Black Sun

[𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨, 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫] 

Among the six worst criminals, there was heavy debate about their power levels compared to one another. However, there were two constants in these lists. Vartes the Plague Doctor was the most dangerous and Ryrindes was the strongest.

Two thousand years ago during the age of the Great War between the three biblical factions he had appeared out of nowhere and rose to the position of the aide of one of the Four Great Satan. However, just a few months after that promotion Ryrindus killed Asmodeus, thirteen pillar heads, and over the next few years killed roughly three hundred thousand devils.

There are many things that contribute to the decline of the devil population but Ryrindus is one of the most prominent. Asmodeus especially was a horrible loss and all remaining Satans of the time wished him dead but couldn't kill him.

That wasn't all that uncommon in Inferno really as it was a place of influential and dangerous criminals. Some utilize their influence to spare their sinful relatives while some use it to study the sinners. Inferno was a cage of rats ready for the taking.

But that didn't matter to the Four Satans. If they wanted you dead you were destined to die whether you were in Inferno or a free man. They wanted Ryrindus dead with all their hearts but they simply couldn't kill him.

4,278. That was how many times they attempted to execute him to no avail. They tried everything under the sun and yet not a single thing spilled a drop to Ryrindus' blood. In the end, they had no choice but to lock him away for all eternity.

Interestingly enough, each of those executions resulted in a death or two. Each time Ryrindus was executed he would slaughter his executioners without even lifting a finger. It was a curse, Ryrindus was a curse born from the devil's corruption.

"Oh? So that's what Ajuka Astaroth is like. He is quite the enigma."

But that description didn't quite match the view Noel was seeing. Ryrindus was merely chatting away with Alvis Naberius. The man didn't even seem to be a fighter, his serene smile and friendly demeanor seeming much more scholarly than Noel had expected for a man called the Pandemonium.

"That's an understatement. As a researcher myself, I know well the trials and tribulations of the trade and yet he makes it all seem so easy. I must admit, I'm quite jealous of his talent."

"Talent hmm?"

That was enough for Noel to be sick of the conversation. People seemed to misunderstand what exactly talent was and it was one of Noel's pet peeves. Talent and hard work were not mutually exclusive though most seemed to believe they were.

Ajuka was talented of course but the mere idea that his thousands of hours in trial and error be ignored entirely was flawed. Talent served to support hard work not the other way around. It was a trap that most devils fell into including Riser Phenex. The Phenex was talented but wasted every drop of it by relying on talent alone. And he was far from the only one.

"How is it?"

Returning his attention to Falbium who flew by his side, the Satan overlooked the entirety of Inferno. The Satan had decided that the best course of action was to stall for a few moments to get the lay of the land.

Although Inferno was nothing more than a pile of rubble now it was possible certain secret passages and the like still existed. Besides that, the church was the main point of interest. It was a complete mystery from layout to defenses.

"It has no magic on it. It's just a normal building."

Drawing the building in the air, Falbium spent a few moments memorizing the building. That alone wasn't strange but the mere fact that Falbium would trust the information of somebody so young and inexperienced was odd.

"I see. We'll attack head on then."

However, the fact of the matter was, even without that everything was odd. Out of all the possible candidates to assist him, Falbium Asmodeus chose Noel—a young boy—to aid him in this life or death battle. Compared to that, leaving scouting to Noel was far from odd.

Noel was talented, nobody would deny that, and his rising fame was impressive but ultimately it fell short. For one of the Four Great Satans to leave his life in the hands of somebody else was strange even if that person was extremely talented.

"Ajuka's told me plenty about your attack power so I'll leave that up to you."

But this situation was a little different. For the last five years, Falbium had heard nothing but good things about Noel from all three of his fellow Satans. Even Serafall, the only other to not have met him, had nothing but praise for him. 

Nodding his head Noel summoned his staff into his hand whilst Falbium dropped toward the church with the force of a falling star. It was a dangerous maneuver for most but Noel doubted that the man famed for his absolute defense would die so easily.

