Deep below in the ocean, the other Akuma called Aazaroth had his mood changed upon sensing his brother's state. "What the in the cursed hell?"
"He is already taking over a human when he knows it takes time if they resist and risks exposing himself when I am not even done. Trash."
The fish-possessed Akuma started going deeper into the ocean. 'If he gets exposed and I am with him, I'll get screwed and fail my plan. Fuck you, Apuch. I'll have to lay low because of you.'
'Bastard, you're on your own now.'
Aazaroth vanished in the darkness of the ocean while working towards cutting his connection to the Netherworld before doing anything else.
…
"My lord…" Darzax trembled.
Enorin suddenly shouted with bloodshot eyes as an asterisk-shaped golden circle appeared above Aleron who was floated with a strange grin and warped eyes.
The skill Enorin used slapped onto Aleron, causing golden-patterned linings to appear all over his body.
"With this, he won't be able to control master's body anymo-cough…" Enorin coughed some blood as her aura appeared slightly weak.
"What happened?!"
Rias arrived with a panicked expression after observing the anomaly that happened here—upon seeing Aleron floating in the air with his eyes closed, unconscious and his aura feeble, she couldn't help but worry.
Darzax snapped out of his daze as he had no time to blame himself for suggesting the idea of contending with the Akuma using Magilore.
"Enorin, you know more about Akumas than me. Please tell us a way to save him," Darzax said while keeping his emotions in control, but his fists were still clenched tightly.
"And you should get treatment as well…you spent much of your Bloodline Essence for that seal," Darzax added. "If your Bloodline can help Lord Ale-"
"It can't," Enorin shook her head before she carried Aleron in her arms before asking, "Where can we go to let him rest?"
"I'll take us to the Lotusdawn courtyard at fastest," Darzax said before the trio was enveloped in a shadow sphere and vanished.
Ocean Wrath was under control since no more monsters were emerging from the sea as well. There was no need for Enorin or Rias to stay there anymore.
The biggest trouble was the Exceed-rank Kraken who was buffing monsters and was about to attack, but it was already solved.
…
In the Lotusdawn courtyard's aesthetic wooden palace, Darzax, Enorin, and Rias emerged from a shadow sphere near the bed after traveling for a minute.
Enorin put Aleron on the bed before sitting beside him, her voice filled with helplessness, "We can't help him even if we want to."
"What do you mean?" Darzax asked, his worry increasing at this negative news.
"I have heard about Akumas," Rias said, her eyes showing terror. "It's in one of the oldest scriptures I read in the Lightdusk Academy."
"Akumas have two forms. One is physical and one is psychic," Enorin said, biting her lips, "They either construct physical bodies themselves or possess others. Once they attempt to possess someone, they are locked in a battle against Akuma in their mindscape. We cannot interfere in that."
"Yes, I've read about this," Rias quickly nodded. "According to the text I read, they were rulers of this continent before Goddess Elysia appeared and expelled them back to their realm called Netherworld."
"They can possess people after torturing their mind and soul, making them give up on their body. If Ale is possessed, then he needs to survive himself, "Rias looked at Aleron, her eyes fretting, "But I've never heard of anyone escaping their clutches once they possess someone."
"That will not happen," Darzax firmly said with his voice hoarse yet determined. "That Akuma cannot make Lord Ale give up and defeat his will!"
"I will go to the Lightdusk Academy right away and read more about this to find a solution," Rias clenched her fist and left hurriedly while saying, "I'll contact Ale's comm card as soon as I find something."
"Thank you, lady Rias," Darzax said while Enorin just nodded and looked back at Aleron to check his and her seal's status.
…
"Arghhhhhhhh!!"
Aleron was screaming while clutching his head in the midscape, his consciousness subjected to a hellish torture by Apuch.
"Give up, brat. That bitch sealed your body so I can't control it anymore, but it's just a matter of time. Give up and I'll let all of them live."
Apuch's malevolent face turned bigger before Aleron, his demonic mouth opened wide and grinned, with Aleron's body floating between his black and violet cracked wicked fangs.
"If not, then you will see this picture that I will paint with your own hands!"
Aleron's consciousness was fluxed with images of Dawnstone Mountain and the royal palace, but it was different.
He saw his own body possessed by this Akuma that was killing and torturing everyone,—not sparing even a single living being.
Aleron saw himself killing millions of people by unleashing infernal light violet flames that slowly burned people instead of killing them right away, giving them immense pain before granting death, not even sparing kids and babies.
Darzax died, Enorin died, and Riki died. The Akuma entered the Demiplane and also killed everyone there.
'I'll put you in continuous despair as long as you resist, you cattle,' Apuch grin twisted as he put more pressure and horror on Aleron's mind. 'The purpose of your birth is for me to take over your body.'
'Accept your fate!'
Aleron saw all the despair and horror while subjected to pain, but never once did he produce a thought about giving up.
'What is he saying?'
'Livestocks? This is my fate?'
Aleron's eyes opened as he stopped screaming and smashed his teeth, grinding as his barely opened eyes looked at the demonic entity's head that hovered over him.
"Bastard," Apuch angrily snapped and bit off Aleron's head, but a scream still echoed in the midscape as Aleron felt his head getting chewed while being alive and feeling horrendous pain.
"Since you want to see the real hell, then so be it. Once I break this seal on your body, you will watch as I put everyone around you and people in this city in despair at your own hands!"
"I will paint that same despairing picture as you watch everything!"
Akuma nefariously spoke but soon clashed against Aleron's resistance!
"Noo!"
"Nooooo!!"
"I won't let you do that!"
Apuch turned livid and started torturing Aleron without a break in all sorts of ways to inflict hellish pain.
'He should have given up by now, so why is he not giving up?!'
'No matter. You will break sooner or later as I continue,' Apuch's eyes glinted sharply. 'This treasure of a body with an otherworldly Magilore source…I can't give up on this!'
'That Magilore source is a treasure unlike anything I've seen…once I get it, I will rise to become the most powerful Demon Lord in history!!'
A maddening expression filled with greed and ambition plastered on Apuch's face as he continued to torture Aleron.
'Let's see how long you last because I will not hold back even the slightest to get your body. ' Apuch's eyes swirled intensely.
'Out of all Akumas, only I encountered you.'
'Your body is mine, and mine alone!'
But amidst the torture and pain that Aleron was enduring, a familiar voice rang that only he could receive in his consciousness.
[Good job for holding on and not giving up, master. But this is not over yet. As you have reached the requirement with your soul, the protocol will activate.]
[Soul Awakening initiating.]
[Once your Soul Awakens, it is up to you to defeat this Akuma. As long as you do not give in to the despair and maintain your willpower, you will be able to fight against Akuma on equal grounds using Soul Force.]
[It is up to you to sharpen your willpower by fighting off despair and improve your state of mind to empower your Soul Force and defeat him.]
[All the best, my dear master.]