"A being born to destroy, but who does not destroy... destroys oneself. Our law applies first to ourselves," she said with a smile, as the fissures on her face deepened.
"You mean that's why you have so little time left!" Linfer exclaimed, shocked.
"We're not talking about me, little brother. It's about you. So, tell me, do you possess Luciel's law of *Kindness*?"
Alderbaran approached one of the chains still binding Linfer, her hand enveloped in a black flame. The chain resisted briefly before yielding to her flame's strength.
"Impressive... It's probably one of King MorningStar's most powerful artifacts," she murmured to herself.
As the chains dissipated one by one, Linfer finally answered: "... No..."
"The Linfer I knew would never have knelt, even before Father. And now, here you are, weighed down by betrayal. You don't even dare hate those who betrayed you, you only curse yourself. Why have you become like this?"
Freed from his chains, Linfer struggled to stand up. Although he regained some mobility, one chain remained in place, embedded in his heart, anchored and cracking his soul. It prevented him from using his powers.
"I understand, I was manipulated... She played me like a puppet... But it's over for me, sis. How could I take revenge when I can't even feel mana anymore?" He shrugged, resigned.
"And when did you need power to defy others? Do I have to remind you what your law is?"
"My law? It's... Devour," he said in a detached tone, staggering towards an uncertain direction. After a few steps, he stopped abruptly, his gaze meeting Alderbaran's.
"Belzebuth is approaching with his army. I'll hold him off again," she declared.
"Do you think you can defeat him?"
"Victory is not what matters, Linfer. You remember how they called me in the underworld: Shatterer. I will finally do what I had / have to do."
"I understand... So, will we see each other again?"
Alderbaran lifted her eyes to the sky, her thoughts elusive.
"I don't know... But it's cold. And she needs warmth."
"Okay..." Linfer murmured, thinking she was talking about herself, affected by Belzebuth's imminent aura. But he was far from the truth. Even Alderbaran didn't know exactly what she meant.
She began to walk towards the direction where Belzebuth was approaching, before turning back with a mysterious smile.
"So, do you finally know your true nature and what you have to do?"
Linfer stared at her for a long time. Then, a distorted smile stretched his lips, so wide that it seemed to almost reach his ears, revealing canines that had become more sharp.
"The Devourer must Devour..."
***
In a vast expanse of black ashes, a rather peculiar silhouette could be seen moving swiftly. One of his hands, mutilated to the point of no longer resembling anything but an incomplete mass of flesh, hung at his side, but nothing could erase the diabolical smile that twisted his lips. Despite the sealing of his powers, he remained an Origin 7, a being whose power surpassed that of mere mortals. With each step he took, he left behind a gaping crater, a sign of his imminent return.
With a leap, he covered dozens of kilometers, breaking the monotony of the ashes under his feet, heading towards the nearest city.
Barnsil, a fortified city on the border of the vast and unified Domain of Uriel, represented peace after the bloody era of the Wendigos. Uriel, the supreme ruler and undisputed master, had eradicated the threat and unified 3/5 of the continent. By his side, the Archangels Raphael, Tzakiel, Morael, and especially Celest, the human prodigy whose exploits resonated as living legends. Under their rule, demons were kept at bay, and citizens slept in relative calm.
Jerome, a young soldier in Uriel's service, patrolled the city walls daily. The son of a peasant whose lineage had been reduced to slavery by the Blood Devil, he still remembered the terrifying stories told by his grandfather. But today, thanks to Uriel and his angels, that terror seemed like a distant memory. He respected the Archangels, but his true role model was Celest, this young commander, born to an ordinary couple, taken under Uriel's wing and now capable of rivaling the angels.
As he patrolled as usual, a shockwave shook the city. A sudden and brutal earthquake caused buildings to collapse. Panicked screams rose in the city. An object had crashed in the city center, forming a colossal crater.
Jerome, reactive and faithful to his duty, ran towards the impact, accompanied by ten other soldiers. His affinity with the wind, combined with his Origin 2 level, allowed him to quickly cover the distance. When he reached the crater, what he saw petrified him. A man was sitting at the center, in a relaxed posture, his eyes closed. He seemed...
"You are on the territory of the Archangel of Justice! State your identity!" Jerome cried out as he cautiously approached.
The man slowly opened his eyes, and a macabre smile distorted his features. "Bad news for you, guys. Linfer is back with a new alias."
Jerome narrowed his eyes, perplexed and suspicious, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. But before he could react, a horrible sound rang out. A sinister hiss.
*Ahhh...*
A scream of pain echoed from his left. In a split second, one of his comrades was suspended by his hair, his neck torn out, leaving a spray of blood painting the ground and the faces of the surrounding soldiers. Jerome felt the warm blood splatter his face. An absolute cold gripped him as he saw Linfer bite into the gaping throat of his victim, drinking with monstrous pleasure.
"What... what is...?" Jerome felt his legs weaken, paralyzed by a terror he had never known. Around him, the other soldiers were just as frozen, unable to move in the face of the absolute horror unfolding before them.
Linfer tilted his head back, laughing with a demented laugh, as the lifeless body of his victim fell to the ground like a disarticulated doll. "Damn, I missed that flavor!"
Horror gave way to rage in Jerome. Clenching his teeth and his sword, he lunged at Linfer with all his strength. "Bastard!"
But before he could even reach his opponent, Linfer's voice echoed again, icy and amused. "Don't be so eager to die. Death? There will be enough for everyone."
A hiss cut through the air, and before Jerome could understand what was happening, his vision blurred. The last memory he had was of the ground approaching at a blinding speed, followed by eternal darkness.