She awoke to darkness. Everywhere she looked, the dark desolate expanse stretched out into the horizon.
What?
What just happened?
I-I'm alive.
That flash of light... lightning.
...I'm alive.
She couldn't hold back the weak chuckle from erupting. With her consciousness now back, her healing shifted into overdrive.
Not even a sudden mana-infused lightning strike can kill me?
Hah. That dragon — Diabolos was it? It was right. More than it could ever know.
She slowly stood up, to try and regain her bearings.
How long have I been out?
She felt the now familiar feeling of her eyes popping out of their sockets as they're pushed out by new ones growing in. Yet with her vision restored, nothing changed other than the blood-red moon shining ominously above the sky with no stars in sight. The dragon's corpse was still in pristine condition. Its remaining ambient mana acted in both preserving the body and shielding it from everything that couldn't pierce through.
Ah. That's right. I didn't manage to finish this. Let's compartmentalize.
With the threat of whatever it was that caused the lightning strike not appearing, it was much better to put it in the back burner for now and focus on what was in front of her.
"Aah." She tested out her vocal chords. Though not necessarily required, saying it out loud helped a lot in visualizing what she wanted to do. She slowly placed a hand on its headless body feeling for the mana inside the remains.
"For I have shepherded Diabolos into greener pastures. For I have quelled its rage. For I have soothed its soul. For I have helped it cross the boundary between life and death. Thus it pays its toll and I shall be recompensed."
The staggering amount of mana within the remains slowly flowed back to her hand and back inside her, gradually assimilating it and turning it to her own; and, with it, came overwhelming feelings of anger, fury, and passion.
Ah. As expected. I was right.
"Joy spurns wrath."
The burning red hot emotion quickly turned yellow, filling her inner self with peace and contentment. This process usually took some time and with the huge amount of mana needing to be absorbed, she lost herself into the act of assimilation.
She had barely managed to reach the minute-mark when a soft clap broke her out of her trance.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"So that's how you managed to slay that fool. Apologies for my earlier transgression."
She looked behind her and saw a well-dressed gentleman. He was beautiful without compare, as though heaven itself sculpted every inch of his figure. Long vibrant straight golden hair framed his high cheekbones perfectly. His slit eyes was somewhat closed, with a hint of silver peeking through the gap. The sound of his clapping was muffled by the white gloves he wore. He was radiance itself.
How did I not notice him? Earlier? Is he who Diabolos was talking about?
"You are?"
"Cute attempt, but no. Not unless you also speak your name. For now, you can call me... ah! Hesperus."
"Diabolos said you would punish me for ending him."
A slight chuckle escaped his pink lips.
"Diabolos, blinded by wrath as he was, was wont to speak of numerous things. Not all of them accurate."
He slowly walked forward.
"He overstepped his bounds. You overstepped your role. The lightning strike should suffice as your punishment."
He gracefully raised a hand.
"That is my concession to you for showing me something interesting. Now, tell me your name."
She stayed silent.
"You misunderstand. I am not your enemy. You are just like us, are you not? I am not so high-minded that I cannot overlook something as simple as you slaying Diabolos."
"Jibril."
"That's more like it. Well done." He did another round of applause. There was no hint of mockery in the act. He was genuinely praising her for saying her name. Not letting up her stare, she tried a counter.
"You said you would say your name if I said mine."
"Ah. Quite right, but Hesperus is as much of a name for me as Jibril is a name for you." His eyes crinkled into a smile.
Her face contorted to confusion. "What do you mean? Jibril is my name."
He tilted his head to the side.
"Oh? You don't know? Fascinating. You are able to command those paths, yet are ignorant of your name."
I need to convince him to leave me be so I can fully assimilate Diabolos. Otherwise, I have no chance of beating him.
Carefully, she asked. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes, there is." He sat down as an elaborate throne of stone raised up from the ground. "You too. Take a seat. Diabolos' corpse won't go anywhere." A much more modest kind of chair rose up across him.
His control is seamless.
