Shadow of the Abyss

Ragnar and Zaros felt their stomachs turn at the slaughter taking place. Men and women alike were being butchered like cattle while children were taken away and thrown towards the feet of Altair to be transported away. They'd each seen the slaughter brought on by the demons of the Nine Hells but could not differentiate between the madness of the demons and Altair.

"Monster!" Ragnar spat as the men and women of Babels Tower began to fight back but quickly began to understand the horrendous difference between skills. The mortal limit of one swordsmanship had been set at D-Rank. Achieving that rank was usually only obtained by either a genius or those who absorbed a Soul Shard that houses the information of what it had been engraved with.

Even amongst the denizens of Babels Tower, what Altair had done while common was damn near impossible based on the grade of swordsmanship that clearly came into perspective when they saw his shadows grey skin abominations that bore burning yellow eyes wield a level of skill reserved for only unrivaled monsters.

Vesim was a blood bath, and worse yet, many men and women were not even fighting back. Enthralled by some devilish power neither Ragnar nor Zaros could place. They could only watch. Watch as many of their rivals were butchered before their very eyes.

[Divine Fallen, Conquest, smiles in your favor]

[Divine being 'She Who Hunts' rejects this mindless slaughter]

[Divine being Piercing Owl shakes her head in disapproval]

[Divine Sin Archeon approves of your actions.

[Divine Being She Who Hunts claims that if a devil approves of your actions, that ought to be a red flag.]

Altair stared coldly at the notifications, trying to handle the memories of souls his shadows delivered to him, but he couldn't be bothered to explain his circumstance to the Gods. He had mated with a Nephilim and was now practically one. Like his mate, he was now cursed, doomed to forever be beneath the boot of the gods.

'I won't justify my actions, but… to survive, I need power… I need lived experiences.' The Prince thought, a feral smile rising over his lips. He took in the sight of the slain bodies turning to ashes with each kill, their souls entering his body.

"You bloody monster!" Zaros cursed, and something akin to a domain expanded over fifty meters, passing through Altair's body.

The Prince frowned, feeling his blood suddenly begin to act up, but before he could do much, Reina patted his shoulder, calming his blood, to Altair's surprise. In a single instance, he had felt his meridians begin to close themselves to mana.

"I didn't know blood could do that?"

"It's fucking awesome, right?" said Ren gleefully. "It's not an Aspect I follow, but… hmmm." she frowned, and suddenly, like Altair, the understanding of Aspect began to unravel through her mind, startling her as she laughed.

Everything had happened so quickly that she slapped herself on the forehead. "I'm so stupid. So that's what Aspects are for… there like Mortal Paths of Dao."

"Is that how you see it?" Altair wondered, noticing the slight difference in how he thought they were. He was in slight disagreement with it but had nothing he could actually disagree about. He was still learning about Aspects. And despite already being on the precipice of creating his own, he found Rens 'aspects' of aspects to be interesting.

"We ought to discuss this at a later time," Ren informed him, studying Zaros with a curious gleam in her blood-red eyes. 'Fourth Circle with an affinity for blood.' She judged him to be studying the way in which he moved. Reina reached for 'Ice' on her back, unveiling her presence that came like a horrid mountain upon Vesim.

"I'm not impressed,' Zaros spat, opening his palm, conjuring a blood-red glaive. When it appeared, the blood soaking the cobblestone street began to rise into small droplets.

Zaros Dracul

Race: Vampire

Str: 847

Dex:751

Con: 713

Wis: 647

Chr: 514

Mana: 321

Altair monitored his stats, which were more than double their stats, and smiled when he felt Reina's battle intent spike. The difference in power while high wasn't overwhelming. Not enough that Reina's swordsmanship and footwork could not match.

'Plus, she has Vale Qi and my Almighty Resistance.' he thought, shifting his attention to Ragnar.

"Altair Blackwood, this isn't the time to kill one another," Ragnar shouted.

"On the contrary,' said Aurora, gripping the World of Shadows Grimior. "If these spirits need people to revive, isn't it better we slaughter them all?"

"This is madness! Look at what you're doing!" Ragnar roared, pointing towards the blood bath.

Led by Jorm, who had become something of a leader amongst Altair's shadow, a systematic order of slaughter was being waged.

