Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 172: Festival of Chaos: Prologue IV

Whisking through the forest bed with seven ethereal blades blacker than the deepest of nights hovering behind him, Altair, attended by Reina, Zagreus, and Thanatos, followed at breathtaking speeds, blurring into long ribbons of multicolored light.

Suddenly, from the skies, they came howling like crazed demons; seven Bappetts struck the earth, crushing the land as though it were made of clay; shockwaves reeled through the forest, snapping trees as large as seven men like twigs.

Name: Winged Bapett

Race: Demon(Half-Blood)

Str: 898

Dex: 350

Con: 656

Wis: 754

Char: 175

Mana: 102

Unoed by the shockwave or the aura billowing from off the demon flesh, Altair flickered like a flash, with the aid of Sovereign's Gale, and was before it, his finger already pressed on its brow before it blinked.

"Enma," He channeled, and from the tip of his fingers, it came, a beam of iridescent light devouring the top half of the Bapett before it could echo a scream, shooting through the forest, withering life to nothing.

[Bapett Felled. Exp Gained]

[Soul of Bapett Devoured]

[Level Up]

Reina emerged with her great sword 'ice,' and for a single instance, her long obsidian hair turned a fiery red; as [Infernal Rage] nearly tripled her stats, she flashed in a prismatic beam of light, cutting a single Bapett in half. She was on the move after Altair as his Dark Moon Blade began to carve through the bodies of the others.

They zoomed through by when arrows came piercing towards Altair's head. Lord Blackwood didn't bother to defend against the attacks that his Almighty Resistance pushed away.

"I got them," shouted Zagreus, kicking into the air. He began platforming off magical circles as though they were solid earth. He flickered through the air, arriving towards a small squad of vagabonds gripping arrows.

"Wha—"

Sword light came like a shrieking bolt of light, carving through the bodies of the seven archers before they could blink. Their bodies erupted in flames, later transfigured into ash by the Aspect of Ash.

[Level Up]

"This is hella fun!" Zag screeched, leaping back down to Altair's side.

The Prince grinned, summoning six of his main shadows, and without needing to be told what to do, they flashed like demons themselves. Infernal Lighting came like a great tide through the forest, conjuring great pyres of fires that billowed toward the skies.

Howls of demons raged on for miles.

Baelfire rose across the Heavens, storming down towards Altair as the wyverns and dragons began breathing fire in defiance of the Heavens and Hell.

Thanatos whirled to meet the fire of hell when the sigil of the crest of his scythe illuminated itself within his eyes. He pointed his scythe forged of night and invoked his spell.

[Devour]

When everyone had entered, he smashed the entranceway with his fist, allowing the rubble to block the path.

I'm sleepy AF," said Zagreus, bellowing a yawn as he slumped over his brother's arm. "Carry me, Thaan."

"get off me,"

"come on, big bro~."

"Zag, I will castrate you. "

Ren laughed at the two brothers only to wince. She touched her side where two broken ribs sat. "You two are brothers, right?"

"stepbrothers," said Thanatos, laying down inscriptions to mask their location. The stone corridor in which they lay was empty but bore the scent of the dead. "My Mother, Nyx, the Goddess of Night, married his Father, Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Though, it was Hades who raised me and who gave me a mission. A mission I found quite dear to my heart."

"Reaping souls," Altair remarked. "It doesn't sound fun."

"It's not." Zagreus was quick to point out. "Nothing in the Underworld is fun. It's all tedious. And mind-numbingly boring. The best part of my day is testing new ways in which to kill myself."

"Seriously?"

"In our domain," Thanatos began, "it's impossible to die unless you use Almighty Qi. Which Zag can't do yet."

"piss off," said Zagreus angrily. "I'll get there. If Melinoë can do it, so can I."

Altair had many questions but now wasn't the time. "Get some rest, guys, " he slowly cut in, noticing some tension at the mention of Melinoë. "I'll stand guard, you guys rest."

Conjuring Nia, she bowed. "Yes, my Lord?"

Ignoring the frost in her voice, Altair spoke, "Go scout ahead... and take Kirr with you."

"right away, my lord," she said, vanishing and emerging with Kirr. They were gone after a few minutes.

"looks like she's still angry," Renia said, nestling into Altair's lap. She purred, enjoying his warmth, swallowing her whole.

"Well... I did kill her in cold blood," Altair admitted, cycling his Mana to aid in his recovery. "I'd be mad too."

Ren narrowed her eyes dangerously. "maybe," she whispered, closing her eyes as she began cycling Mana as she slept.

Arms wrapped around her waist, reaching into her tunic to bare flesh; Altair smiled, finding what he sought. He closed his eyes, entering a state of meditation that allowed his mind to recover but also kept him alert in case of danger.

His eyes opened the moment Nia returned, looking very somber. "Zombies, my lord. Powerful ones, too," she said, on one knee.

"Do you hate me, Nia?"

The Fallen Shadow lifted its amber eyes that shone like liquid gold.

The Prince smiled at her silence. He gestured her over, cupping her cheek as tears filled her eyes.

"Nia, I won't apologize for what I've done, but I'll never order you to do something that goes against your bottom line. I hope you know that. I might be a monster... but to those who bow to me, I am their light."

Confused, Nia met her Master's eye, which felt so warm and cold at the same time.

"yes... my master."