Disregarding his falling partner Noel used a few of his eyes at once to create something akin to an unrecognizable illusion. In the space just a few meters around him a thick illusion that hid him from the world alongside the Evil Eyes of Absorption which he used to steal Gasper's eyes ensured none of his energy would leak through.

"Ryrindus… you're going to die."

The words that left Noel were softer than usual and yet they seemingly contained all the hostility in the world. Noel was truly angry at the man for starting this war for nothing but to see him. Not only that but Morgan…

A war usually starts in one of two ways, a slow yet explosive build up or a fast and destructive bloodbath. Ryrindus had chosen the latter so Noel would match him. Tossing a small stone from his storage space in front of him it hovered in mid air.

There were plenty of things Noel could do even with something so strong. He could drop it from space while using his wind manipulation to reduce its friction to nearly nothing or even pump it full of so much poison that Vartes would be jealous. But he wouldn't do that. Ryrindus had made a statement with the destruction of Inferno and Noel needed to match that.

"A black hole should be enough."

Gravity pushed and pushed the rock, its shape morphing and compressing until it became nothing more than a tiny dot in front of his eyes. The entire process took only a few moments—considering the lack of destruction in the church everything seemed fine there as well—and soon Noel held a black hole at the end of his staff.

"Fall."

With that single word the black hole fell, its speed increasing infinitely until it was nothing more than a blur even to Noel. Crashing into the church an immediate reaction could be felt more than experienced as the immense pull of the black hole devoured the church and the rest of Inferno in less than the blink of an eye.

Unfortunately, the black hole was far from stable. As soon as Noel stopped supporting its existence it exploded, all the matter it devoured shooting outward alongside a storm of radiation that ravaged the battlefield.

Swinging his staff through the air a blade of wind miles long shot from Noel's movement, cutting through the dust and slicing deep into the ground before the explosion had even settled. It was a dangerous set of attacks, one that would kill most beings alive but…

"He managed to block it huh."

Clicking his tongue in irritation Noel dropped from his position in the sky to rejoin Falbium who was surely unharmed. His wind blade had been deflected from its original trajectory, its strike ever so slightly angled to the right.

"It seems they weren't lying."

The first one to greet Noel upon his reaching the ground was Falbium, an almost giddy grin on his face. Noel didn't expect the slothful yet solemn man to show such an expression but he quickly ignored it.

"So you're the hero of the devils."

Noel's attention was fully on Ryrindus and the unharmed and unperturbed Alvis by his side. It was impressive that the Pandemonium alone had endured such a thing with ease let alone assisting a much weaker opponent into the same fate.

"And you're the fucker who ruined my vacation."

Blinking his eyes in shock for a moment, Ryrindus quickly laughed out loud at Noel's words. His voice was melodious as though he was singing at all times and his laughter resembled the chime of bells. It was almost terrifying how joyful Ryrindus was.

"A crass hero unafraid of bluntness. How very devilish."

It was almost ironic how the situation was. Noel, a man famed as a hero, was a crass, blunt, and uncaring beast of a man while Ryrindus, a horrific criminal, seemed to personify the word nobility. If there was a more out of order thing then Noel had never seen it.

"Alvis Naberius. You have sinned greatly and thus I condemn you. Repent in the Gate of the Dead for the rest of eternity."

Nodding his head in acceptance Alvis did nothing—not that he could—to stop Ryrindus from approaching him. Gently tapping the former head of the Naberius clan, Ryrindus smiled apologetically at the man as he exploded into blood, bone, and bits of flesh.

It was a simple tap, one that even a newborn would endure with ease, without any trace of demonic energy. It was a simple touch, a single touch that resulted in the erasure of yet another pillar head by this man.

"Fourteen huh? You must really like spending time in prison."

Lazily and entirely bothered Noel taunted the man with a confident smirk gracing his face while Falbium planned out their next moves. If Ryrindus made it abundantly clear that he was not to be trifled with so there was plenty of reason to learn from conversation. Even if Noel wanted nothing more than to kill him and help Morgan there was nothing to do.