"Sate my curiosity, would you. What's your reason for slaying Diabolos?"
What? Does he really not know?
"I've already killed two of your kind. Why are you only appearing now?"
He leaned backwards into his chair and leaned his head on his hand.
"Oh? So you were also the one to slay — Hmm. What name should I use? Ah. So you were also the one to slay Plutus and Peor."
She nodded.
"I care not for their deaths nor for how they met their end for they died all the same."
"What do you mean?"
"I would have killed them myself. They violated the principles that they are beholden to and deserve no grace from myself."
"What made Diabolos different?"
"Diabolos was fated to die. Not because he contravened his duties, but because someone will inherit his. I made an appearance in order to observe who killed him."
"He said the same. If it's not me, then who was supposed to kill him?"
"Moving on. What was your reason for killing those three?"
Should I just lie? He's not showing any hostility. Who knows what can set him off.
No. He hasn't done anything yet. I should repay grace with grace.
"They attacked people and brought devastation in their wake."
A confused look appeared on his face.
"So?"
Ah. I see. That's how it is. I was a fool for expecting anything else.
"That's all."
He replied with a boisterous laugh. "I see. As your senior, I am compelled to remind you that you may continue as you have so far as long as you remember to adhere to your obligations."
All this talk about duty, but what about the one who was duty-bound to slay Diabolos?
"How about the one who was supposed to slay Diabolos? Since they didn't fulfill their duty."
His brows furrowed. "As I have already descended, I will naturally pay him a visit. For now, you may carry on subsuming Diabolos. In the future, I will have you accompany me in expanding my domain."
Uh... what? Why does he think of me as his ally?
"Then, I shall take my leave." He stood up and the throne disappeared.
"Okay." As she stood up, a sudden intense pressure pressed down on her shoulders, pushing her towards the ground, making her fall unceremoniously. She resisted the force pressing down on her head to look at the man standing in front of her.
He slowly raised his foot and pressed it down on her head. His voice getting a dangerous inflection.
"I am inclined to ignore many things, but there is one thing that you should always observe whilst serving under me. That is to properly show decorum in greeting me and in bidding me farewell. As long as you do that, I can let slide some disrespect in the course of our interaction. Am I understood?"
What? I can't even muster a resistance? Just how wide is the gap between our abilities?
...I have to bear with it for now. I'm too powerless in comparison. Do this properly, don't grit my teeth.
"...Yes."
"Well done." His now gentle tone was a complete one-eighty of what it just was.
The immense pressure disappeared as he unhurriedly disappeared from view.
Haaa. What a monster. How can I even measure up to that?
Reflexively, she chanted:
"I act with joy. I act with grace."
She nonchalantly continued on assimilating Diabolos' leftover mana.
—————————
"Now, where does that dullard reside?"
He closed his eyes and spread his senses all over his domain.
"Oh? What's this? Someone dares?"
It was like ruffling the folds of a crumpled blanket with your hand and suddenly feeling a hole in the fabric. You wouldn't see it at first since it was hidden by the folds, but as soon as you notice it and pay attention, it's clear as day. That's how it felt like.
Someone carved out a hole in his domain and sequestered it for themselves. Rage blossomed in his heart, yet no trace of it could be seen in his pristine face.
"Could this be him, then?"
Having found what he was looking for, he moved north-west.
Once there, he observed a curious barrier. Everything was already affected by their descent, yet everything inside it was still fine. No uprooted trees, no severe weather fluctuations, no shifting landmass, nothing.
He walked closer and a mangy mutt growled at him. He fixed a stare and commanded: "Leave."
It whined and whimpered as it lied back down, observing him.
As he reached out to touch the barrier, he stopped. He felt that unmistakable presence. This wasn't just mana.
A rumbling laughter left his belly, gradually growing louder and louder.
"IS THIS YOUR ANSWER?!" He shouted to the heavens.
"WATCH AS I TEAR DOWN EVERYTHING YOU WISH FOR!"
He clenched his fist and swung forward.
And time drew backwards.