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Chapter 115: Death Force III
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Most importantly, he had plenty of time to cast even the most demanding of spells because the battle went on for a whole three days!!!
Strangely, the demons of hell didn't interfere, specifically the ones that stand at the top
Some either didn't care at all while others didn't want anyone else to intervene for one reason or another.
Even Belial, Etrigan's father didn't seem to have an interest in intruding despite the severity of the situation.
The situation in hell was very odd, but one thing was for certain. What's happening was certainly a big scheme but whether things went as the orchestrator wished or not remains unknown for now.
"Hahh." A long everlasting breath was released from the bloody Ian, literally. His figure could barely be recognized under the blobs of blood all over his body... except for one spotless area.
His long hair was no longer that long as it was cut diagonally, leaving a long deep wound on his back as well. His right leg was... Well, no longer there.
However, he wasn't bleeding, at least not that much. His regeneration would've allowed him to heal at a rate noticeable to the naked eye, but strangely the wounds are still there, not bleeding that much but one can say it's worse.
"Aghhh hehehahaha... How far I've fallen. The goat must be laughing at my sorry state but..."
Etrigan was in so much more of a sorry state. He had no missing limb, but he kinda wishes he had because the alternative was so much worse.
He was on his knees, slowly standing but having a hard time doing so because his body was a battlefield for two forces.
His body was riddled with holes, dozens of large gaps to the point that he looked more frightening than even the scariest of dreams.
Not just that, those wounds were a gateway for Ian's light to establish its rule and expand.
One settlement wasn't enough because darkness was a kingdom, but slowly and surely, more and more settlements were formed until they banded together forming another kingdom.
Sure, many settlements fell in the process, but Ian was creating so many settlements that many passed by, and in the end, success was destined.
Darkness was falling as light was eating Etrigan's body like a hungry worm, slowly finding its way through his thick flesh. At this point in time, his body was full of golden lines, tunnels dug throughout him.
"But I'm still curious... What are you?" His face radiated his curiosity, looking quite genuine. This was the most honest and authentic Etrigan has ever been.
How could he not be curious when he sees the odd scene before him, the scene of Ian looking more different than ever.
The energy he once could only feel, now he can see. Etrigan could see the vastness of the force Ian was releasing at a constant rate. It was abnormal, somewhat semi-transparent, looking fuzzy and blurry.
It was constantly switching from its blurry look to becoming invisible again, seemingly unstable.
The force was mostly concentrated around Ian, looking absolutely gorgeous as it drifted along with his vast white wings, giving them a blurry appearance.
Etrigan can make an accurate assumption on what started Ian's odd state.
He remembers clearly that Ian had a black tattoo of the petal of a rose on his back. It was still there, but it changed as if it was finally complete, gaining the same pale blurry form.
"That I wonder as well. I can not remember how many times I asked myself that same question. Trust me, there is no one in the world with more curiosity about something than I am about myself."
Etrigan did indeed look scary, but so did Ian. Right at the moment as words left his mouth, he seemed like someone that should be at his death door, not someone who can talk with such calmness and fineness.
He was also in a similar situation to Etrigan but in reverse as he had a dozen or so deep wounds, a missing leg, and an arm. All of his wounds without exceptions were overwhelmed in darkness.
The light released by the staff was doing very little to stop the darkness from spreading, eating his flesh in the process.
Light and darkness were most certainly one of the strongest elements in the world, and the staff's third vessel had them both, but as they say, a man's darkness isn't another's, so he can't really counterattack that darkness with a weaker one.
However, be it darkness or light, none were Ian's concern as he gently lifted his right hand on which lightning sparks flickered.
It appeared as if an orange pulse passed through his entire body, and continued to circulate until his eyes flashed in an orange brilliance which soon vanished, replaced by Ian's eyes being completely white, a bit blurry even.
"I see..." Ian murmured as his wings flashed, suddenly finding himself standing before Etrigan, lighting faintly crackling around him, a similar phenomenon to the flash.
"You..." The demon prince opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but instead, he just slumped down to the ground with a thud, his curved sword dropping beside him.
"I've lost my ways. I remained still as if frozen in time when I could've controlled time."
Perhaps the demon's last moments brought him peace, calmness, and even wisdom he ignored for a long time, but Ian was still cautious of the deceitful nature of demons.
"All it would've taken was a bit of reflection on myself. Perhaps I would've been put in such a sorry state by a human... I didn't see this coming at all, and neither did the person who helped me get you here."
The demon let out a demonic chuckle, "He must be in a lot of trouble right now."
"Nah, I'm sure he'll make the best out of the situation." Ian disagreed.
"Hmm? I assumed you t... two to be enemies?" He was getting weaker and weaker by the second, and the holy light was taking the opportunity to purify him from existence.
"Nah, we just inadvertently help each other. It's like charity, we understand each other too well. I spoke to Murphy a few weeks ago wishing for things to go wrong, and they did."
"Yet here we are, and I'm not so sure if he thinks the same." Etrigan shook his huge head, feeling the overwhelming energy of bullshit radiating out of Ian.
"Yet here we are." Ian smiled, eyeing the hell's sky. It's very odd, switching from dark to glowing red, but no sun was in sight. When glowing, it looks more like a sea of fire burning bright.
The two seemed to be in a daze for a while, Etrigan only speaking once he felt his last breath approaching.
"I have a lot of regrets. I remember the cries of souls, wishing for a second chance... Laughable, I deemed their weeps to be, yet here I am, desiring a second chance."
The demon let out a laugh, perhaps laughing at himself. Who thought a demon, a prince of hell nonetheless could seem so human? but everything is relative, and his current behavior is relative to his current circumstances.
"You've just become much stronger, didn't you? Too bad, I would've liked to see it for myself, but I can imagine bits and pieces of the future. It's..." His words trailed on as he slumped down completely.
"Yeah, I would've like to as well, but..." Ian let a sigh as he floated above Etrigan, looking at the demon with nothing but a sliver of life left.
He held his staff upside down and plunged it down without a sliver of hesitation. His life force was already flowing into the staff, activating its devouring ability, ridding the demon of all that he has.
Ian continued until nothing was left, nothing but ashes. The moment Etrigan died, the darkness trying to devour Ian settled down, allowing light energy to ravage it with relative ease.
"Very odd... It's almost like everything that's happening is already supposed to happen, calculated. It's all too perfect for me. What I gained was... Just what am I?"
How could Ian not wonder that? How could he not question himself when his force just evolved in a very peculiar manner.
He could feel the speed force running through his veins, its source being the blurry tattoo on his back, acting as a medium of sorts to his staff. No, not just his staff but every artifact under his control due to the give and take process.
There was however a limitation. He can use only one force at a time. He attributed that to the fact that only one petal tattoo was on his back, but more were already forming as his life force flowed into his back, slowly but surely constructing a Rose tattoo.
'Nah, it's certainly not life force, at least not just that... It's more, a force that functions upon the principle of giving my life away... Death force, you shall be called.'
The man couldn't help but let out a sigh, "More questions than answers... As usual."