"No, I find it quite dreary. And the food is simply dreadful."

Elegantly replying to Noel's jab with an amicable smile Ryrindus was hardly offended by Noel bringing up his sins. There was no reason to be angry at the truth, it was the second most impartial thing in existence right after fate after all.

"Maybe you shouldn't go around slaughtering people then."

For most of the six, there was no reason to go around seeking their thoughts and opinions because they were simply crazy. Ryrindus though… there was a method to his madness. Every move he made had a reason even if the end result was the tangled mess of a tapestry.

As proof of that, Ryrindus was the only one to not reveal his personal traits. In fact, nothing about him was known before he suddenly ascended into the role of Asmodeus' aide. The six were madmen but none were stupid. They only revealed their traits because they were obvious. The same wasn't the case for Ryrindus. 

He was a mystery to this day because there was no rhyme or reason to his slaughter. The only constant was that he would condemn them and wish them eternal damnation. That may sound like a clue but saints as well as sinners were slaughtered. The only constant was that there was no constant.

"I'm afraid I cannot. I have a task much too great to abandon on my shoulders. Though, I suppose it may not be so grand in your eyes."

Despite wearing the same smile it was obvious that Ryrindus was determined beyond belief to accomplish this goal of his. It wasn't exactly the time but Noel couldn't help but feel like Ryrindus was a better man than most of the devils he saw.

That respect did nothing to subside the anger Noel felt toward the man. This man was, in many ways, the potential cause of his family's demise and that was not something Noel would ever allow. Ryrindus would die here.

"Noel Purson, what do you think devils epitomize?"

It was an abrupt question and one that few people actually cared for but Noel was obligated to answer it. He wasn't sure how far Falbium had gone but Noel was just about sure what kind of man the Pandemonium was.

"Isn't it obvious? We're the perfect example of freedom for both good and bad."

It was a bit odd considering their main method of repopulation could be likened to slavery but ultimately it was true. Whether it be Diodora's desire for women or Rias' desire for bonds they were equal desires but humans were creatures with the most desires.

The reality was that devils didn't have things like dreams. They were beings of freedom which meant they were free to choose what they desired. At some point though, their desires died away while only their freedom remained. They were free and that was their cage.

Alvis Naberius was free to experiment on people because he wished to, had the money to, and had the knowledge to. Riser was free to make a harem because he could. The issue with freedom is that it's often taken advantage of. In that case… karma's a bitch.

"Free is it? I suppose I see your point but I would liken us all to… vermin."

As those words spread from Ryrindus' lips, his atmosphere changed. His friendly demeanor melted away much like the surroundings that began melting and exploding. Rainbow energy emanated from him like a thick mist, its tendrils whipping the surroundings with no result.

"That's harsh don't you think. We aren't perfect but nobody is."

For the first time in a while, Falbium spoke. Noel wasn't sure what he learned or if he even had but that didn't matter. He knew what kind of man Ryrindus was which was more than enough to make this little waste of time worthwhile.

"No, there is one. He is perfect beyond comparison, his only flaw being that his children could never see the true extent of his brilliance."

Looking into the sky Ryrindus wore a wistful smile, a small sigh leaving his lips. Perfection wasn't a commonly argued trait because people like them new that flaw was inevitable. The stronger you got, the more you learned, the more you adapted to the constraints of reality the more you realized that everybody was inherently flawed. It was an inescapable fate.

However, there was a certain group that tended to believe their patron was excluded from that law. Many devils of the Old Satan Faction may fall under this umbrella but ultimately there was a larger gathering of naive fools.

"So you're a follower of the Golden Dawn."

Clicking his tongue in irritation, Falbium could practically see the mountain of paperwork waiting for him. The Golden Dawn was, in some ways, a faction of the church. In reality, they were heretics who took the teachings of God too far but that assumption wasn't necessarily wrong. It was undeniable that the Golden Dawn and the Church weren't the enemies they should be.

