Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

It looks like Eroma and Grey are dead. Nope. Nope. I'm not going in there. Origin realm? I'll be a human there. Fuck—Damn it! God, I hate myself!

Moloch chuckled, "It's fine, my boy, nothing serious will be there to kill you. Or did you forget we need you? A few things that we forbade Bael from writing about happened in Hell. Head on in, unless your willing to sacrifice your two uncles to me."

Resisting the urge to throw up, I approached the Hell Gate, feeling a pair of eyes on me. Glancing back, I caught a glimpse of the solemn Drar before he vanished. Knowing he was right about coming here, I pushed down my apprehension and stepped through the gate without hesitation.

Holding back the fear dancing along my spine, the sounds of shattering glass echoed like bells through my heart.

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Falling through the depths of Hell into a bottomless abyss, billions of shriveled arms seemed to stretch towards me with talons sharper than any sword, piercing through my skin, as a pain I had never felt before scarred my flesh.

Resisting the urge to scream, the Spear of Noctem swirled, attempting to cut these fiendish arms that seemed to originate from the wall of this abyss. I could only curse every fallen name as my spear ricocheted off the flesh of these arms.

"What the fuck!" I howled, grunting in anguish, as these fingers began to peel away at my flesh.

Trying everything I could, I cursed and howled, " MEPHISTO, I KNOW YOUR THERE!"

"I'm a little busy, you know. You're the idiot who didn't want my blessing."

"Screw that; give it to me."

"Call me Master.'

"FUCK YOU!"

"Fuck you, Master! ~" he sang, toying with me.

"MEPHISTO!" I snapped.

"Fine. Fine. But you deserve this. Relax, connect to the Abyss or Hells, and strike." He said; as I closed my eyes, ignoring the pain of having my muscles clawed into, I recalled the warm touch of Abyss-Chan and Lilith.

Feeling the runes over my scales and wings lit up, my spear swirled like a whirlwind, cutting through flesh like hot butter.

Startled by this development, I tried to smile when all of a sudden, everything turned black.

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Feeling my feet touch something warm and smooth, thick and silky, I didn't need light to tell me what it was.

Blood.

"Where the hell am I?"

"You stupid idiot. Why the Hell are you here?" The voice of Zariel snapped," Do you know how much shit I had to do to get you that body? How many deals? And hard work? RUN! DO NOT STOP; JUST RUN!

Startled, the hairs upon my neck rose as I felt both Mephiso's Aura and Zariels flair to life in this domain of black.

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Everything had changed again as I screamed, glaring down at this beast, tearing flesh from my body as it squealed. Devouring my entrails, I growled, piercing my spear that remained in my hand forward.

Piercing through this demonic-looking Hell Hound, I grunted as cold sweat trickled down my bloody body; I cried, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"Why is everything time-skipping?"

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"Adapt, hurry it up!" The voice of Zariel said.

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"Why the hell did you send him here?"

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"So when he gets to Arcadia, he can skip the thirty-three heavens!" Mephisto snapped," The Layers of Heavens are all about perspective anyway! An Arcadia will be around the same level as the Origin realm."

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Going in and out of reality repeatedly, as time kept skipping back and forth, I found myself tormented in so many ways I prayed for death. The torment in here had felt so much more real, so much more.

Was this what Zariel had faced? Back then?

Holding it in the best I could, I spiraled through billions of torments as my mind began to bend and break, cracking as my soul tried desperately to hold it together. When—

"Arsene Snow, you really are a shitty elder brother," Zariel said, taking me into his arms.

Peering up at him, not as a man, but as a shriveled thing, whose wings were clipped and flesh was carved away, leaving barely any meat. I studied the blood flowing from Zariels brow and a large gash over his shoulders as he knelt with me in his arms.

"You winning?"

"No idea,' he answered bitterly, "You know I'll have to wipe your mind, right?"

"I want to remember.' i said, understanding his intentions.

"You sure?" He asked, hanging his head over me as blood slipped from his lips onto what was left of my chest.

"Yeah."

"How'd it feel to die so many times?"

I could bearly find a smile as I spoke out, " Is that what happened?"

"Hell is a land where death doesn't exist." He said, liftin' me up and glancing around. " Mephisto his handling Belphegor while I care for you, but he'll escape if you— son of a bitch. That fucker sent me here to make a deal with him."

Feeling Zariels burning eye glaring at me, I finally smiled, " We'll have our revenge one day." I said, "We always do."

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Opening my eyes, I snapped my head up and released a long cry as I patted my body repeatedly!

"I'm alive!" I screamed as I gasped for air, tasting only brimstone.

Trembling uncontrollably at memories flooding my mind, I scrambled to my feet, unable to even hold the Spear of Noctem.

"Ah~" Breathing as if there was no air, I coughed up a mouthful of blood and pierced the tip of my fingers through my neck as I struggled to take in anything.

"Breathe, Master." Zax calmly said as he appeared from the Ring of Bael, bowing his head. "It was only an Infernal Illusion.'

"DO NOT LIE!" I howled, bellowing as I felt Abyssal runes come to life.

"Master," He calmly said, "Your mind cannot comprehend the complexity of piercing through over thirty-three dimensions; this is the consequence."

All you have seen and felt is merely the Aura of Hell, helping you adapt to the nature of the Nine Hells. You've been here for Seven Chaos Cycles."

"Eh?"

"Your brother has sealed the majority of the Illusions you experience. But You've officially adapted to the Origin Realm."

"How was that an illusion? It was real." I muttered, touching my skin that felt...

"It's real because you think it's real, and fake because you also wish it were." He said, patting my shoulder as I trembled. " If there is a dao to fear, it would be the dao of Illusions that affect reality like it were a dream. You'll get used to it one day."