Shadows of Iliah

Chilled by the crazed laughter, my chest felt cramped. I tightened the cloak around my neck, and the spear of pestilence emerged from the folds of darkness in my right hand. At the same time, the sword molded by the shadows shimmered into my left hand.

"Arsene," Avar whispered my name, her voice carrying something I'd never thought I would hear in her, a woman whose emotions seemed always to be under-wraps. "There—"

"I know," I coldly voiced, "Take her."

Avar quickly took Lilith off my back into her arms. Without another word, I teleported from my location a few dozen kilometers towards where a great battle seemed to be raging, drowned by an influx of vicious cries of despair.

My eyes locked over the banner of two swords crossing and the dark flames devouring their camp. Clouds of black haze seemed to darken the sun's glare against my skin, but the coldness clinging to my chest only grew. Blood had stained the ground, alongside many disciples and masters, I had seen, their bodies appearing to have been gouged upon by some manner of creature.

I darted forward through the entrance where only the bodies of disciples resided. Dipping past various tents, caught aflame, my gaze landed upon a party of seven disciples, staring at a single creature.

Its skin appeared to be a grimy black lingering with rot, carrying two heads of various sizes that seemed to belong to two different people. The Abomination held four arms and four legs, its face twisted in such a way one of its eyes was where its nose should have been, and where its mouth should be, appeared to be—A testicle protruding from its head.

"Zariel, what the hell did you do to them?"

"Help us!" A disciple by the name of Raffie cried, but as he said that, I dashed towards him, and the spear of Pestilence danced over the small squad of Star-Lord. Plunging my spear through Raffie's left eye, watching his right pop form out of his skull, his entire head exploded into a mist of gore.

I wasn't here to help.

I whipped the shadow blade to take a few heads, and blood splashed over my cheek instantly as I took care of the members of the holy swords with barely any resistance. Spitting over the useless corpse as their souls fell into my hands, my gaze shifted to the abomination.

"K-K-K-Kill," its stomach uttered. "M-m-m-m-m-m"

Chancellor's Kerr's dagger materialized on my waist, and a calm, collected battle radiance skimmed over my weapons as the flames of hellfire looped around my blades.

"I was told you guys are immortal. Does that mean you are resistant to the effects of these flames?" I challenged, and the Abomination shuddered. It staggered backward, its mouth over its stomach and foot, opening wide, and a screech of pain, anguish, despair, and hate roiled, Shattering the clouds of smoke sending piercing rays of sunlight to strike against my cloak. I bolted towards this shadow of Iliah, moving more than twice as fast as I ever had. Appearing in range, Pestilence twisted through the air while this thing screamed.

I'd instantly felt my spear pierce through its chest, but I arched my shadow sword as a vicious right hook intending to rip my head off my shoulders shot from my rear, clashing with the monstrous raw strength of this thing. I growled as a numbness trailed down my arms.

The flame exploded over the first abomination, showering the scene in flames darker than black. Unfortunately for me, under a storm, my eyes widened as this thing tilted its heads towards me, wrapped in a cloak of Hellfire.

My jaw dropped as it appeared like my spear had done more damage than my flames.

"AHH~" I roared, releasing a shockwave of darkness blasting the two abominations away, with a surprising scowl over my lips.

"How the Hell is it you can combat the flames of hellfire but are so weak?"

These two were only Star-lord and their battle prowess around Master. It wasn't even a challenge.

Not in the slightest.

Guess I should have expected this. If the Abyssal Fiends who possess abyssal Qi can't kill these things, why would my flames?

"Arsene," Freya called, but I merely shook my head.

"You take care of everyone else and save me the souls. Don't let these things touch you. I'm sure you all remember Sorina's warning. Don't bother fighting these—" I paused, deciding upon their names, "Shadows of Iliah. Just watch out for Arkanos and Ty."

Alongside the others who caught up, Freya and the others nodded one after another. Their expression was stern, as I was sure they had seen my little encounter.

I reached into myself to where my Soulforce resided. My eyes swayed for but a moment as everything turned into strings and nodes. I peered into the flow of the Weave to find a way to kill these things.

"Bloody Hell! Zariel, you don't even know what you did to these things!" I swore off, cursing that bastard's name.

'Do you know how long ago that was? These things have evolved." the voice of that silver devil echoed into my ear.

My lips curled into a sneer as I pulled out a familiar a mask, dawning it without hesitation.

"Welcome back, III," Xenos said.

"Contact the others! This is the abyss. Most of these stupid restrictions I'm under shouldn't exist here." I commanded, waiting for Zariel to say otherwise, but his retort never came to my surprise.

"Confirm," Xenos said, and under the glow of azure filling the edges of my eye, a small screen of an emerald-headed loli appeared.

"Anyone but you!"

"Onii-chan bully!" Truck-kun cried, hanging up.

My teeth clenched, and the Abomination charged, and I snapped my fingers, causing a sliver of darkness to whip over the skies for a moment, and the two Abominations were gone, banished into the shadow realm.

"God, I love that." I said, with a smile, " Xenos, call back my Lil sis."

Waiting vigilantly, the lovely face of my sister appeared once more.

"What?"

"I like your green here. When did you change it?"

Truck-kuns sparkly eyes shimmered, "Hehe! So you notice Truck-Kun's greatness!" She shamelessly spouted. "What's up, Big-Big Broda?!"

"Big-Big?" I questioned.

"Yup! Zariel is big Broda, and you are Big-Big Broda. Now, what can the great truck-kun do for you!" She said, but suddenly her eyes seemed to dull for a moment, and she smiled, " Oh, I see." chuckling evilly, my skin crawled.

"Truck-kun can help but—"

"But?"

"But she wants naming rights of your firstborn son!"

"DEAL!"

Screw that little bastard!