Altair wasn't phased. What Aurora said was the reality of their situation. Perhaps if he weren't a necromancer, he wouldn't wage a slaughter amongst the denizens of Vesim, but he needed bodies desperately.

'Beelzebub had called them Soul Kings,' He thought, uncertain of the terminology, but none of it sounded good.

"If you must blame someone," Altair said calmly, " Blame the Gods who chose to hunt me down. Or did you think I'd forget such an offense? Every soul devoured, I'll learn the names of each of every last one of you." He raised his head with a bloodthirsty smile. " And I swear I'll damn you to the Nine Hells if it's the last thing I do."

"You're a bloody madman!" said Ragnar, unsheathing the double-edged sword on his hip. The hum of steel rippled through the air, following the intangible might of the Time Lords.

The painted blood began to dry before it came a festering plague of rot that slowly died until nothing was left.

"Lyain," said Syris calmly, glancing towards the twelve pillars stretching as high as the wall. "Go destroy those pillars if you can. If not, retreat. I'm sure the other 9th Circles are trying to do the same."

"But Altair…"

"Is baiting everyone." Syris hurriedly said. "The weak will flee, but the strong will flock to us," she informed her. "Or did you forget Altair has the only way to actually grant us a peaceful night? I don't know about you, but I can't fight for six months straight. His domain will be the only place we—"

Feral light pierced the skies in a baptism of radiance, shrowding the night sky in a tremendous might that swallowed Vesim, threatening to bring Syris to her knees. She cursed, looking up towards the great skies of Vesim, and a chill ran down the back of everyone.

Hundreds of blood-red eyes opened through the night, spirling like a vicious beast as if trying to spot their prey.

"Shit!" Syris cursed, feeling such a horrifying power bearing its fangs to the Realm. She hurriedly turned to the Devil on her knees.

"Can't you do something? Delay or—"

Thanatos snatched Syris by the shoulder, tossing her body away as Tasha's palm whipped out with every intention to claim her head. A massive gale wind tore through the city like a knife cutting through mountains and ravines.

"Yes, my Master!" Tasha said, shaking with such dread layers of sweat slithered down her voluptuous figure.

'Why is it all these damns Snows are professionals at pissing people off?' Thanatos thought, cursing his luck.

"We need to leave her to Heaven's Gate," said Zag, feeling Tasha's aura paint the skies in a demonic might. "If they can't do anything, I'll use my Divinity. You wasted yours, right?"

"You know I did." Thaan cursed, recalling when Altair was going through his metamorphosis. Had he not used his Divinity, then he might have been atomized into nothing. "A Nine Circle Devil, even with your Divinity aiding you, will not allow you any possible chance of victory. You know that, right? Seal her."

"Damn devils," Zag spat, glancing around for any traces of Heavens' Gate but saw none. He knew they were hiding. "Ren can't you know—-"

"Sit, doggy!" Ren shouted wildly, but Tasha floated blankly in the air, wrapped in an unfamiliar Authority. "Guess not! She laughed, charging towards Zaros, dashing forth with Broken Moon. Her body flew like a blur, tracing over the battlefield.

Ice met, and Glaive collided in a horrid shockwave that had buildings being torn apart from the sheer shockwave of it all. The winds turned to howls, tearing through stones like a hot knife through butter. The earth was torn apart.

Zaros was shaken. Despite clearly being stronger, his swordsmanship was not anywhere near Reina's, nor her footwork. Flashes of embers ricocheted over the battlefield as their bodies danced in such a way it didn't seem remotely possible for mortals when they emerged between Altair and Ragnar, preparing to clash.

Ren gave her Prince a subtle glance, and with a half smile, he beamed forward, not towards Ragnar but Zaros with the aid of the King Domain; he was in front of the unsuspecting vampire in an instant.

Altair's sigil flashed through his eyes, conjuring Shadow Cage in tandem to his palm, hitting against Zaros's heart. The energy of the Vale punctured the Realm, filling the many red eyes in the skies with an indescribable fear.

Upon his throne, Beelzubub had his brows creased. "That is… the Vale," he whispered so softly it was heard by none. "That shouldn't be possible. How the Hell is it here?"