Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

"What's this about ascending?" I curiously asked, intrigued by the premise.

"Don't worry about it. I'm handling it," said Lily snapping her eyes to Vita with a dark look I'd not seen in a while. But Vita shook her head in defiance.

"She'll die if she returns with you. Even if she becomes an elder god, she's used up all her time. In the fourth Heaven." Vita explained. "Her current body can't support the level of power gathering by the Prince and Princess." Vita pointed towards Lilith's legs and continued. " She's already bleeding. Her body is breaking down."

"IZAVITH!"

Chopping Lilith in the head, I rolled my eyes and sighed. " You really know how to take risks. My god." Shaking my head, I turned to Vita with relief and cuffed my palm." Thanks for telling me. You can take her."

"Arsene!" Cried Lilith latching her naked body onto mine. I could feel her fiery skin, her luscious aroma, and her teary amethyst eyes sinking into me. "I don't wanna go! I want to—"

"Zariel, Zero, Van, my sister, Lucifer, Mephisto, and so much more are now on Iluthath. Get yourself healed up and return, dummy. I'll be fine. The rules have been shattered. A new beginning is upon us. A new era where the old rules are fading."

Pressing my lips over hers, I glanced at Vita, who nodded, and with a snap, I was gone. By the time I realized where I was, I saw the ashes of Arakiel dancing through the air. And the sleeping Freya sprawled over the bed with my fluid ebbing from her garden.

Chuckling, I couldn't help but nod at my accomplishment. " I'd forgotten we had sex before Lilith took me to the Abyssal Citidel. It will always amaze me how much time I've experienced versus everyone else." I mused before clothing myself with some black robes. ????nn????????????????. ????????????

"How are you feeling?" Asked Lily from within.

"... Great, I think. It feels a little strange. Terra Lyvain, High God. I know all her thoughts. I know all her likes, all her loves, her hates, all her desires. I know everything about her. It's almost like I created her. And she knows nothing of me. There is a connection that seems so strange. It's so difficult to explain."

"Oh, I get it." Said Lily. "But what will you do now? You've linked a soul, but you've still got billions of other Soul Fragments to use."

"I need souls. High-level souls… and what better place is there than Hell?" I expressed. And this Terra was quite the fighter. She was a master of the Storm: Wind, Lightning, Thunder, and Light.

"It's not better than my darkness, but this is the variety I wanted," I said, opening my palm. Suddenly nodes of black light tarnished by darkness hummed to life. Soft and light, a devouring glow appeared one after another around my palm before taking the form of a spear.

"Terra died by my hands at the battle in the Eben Forest. I killed her with a shadow step, catching her off guard, but she had quite a combat proficiency. She was good."

Staring at the blade humming at an odd frequency, I shadowed step out of the tower of lucifer and to the blazing battle taking place before my eyes.

Fire, Ice, Lightning, Darkness, Time, Karma, Blood, and much more seemed to flare over the battlefield as demons and devils fought side by side against the soldiers of Noctem.

"Arsene!!!!" A howl came from below as I gazed out at the endless battle thundering beneath my feet. "FIRE!!!"

Catching sight of the siege weapon, flare to life blazing with a scarlet crest that seemed as demonic as the very hells, I held the storm blade in the form of a spear and pitched it towards the siege weapon.

Light fractured, and space bent as the storm blade tore through the crest like hot butt, hitting the towering weapon with ease; suddenly, an explosion of storm light flared over the horizon spiraling in a domain of elements and intent. It was as if a nuke had been set off as I watched the demons begin to be atomized, vanishing into nothing but souls that howled.

Lightning thundered, and light flashed at such speeds I would be amazed if I could dodge such an attack without shadow-stepping.

"Master!" Shouted Ezra from below, flicking her greatsword and carving her way into a few demons as she stood at the frontlines, giving out orders while she fought.

"Amazing! If I apply such an effect on Noctem, every hit will force my foe to be injured unless they have an instantaneous movement technique.

Summoning Noctom, a nebula of dark light flared over my spear as I made the necessary adjustments. I fell.

Falling through the ashes that burned my soul, my entire body became cloaked with the power of Stormblade, exploding into enemy territory.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM~

Screams and cries caught my ears as everyone below Monarch was instantly killed, while those at the level of Sovereign were grievously harmed; their ligaments, skin, and eyes were all seared away, never to recover as my darkness began to wither them to rot.

"If this is only one soul… A high god of all things, what can some of you offer me?" I shouted and darted forward at speeds that made light seem like a snail.

Noctem swept through the hordes of Demons in a spiraling vortex of death as a storm of explosion followed, bathing the northern region in black light. Blood didn't even get to paint the Hells, as Stormblade would ensure that all living cells did not survive.

Howls and wails, followed by moans and pleading, all rushed into my ears as I danced around the battlefield, Shadow Stepping when needed. In seconds my footwork would change, becoming more and more graceful. I felt almighty essence flare around me.

Using the billion of cognitions I had to begin analyzing my battle style to make improvements, I felt myself visibly evolve into something that even Paragons needed to be wary of. My technique began to become sharper, faster, and most of all erratic; it was almost like there was no pattered.

My dao, while it was insanely high due to the flames of hell fire, I barely used but now with Terra's one soul. That all changed as I applied some of her techniques to myself, changing what I needed and didn't.

Eyes glowing, I pointed to the skies, "Storm of Heavenly Binds!"