Rite of Sacrilege IV

As Mephisto said those words, a dreadful weight pressed over my chest, deepening until the blood vessels in my eyes and veins popped, drenching my body in blood. It was as if all my sins were tearing me apart. Trying to reach for the sword in his palm.

"You'll kill us all!" Enoch roared, in no better shape than I. He staggered backward, meeting the Owl, standing with a sliver of blood at the corner of his lips. He looked at him darkly. "You've got to stop him. This isn't about revenge anymore. That weapon cannot be here! It should be with the Prime Evils."

Spitting blood as my blood roiled to calm itself, I stared at that strange Obsidian Red blade in his hand. Despite wielding the abyssal sins, I felt an affinity, unlike anything. Almost as if I were to wield that sword, I'd be able to fully attune myself to the Sins without becoming one.

"That sword… It was created by—"

"—It was created by me," Mephisto coldly said, whisking the blade through the air, cutting causality as though it were hot butter. The void squealed, billowing as numerous black holes began to worm its way out, attempting to suck us into its Event Horizon. Light bent and tore as a magnitude of force pulled at my body. "If you fear something or someone, why not turn that fear into a weapon? In my case, I did so quite literally."

"What if the Seven Sins are released!" Enoch shouted, flushed with rage. " They'll slaughter everyone from the Myriad Heavens to the Abyss! Not even those of Arcadia are safe!"

The Fallen Devil grinned. "And why should I care? It's not my fault your weak. It's not my fault you didn't have the skill, much less the power to survive; how many eternities have passed since Eve sealed the Prime Evils? Nothing last forever. The Seal was bound to break. We both know that. I just sped up that date."

… That's such an irresponsible answer. I like it. That said… It is strange that no one had a contingency against such a thing. Even I know nothing, but the One and the All can last forever. Be it the Laws or the Heavens, they all experience change. It's not too far-fetched to believe that it can die.

Noctua frowned, pushing Enoch out of his way as he focused on Mephisto. Slowly, light nodes gathered around his wrist, twisting into bracers lined with emerald gems, ablaze with infernal flames that reminded me of the Flames of Irkalla. He cracked his neck, carrying a hard expression.

"Mephisto…"

"Step aside or die," Mephisto said, calm as the depths of purgatory. His eyes glowed a demonic hue, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"That… mans a monster," Izavith whispered, seemingly only now lowering her gaze in recognition.

Noctua chuckled dryly. "I'd heard you were the unofficial champion of the Omnis Ranking." He began, conjuring flames from the Bracers.

… Those things belong to my Layer of Hell. What is it doing in his possession?

The Fallen Devil chuckled, his voice cold as the pits of his hell. " So you choose death, eh? Then, this will be the end of the Noctua Bloodline. Forgive me, Tenebrae."

The Owl sneered, "I—" he stopped, staggering back, as hundreds of lines splintered his face. Through his eyes, mouth, teeth, hair, down to his cells. Ruby-red blood began to leak as Noctua slowly fell to chunk-size bits.

"Why not try to escape my domain first before challenging me… if you can." He coldly said, "Get up… Those with a high attunement to the Darkness must be killed nine times." He smiled. " Isn't that right, disciple?"

A/N: Arsene has this ability. Gained hundreds of chapters ago.

Misty Darkness sprang from the chunks of meat that were Noctua when Enoch roared. "Rite of Sacrilege works with sin! Killing is a Sin! You can't have the intent to kill Mephisto, or your power will become his power."

No intent to kill? That's like half the battle. No intent to kill means you are fighting at half capacity, if not higher.

"True.' Mephisto said, somehow standing right before Enoch with such cold eyes. I glimpsed the snow-filled land of Sylvorlum. "However… my domain stretches all layers of the Myriad Heavens. Even if you don't want to kill me, someone does. And their power is my power. Their sins are my sins."

"Sixty percent…" Vita whispered, alerting me. "I've got a sixty percent chance of victory. Not bad."

My brow twitched… "How strong are you exactly?"

She grinned, bearing that disdainful smile she once directed at me. And I knew my answer. Those of the Abyss all held Hive minds. All their skills and experience were Vita's. And that was only the tip of the iceberg. When Lilith used Ivavith's Time Travel technique, I thought it was bullshit… but it seems everyone has some bullshit ability that defies common sense.

The Eighth Lord smirked, and before Noctua could reform, Enoch's body flared with a ghastly Necrotic Qi. That quickly faded as the Monarch of Sylvorlum pierced his blade through his heart.

"We're not done… Dear Brother. Far… far from it." The Fallen glanced at me. " I'll leave you, Noctua and Tamiel… I—" Glancing towards the skies, Mephisto laughed as hundreds of presences began to trickle out of the void. "Just this much? Enoch, I'm disappointed. Perhaps I'd be apprehensive if you got someone at Zariels Level, but you brought out some mid-bastards. really?"

The traitorous fallen spewed blood from his lips. He laughed bitterly. "Yeah, I know. But they're not for you… there for him…' Pointing my way, I grinned.

"You want a piece of this ass, don't you. Sorry, but I don't swing that way."

He chuckled as black elongated veins gathered around his face. " Mephisto… I know you and that bitch are working together… The trap was not for you… It was for him."

"And?"

"Eh?"

"What's that matter?" Mephisto questioned, narrowing his gaze. "Arsene is a big boy. And my disciple. If he can't handle this much, he'll not be worth much."

Reaching my palm up to wipe the blood from my eyes and nose as my body adapted to the atmosphere. I stared up past the library's walls to the gathering army above. I wasn't really sure who they were. But their auras all reminded me of Ishar's. They were dreadfully powerful.

"Well, disciple? What's your plan?"