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In front of me stood a man who I had never been able to equal in strength. A man who was once an archangel, who dared to defy god and fell from his grace, becoming a fallen angel, and later on, the Prince of Pride of the Gates of Hell, Lucifer himself.
Since I began my journey, I've always been trying to reach new heights. After having conquered over a hundred Galaxies, taking over billions of planets and star systems, and having an enormous Intergalactic Empire, it was rather obvious that my next goal was to move towards the next stage.
Indeed, the next stage… Hell itself.
The Gates of Hell were in front of me at that time, in the middle of outer space. Its components and its powers worked differently than anything I had ever seen before. My fleet of spaceships stood still as they gazed at the enormous gate blazing with demonic flames.
At that time, I didn't waste any time thinking about it. Instead, I stepped into the danger ahead. Everything else had become dull, and I craved for greater challenges. At that time, I was really reckless. Now I realize that I should have been better prepared. I shouldn't have stepped into this territory which I was so unfamiliar with so easily… Despite that, there were no regrets in my mind.
The Gates of Hell led to Hell itself. A dimension of its own plagued with Demons and Demonic Beasts, governed by the Archdemons of the Goetia and the Seven Princes of Hell, the ruler was the Prince of Pride, Lucifer.
My powerful troops managed to get this far. We managed to reach the last Layer, where we confronted him after countless hardships and conquering most of Hell itself.
I, Asmodeus Von Sange, the strongest Vampire in the Entire Universe, had decided to challenge Lucifer, the Prince of Pride, the Root of Evil, the one that defied God himself.
CLASH!
I moved at an incredible speed, enhancing my body with countless spells and techniques. My Blood Qi was pumping through my body, enhancing it millions of times over. The same techniques I had used to defeat Galaxy-Realm Hegemonies seemed to barely amount to anything against this man.
"What's wrong, Asmodeus? Feeling tired already?" he asked smugly, his delicate and flawless face only made this more frustrating. The man's long blonde hair waved around the blazes of hell, as his entire body exuded an aura of darkness and light like I had never seen before.
It twisted spacetime itself, and everything around us obeyed him. Hell itself was alive, and it was part of his own self. It moved to his will and destroyed my troops one by one as it brought me to my last moments.
My entire body was constantly being burned and regenerated back by the flames of hell. My soul was cracking apart into fragments, my power was leaking, I was in my last moments.
I had used every technique, every power I had learned. Every spell, every form of attack, strategy, everything. But before this absolute might, I was nothing. Everything was reduced to ashes before his flames.
At the end… I was the one that got too cocky.
Should I regret my decision?
No, I couldn't really regret it.
I smiled back at him defiantly as my eyes blazed with crimson-red light. My entire body exuded all the power I could muster. The power I had used to destroy entire star systems and conquer entire galaxies.
The power of all the Galaxy Cores I had assimilated within me were resonating in this last moment. However, before Lucifer, a being that defied even this power, this seemed like a mouse defying a lion.
Despite the tragedies of my troops dying and my close companions giving their lives for me, I couldn't help that I regretted none of this… I was having the time of my lifetime.
I wanted to fight more, to see how far I could reach. For a being as strong as me to finally be given a challenge of this height… I was rather sorrowful that it might soon come to an end.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
I moved at an incredible speed towards Lucifer, my vampiric wings moved me through the blazing hell at blinding speed. I reached him in an instant and showered his half-naked body with enormous punches and countless other techniques and attacks. Spells, weapons, artifacts, everything I had emerged around me and attacked him.
Gigantic blades pierced his body as spears punctured his skin. A mace crushed his shoulder and an axe sliced through his back, a hammer thundered with powerful lightning and hit his head, as a massive tower shield hit him in the face.
But in a second, the flames covered it all and turned all these millenary treasures into ashes in an instant… How strong is this man?
"Hahaha! You're an interesting one, Asmodeus! You're the first man ever to even come down to hell to actually die against me! Your struggles are hopeless, but admirable. I can find some entertainment in all of it. Now show me what you're made of, Asmodeus!" laughed Lucifer.
He rushed towards me as he encompassed his entire body with all the power of Hell itself. An entire Dimension obeying his will and boosting his power through the roof.
I had to receive his charge with all I had as well. The Galaxy Cores resonated across the entire Universe, their power being pumped towards my body and soul. This was it, the last struggle.
Like two blazing meteors, we clashed against one another and began covering each other's bodies with powerful blows, twisting each other's bodies, and breaking apart our flesh into pieces, only to relentlessly regenerate back.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
I was silent through the fight, but there was a sickly smile on my face. I was enjoying this thoroughly, and he realized it, smiling back and laughing maniacally.
