Devourer: Rise Beyond Celestial

As the three soldiers cautiously approached the egg, their movements slowed, the air becoming increasingly heavy. Suddenly, they dropped their weapons and began to scream, their eyes bloodshot, as if an indescribable terror had gripped them.

Viscous, blood-soaked hands emerged from the sea of blood, reaching to swallow them whole.

Luciel, without hesitation, moved so swiftly that she seemed to teleport. A golden flame erupted around her, instantly disintegrating the bloody hands in a brilliant burst of light. She appeared next to the two soldiers, grabbing them by their collars, and then threw them backward out of harm's way.

But the third soldier, too close to the orb, was less fortunate. In a matter of seconds, he was engulfed by the blood-red hands, disappearing beneath the surface, leaving only bubbles bursting at the sea's surface.

Luciel held the two surviving soldiers, their clothes now soaked with their own blood, but their bloodshot eyes betrayed the inner destruction. She turned an accusatory gaze towards Uriel.

"You've caused the death of a valuable soldier before the battle even began. Happy now, Uriel?"

"Leave me alone, Luciel."

Ezekiel stepped forward calmly, his gaze resting on the soldiers with bloodshot eyes, while the symbol of a 12-petaled lily glowed slightly on his forehead. "Princess," he began in a grave voice, "their souls have been destroyed. They are but empty shells."

The truth in his words silenced the reproaches. Ezekiel, with his mastery of the Anima law, was one of the most knowledgeable about all matters of the soul, and he could analyze souls with a single glance.

If even he judged these soldiers as beyond redemption, then the evil dwelling within this sphere was beyond anything they had faced so far.

Luciel sighed, knowing that even her golden flame couldn't restore these soldiers' sanity. Morael, who had been observing the scene with an implacable coldness, simply grabbed his spear and, without a hint of emotion, impaled the two soldiers, throwing them into the red sea beneath their feet.

"Morael, you should show some compassion. These are brave soldiers..." Luciel began.

*Crack.*

Everyone turned towards the egg. New cracks appeared, snaking along its organic surface, and with each crack, the air seemed to tense further.

*Crack.*

The black veins covering the shell pulsed faster and faster, as if the egg were beating to the rhythm of a monstrous heart. The malevolent energy thickened, crushing everything around it. The faces of the angels, even the most powerful among them, froze in apprehension.

"Prepare yourselves!" Celest shouted, drawing his heavy sword, reminiscent of Zitish's weapon.

The cracks widened, releasing crimson bursts of energy. The rain fell harder. Finally, in a deafening flash, the egg shattered. A wave of malevolent energy flooded the area, releasing a nauseating reddish vapor across the battlefield.

Then, slowly, two slender, pale hands emerged from the debris, adorned with long, twisted claws. The creature placed its hand on the edge of the broken egg, its body gradually emerging into a malevolent atmosphere, its silhouette still indistinct.

"All this beautiful crowd, am I so popular~?"

****

Linfer emerged from the shell, his red eyes pulsing with an unwholesome glow. His pale, handsome face was partially deformed by black and bloody veins. His long hair, a mix of olive green and black, fell in cascades around his face. On his forehead, three horns curved backward, and the Omega symbol shone. His torso was covered in an organic armor, made of a black, threadlike material that seemed to move, like a living network of dark roots. In the center of his chest, an inverted cross seemed to be melted into his flesh, as if the old necklace he wore had fused with his body.

His long, slender arms ended in sharp claws, each adorned with red, crystalline spikes that seemed carved from the same material as the bony outgrowths emerging from his shoulders and forearms.

His abdomen was covered in black bands, intertwined like thorns, protecting his organs while giving him a formidable yet elegant appearance. Under his pelvis, his legs were also covered in this organic armor, but his feet ended in slender talons, more suited for hunting than walking.

Four immense wings, resembling those of a bat, erupted from his back, dark and bristling with blood-red veins. Organic blades, like living serpents, undulated along his spine, twisting and hissing like autonomous creatures.

The silence, already oppressive, became absolute. All the angels present, even the most powerful among them, hesitated. Only Linfer's breath resonated, calm, as a carnivorous smile curved his pale lips, revealing his sharp teeth.

"All this beautiful crowd. To face a single man... You overestimate me, guys ~ He he." Even in such a dire situation and with his appearance drastically changed, he still retained his mischievous nature.

Uriel reached out into the void, and a golden lightning condensed into his lance.

"Attack!"

Immediately, the celestial soldiers surged forward, their wings unfurled, lances and swords ready to unleash divine wrath upon this abominable being.

"Good news: I haven't mastered all my power yet. Bad news: I'm in a good mood."

Linfer tilted his neck to the side, cracking it slightly.

The heavens trembled under the terror of the angels, their faces contorted in fear. Linfer beat his wings with brutal force, leaving behind a residual image, an echo of his speed. He appeared before an angel, seizing its face with an implacable hand. Bones cracked under his grip like mere clay. In a fluid motion, he pivoted to dodge three other assailants, while the blades emerging from his back extended, striking mercilessly. The celestial soldiers fell, impaled by the autonomous blades, without even having time to understand what hit them.

An angel, gathering all its strength, brandished its sword ferociously. But Linfer caught it effortlessly, breaking the blade as if it were a toy. He then leaped, his sharp talons crushing the skulls of the angels beneath him before they could react.

In an instant, he was gone, reappearing in the middle of the fray with inhuman speed. His movements were a whirlwind of violence. He tore the wings off two angels in one fell swoop, before spinning around, his blades slicing off the heads of those within range. Hundreds of angels were decapitated in a few beats of his wings.