saw, so she put on her hood and created a white mask that had an he socket on the left side, while the right was completely sealed. It's bottom half was covered in a violent, bloody smile. When she put the mask on, it seemed like she wasn't even wearing one, as it didn't obstruct her vision.

When she flew a little closer to hear what allied armies began to chant, she froze.

"The Demon Lord Zirian is dead!" The chant filled her head, causing her to immediately grip the handle of her rapier.

'Father is...' When she looked at the Demon who laid next to the man who began the chant, who had his battle axe raised into the air, she saw him.

Zirian laid, hands clasped to his sword. His eyes were closed and there was a smile on his face. He was covered in cuts and blood, as he lied in a pool of his own.

Alice began to think of all the memories she had with him, and immediately swooped down from the sky.

One man saw her and pointed. "Look! It's an Angel! They come to congratulate us!"

She landed on the ground right next to Zirian, falling to her knees as feathers that had fallen off her wings landed around the battlefield. 'I can't let them know who I am. If they've killed him... and done this to the capital.' Alice laid her hand over Zirian's eyes. "You may rest, King Zirian. Your work is done."

Jason turned to Alice, pointing his weapon at her. "I didn't know the Demon Lord had a Fallen Angel in his ranks."

When the men around Japan heard him say 'Fallen Angel', they immediately began to shake, if only a little.

"D-did he say Fallen Angel?"

"Her wings ARE burning..."

Alice stood up and stared directly at Jason. "What is your name, human?" When she looked into this tall man's eyes, she felt a sense of familiarity.

"My name is Jason Stravos, Ms. Angel. I'm the Hero chosen by the Empire." When Jason finished speaking he got into a battle stance. "I can not let a Fallen Angel leave. You're more dangerous than he ever was." As he was about to jump at her, Alice breathed deeply, suddenly picking up Zirian and flying away into the sky as tears slipped from under her mask, hitting Jason's face.

'Why did she seem so familiar?' He shook it off. "Archers! Do not let her escape!"

"Lord Hero, she is too fast. Our arrows wouldn't even come close to hitting her. We can put out a need for information on her, though." An archer bowed as he spoke.

"Very well. I'll be heading back to the capital. Whatever my father says to do with Demons you've captured, do it." Jason walked back to the camp as men passed him, carrying slave collars. He walked into his father's tent and sighed. "Do they really deserve to be enslaved? They're warriors, father."

Emperor Stravos held a collar in his hands as he frowned. "The army and Royal Guard are enslaving all Demons across the continent as we speak. We mustn't allow another Demon Lord to ever be born."

Jason looked at the ground before looking back at his father. "A Fallen Angel took his body."

That made Stravos stand immediately. "A Fallen Angel? Why would an Angel of any kind take his corpse?" He's eyes widened as he thought of something. "A Fallen Angel can, through a ritual, retrieve the soul of a recently killed being. We must find them!"

"Father, what if she doesn't know how to do that?"

"Please, boy! That Fallen Angel has most likely lived an eternity before us! We must find her!"

———

Alice sat next to Zirian's body at the collasped gate. "What do I do now? System, can I bring him back?"

- Due to Fallen Lineage and skills, it is possible. However, as his soul found peace, it would rip him apart and he'd be a shadow of his formal self. -

"So I let him disappear into nothingness?"

- ... -

- System Recommends avenging Host's 'Father.' -

Alice sobbed as her cheeks turned red. "System, in my past life, I never..." She tried to remember her past life, but she couldn't. "During my past life... why can't I remember?"

- Host has become attached to new life. Memories of the last will slowly be locked away. -

She sighed as she felt empty inside. Her father, her memories, her kingdom, her friend...

"Was Zach at that battle?"

- Unknown. -

Alice continued in her current state for days, weeks, and eventually, months. She buried Zirian right at the entrance of the fallen gate, after getting rid of the other bodies and the broken carriage.

Emperor Stravos and Jason continued searching for Alice, sending soldiers everywhere.

