Ascension of the Dark Seraph

Considering Lucivar's transformation, an evident change from a mere Angel Hybrid to something more tainted and unholy, tampered by the power of evil, he was already too far gone. Only a small portion, to nothing, of what he used to be remained.

Or at least, that was what Mirel thought.

No amount of pleading or cries would return Lucivar to them.

He found what Leandra was doing to be futile, desperate, nothing more than idealistic.

This is not a romance novel.

Lucivar wouldn't come back through a magical kiss or the voice of the woman he holds dear.

Now, Mirel was only waiting for Lucivar to cross the line.

But he was proven wrong.

Instead of ending Leandra's misery with a clean pull of the black blade to any side, sanity flickered back into Lucivar's eyes. He blinked—and in that instant, his gaze dropped, widening in shock as he realized the blade had already driven straight through Leandra's abdomen.

Pierced into her all the way.

Just this reaction alone showed that he had returned; he had snapped back to reality.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

Swish!

A pulse of divine energy throbbed inside him and snapped him back to his earlier condition.

He sensed the disturbance in the air, someone using the ether, though it was suppressed heavily so that it was harder to sense. But nothing escaped the abyssal eye, and it informed Lucivar of two figures who were attempting to escape.

Lucivar glanced to the side and saw two escaping small bats flocking side by side.

Neither of them was a normal bat, as the ether circulation inside them showed that they were actually people.

No animal or even monsters from the other world possessed a circulation as seamless as that of these two small bats. Theirs was crude and chaotic, a reflection of their low intelligence—or an innate ability of theirs.

An instinct-driven mess made plain in every pulse and flow.

Even some of the stronger crossers only have the intelligence of an animal.

So, it was pretty clear that these small bats were shapeshifting people.

Not even needing to will the abyssal eye to stop them, it moved on its own, shooting a rush of invisible mental attack that took hold of the small bats instantly. It was a dissonance that aimed at their minds, and before long, the two small bats splashed into blood.

Both reverted back into their original body as they crashed to the ground.

It was Master Tobias and Vanessa.

Unlike Master Tobias' controlled panic, focused on finding a solution to his predicament—Vanessa was utterly undone. Horror gripped her tightly as she stared at Lucivar, at a visage unlike anything she had ever seen before.

It wasn't only fear of the unknown, but terror made flesh.

She looked so dignified earlier, but now, that composed and elegant façade was nowhere to be seen.

Master Tobias, on the other hand, stood up and used his body to shield Vanessa—eyes locked ahead.

"Oh, you're still here?"

Lucivar pulled his sword out of Leandra's abdomen, forcing a hiss out of her mouth, but he didn't care as his focus was entirely on Master Tobias. He walked away, closing the distance between him and Master Tobias.

Behind him, Leandra staggered as her knees buckled.

But before she could fall to the ground, a streak of yellow lightning flashed.

Mirel caught her body and helped her sit down on the ground slowly.

"Sit this one out," He said, inspecting the stab wound, and realized that the divine energy was corroding her insides and blood still. "Whatever that blade was, it has invaded you entirely. Circulate your ether, and rest."

"No…" Leandra argued, hand reaching forward. "Lucivar… I need to help him."

"Don't be stupid. You're lucky that he didn't kill you, so don't push your luck again."

"He wouldn't kill me. He promised me…"

Hearing this, Mirel clenched his jaw and looked ahead.

Instead of blaming Lucivar for being like this, he blamed Master Tobias for starting this whole ordeal.

Lucivar stopped about fifteen meters away from Master Tobias.

"I thought you already escaped—like the rat you are," He said, meeting Master Tobias' gaze for a few good seconds with a mocking smile. Then, his eyes turned to the woman behind Master Tobias, and it was then his face turned ashen. "You've got to be kidding me…"

He lifted a single finger, palm upturned, and leveled it at Vanessa.

"This has to be a joke," Lucivar exhaled sharply in disbelief. "Tell me that you're joking."

Master Tobias knew exactly what he was talking about, but heeding it would only make it worse.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" He asked, rising slowly to his feet. "You wanted strength, and I've shown you the way. I've taken you in, I've shown you the way to achieve your dreams, and I've given you a family that is all suitable for you to take in as your Vestals. All I did… was to make you stronger."

He placed his hand against his chest in humility.

A gesture that made Lucivar's face twitch.

But Master Tobias' eyes stole a glance to the side, seemingly anticipating something.

"You could've escaped if you truly wanted to," Lucivar said—refusing to bite at Master Tobias' attempt to twist the conversation. "But you stayed behind… for her? You sacrificed your own wide in the filthy hands of a Fire Primordial, yet you stayed and risked everything for this woman?"

Hearing this, Master Tobias' face hardened.