To put it another way, the Golden Dawn was made up of people who loved god so much that it blinded them to the world around them. Many clergymen hated them and many found it difficult to do so. 

"No, though I do share similar opinions. They're a tad too hot blooded for me."

The thing that separates the Golden Dawn from the Church is the extent of their devotion. To them, humanity and angels are the only 'correct' species. They are divine beings born from God's flesh while all others are abominations that taint God's divine land. Their goal was to purge the myriad realms of this sin.

"Hey. Can we hurry up? I don't have time for this bullshit."

Leaking from Noel was a hurricane of snow white energy, the sheer amount of it more than enough to drown a dragon and its density thick enough to nearly force Falbium into his knees. If the second Asmodeus had been the target of this formidable storm then he well and truly would be forced into his knees.

"…What a monster."

Laughing softly at the absurdity of his mind's delusions, Falbium couldn't help the rising of his lips. For a moment, when surrounded by the maelstrom of wind and snow, two men crossed his mind. It was such a foolish comparison but it was relieving nonetheless.

Noel understood well that he was being unusually hasty but he couldn't help it. Morgan was taking up too much of his focus and he didn't have enough to spare Ryrindus any more attention than necessary.

"What sins have you committed to gain so much demonic power?"

Ryrindus however did not share in Falbium's amusement. His eyes were narrowed as his rainbow energy exploded outward to combat the influence of Noel's snowstorm. It was a sudden change but he couldn't really be blamed. Noel's demonic energy surpassed that of a Satan, individuals who had built up their reserves for millennia. His assumption of foul play was natural.

"Never seen a talent before?"

Grinning in the most infuriating way he knew Noel had no intention of revealing his closely guarded secret just yet. That much was clear from his absurd lie but Ryrindus didn't have the care to ask any further.

"I had truly hoped the devils to have improved over the last two thousand years. What a shame, you vermin never seem to grow. Noel Purson, I condemn you."

As soon as the heartfelt and regretful words left Ryrindus' lips reality itself seemed to shift in Noel's eyes. His blood boiled, his organ shuddered, and his skin shook relentlessly. It felt as though his very body was fighting against him. No, it felt as though everything in existence was fighting against him.

Whether it be the air surrounding him or the light in the sky everything around him tried to kill him, to subject him to eternal damnation. It was an inescapable sentence without any remorse or care for future regret. Nobody could escape reality's sentencing.

In Ryrindus' life, he had sentenced over three hundred thousand people to death without fail. It didn't matter if they were the common man or even somebody crowned as king. Everybody would die at his demands.

In the face of such a fate—a fate which caused suffering and despair—Noel Purson brought a hand up to his face as he shook. Yet, unlike the sniffled tears or shouts of anger Ryrindus had expected Noel merely laughed. His laughter was boisterous yet foolish, like a child who had just heard the most ridiculous yet amusing fact. It wasn't the reaction of somebody destined to die.

It was only a few minutes later—a few excruciatingly insulting minutes in which Ryrindus had felt incomparable hope—that Noel stopped laughing. Removing his hand from his face it was revealed that his expression was, while mostly normal, altered drastically.

His skin bubbled and popped leaving blood dripping from all over his face, his bones peered through his snowy hair, and yet his expression was the peak of amusement. It felt like he was the only one aware of a joke that they were all involved in.

"..."

Despite his worry, Falbium kept his silence. He wasn't sure what was happening nor what would happen to Noel but he remained still. Ajuka's training focused heavily on controlling the body so this level of distortion should be easily repairable.

"You… you don't have a trait do you?"

The words that left Noel's lips were accompanied by an almost crazed sense of amusement, his words accompanied by a symphony of laughter. Looking at him with widened eyes both Falbium and Ryrindus couldn't believe what they had heard.

Ryrindus' abilities were difficult to explain even under the assumption that he had a personal trait so how would it be possible that he did not have one? It was always assumed—and proven wrong—that he had a trait associated with judgment.

