Noir stood before the tree in silence, his crimson eyes narrowing as he whispered to himself, *"Now, it's time to finish this."*
The stillness was broken by a low, guttural growl that reverberated through the air. From the Duke's lifeless body, a dark, pulsating aura began to rise. It coiled around him like a serpent, twisting and writhing as if alive. His charred and ruined flesh began to bubble and stretch grotesquely, the sound of snapping bones echoing through the clearing. His body twisted unnaturally, joints bending backward, limbs elongating as sinew and muscle bulged beneath the shifting skin.
A deep, blood-red hue overtook the Duke's once-pale complexion, his transformation an unholy display of malevolence. Sharp, jagged horns erupted from his skull, curling like gnarled roots, while massive wings—leathery and dripping with viscous black liquid—burst from his back, unfurling with a thunderous crack.
The Duke was no more. In his place stood a towering abomination, nearly eight feet of sheer, grotesque power. Its glowing eyes radiated an ancient, malevolent light, their crimson hue piercing the darkness. Its mouth curled into a nightmarish grin, revealing jagged, uneven teeth.
When it spoke, its voice was not that of a man. It was a cacophony of tones, a chorus of damned souls crying out in unison, deep and rasping, like the echoes of an abyss.
"You can kill the human," it growled, the grin on its grotesque face widening unnaturally. "But me? I am beyond life and death. I am eternal. You cannot kill what was never meant to die."
The air grew thick, almost suffocating, as the demon's presence radiated pure malice. The ground beneath it cracked and blackened, unable to bear the weight of its dark power.
For a fleeting moment, even Noir felt the gravity of the demon's presence—a weight that seemed to press down on the soul itself. This was not a creature bound by the rules of life and death. It was something older, darker, a force that defied reason and challenged existence itself. But Noir's expression remained unmoved, his faint smile curving into something sharp and dangerous.
Noir stepped forward, his katana lowering slightly, his calm demeanor only amplifying the malice burning in his crimson gaze. "Eternal?" he said, his voice soft but laced with venom. "I've seen gods fall, watched empires crumble into dust, and stared into the endless void where all things meet their end. Everything dies, demon. Even you."
The demon's wings flared wide, shaking the air with their sheer power. It lunged forward, its claws tearing through the air with the force of a hurricane, each swipe aimed to rip Noir apart.
Noir didn't flinch. He remained perfectly still, his form calm and resolute. At the very last moment, his figure flickered, dissolving into shadows as the demon's attack slashed through empty air.
The demon let out a roar of frustration, its claws gouging deep trenches into the earth as it spun around, searching for its elusive prey. But Noir was already behind it, his voice a whisper in the darkness.
"Let's see how eternal you really are. Demon of Jordan… No… Legion of Jiourvordan"