Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Gripping the black sword that seemed like something a mortal should wield, I looked up as everything around me began to spiral out of control; Light began to bend before shattering into small embers reflecting the nature of stars; when I suddenly felt my legs turn to pudding.

I fell.

Slipping into darkness, I felt a pair of hands catch me, followed by a gentle glow and a hasty command, \' Release the weapon!"

Although it wasn\'t like I had the strength left to hold the weapon, I dropped the sword to the ground, and light returned to my eyes as I suddenly gasped for air.

"Holy shit! That blade!" I shouted in short choppy utterances.

"A blade meant to keep those two monsters at bay," Zero casually said, lifting the blade without care. He chuckled, pulling out a scabbard from thin air and sheath the sword before tossing it back to me.

"Give thanks to Gabriel and Arial for that; even Mephisto helped in forging the scabbard. It\'ll keep the blades sealing power at bay." He explained as I caught the sword, eying the elegant scabbard. "I\'ll leave you to finish the sword but do be warned; I don\'t think Lucifer will like what is about to happen."

Vanishing out of my perception, I turned to Izavith, who nodded, "It\'s okay. We\'ll handle him. Everyone must make a sacrifice." She whispered as I turned to End on one knee, staring at me, with a pool of blood around his scarred body.

"Is she still alive?"

\'Bearly. Mephisto made an appearance telling me I might need her alive," He said in an even tone as if his injuries were nothing.

"Did she do that to you?\'

"Far from it, My Queen, these wounds were caused by the various beasts within the abyss, whose intelligence seemed as dead as a potato." He explained like a perfect soldier

Mephisto again. I need to start planning on how to rid ourselves of him.

That man is too dangerous. I can never tell if he\'s an ally or an enemy. With him, it\'s always situational.

"Summon her.\' I soon commanded, readying myself.

End nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a bounded beauty with long dark jet black hair, scarlet eyes with a pentagram within its debts shimming a golden red light shone, as her sublime feature marred by blood and war, stared dead at me, with the utmost hate.

Around her, two arms and legs held rings binding her movement, making her appear as though she was laid sprawled out in the air.

Fear could be seen in her eyes as she glared, " Release me!"

"You are to be the nutrients of the sword my babies will share,\' I replied, as End, swiped his finger down, forcing the Mother of Demons to her knees.

"You-You can\'t! Can\'t you see this is all a part of his plan? Why can\'t you see he\'s using you like he was me? He wanted me to help Arsene, wanted me to assist Zantor and Balor; it was all a part of his plan! CAN\'T YOU SEE!!!"

Startled by the look of pure desperation, I glanced at Izavith, who merely shook her head in confusion as well.

"What do you mean?"

"Mephisto has never liked me, but we have worked with each other for many cycles. It was he who told me about the Fel!"

Fel? I\'ve heard that name before.

"The mistakes of god! It was he who told me that I was not to be alone! That there were others like me! Abandon by god! He is the true mastermind of it all! He was even the one who helped kill Arsene and Zariels mother!!!"

My heart skipped a few beats but turned cold in an instant. I may not know much about Zariel, but I know one thing about all the members of the Snow family. They will do just about anything to get what they want.

She\'s lying. Zariel would have turned over every leaf to find out what happened. She\'s playing me. But… what if it\'s true?

Was Mephisto responsible?

All fourteen of my generals turned to the Demonic Mother, and I could feel a killing intent that shook the very fabric of this realm.

Sucking in a deep breath, I shook my head and hardened my heart, " There, Mother is dead. And while that\'s sad, I must do what\'s best for my child."

My heart felt like someone had pierced it as I spoke, but I knew I was right. I was carrying the next line of the Snow generation. I can\'t worry about the dead. True or not, I need to only focus on my kids.

"Lilith, don\'t do this! I-I-I\'ll tell you everything I know. Please! I just didn\'t want to be alone!" She howled as tears rolled from her eyes, \'Have you any idea what it\'s like to be ostracized for all your existence? To be nothing but a plaything to entertain Adam when he was moody? Even in the Nine Hells. I was forced to my knees by Lucifer and toyed with by Mephisto, who detested my guts."

My soul trembled but remained cold as I approached her, stopping a few centimeters away.

"I knew nothing of the world, new nothing of life. Only Adam."

"And yet you had it in you to flee." A dark voice said as the shadow of all that was evil appeared, with a dark expression. " You fled. You didn\'t fight; you didn\'t do shit. I never liked you because, in my eyes, you were a hypocrite. In all the time I knew you, you always spoke in such a high and mighty tone. Yet despite all the years and hard work you put in, you never challenged Adam."

"That—"

"You speak as if Adam had abused you; you speak as if you didn\'t have free will. You speak as if you were ever a victim, but are you not the Demonic Mother, Lilith? When you created the demons of Hell, the devils that govern it, where was the ambition you held towards revenge? You were nothing, from the moment of your birth, only a tool I used to get what I want, and you succeeded."

Unsheathing the blade, I plunged it down through the Demonic Mother\'s neck into her heart before backing away, leaving my sword within her.

Watching her gargle upon her blood as tears fell from her eyes, I strangely felt empty as I turned to the smiling Mephisto.

"You\'re a Monster."

"I\'m a Fallen. And like Arsene, I\'ll do whatever I need to in order to get what I want. And to make sure Lilith doesn\'t come back to life, I\'m going to make you the new Demonic Mother, congrats.\' he said while watching, enjoying the look of destitute in the other Lilith\'s eyes as her milky white skin began to turn black as tar.