His spiel on condemnation and eternal damnation certainly made that a believable thing however that was proven time and time again to not be the case. A trait of any kind—or any ability really—required energy to activate it. Ryrindus however did not have this restriction hence the difficulty in knowing just how he did whatever it was that he did.

"The reason you can condemn people, the reason you could destroy Inferno so easily, and the reason you could avoid death for so long… it's because you have the core don't you?"

"...!"

Immediately Falbium felt all the puzzle pieces connect, all but one. It was always theorized that Lucifer or any of the other four Satans had taken the core to their death but if Ryrindus had it that would explain plenty at the cost of even more questions.

The core in question was less of a true thing and more of a concept. It was the master key of a realm that allowed any and all concepts to be broken apart at the seams. In the scope of the realm, it made them nigh invincible.

Ajuka possessed the 'core' of the Reverse Realm and was thus able to alter it as he pleased and even affect the laws of reality itself. It was the ultimate treasure, one desired by all yet possessed by few.

"Noel, do you truly believe that the devils have value? Why fight for such an accursed species like ours?"

Neither confirming nor denying the accusation, Ryrindus instead asked Noel a seemingly random question. Despite the suddenness of it, Noel could tell the question was extremely important. Not to the fate of this battle but instead to Ryrindus.

"I think you should look around a bit more. Hell isn't nearly as bad as you think it is."

Space itself shattered around Ryrindus at Noel's words, the illusionary barrier surrounding the Pandemonium vanishing in an instant. Quickly springing into action Ryrindus' hand rose, the earth following his movement in an attempt to block Noel's site.

Charging forward like a bullet Falbium's fist struck the wall with enough force to not only shatter it but also turn it into a fine dust. Continuing his momentum Falbium's body coated in the orange energy of his absolute defense barreled through any and all offense thrown at him.

"That's quite crude!"

Laughing softly Ryrindus merely swung his hand down horizontally, the atmosphere cutting down toward the second Asmodeus like a blade. Even if the effects of the realm could be somewhat mitigated by his overwhelming demonic energy reserves Noel would be out of the fight for at least a dozen or so minutes. That was more than enough time for him to kill Falbium.

"Dumbass~!"

The familiar voice—the one he had just counted out of the picture—echoing out from behind him made Ryrindus freeze for a moment though it was hardly intentional. His hand stopped mid swing, the blade of reality itself faltering as its strings were cut.

The Evil Eyes of Paralyzation. Seemingly weak and undoubtedly unassuming yet unbelievably potent in the right hands. Their flaws were obvious with the target's entire body needing to be in view but besides that they were unrestricted. 

"I didn't think you'd break free from my influence so quickly."

Chuckling softly Ryrindus swung his arm through the air just a tad slower, an invisible blade of existence soaring through the air. With widened eyes Noel didn't even have time to think even with his Evil Eyes of Precognition working overtime, his body moving away on autopilot.

"I could say the same to you."

Holding a hand to his nose where blood leaked between the gaps of his fingers Noel growled in displeasure. Ryrindus could move even with his eyes on him, that much was as obvious as it was dangerous.

Ryrindus was unable to move at least not physically, all he could manage was pushing his body around like a doll. Not only that but the bastard's control over the realm meant most of his eyes just weren't working on him.

The Evil Eyes of Poison had no effect, the Evil Eyes of Illusions did nothing more than amuse him, and his Evil Eyes of Gravitation didn't work in the slightest. Even then, it was a miracle that some of them worked against somebody who could literally control reality.

Ignoring the momentary stalemate Falbium soared through the air and struck Ryrindus into the sky, the orange aura surrounding his body condensing around his fist for a brief moment. In the blink of an eye, Ryrindus rocketed thousands of meters into the air, control of his body returning for a brief moment.

Using his newfound control he grasped the sky, bending and pulling it until it wrapped his body like a suit of armor. It offered no physical defense but it would block Noel's eyes which was more than enough.

