"What do you mean that Agartha isn't real?!" With that outburst came the sound of a hand slamming itself on a table and two-person gasping. Ezequiel couldn't believe what he was hearing from the man in front of him, the man who was said to know more than even the most reputable sages in the world's history. It was unreal, it feels unreal, but if what he said was true, then...
"Believe what you want but what I said is true, to be more specific, Agartha isn't a real 'world'." There was something there, how he pronounced world feels, different, like it was supposed to have a deeper meaning that he didn't yet understand. It was enough to make him snap out of some of his crazier theories about what the Immortal before him had meant with his previous statement.
"What?" Of course, even if he stopped making implausible theories, it doesn't mean he had understood the message Iqbal had tried to convey. This made Iqbal sigh and rub his head to block out the impending headache he would surely feel.
"Of course you wouldn't understand... Then again, a person needs to know a few things first to understand it so I guess you could be forgiven." Iqbal muttered to himself much to the dismay of Ezequiel who had hoped that the First Black would just start explaining what he meant to the angel. Ezequiel opened his mouth to ask but was forced to shut it back as Iqbal had chosen that exact moment to start clarifying what he'd said before.
"Alright, listen up, because I'm only going to only say this once, if you miss anything then sorry, you're on your own." Minerva stroked the sulking Ezequiel's back; next to them, Kálfar just laughed awkwardly at Iqbal, the elf trying to stop him from seeing the odd scene of a human comforting a moping angel.
Iqbal corrected his glasses, causing the light to hit it just right to make the glasses shine ominously. Seeing the glint, the trio of an angel, a human and an elf immediately sat up ramrod straight, feeling a threat to their life if they didn't focus. The Immortal nodded to himself, satisfied that they are finally giving proper attention to what he's about to reveal.
"You all already know, that the world is currently cursed by the gods. Each race can only use one attribute of magic, powered by mana that has colors that correspond with their magic attribute." At this part, he paused before he walked around the room they're in while looking at the three of them.
"Brown for Earth, the magic of the Humans." Nodding at Minerva who blinked and pointed to herself with a look of confusion on her face, he continued.
"Green for Wind, the magic of the Elves." This time he nodded at Kálfar who nodded back at him.
"Red for Fire, the magic of the Draconians." He lit a fireball on the palm of his hand, ignoring the gasps and shocked look the trio sent at him.
"White for Light, the magic of the Angels." He looked at Ezequiel who stared back at him, a solemn look that he rarely wore gracing his face.
"And of course, Black for Curses, the magic of the Demons." Here he paused again, the fireball on his hand being put out before he stopped walking and turned to face all three of them.
"Any questions for now?" A hand raised itself into the air at the question. Iqbal looked at the owner of the hand, Minerva.
"How about monsters? On the way here we had found an Orc Warlord that somehow also wields the Black mana like us, why do we even have Black mana when we aren't demons to our knowledge and," Here she paused and hesitantly looked at Ezequiel that nodded back at her look of askance. Taking a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart, she asked the question that the trio has been wanting the answer for since they know Ezequiel's true condition. "Why did, Demon King Ansat curse Ezequiel with the Black mana while calling it a blessing?"
It was something that had bothered Minerva and Kálfar since they learned about it. All their life, they had been scorned by their people for having Black mana and yet Demon King Ansat had said it was a blessing to the Hero that had managed to slay him, something that will let him grow to his full potential.
Ansat's last words bothered them immensely, calling the Black mana a blessing and that it would let Ezequiel grow to his full potential? Wouldn't it just hinder him instead since he's more proficient with Light magic as an angel, not Curses like demons? Clearly, there's more to Black mana than what normal people know and they want to know what it is.
"I was just getting to that part, be patient, your answers shall come soon enough." The man though infuriatingly enough seemed content to make them wait in anticipation. While Minerva is seething inside and Kálfar was trying hard not to pop a vein via sheer anger at the man's lackadaisical attitude, Ezequiel was contemplating something regarding Ansat.
'When I was battling Ansat's army, I had only seen monsters everywhere, not one demon was to be seen, except for, their generals..." Narrowing his eyes at the memories of the time when he was still called a Hero, Ezequiel began to remember the noteworthy things the generals had said to him.
*Flashback*
"Y-You, may have, beaten me Hero... But, you'll never, beat our king! They are, unlike us, mere demons. They are, born, blesseddd....."
"You wretched angel! You will not stop our king! I will stop you here, our king won't even have to bother with you. I won't let you interrupt their final clash with the gods!"