"Gahahahahah! Are you enjoying this, Asmodeus?! Your last struggle before dying miserably? Come! Shine as bright as you can before you fall to your eternal slumber!" he laughed.
"You talk a lot for someone that is already dead." I said.
"Hoh?! Bold bastard! Bluffing your way through won't- W-What?!" laughed Lucifer.
In that very last moment when Lucifer's blows were tearing me apart and I couldn't regenerate any longer, I decided to use my last resort and try to kill him.
In exchange for my life.
If I was going to die anyways, why not use that?
My Origin Core.
Origin Cores are a crystal that grows in the depths of your soul. The stronger you grow, the stronger it grows as it encompasses your total power. Magic, Strength, everything…
My Blood Qi resonated within it as all the energies I had accumulated through this entire time converged together into a massive spark of power. Enough power to probably end half the Universe if I wanted.
"Can you take this head-on, you bastard?" I asked with a sickly smile.
And I saw it in his face.
Lucifer…
Felt fear.
"Ahh…! Ahhh…! W-Wait! Stop! Unngh…?!"
FLASH!
My Origin Core resonated with all the light it could, all the power I could muster. My life, my soul, everything…
"Die, you son of a bitch."
BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
I felt my entire being explode into pieces. My very self fragmented as the darkness of the empty void greeted me quickly.
But for a faint few seconds, I heard Lucifer's screams in agony, his entire soul and body were being greatly damaged.
It was such a pity I wasn't able to see him die… but that was it...
…
Perhaps the only regret I have as my consciousness fades away is that I was never able to accept Eleanora's feelings.
I hope that one day, in another life, we can meet again.
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BOOOOMMM!!!
Asmodeus Von Sange, the Emperor of over a hundred Galaxies and the owner of the greatest Intergalactic Empire in the Universe died on that day. Giving away everything he had, even his Origin Core, the very core of his own self…
Lucifer took the blow head on, as he saw how a massive vampiric specter made of crimson-red energy devoured his entire body across an immense explosion.
His entire body was thrown down into the depths of hell as hell began to shatter. The dimension itself shattered but barely stopped before completely breaking into pieces.
Lucifer's entire body ended charred, scarred, and in pain.
His soul was greatly damaged as well.
But he was still alive.
Of course, you'll need more than that to kill the Prince of Pride.
Lucifer slowly stood up, his entire scarred body slowly regenerated back, but his soul was too damaged, its regeneration would take eons.
"Y-You damn… bastard…! You really got me! To think he would sacrifice himself before letting me take away his life! Tch…! Fine! Asmodeus Von Sange, I will give you a second chance just because I can't let this slide! You better come back to me so I can beat the living shit out of you this time around!" he muttered, as Lucifer utilized the grand powers of Hell itself, manipulating all the souls left behind, and all the consciousness fragments and shattered origin cores, putting all of them together into a single soul.
"I will make sure that you don't have it easy this time around though." Said Lucifer, cursing the soul of his nemesis before letting him depart into another world…
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The moment I died I thought that was going to be it. I thought I was a goner. Without a soul to sustain my own thoughts and mind, I should have surely died this time around. And no, not the conventional death where your body just dies and your soul is brought somewhere else, the death… death. The one where you disappear forever. Your consciousness is embraced by the dark void, and you stop existing as a whole.
However, against my wildest dreams, I was still conscious, somehow, despite all of my expectations, I had not been ended yet. Something had manipulated my last fragments of consciousness, my last fragments of soul and the shattered pieces of my origin core, and brought me back up.
Who did this?
The only one I could think of was… Lucifer. But there was no way that he would want to reincarnate me. So it was obviously someone else, somebody else…
But who?
I couldn't really think straight. My mind felt dizzy. Many times I went to sleep with my thoughts wandering around aimlessly. At some point, I began to have physical senses once more.
Was I given a body now? But why can't I see nor hear yet? What am I?
I felt a warm liquid crossing across my small little body- Wait, I had a small little body now? What?
This liquid encompassed my entire body and let me rest inside. I could sense the vibrations across my body, it was the beating of a heart, not my own small heart, but another bigger one above my head.
Who could it be?
Wait, am I that foolish to not realize it? It is quite obvious that the only one whose heart this could belong to was… my mother. Or well, better said, my new mother.
I had been somehow reborn as a baby, and I was currently inside the belly of my mother. It didn't take me too long to realize something so obvious.
I could barely move, however. I tried using my aura, my powers, anything, but nothing came out. I was left hopeless and helpless inside of my mother. But somehow, I felt a soothing feeling, something encompassing my entire being that relaxed me.