Manipulating the space around him he dropped down like a meteor yet retained impeccable control, effortlessly avoiding the approaching Falbium and continuing his fall. Raising his hand above him Ryrindus gathered existence around his hand like a sword.

"Noel!"

Quickly turning around Falbium futility tried to close the distance between them, his eyes filled with fear for the first time. Soaring through the air the invisible blade of existence quickly approached Noel, its aim unerring and unrelenting.

Extending his hand Noel strained his mind, pushing himself to focus to an extent he had never accomplished before. As soon as the blade touched his palm it vanished, sucked into his mindscape where it would forever remain.

"...!"

Yet, Noel wasn't free of injury. A long gash split his hand in half, his middle finger cut down the middle much like the rest of his hand. The wound went deep, almost elbow deep into his flesh and while it would heal eventually that would be far into the future. For now, Noel was down an arm.

Despite his surprise at his attack's sudden disappearance, Ryrindus continued to approach his opponent. However, he was forced deep into the shattered earth as an orange explosion ravaged his body. Dozens of blows forced him into the ground even further before he could rise, the onslaught of the second Asmodeus shattering his bones and crushing his organs.

Each blow contained the power to destroy a mountain with ease and yet they fell like rain, their number uncountable and their flow unending. Yet, with a small twitch of his finger, Ryrindus destroyed the rain.

"...!"

Blood exploded outward, the priestly garbs covered in dirt and grime now accompanied by plentiful blood and bits of flesh and bone. Pushing the second Asmodeus off of him Ryrindus rose, his once bloody and bruised body uninjured.

Jumping back Falbium had a much tamer reaction than most would. Simply holding his shoulder blade the Satan glared at the sinner, not a trace of pain in his eyes. His right arm had exploded into a gory mess much like Alvis Naberius had been.

"Only an arm? I had intended to take your entire upper body. My apologies, I didn't mean to extend your pain."

It was a completely sincere apology accompanied by a slight bow. Ryrindus truly intended to kill Falbium in a single blow. It was impressive enough that he had managed to take a single arm from him let alone his entire chest but Ryrindus desired more.

"Don't worry, you'll make up for it."

Holding his only remaining hand at his side the orange aura that surrounded his entire body coalesced around his fist. The energy shined brightly as though it was a miniature sun all while radiating enough power that even Ryrindus felt nervous in front of it.

It was an attack recognizable to most, the only attack Falbium could muster. It worked on a simple concept, reflection of damage. The numerous attacks, the lost arm, and even the black hole Noel made would be put into this single strike.

With so much power behind it, even Ryrindus would dodge. That was the natural choice. The only choice really. However, he didn't get that choice nor would he ever. The familiar feeling of chains holding him in place trapped him yet this time another set of chains slithered within. The first was the previous one that restricted his body movements but the second went deeper…

"How devious of—"

The words that left Ryrindus' lips were drowned out by the explosion that shook the entirety of the Underworld. Dust clung to the floor and debris floated into the sky as the very fabric of reality was turned on its head from that single blow.

The entirety of Inferno alongside much of the border between the territory of the Fallen Angels and Devils was turned into a crater. It spanned at least the size of an American state if not multiple and its depth was enough that it was nothing more than an abyss.

Catching the falling and unconscious Falbium, Noel teleported him away and turned his attention to the seemingly unharmed Ryrindus. He had seen the Pandemonium and his fatal wounds so something was off…

"You have a personal trait don't you?"

It was an oversight on his part, one that he wouldn't make again. Ryrindus did indeed have a trait and he did have the core however that wasn't what Noel was interested in. Not completely anyway. He was much more interested in Ryrindus himself.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that."

Jovially speaking to him Noel could confidently say that Ryrindus was making a fool of himself on purpose. The man was incredibly inconsistent, a hateful racist one moment and a kind noble another. That may be a coincidence knowing devils but…

"Who pushed you to act out this play?"

This entire thing screamed that it was being orchestrated, that there was some big bad manipulating everything from the shadows. From the banquet hall to this sham, everything was much too coincidental to be anything else.

