Ascension of the Dark Seraph

Standing on that narrow passage, Master Tobias looked at Lucivar in silence.

That night, he was crying alone, solemnly.

He separated from the others to grieve Delilah's sudden death.

Perhaps he felt the need to separate from the others to avoid being judged, since after all, the time he spent with Delilah was the shortest among the family members—so to the others, his grief might seem strangely excessive.

Or perhaps he simply wished not to explain and weep in peace.

Others might not understand Lucivar's pain, but Master Tobias understood where he was coming from.

Master Tobias was the one who exploited Luciviar's weakness, weaving this tragedy to scar him where it hurt most. Preying on his thirst for affection and acknowledgment, Master Tobias chose a mother figure to trap Lucivar.

Even though the time spent together was fleeting, it was everything for Lucivar.

It gave him a glimpse of what it would feel like if his own mother were good to him.

So that when it was taken away from him again, it would hurt.

But even then, Master Tobias thought Lucivar was being too gullible, too easy to manipulate.

That night, Master Tobias watched Lucivar cry from behind, watching how his shoulders shook from how hard he was crying. Outside, Master Tobias seemed completely neutral, but inside, he was slightly mocking Lucivar.

'Barely a few months being close to her—and he was already crying that badly,' Master Tobias thought inside, scoffing at how weak Lucivar's heart was. 'He even risked his own life to save her, which was plain stupid in my opinion. If it were me, I would at least marry the woman for me to sacrifice my own life for her.'

'Or at least, that's what I thought…'

In the extreme moment where time slowed almost to a halt, Master Tobias clenched the hilt tighter.

Back then, he mocked Lucivar for having a weak heart.

'Look at me now…' Master Tobias smiled acutely in self-ridicule. 'I'm throwing away the perfect plan that I dedicated to doing for a woman I barely know. I'm even putting myself in danger for her when I should be mitigating risks.'

Despite knowing that this was plain stupid, exactly as Lucivar was back then, he couldn't stop.

Just Vanessa's gruelling scream alone made it unbearable for him to let her die.

'Perhaps… this is what they called a man's instinct,' Master Tobias exhaled roughly through his nose— as he made the last step. 'I shouldn't have talked with her at that social gathering. I should have ignored her. Now, I was forced to kill Lucivar.'

Clenching his jaw, Master Tobias' eyes flickered with determination.

No going back right now.

'So be it,' His eyes focused again on Lucivar's heart. 'As long as I'm alive, I can find another way.'

Swoosh!

Master Tobias drove his blood-forged sword forward, certain Lucivar would slip aside at the last instant.

Even though Lucivar wanted to cause him extreme pain right now, and seemed like he was willing to die to achieve it, Master Tobias was certain that he would not throw his life away like this—especially when he had greater goals.

At least, that was what Master Tobias believed—until he felt resistance.

His eyes, which were already looking around, anticipating where Lucivar would move to after he missed his attack, widened completely as the blade sank deep. The wet sound of steel piercing raw flesh cuts through the silence.

The sword's crimson tip burst from Lucivar's back, flinging a spray of blood into the air.

For a heartbeat, Master Tobias froze—disbelieving the sight before him.

A sudden warmth trickled down the blade, sliding over his hands clenched around the hilt.

He stared at the blood soaking his fingers, then looked up slowly.

Lucivar's gaze met his, heavy with defiance as it seemed Master Tobias had made his choice, and he chose to have his happy ending rather than his ambition. Instead of picking on the poor man, who he had been manipulating for years, he picked Vanessa.

"I can't believe you'd go through with it…" Lucivar uttered, grabbing the sword with his bare hands.

Blood trickled down his chin as a sharp pain struck his heart.

Knowing how wicked Master Tobias could be, Lucivar was expecting him to choose the latter choice.

But no, he chose Vanessa.

"Seems like she really has your heart."

"…"

Master Tobias remained silent, unwilling to entertain this conversation even though there'd be no next time for Lucivar. At least, he didn't answer out loud, but he did answer inside, 'I know it's not fair for you, but I can't choose you. At least if you die, I can think of another way. But if Vanessa dies, I don't know if I can still persist as who I am.'

Stumbling, Lucivar held onto Master Tobias' shoulders.

He was losing the strength to stand on his own two feet.

Master Tobias caught him in a hug, steadying his weight and pressing his chin against his shoulder.

"Like I said," Master Tobias whispered. "I created you. I can end you too."

Just then, Lucivar firmly steadied himself and pushed Master Tobias away—he smirked, and the weakness suddenly disappeared. It was at that moment that Master Tobias' eyes wavered; he began to question what he was seeing and doing.

Had he truly killed Lucivar?