"You fool, do you even know what you are trying to involve yourself with? This is beyond you, beyond all of us! Our king will be the one to free it from the curse of the gods that now bind the world and become the true savior while you, 'Hero', shall go down in history as the fool who tried to stop the world from being freed of the curse. Prepare yourself! For I shall test you to see if you're worthy to face our king!"
And...
The throne room was ravaged by the battle that had ended just a few moments ago. The castle was shaking, collapsing because of the strain caused by the attacks that two titans of power had thrown at each other, the two titans that are still conscious inside the throne room.
One of them, an angel, the Hero, stood with the help of his sword supporting him even while he's bleeding all over. The other is a demon, the Demon King, they lie in a crater, their back against the wall of the room that had cratered because of them crashing into it. With their heart having been gouged out by the Hero's final attack, they lay there, dying.
"Heh, a fine battle indeed, Hero. You've, won, fair and square. You had, beaten me alone, without the help of, your party. I respect you, for that Hero." The Hero himself though doesn't show happiness at having been confirmed that he had slain the Demon King. He seemed to even look regretful.
"Tell me, Demon King, why did you even start this war in the first place? What did your generals mean when they said you will break the world's curse? Was, was there a way we could have ended all of this without bloodshed? Answer me, King! Or should I say, Queen?" For indeed the Demon King was actually a female, not male as everyone had thought.
He could still remember, the times the demon had visited him to see his progress under the guise of a high-rank draconian adventurer, Sana, How playful she was and how she had looked worried when he had gotten badly hurt by being reckless. Remembering it all just made him regret having to kill her more, for he was the crowned Hero of all races, because of that he had to kill her to fulfill his duty.
"Just forget it, it's not good to worry and about the what-if's, just look forward to the future and you'll be fine. Also, don't call me Queen, it sounded less intimidating than King." He snorted. Even now, while dying, she's more worried about him and sounding intimidating, who's the idiot now actually?
"Hey, Ezequiel." She's using his name. Since they had met again in the castle she had only referred to him as Hero. For her to call him with his real name now... "I might not be able to fulfill my duty by breaking the world's curse but at least I can break it for you. Sorry, for forcing this on you but I believe you can use it better than me and find out the truth of the world. Again, I'm sorry Ezequiel, for forcing this blessing on you."
Black mana started to rise out of her body and started entering his body. Before his world was consumed by pain, he managed to say one last thing to her.
"What are you even apologizing for? Sana, you idiot."
*Flashback End*
Ezequiel was forced out of his recollection by the ground suddenly shaking violently.
"Grrgh?!/What?!/Whoa?!" Was what Ezequiel, Kálfar, and Minerva exclaimed while trying to regain their balance. Iqbal looked out of the window and narrowed his eyes at what he saw.
"It seems your pursuers had arrived." That simple statement caused panic to arise within the trio as they looked at each other.
"We need to get out of her-" "No you don't."
Iqbal casually interrupted Ezequiel with a calm tone. Startled, all Ezequiel can do was look at him, confused.
"What?" Was the only thing he could utter as the angel looked at Iqbal with a puzzled expression, something that was mirrored by his party.
"Did you kids forget who I am? Don't worry, I'll drive them back. You kids just have to watch the show." Iqbal disappeared from the room, going off to face an army alone, with parting words that'll make them confused until he returned.
"By the way, the color of Demon magic, Curses, aren't Black, it's 'Purple'."
____________________________________________
The leader of the Hunter team assigned to hunt Ezequiel and his party members began the speech to motivate his army.
"Men, this is it we've found them! Today is the day, the day we will be marked in history as the one who managed to capture the former Hero Ezequiel and his group of abominations while all others had failed!"
"Oh, really?"
It was just two words, two simple words that formed a question and yet, the pressure behind it made it the most terrifying thing in the world. The army almost kneeled on the spot because of how much pressure was put on them. The leader slowly turned back to find who it is that's releasing the pressure at his army. He widened his eyes at what, or who he saw.
"That's a shame, because I consider them as my guest right now and I don't want to let go of them so early. I guess you just had to get through me to get them."
Because he is the destroyer of armies.
The man who managed to accomplish the impossible and learn all the type of magic in existence.
"The question is..."
Founder of the Lost Demon Kingdom.
An Immortal.
The Greatest Monster in History.
"... CAN YOU GET THROUGH ME?!"
The First Black.
Iqbal Beelze.
May the gods have mercy on them because the monster they've cursed with Immortality certainly won't.