~62~ Archdemons: Aamon, the Lord of Ash

As Tetsuno's skull was crushed in Aamon's talons, the Demon Lord then tossed his corpse aside. Tetsuno was sent rolling across the surface of the heated magma, his head slowly recreating itself while he lay still, the bits of obsidian that had begun to envelop his body now fading. He was conscious of what was going on, but he felt so very numb to it. He simply lay there, still and unmoving. He couldn't feel any sense of pain or pleasure. He was completely numb to anything. And now even his emotions were drifting away from him as he lost himself within the boundless power he'd taken from Beelzebub. He was drowning in it, lost and in a state of hollow, overwhelmed shock.

He could faintly hear the sound of Zealous calling out to him, but it was no more than the echo of a phantom of a fake world to him. Even if it was real, he didn't really care anymore. He'd lost all sense of emotion, he had become a hollow corpse.

Aamon's taloned foot sank into the magma as he walked toward Tetsuno, his long arms hanging low as he shifted and clicked his talons together. Ultra-violet waves of aura swirled about the Demon Lord's body as he moved towards his prey. Soon he stood over the motionless demon, talons poised to rip the chains away from Tetsuno's body.

Suddenly a massive wave of black aura crashed into Aamon, knocking him back away from Tetsuno. Aamon growled, turning to face Zealous.

"I don't often use this. Only Tetsuno has seen it, anyone else never exactly had the chance. Dead men tell no tales, after all." Zealous hissed.

"Strange. I've only ever seen two demons with the Royal Aura." Aamon growled. "So how's a weakling like you get it?"

Zealous stood upon the shifting lava, his features now changed entirely. Vet his face was a mask similar to that of a four eyes demon with serrated teeth while two coiled horns grew from the sides of his head. His body was covered in a set of gleaming black armor with black spikes jutting up from each plate in rows, at the tip of each was a shifting wave of aura as though they were candles of black flames. His arms were wrapped in new chains, the chain links themselves having sharp edges while his fingertips were now covered by black talons. From his back grew another set of arms, one of which held a khopesh with a sleek black edge, while the other held a long spear, the weapon's head being a thin but impossibly sharp point. Four large black spikes protruded from his back, a thin black strip of cloth with intricate demonic markings across was wound through the spikes while black flames flickered about the tips of each spike. A similar cloth was also wrapped about his waist while large plates of armor covered his hips and upper legs. The Aura Cloak looked like a mix of Japanese and Egyptian styled armor.

"Come on then." Aamon taunted. "Try me, let's see how long you can entertain me."

Red eyes gleamed from beneath Zealous's mask as pressure began to build up around him. Then a sound like an ear shattering explosion or a shockwave resounded throughout the cavern as Zealous flashed out of sight, the lava at his feet erupting in chaotic ripples from the force as he dashed at Aamon, two black blades forming in his main hands as he came into contact with Aamon, a blast-wave of aura shot out as the two clashed, the crossed blades colliding with Aamon's single talon while Zealous then shot forward his spear like a loosed arrow driving for the Demon's heart, intent on skewering it, while with his fourth arm he swung the Khopesh to sever off Aamon's arm. The Demon Lord used only his talons to deflect each attack as it came, deflecting and deftly blocking them. The chasm was filled with the sound of clashing weapons as the pace of the attacks increased until the normal eye could no longer even follow the speed of the weapons, all they would be able to see would be a blur of steel and sparks as waves of aura were shot off in all directions.

Zealous drew back the spear, aura gathering into the spearhead as he then thrust it forward, crashing it into Aamon's talons, cracking one of them.

"Oh, now look, you've broke my nail." Aamon growled, then swung his fist in an uppercut. "Rude." Aamon's arm was to large and too fast to dodge and so his fist crashed into Zealous from below, breaking his bones and launching him into the air before Aamon's other hand came down from above, his talons skewering Zealous's body as he was slammed into the magma below, the lava rock flying into the air as it hissed furiously.

"Haha!" Aamon laughed. "Just stay down. You are out of your league, boy."

Suddenly waves and waves of chaotic black aura shot out from beneath Aamon's hand, the shadows swallowing his arm.

"What..?"

Suddenly his arm was wrenched up and then back, twisted at the elbow, the joint snapped backwards unnaturally before the aura then swelled up into a hall and burst outwards, sending Aamon crashing into a wall while his arm was twisted by the aura, like a crocodile twisting around its prey in the water, before the lower arm was completely torn from Aamon's body with a horrible "KRA-SNAP".