Had Lucivar truly thrown away his life to make a point?

You really ought to heed your own advice," Lucivar cackled. "You taught me never to hold anyone dear, lest I be made weak—and yet you bound yourself to Vanessa. And now… you warned her never to meet my eyes, but you did. Open your eyes, Tobias…"

Once Lucivar's head dipped earlier, for a fleeting moment, Master Tobias felt the certainty of victory.

It pressed down on his shoulders firmly.

But he was wrong.

He was never going to achieve triumph, not even close to it.

Master Tobias blinked, just once. And when his vision cleared, the world shifted.

It was not Lucivar standing before him.

It wasn't Lucivar who was in his embrace.

It was Vanessa.

He didn't even remember when his gaze had locked with Lucivar's, only now did he realize that at one point he had fallen into those eyes—Lucivar's mask had woven its merciless trick. What Master Tobias thought had been Lucivar was nothing more than an illusion, a twisted exchange.

The one he stared down, he struck, all this while… was Vanessa.

Unlike what he thought, she wasn't split into illusions.

She had been right in front of him, unbound, calling his name again and again—her voice raw with desperation—but the illusion devoured every cry. Not a single word reached him… not until it was already too late.

And now, the blood sword was already through her.

Master Tobias looked down at her as the realization hit him like a hammer.

It hollowed the breath from his lungs.

His blood sword pierced her chest completely and cleanly, the crimson tip jutting from her back. In the next moment was only stunned silence, broken only by the wet patter of blood dripping from steel to the ground.

Vanessa reached her trembling hand for Master Tobias' face, but she couldn't follow through.

Her eyes softened into something unbearably tender, slowly turning into a doll's eyes.

For a fleeting second, she looked at him not with anger, nor blame, but with the same gentle warmth she had always carried for him. Then, the light drained from her gaze, and her body went slack, slumping heavily against the sword.

Master Tobias' eyes went wide, his hands trembling as instinct forced her to catch her body.

Catch her cold body before she slides to the ground.

Painfully, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her as though his grip could somehow hold her soul in place. His mind reeled violently, but no thought formed—only the crushing weight of the truth: he had killed her.

It was because of Lucivar's illusion, but it was his hands that dealt the finishing blow.

Lucivar had played him like a master of cruelty, forcing a choice where no victory could exist.

It doesn't matter what Master Tobias chose, the result would be its opposite, and the price—unbearable.

"The Devil's Game…" He uttered, pulling Vanessa's corpse into his embrace tighter.

A chuckle slipped from his lips.

The Devil always gave a choice, but no matter what choice the person made, it would always end badly.

The Devil will always win.

Just like right now.

It was probably why Lucivar referred to himself as the Devil, to enhance the poetic cruelty.

And the moment he made a choice was the moment he lost.

His hollow chuckle grew louder, sharp and disbelieving—he shook his head, refusing the truth that his senses forced upon him—and clutched Vanessa's lifeless form tighter, pulling her closer, as though his embrace alone could keep her from slipping away.

A tear dropped to his cheek and slid down.

Just then, before the laugh could unravel into madness, Master Tobias drew in a long, shuddering breath.

His head lifted, eyes burning with something close to what Lucivar had that night when Delilah died.

In a breath, he let go of Vanessa and grabbed his blood sword again.

Both of his blood wings sprouted again as he prepared to attack, but before he could even stand up, the Devil turned into a blur. Lucivar moved faster than the eyes could follow. All Master Tobias could see was the abyssal eye staring at him before a burning sting spread across his chest.

"Keugghk…"

Master Tobias vomited blood as he looked down, only to find the black sword was already in him.

It had already stabbed through his chest.

Mercilessly, Lucivar hauled his body off the ground by the black blade with one hand, his eyes never betraying any kind of emotion now. It was almost as if he werereading the conclusion of a story that he had already seen a million times before.

No matter how much Master Tobias struggled, this will always be the conclusion.

As excruciating pain assaulted his entire form and blood climbed to his throat, forcing him to cough it out, Master Tobias smiled to himself. He had done too good a job, "I really started something that I shouldn't, huh… *Cough* *Cough*. You really are a perfect avatar for them."

"Tell me," He trailed, raising his gaze. "Do I even have a chance?"

"No," Lucivar answered truthfully.

Just then, Master Tobias remembered what Lucivar said earlier.

"Can't you see it, Tobias? You have my full attention now."

Now that he couldn't hide behind Delilah's presence, Lucivar could see through him completely.

And for that, there's no winning from the start.

"You have no chance, but I'm not perfect for the Gods yet," Lucivar said and smirked devilishly, almost applauding Master Tobias for the great performance he was showing right now. "Not until I disassemble your last scheme."