Her humming suddenly resonated, she was humming something, a small little melody. A feeble little melody that mortals perhaps sing to their young. How long has it been since I was a mortal? Eons, perhaps. I had completely lost touch with what it meant to be alive sometimes. So this was it. I don't know how I came to be a baby now, but these feelings made me feel rather happy and fulfilled.
I let her soothing songs relax my thoughts, the memories of my past were slightly fragmented, however, trying to recall them only brought me headaches, I simply decided to not think for now, and to sleep until I could one day be born again.
However, as I slept and woke periodically, I couldn't help but think what kind of world could this be, and why… why was I reborn? What was the purpose behind this reincarnation of mine?
I gave up my life, my Origin Core was destroyed, reincarnation should be impossible. But someone had enough power to actually regenerate an Origin Core of the caliber of the one I held.
But well, my powers were not here. Either they were sealed or… lost forever.
Hmm…
"La~ La~ Laaa~ Grow big and healthy, my little treasure…"
The voice of a woman resonated across my senses. It was youthful and filled with life. This was my mother. I could understand her language right away. It was the common tongue used in many planets I had visited.
Could I have been reborn on a planet I governed? If that was the case, my beginnings should be smooth sailing.
Being embraced by my mother's tender words, I felt a sudden heat in my chest. I suppose this was the simplistic happiness and fulfillment we feel when we are embraced by the love of a mother.
I never experienced such a thing as I was an orphan in my previous life. But of course, I also didn't have a consciousness like this in the belly of the mother that abandoned me back then either…
Perhaps I will end up an orphan in this life as well, although I hope that is not the case.
Time went by, as I felt like my body was growing bigger and bigger.
Until the day of birth.
The canals in front of me opened as I was suddenly grabbed roughly by a large hand, slowly bringing me towards the outside.
"Push harder, Mary!"
"Ugh…! Ahhh! Nngh…! C-Come on…!"
"Harder! You can do it!"
"Ahhh… M-My baby… Would you come out already?! Uagh…!"
I heard two voices. My mother's voice was easily discernible. She was pushing me out of her womb, meanwhile, the voice of a young man was also here, probably my father, or perhaps her brother? I had yet to learn more, as I couldn't open my eyes yet.
Pop!
Suddenly, I felt like my head had been freed from the embryonic liquid, and I faintly opened my eyes, being greeted by the dim light of candles around me. The wooden ceiling, and the dark atmosphere, it was probably night. Of course, I couldn't really cry, I didn't feel like it, but I had to open my mouth and breathe, which actually forced a reaction in my body which made me scream, crying like a baby would usually do. I suppose I couldn't go against my own body's reflexes.
"Buuuuaaaah! Buuaaaahh!"
"Ah! I-It's there!"
The one I assumed was my father quickly dragged me outside of my mother's womb. After the head was out the rest of the body wasn't so hard to get out. The umbilical cord was easily cut as well, it hurt a bit, which made me cry even louder… How embarrassing.
"I-It's a boy, Mary! My boy…"
My father cried tears of joy as my mother held me in her arms, her beautiful and flawless face smiled back at me, kissing my forehead.
"Welcome to this world… Blake." She said. It seems my name has already been decided.
My mother's beauty was just as I expected. Her long brown hair, beautiful emerald eyes, and flawless porcelain skin. Of course, this was the beauty of a mother for someone such as me.
And then there was my father, a youthful and muscular man, he had a stoic face yet there was a handsomeness to him. He also had short brown hair, and sharp black eyes.
My mother's name was apparently Mary, while my father's name…
"Joan, he calmed down all of the sudden… He's… very calm in fact…" pointed out my mother.
His name was Joan. Such simplistic names. I suppose these people are mere humans.
And I… Wait, I was reborn as a human? I remember that even before, I was born as a Vampire… Being a human would certainly prove to be difficult.
My parents immediately pointed out how calm I was. I had ended crying some seconds ago as I stared at the two. I felt like moving right now but my body was weak. But I managed to touch my mother's nose.
"Uwah…! My little prince! You're so cute!" she said, as she kissed my forehead.
"L-Let me hold him!" said my father enthusiastically.
"No! Now it is time for his meal. You must be hungry! Go on." said my mother, revealing to me her nude bosom.
Right… humans… do this.
In my previous life as a vampire, I only needed to hunt a small rat and drink its blood, but here… well, I require the sustenance of my mother's milk.
Sigh…
For the Emperor of an Intergalactic Empire, doing this was rather embarrassing.
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