Massive spikes of black emerged from Zealous's back and the contributed to repeatedly skewer Aamon again and again and again, black blood spouting through the air.

A moment later Zealous pulled back the spikes, his Aura Cloak beginning to become static and losing its solidity as he stood there panting. He watched intently as he waited for the figure to move from behind the cloud of smoke, waiting for any sound or any form of movement. He waited for what seeming like an eternity, and just when he thought he'd actually won, a haunting purple light illuminated from behind the smoke, two demonic eyes peering at him through the black clouds.

"You done?" Came Aamon, his voice dark and cold, soaked with murderous intent.

In a rage of frustration, Zealous let out a roar as he held up all four hands, gathering a massive ball of black aura above his head, a hissing sound emitting from the orb as shapes began to form within it.

"Night Parade of One-Hundred Demons!!" Zealous roared, and as he did countless shadowy figures of varying shapes, all of which being demonic and contorted, burst forth from the orb.

"Cute." Came Aamon's voice a hiss emitted from behind the smoke and suddenly a massive wave of vertigo flames exploded forward from the smoke, erupting towards Zealous, annihilating his demon hoard in the process.

Out of aura, Zealous assumed this was his death, but, to his surprise, he never felt the scorching heat of Aamon's flames. In fact, they never reached him to begin with. Opening his eyes, he looked before him, and there, standing in the path of the flames, was Tetsuno. But he was not the same. He was covered in a set of glimmering obsidian armor, a different mask, a demonic one, covering his face now, while metallic wings made up of folded obsidian blades emerged from his back and blades extended from his wrists over his hands. The armor itself was sharp and jagged, spikes jutting out at odd angles while long horns protruded from his head. The obsidian had a scarlet-vertigo shade to it as it absorbed Aamon's flames.

"Intriguing. Hah! You can actually absorb my flames. Is it just me.." Aamon roared. "Or are you imitating me?" The massive demon emerged from the wave of flames, his body fully healed over as fist came crashing down on Tetsuno, who skewered it with his wings and arm blades, the force of the attack plunging Tetsuno into the magma, sinking deeper and deeper as the molten rock hissed.

"Just give it up already. I'm bored of this, we all know the outcome here." Aamon mocked.

Aamon's eyes began to glow and suddenly a small flicker of brilliant violet light blinded them, illuminating the chasm from above.

"What is..?" Zealous began, but then realized as it grew and anything near it began to melt, that it was a literal star.

"Blacklight." Aamon growled venomously as the ball of firelight suddenly gained speed and exploded outward, bursting and obliterating everything in reach.

Zealous leapt back again and again away from the scorching flames, but his back was skin against a wall. This was it. He was fucked, he knew it. And as the demonic flames began to melt away his Soul Chains he knew for certain, that this mission was pointless from the beginning.

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"Do you think they'll be able to survive?" Came a soft feminine voice from behind Azazel.

The Demon King turned to face a woman, her features blotted out by aura of the darkest shade of blue possible. It was a strange aura shade, it was almost pitch black, yet it still gave off a nightshade blue glow.

"Well, Void, I was not expecting to see you. I never thought you'd actually take up their challenge." Azazel spoke. "And I am not quite sure. Zealous seems to be unable to control his power, but the other one.. he is quite promising."

"I can see that." Void spoke, her voice like that of a gentle bell swaying in the wind, ringing through the air.

"But.." Azazel hissed. "In order for them to truly become my Archdemons, they need to lose all sense of desire, all sense of hope. They must be my tools, emotionless but brutal."

Void let out a gentle chuckle. "Hope, hmm? Such a strange thing, hope is. It is easy to gain, yet also easy to lose."

"Indeed." Azazel agreed. "I need to organize my Archdemons. They will serve not just as my advisors, but also the advisors for my successor. Many years from now, there will be a being unlike any other. He will not be a demon, yet he will despise the gods. He will not be a god, but he shall have their power. And he shall have the mark of my Royal Aura." Azazel waved his hand in front of him, the black waves of aura shifting as he did.

"Oh? And how do you know this will come to be?" Void asked.

"Because, I've seen it, and I will set the stage for his hatred. I shall craft him into the ultimate being of destruction, he shall be the darkness that will swallow the world." Azazel turned to Void. "And you shall be the one I select to guide him in his mortal life."