Noel could think of plenty of people who would and could do such a thing. Hades, Shiva, and Rizevim were the biggest contenders but there was no end to the people who despised the devils. It would actually be easier to count who didn't want them dead than the opposite.

"I'm afraid my lips are sealed."

Chuckling Ryrindus held a finger up his lips as he floated in the air. The first layer of chains that trapped him had vanished—likely because of exhaustion—but the second remained. He didn't know how Noel had done it but he had sealed away the core within his body.

"Then I'll pry them open."

It had taken longer than he would have liked but Noel had managed to use the Evil Eyes of Sealing—one of the three hardest to learn—to seal the core but it came with some severe drawbacks. Noel was far from proficient in these eyes and his understanding was pitiful so not only could he not use his other eyes while in use.

Additionally, to even activate them he had to understand what he was dealing with. It had been a gamble and ultimately it resulted in Falbium losing his arm and his own being rendered unusable but he had managed to analyze the blade of existence he had absorbed.

He had thought that would be enough only a few minutes prior but now the core was only one piece of the puzzle. Ryrindus' unknown trait that could effortlessly break through Falbium's shield was something that couldn't be ignored.

All things considered, Noel was in decent shape. He had plentiful energy reserves and he was almost entirely unharmed which would logically put him in a better position than his opponent who was running on fumes if his eyes of Perception could be trusted.

However, Ryrindus had the inexplicable ability to heal from any and all wounds. Noel could hack and slash until he was old and senile and it looked like nothing would happen. For that reason, he would have to take a step outside his comfort zone.

Darkness billowed out of him like smog as his eyes changed into something he wasn't quite familiar with. The darkness that spread from him corrupted the air, a stale almost deathly tint surrounding them as infinite eyes spread from all around them.

The mist spread for miles on end, the sun high above completely blotted out as the entirety of the underworld was forced into an age of darkness. For a single moment, everything seemed to freeze as time and space could not escape the boundless darkness.

The age of darkness lasted only a second, a brief instant in which a shiver went down every being's spine. Whether it be the dragons hiding away on their mountain or the beasts of the familiar forest every being more in tune with their instincts could feel it. The amalgamation of curses, the boundless abyss, that seemed to contain all the world's sin within its depths. 

But, just as quickly as it appeared, the malevolent aura vanished and all memory of it was forgotten, erased from time itself. It condensed, shrunk, and devoured itself until a vaguely humanoid shape made of pure darkness floated in the air without the aid of magic, simply controlling space and time around it without even meaning to.

Its featureless face split open as if to mimic a mouth yet only more darkness lay within. It was a monstrosity, an abomination born from all the world's sin, a shapeless mass of power that could not possibly be tamed.

Then it spoke, its voice twisted and impossible to understand yet understood anyway. It was foreign, a mass of voices speaking all at once in a myriad of languages, yet their words were all the same. 

They chanted as though singing, their mind shattering voices rattling Ryrindus' mind as the malevolent aura of such an accursed thing forced him to his knees. The chanting contained enough power to shatter the wills of even the most courageous and seemed to bend reality all around it without meaning too. 

It was the incarnation of an eldritch being, a monster that should not have ever been born, the absolute representation of darkness and abyss. Standing before it, Ryrindus, one of the five strongest devils in history—felt weak. Insignificant. He felt death grasp at his throat as curses befell him merely by being in its presence. 

"ᴅᴏᴍɪɴɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ʙᴇᴀsᴛ."

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Hey there, Express_007 here. Hope you liked the chapter.

Quite an action packed chapter huh? Falbium might seem a little underwhelming but I'd like you to remember that Ryrindus is the 4th strongest devil in my eyes not including Noel and that Falbium is a defense specialist while Ryrindus can almost entirely ignore defense. Also, I'd like to know who you think the mysterious manipulator is so leave your theories here!

As always, if you're interested in supporting the creation of this novel I made a patre*on. Just look up Express_007 and you should find it easily enough. You don't have to support but it'd be much appreciated.