- Host must get over this state of grief. It will begin to take affect on your skills. -

- System recommends finding something to live for. -

- Vengeance is still an option. -

Alice breathed in deeply as she sat next to her campfire. She currently wore a white cloak, similar to what she wore previously, but wore it over a white robe. Under the robe she wore a shirt, a set of white underwear, and the red pendant.

She felt like it was a second heart to her, but only remembered seeing it as that in her dreams once.

'I really should go back to society soon.' She looked up at the sky as she heard birds begin to suddenly fly away. Alice listens closely to her surroundings as she grabbed her rapier. A few branches broke as a group of soldiers jumped out with swords drawn.

"Oh, sorry ,ma'am. We thought you could be a demon." The soldier in charge told his men to lower there weapons. "What are you doing all the way out here? Especially in the middle of winter?"

He noticed the grave and began to walk toward it. "Burying someone?"

Alice froze. "Uh... He was my husband, Charles. He died a few days ago, and asked he be buried here."

The man rubbed his chin as he turned and looked at Alice. "So you're no longer married?" An evil grin appeared on his face as he commanded his men. "Seize the demon woman!"

"Yes sir!" They drew there swords and jumped at Alice, grabbing her arms and holding her in place.

She said nothing and didn't make a sound. "Oh? Is the 'Demon' woman afraid? Don't worry, you'll forget all about your loss soon enough." He laughed as Alice looked up at him.

'Berserk.'

Alice lost consciousness as she heard the am unbuckling his pants.

———

Alice opened her eyes and noticed the five soldiers lying around dead. The man that had taken off his pants still lived as he clutched his neck.

Alice looked at his crotch and smiled. "How small..."

She thought for a moment as the wound on his neck suddenly healed. "W-who are you?"

Alice continued to smile as a pair of broken wings suddenly attached themselves to the man's back.

"I'm just a normal Demon."

The wings slowly began to tear and scratch at his back. He screamed as he tried to pull them off. "W-What do you want? P...please... I'll... do..." the man's eyes got cloudy as his wounds once again healed, before the wings began to rip at him again. Alice continued to do this for hours until she got bored, healing the man and letting him rest.

"You insult my manhood and than torture me like that for hours." The man began to cried as he covered his crotch in shame. "You rally are a demon!"

Alice sighed as she pulled out a blue pill. "I was spending the time creating this. I didn't want to be bored while I did it." She yanked the chain she put around his neck. "Swallow it."

The man reluctantly, but obediently, swallowed the pill. Suddenly, he felt his crotch burn up before cooling off a bit. "What did you do to me?" He immediately felt a burning pain all over his body. When he looked at his chest, he noticed two larger mounds appear. His waist grew a bit wider as he became a bit shorter.

The man's hair turned blacks and grew down to his back as his rough and blemished skin turned to a porcelain white skin, which was completely smooth and flawless.

"You were going to try to rape me, yes?" Alice smiled at the man, now woman, as she broke her chain. "I thought it's be a fit punishment for you to become the one to get raped. Think of it as a form of castration."

The woman's clothes were no rather large and fell off with no problem. He suddenly felt two small appendages extend from his head and his back.

"You made me a demon?" When she spoke, she grabbed her slim throat, feeling for her nonexistent Adam's apple.

"Only a Demon can be a good slave, right?" Alice gave the woman a set of very provocative clothing, putting a collar around her neck. "Your name is now... Joy. It's another word for pleasure."

She dragged Joy out of the woods with her and towards the nearest town, one that just so happened to be having a slave auction.

Joy screamed as she tried getting away. "Please! No! No!"

When Alice left the town, she had a bag of gold coins for how great her product was. 'System, where is Master Odis? Was he on the battlefield with my father?'

- Unknown, but System has a recommendation for a reason to continue living. -

- New System Recommendation: Become the New God of this Universe. -

Alice pauses in her footsteps seeing the recommendation. A smile appeared on her face. 'It hadn't crossed my mind system. Thank you, for something to do once I master Creation.'

She began to walk nonchalantly out of the woods as she hummed, leaving the town, and hearing the pleasant curses from Joy's lips. "Curse you, Demon! Curse-"

'I guess I'll go visit the Empire's Capital.'