Dona's eyes gleamed with a mix of nostalgia and foreboding as she began her tale.
"Eons ago there existed a single massive landmass , a supercontinent that served as the home to several mortal races. Elves, Beastmen, Dwarves Humans an uncountable number of these beings lived there alongside us,the Dragonkin. At that time two of the celestial races,the Dragonkin and the Fay,then known as Spirits,inhabited the mortal world alongside the mortals. The Seraphs and the Deamons decided to inhabit the other planes though some walked among us. Now these mortals were beings of remarkable intelligence and magical prowess. Their lifespans stretched far beyond those of modern mortals, and their mastery of the arcane arts approached that of celestial beings."
Her voice wove a spell, transporting the listeners to a bygone era.
"They called themselves the First Ones, for they believed themselves the pinnacle existence. Arrogance and pride fueled their ambitions and as such most of their societies with a few exceptions like the Mercurians were cesspools for vices and moral depravity though they still managed to evolve and grow. We the dragonkin kept them in check with destruction while the Spirits helped them rebuild , trying to correct their ways through guidance. This was the status quo for millennia.
The balance of power however shifted when an ambitious king, fueled by a desire for supremacy, conquered the various nations and forged the Principality of Nytria."
Dona's expression turned somber.
"This king through the use of forbidden arts now known as Curse Magic ,drove away the Spirits and sought to extinguish the dragons, sending a message to the other celestials Seraphs and Demons. He manipulated a handful of celestial beings, including some dragons, to join his cause. He also discovered and bonded my servant, Galax, to the darksoul I was entrusted with."
She sighed. Kojo remembered his vision. He'd seen the events of the Nytrian invasion. And how they met their demise at the hands of the demon lord.
"Long story short,I ended Galax and destroyed the principality as well as shattering the super continent into the tiny land masses you see today with the dragon continent ascending to the skies. The king, however survived along with a few remnants of his nation, survived. He consumed Galax's corpse, gaining the brand of a Demon Lord."
The room fell silent, absorbing the weight of Dona's words.
"Galax's corpse had corrupted the surrounding area, spawning monsters. The king harnessed this corruption , turning his people into cursed beings known as Maajin. I was however tasked with nurturing this hatchling god for the stability of all that is but he turned against me , setting his sights on conquest"
Dona's gaze swept the room.
"The gods have a law: we cannot engage in direct conflict. As abstract principles, a direct confrontation of power would create contradiction in the narrative of all things that are. That and remaking everything from scratch would be a pain in the ass.We settled to use pawns to maintain balance. My dear friend, Estelle Leicester, the first Hero, was my chosen champion. She protected this world from Minatori's hordes."
Dona's eyes clouded, memories of Estelle evident in her expression.
"Minatori,sought the Metatron Cube, an artifact capable of bypassing the system's principal pillars. I could no longer ignore him as that would threaten everything and we clashed causing the system to start the crimson Dawn or an existential reset. Estelle used Soul Link magic, a sub spell of soul magic I taught her to bind our souls together so that what occurs at one side of the silver cord is reiterated at the other side on a spiritual level.She then used me as a point of contact to bind him between the characters end of time and eternity by placing me between the beginning if time and eternity thereby stopping the Crimson Dawn."
A heavy silence followed, the weight of Dona's words sinking in.
" Now that I'm awake, Minatori has also revived, somewhere in this world. Our pact as abstracts prevents direct confrontation. I could mobilize an army,but that that'd be too much of a hassle." Dona finally said stretching.
All eyes turned to Kojo.
He looked around.
" What?"
" We have to do something." Lin said.
" Hmm. Well The reset would also affect all other alternate worlds and dimensions so it's not like I'd escape even if I could. I've also grown quite attached to this life. I Don't fancy dying again."He shrugged, with nonchalance .
Sharone's stern expression cut through the tension.
"Take this seriously!"
Kojo glanced at her then looked at Dona.
"Eh, fuck it. I'm game."
Dona's eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure?" Dona looked up at him.
"Nothing better to do, and it's not like I have a choice."
Sharone smiled.She already knew what his answer would be,which left only one thing. She suddenly turned serious.
Nefaria sat listening to what was going on. The room was suddenly envelopef in mist. She looked around,wondering if it was some kind of illusion. No it wasn't an illusion,she could still see the silhouettes of all the other people in the room. It wasn't an illusion but she was in an isolated area from the rest of the world. Sharone accross from her with her hands on the table,her fingers intertwined.
" Oh,that's quite the impressive trick you've got there. Who would have thought that a lowly vampire would be able to pull one as powerful as me into a separate space. Well,this is the second time today that this has happened. My new master really does work with some remarkable people." She said." Its a shame that I got caught in a Fealty with him but it's not unwelcome. Perhaps I'll try to kill him as a test of strength." Nefaria said with a grin.
Sharone didn't smile and ignored the bait.
" So you've sworn , no,you were compelled to swear Fealty to Kojo. Id expect nothing less. He is an exceptional person after all." Sharone said with a smile if admiration. Nefaria's eye twitched. She didn't succeed in baiting her. Still she maintained her composure. This Isolated Space was under Sharone's control and she still hadn't recovered from her fight with Dona. Besides she could tell from Sharone's aura. She was not to be trifilled with.
" Tch" Nefaria clicked her tongue deciding that the best course of action for now was to observe. This went against Nefaria's prideful nature she was a freaking Progenitor demon. Not only had her mind control be undone,but the one who was being controlled overpowered her and pulled her out if her realm where she was tricked into swearing Fealty. What vexed her the most is that Kojo didn't even know what he had done
She took a deep breath
"Calm yourself." She recited in her head.
" This conversation may turn out in my favor."
" Ok so I need you to answer some questions." Sharone said.
" You're not even going to introduce yourself?"
" I'm sure by now you've already deduced who I am."
" But does he know?" Nefaria asked cunningly.
" That is irrelevant to the current situation."
" Oh I'm just concerned. As a fellow woman. Besides I'm worried of what master will do when he -" she sensed a strong presence coming from Sharone. The mist thickened and a powerful aura of killing intent out pressure on her. The aura recorded and Sharone sighed. Nefaria blinked then smiled. This was perfect. Now she knew that these people were genuine.
" Alright you then. My name is Nefaria. No, Lucifer. And I am the 3rd Ranked Apostle of Doom among the dark apostles. And I need your help to destroy them."