Devourer: Rise Beyond Celestial

"You should leave, Zitish," he finally said, his voice hoarse with exhaustion. "There's nothing left to save here."

"If you really believe that... then why are you still here?" she asked, moving a little closer.

Linfer opened his eyes, locking his reptilian gaze with hers. He stared at her for a long time, perhaps searching for a trace of a lie, a reason not to listen. But Zitish was sincere.

"I loved you, Linfer," she said, and her words floated between them... And I know that, despite everything you've done, a part of you loved me too."

Linfer snickered, but it was a joyless laugh.

"Love?" He shook his head. "You betrayed me."

Zitish stopped right in front of him. She raised a trembling hand and placed it on his cheek. Linfer did not step back. His entire body was trembling, and his breath quickened slightly.

"It's not too late... We can start over."

He widened his eyes slightly, surprised by the emotion in her voice.

"Start over?" His tone was mocking. "And go where?"

"Far from here. Anywhere. You don't have to destroy everything, Linfer." She took a deep breath. "Celest... Celest is our son."

An absolute silence fell between them.

Linfer did not move, his body frozen like a statue. His olive green irises trembled slightly, as if an abyss were opening beneath his feet. Zitish witnessed the moment when reality hit him. His breath became erratic, his fingers clenched.

"Our... son?" he repeated, his voice hoarser, uncertain. Looking at Celest in the distance.

Zitish slowly nodded.

"Are you going to kill your own son?" she whispered. "Are you going to kill me too?"

Linfer's hands began to tremble. His gaze darkened, tormented. The destructive energy that had been accumulating around him dissipated slightly. For the first time, he seemed hesitant.

"You're right... Zitish..."

She felt her heart stop for a moment. A wild, almost painful hope was born within her. Was Linfer finally...?

But before she could respond, a slight twisted smile stretched across his face.

"Is this the answer you were waiting for? Huh, bitch?"

Before Zitish could react, Linfer plunged his clawed hand into her heart. She staggered, her eyes wide with surprise and pain.

"ZITISH! WATCH OUT!" Uriel shouted, but it was too late. Linfer stood holding Zitish by her heart, his smile now a rictus of triumph mixed with despair.

"You see, Zitish?" he murmured, his tears mingling with the black blood flowing from his eyes. "It's too late for us. Too late for me."

And as the darkness engulfed him, Zitish reached out a trembling hand towards Linfer, a final murmur escaping her lips: "I'll love you... always."

Zitish's body fell into the sea. As Linfer touched his cheek.

"Am I crying?"

"LINFEERRRR!!!" Uriel screamed as lightning crackled fiercely.

"Shut up, URIEL!"

Linfer's eyes were possessed, the serpentine creature with a thousand heads, each bearing the Omega sign engraved on its forehead, became increasingly brilliant.

A fissure formed in the depths of the bloody sea, a tearing roar coming from the abyss.

"The mother of primordial waters..."

Linfer mumbled, but it wasn't really him.

Then she appeared.

First, a gigantic eye pierced the surface, an unfathomable eyeball, streaked with dark veins, so vast that the very horizon seemed to bend under its gaze.

The sky darkened, as if sucked into the colossal presence of this entity of chaos.

The fate of the lower plane was sealed, 70% of the population would die, and even the foundations would not survive.

Suddenly, a voice resonated behind him.

"I don't think your mother would agree with that."

Linfer slowly turned his head, his eyes still shining with a mad light.

"Sage Caesto..."

His piercing gaze lingered on the silhouette that had just spoken.

"It's not you, Linfer-"

"Can you stop me?" Linfer smiled, more sinister than before.

"Fuck your mothers! DEVOUR EVERYTHING! TIAMAT!"

The chaos intensified around him, the serpentine creature continued to emerge from the depths, and the entire world trembled under its weight.

"Then I'll be obliged to..."

Caesto disappeared from his sight, appearing before him, a sword ready to cut off his head.

Linfer, at the end, could not have dodged it.

Then a familiar scent wafted into his nostrils. A perfume he hadn't smelled in an eternity...

She had appeared out of nowhere, the world had completely frozen, only Linfer could see her. Time had stopped completely.

She wore a long white coat that fell to her calves, perfectly fitted to her silhouette. Silver buttons shone on the front of the outfit, symmetrically arranged on the chest and down the abdomen. The collar was slightly raised, giving an impression of imposing stature. The wide belt, adorned with a metallic pattern, firmly held the outfit at the waist. Under the coat, tight black pants contrasted with the immaculate white of the main garment, ending in elegant white boots. Her hand and neck were covered in bandages, leaving only her nose and mouth visible.

She seemed to emanate a supernatural grace, a creature of indescribable beauty. Her long, shining olive green hair flowed like a fluid mantle around her, almost trailing on the surface of the bloody sea with elegance. Each lock seemed to have a life of its own, subtly undulating like waves under an invisible breath. Her eyes were mysteriously hidden under the fringe of her hair, shrouding her face in a soft and fascinating enigma. Yet, even hidden, it was impossible not to feel the intensity of her gaze.

Her aura was hypnotic, almost ethereal. With each step, it seemed she was floating, barely skimming the surface of the sea. Around her, reality rippled like a fine veil, distorted by her mere presence, bending between worlds with each of her movements.

"So you insult mothers, Linfer?" Her smile was gentle, almost mocking, as she approached him, frozen by emotion.

"Mother..." Linfer's voice cracked for a moment.

"A little more and you were going to release this woman from Tartarus... It seems you've almost merged with the consciousness of the Devourer..." she murmured to herself.

"So I've missed you?" She asked, still in a playful tone, and with a wave of her hand, Caesto's silhouette disappeared, swallowed by a spatial rift.

But Linfer's tone changed abruptly, filled with anger.

"You abandoned me, mother!"

"Shh, don't say that, Linfer..." She gently placed a hand on his cheek. "It was for your own good. I'll always be there for you."

The so-called Lady Lofiel still smiled, but Linfer roughly pushed her hand away.

"Too late. Go fuck yourself." He turned away, his jaws clenched, but she remained unperturbed, her smile fixed on her lips.

She calmly observed the carnage around them, taking a deep breath.

"You're not ready yet, Linfer, and you're drawing too much attention. Do you want to get yourself killed foolishly?" Her voice was calm and soft.

She turned to the surrounding chaos: Raphaël, almost submerged; Celest, on the verge of death; Uriel, lying there, his limbs torn off; Ezekiel, his guts hanging out; and Luciel, overwhelmed but still fighting valiantly.

"You've been playing with me, manipulating me... Just get out of my way and let me finish what I started!"

Lofiel's gaze softened a bit, almost like that of an indulgent mother.

"I can't let you destroy your soul, my dear."

Linfer furrowed his brows, his mind turning. He had always known that his mother was extremely powerful, and even after reaching this level, after making the lower world his playground with Ahskharsh, he still felt inferior to her.

"What do you want-"

Lofiel interrupted him by gently placing her finger on his forehead.

"We'll meet again, my son. Now wake up!"

Before he could react, everything turned black.

...