And so does Vanessa's, who felt like she had to say something in this.

"Lucivar, this is not you. I can tell you're not this kind of per—"

"Shut your mouth."

Before Vanessa could even finish her sentence, Lucivar already cut her short.

His voice was low, almost growling, and evidently laced with threat as he now fully looked at her.

"Say one more word—and I'll break your jaw… rip your tongue out," His voice carried a deadly calm, the kind that left no room for doubt—he would really do it. "Do not ever speak to me again, whore. I suggest you pray to your God, not for forgiveness, but for protection—because for you… Death won't be your end, it will be a beginning."

Lucivar paused, allowing her to really comprehend the words he was saying.

He wanted her to understand.

"I'll drag your soul to Hell myself, to the kind of place where whores like you belong." He rasped.

Vanessa's lips sealed tight as she swallowed harshly.

Clearly, Lucivar has God-like power, and he could actually do what he threatened to do.

It wasn't a fluke, and that made it all the more terrifying.

"Delilah's death is necessary for you, and I was correct." Master Tobias shifted his weight—covering Vanessa again. He pointed at Lucivar with his hand, palms up, as if presenting him to an invisible crowd. "Look at yourself. You're the proof that I'm correct, so instead of hating me, you should thank me."

"Thank… you?" Lucivar pointed at himself with his hands, his grin twisting into something wild, almost deranged. "You think I should thank you? His laughter cracked, manic—and disbelieving. "You expect gratitude for killing Delilah? When there were a thousand other paths to my dreams?"

"You're the one to talk. What's with this weakness? You speak like a goody weakling. Do you want to revert back to your old ways?"

"Delilah really meant nothing to you? Is that it?"

Master Tobias' eyes flickered with something dangerously close to mockery, one that Lucivar caught almost instantly. He tilted his head, eyes glowing red, "What does my feeling for that woman have to do with anything? Do you really want to know what I feel about her? Fine, I'll tell you. Delilah is nothing but a tool to use for you, a fool who thought anything between us was real. If you asked me, her death is long overdue."

"A stupidly kind woman like her… She's like a pig waiting to be slaughtered in this wo—"

"RAAGGH!!!"

Lucivar roared and immediately dashed with everything he had.

He's going to rip Master Tobias' vocal cords so that he will never be able to speak of Delilah again.

In a fraction of a second, Lucivar already closed the distance between them—sword raised overhead.

All four wings flapped, adding momentum as he slashed down.

But instead of raising his arms to defend, Master Tobias simply stood there motionlessly, smiling—as though everything remained under his control. "You should understand by now. Good has no place in this world; it's not welcomed here… and though brief, you've stumbled back into that category again."

Splash!!

Oblivious to Lucivar and the others, way behind, during the conversation, Master Tobias had already been preparing for his move. He entertained the talk all to make sure Lucivar was distracted, occupied by the menial things.

Nearby, the puddle of blood from the corpses was gathering, coalescing silently.

It took only a minute for four blood lances to form.

Before Lucivar could react, the five blood lances were unleashed.

From above, two lances of blood plummeted from the darkness between, each as tall as two men stacked on top of each other. They struck true, ripping through Lucivar's wings and driving them into the earth with a sickening crunch.

The force pinned him upright; his body arched in agony as scarlet thorns sprouted from the impact.

Before he could wrench free, the ground betrayed him.

Two more lances erupted upward, one skewering his thigh, the other tearing through his side and arm, nailing him to the battlefield like a specimen on display. Blood spilled from the wounds in thick rivulets, but the bindings held fast.

No chance for him to escape.

As Lucivar was pinned, the final lance hovered beside Master Tobias.

It hummed with restrained violence.

He twirled a finger, smirk curling at his lips, "Let your master make sure you remember this mistake."

Seamlessly, Master Tobias made a flick and sent the blood lance streaking toward Lucivar's skull.

It was aimed to kill!

Blitz!

But before death could arrive, a flash split the air.

Mirel burst forth, a streak of living lightning—his body trailing arcs of yellow fury. He seized the blood-forged lance mid-flight, both hands clamping down on its searing edge. The weapon bit deep, flaying skin and burning flesh, yet he didn't falter.

It was heavy, but with a roar, Mirel twisted, tilting the lance just enough for its deadly path to veer aside.

Swoosh!

With his horrendous effort, it screamed past Lucivar's head, cutting a small nick across his cheek as it flew ahead. Even then, Master Tobias' smile never faltered from his face. In fact, his smile spread even wider.

"Killing him would not be teaching him a lesson now, would it?" He said whisperingly.

Only then did Mirel and Lucivar realize where his true aim was.

"You sick fuck!! You're aiming for Leandra?!!"