Monarch Of Darkness, Arsene

Sacrificing over half my souls to acclimate all five God Souls form a higher heaven, a great tremor rippled through me as the laws governing this realm clawed at my body. As if it was no longer welcomed within this Heaven, a pressure, unlike anything I had felt before, took hold of my soul.

Pain flared through my being as I growled, trembling not to howl, as dozens of Hell cycles of life flashed through my mind in less than a second. After minutes I felt wildly uncomfortable within my flesh. It felt confined. Like the power, I cultivated all my life was… wasted on the likes of me.

"My Lord!" A grizzled cry resounded as sources of darkness sprung from the void, appearing one by one on the knee. Their eyes pointed directly at me with a look of worry. "Your injured."

The Black Hand.

Glaring at Valiscar, my control over the concept and laws that transcended time and space, Heaven and hell, began to emit from my flesh. The knowledge that should have been banned or at least protected slithered over my flesh in the form of sin as my gaze deepened into an abyss.

"What are you doing here?" I coldly asked, surprised by how calm I felt despite my blood boiling like liquid fire. Steam trickled out of my pores, leaving behind a hellish aura that withered this Fourth Heaven.

"Calm Down, Arsene. And focus on Aclimating those souls. Adding them to your Hive Mind will take twenty to thirty years. Try not to kill yourself with this added knowledge." Lily warned, "You are in a unique position. A very unique position, don't die because of your emotions."

Struggling to calm myself down, Valiscar spoke. "We got several reports that someone was trying to purge the Snow Family. An entire battalion of Infringement and Fell Gods just attacked your sister."

The sense of rejection grew stronger and stronger as my lungs began to refine the laws around me, burning them to dust, and my anger grew without end. As if my wrath didn't possess a zenith, the Abyss and the Hells all attuned themselves to me.

"She was heavily injured but killed them all. However, they seemed to know her weakness." Valiscar said.

"And what's that."

"Sealing weapons. They are weapons designed to incapacitate or seal away particular abilities. They are trying to seal the Lady Truck-Kun Rebirth technique. They failed, underestimating the ability that defies the balance. But… She was injured."

"And Zariel?"

"He…" Valiscar bowed his head, trembling. "He administered aid and embarked on a path of blood. I have no reports yet."

"Arsene." Tia suddenly called, rising from the ocean covered in blood. "This attack was personal. Do you know who attacked you?"

"Does it matter?" I coldly told her, turning to Tiamat. "We purge the Myriad Heavens if we have to. No one can hide from the Weave. Now, where is our son?"

'Safe." She replied, glancing towards Valiscar and his people, not daring to state his position in the wide open.

Seeing no point in debating her, I nodded. Shifting my attention back to the Black Hand. " Tene told you to protect me?"

'Yes, my Lord." They said together. "We—"

Suddenly raising my hand, I paused their words as a gut-wrenching sensation took hold of me as the very Abyss opened up to my will. I ignored the shattering of glass as I emerged within the citadel of the Abyss, within the Palace of Liltih.

Stationed within Lilith's room, my eyes swayed as I looked around for her when the void shuddered, and End appeared.

"Was she attacked?" I hastily asked.

"Yes." End coldly replied, and my heart stopped. " But no injuries. The Assassin died the moment he took a step out of formation. We scanned his soul but… nothing. It was an empty husk. Vita is currently manipulating time to reverse the damage."

"They only attacked women. I'm sure you noticed too." I remarked to End, who gave a sturdy nod. "Any idea who?"

"I'm ashamed to say we don't. I've scanned through the minds of all Abyssal Fiends. None of them know who attacked us. But it's clear he came from the outside. In your domain."

I paused, clenching my fist. "Want to make a show of power?"

"I don't like political games, Lord Snow." End coldly pointed out, narrowing his eyes that showed a frightening amount of anger.

"An outsider attacked our queen." The still, icy voice of Vita announced.

"And what was an outsider doing in the first city of Abyss?" I grimaced to say, glaring at Vita as she emerged from nodes of light.

"We hired a dozen architects, engineers, and more to help improve our kingdom. We have been cycling through millions through the many chaos cycles." She responded, her voice growing thicker with anger the more she heard herself speak.

"I want the abyss to make a Show of Power, and I want you to do it on my side."

"We can't," Vita noted softly. " we need our queen's permission."

"Are you stupid? Do you not know how to make decisions?" I spat at her. "This is what it means to be useful. Lilith doesn't need yes men or bitches. She needs warriors, people who'd take her best interest to heart. How long have you known her? Can you not anticipate what she wants? Make a goddamn decision because no one attacks my wife. Not without losing everything in the process."

Flashing back to Iluthath in a bolt of lightning, I returned with a dark expression beside Tiamat. And gave her a head pat. " Good to see you again." I forced myself to say, knowing I needed to calm down and think with a poised mindset.

Her bloodstained features lifted into delight as she nodded. "I'm peachy. How ya' been, Arsene? Its been far too long? Still an ass, man?

"You bet your sweet ass I am. All day every day, and twice on Sunday."

Tia shot me a rich smile and circled me with a peculiar eye. " You look good, though. You look even better than before. Seems this rebirth has done well for you. You even got married. In impossibility, if there ever was one."

I was somewhat embarrassed recalling my mindset on marriage during that era. I hated it. Shit did not make sense to me. Even now, it doesn't make sense. But I don't regret it. It's been fun.

"You looking to tie me down as well?"

"You? Please. I'll eat you and that little wifey of yours up. Your both mine. It's just a matter of if you submit to it or not.

"... that sounds kinda rapey."

Tiamat's smiling lips deepened. " It is what it is."

A/N: lol