Monarch of Darkness, Arsene



Barely handling such foreign Omnipotence rushing through my meridians, bleeding out of my skin as I struggled to hold power from leaking, I stared deep into the eyes of Shiva, surrounded by a barrier generated by the very power I swatted at him. 

I smirked. "That's the One's blessing… Interesting." 

There was a distant silence as Heaven End tried to repair itself. Still, as if my intent was preventing that from happening, the scar within the Abyss only seemed to expand, flooding the Myriad with a series of untamed energy. 

"If I were you, Shiva, I'd try to repair that damage before all of the Myriad Heavens begin to suffer because of it. We wouldn't want the Origin Realm to become destabilized. 

With blood streaming from his hairline, down his eye and chin, Shiva shot a dark glare and visibly began to heal before my eyes. 

"This isn't over, Arsene. I swear it." He said, soaring up towards the scar between the Abyss and Heaven. 

'Consolidate your power before it's too late, idiot.' Came Zariel Soul Whisper in a harsh breath of warning. 'You're losing too much Qi." 

I glanced at him, unbothered, and then at my little chibi's cooing without cause of concern. Zariel was indeed correct. I was losing this Omnipotence, but it wasn't mine in the first place. Rather, it was a reaction conjured by my understanding of the greater planes.

Rhea… That woman was a monster. One who stood far beyond the realm of Zariel or the likes of Lucifer. And it was safe to say I was beginning to understand more about what lay behind what we could perceive. 

That room… those Two Gates. 

I clenched my fist, allowing my memories to come crashing through the vale of my mind. The energy of Omnipotence shuddered through me, rallying at my will within the center of my heart. 

'Knowledge was power. And it's through Knowledge that Omnipotence is Birth.'

"Yes… that is the proper course of Ascension… Yes. The first stage of Archaeon, from today on, will be known as Ascension. "I mused, feeling my being stripped from my soul, twisting into a primal force, branding itself over my heart. 

*Badum! Badum! Badum! Badum!

Closing my eyes, I entered the mental realm of my soul in a black abyss of darkness to where my soul existed, looking back at me as I looked at it. A peculiar sense of vertigo came over me in a fleeting wisp before fading. 

"To achieve Ascension… Knowledge needs to be converted into power. And what is a greater source of Knowledge if not the soul?" 

Shuddering at the gamble… I reached forward towards the black soul flame, bleeding scarlet embers of the Abyss, and cupped the small soul flame… sensing my own sigil shudder uncontrollably.

"My Soul Shall become the Seed of Ascension… and this very Seed shall sprout into something beyond a mere Soul Flame." 

***

When my eyes opened to the blanketing array of enemies and allies, of Devils, and Demons, Fallen and Angels,  Gods, and Arisen… Understanding of Knowledge pooled through my mind as the Omnipotence within my heart began to dwindle. 

BOOOOM~

Startled by the crackle of Lightning shimmering through the confines of Unknown Space, the flames of Heaven's Tribulation shook the Myriad Heavens. 

As if the One who birth the Sin of Wrath had descended, a horrendous power bled from out of the Tribulation, nearly bringing me to my knees as its intent locked me down. 

'I can block One Phase.' Zariel hurriedly said, with a glow in his pupils. Alongside blood leaking from his eyes and nose. " But you need to tell me when…" 

  Coughing up a mouthful of blood from the mere crackles of thunder shrieking from out of the gathering of clouds from the Abyss, I groaned. 

'He can see us?' Came the soft voice of Rhea… somewhat in dissatisfaction. 

'He can see us all… How could Yahweh let something like that exist?' another voice added this one of a man's voice. 

'Shall we kill him?' 

"Not unless you want to wake those of the Abyss. You know how those monsters get…" 

"Arsene… Focus!" Zariel barked, pulling me away from those mysterious entities. "It's about to—" 

Before little bro could finish, a teardrop came from the skies, shrieking down as though it was a droplet of rain. Pure and unsullied by the seven sins, much less the seven virtues that teardrop burled towards me. And against all reason… I reached for it with my spear. 

But before I could… Iza… my toddler, flashed on top of my spear, still in the arms of End. And bit down on the teardrop. 

"..."

"..."

"..." 

End looked so pale standing there, but it had all happened so fast that I couldn't even glimpse it, and I was hopped up on Omnipitance. He wasn't. 

Little Iza giggled when her body began to glow, shimmering like a mini star. The same thing occurred with Ves as he giggled on top of Damaris. 

"Bloody Hell… Lilith!" I howled. " Why are they here!" 

"They missed their father!" That crazy woman shouted back, smiling unbothered by what just happened. 

"End…' 

"Yeah…" He muttered, drawing back with my glistering child. Who yawned the moment the light began to fade. And in seconds, both Iza and Ves fell asleep. 

Aren't they sealed? Just how strong are they?

Suddenly, as a foreign power caught hold of me, premonition warned me as I snapped my focus back onto the fully formed tribulation cloud. And from the clouds, she appeared, grinning. 

"Hi," Rhea said and glanced wearily at Iza and Ves before turning to me. "Sorry. Since I'm responsible for Tribulations… I can't really hold back." she said, somehow failing to mention such a little thing beforehand. "I usually don't show up. But I did for Zariel… So, guess I'll do it for you. You've two more phases. So don't die." 

Rhea pointed towards the skies, towards the black Abyss above her head, and swiped it down. 

"Oh Shit…" lifting my spear as a squeak came from my mouth. The remaining Omnipotence within my chest tore apart my meridians as it erupted into a barrier that shattered in a heartbeat as an arc of black Lightning as large as seven men struck. 

Shards of light whipped past my eyes as the Black Lightning dug into my body. Pain roiled through me as the Lightning aimed not for my body but rather for my soul. Seeking to wipe me out of existence. 

Various parts of my fingers exploded into a fine mist as I roared, desperately combatting the unbearable power as the Lightning struck the walls of my mental domain.