Carrying an excitable grin held by fiends within the deepest depths. Zanris opened her left hand, summoning an obsidian rapier to her palms with a spiraling silver hilt. It was graceful, in ways, but such an aesthetic needle was corrupted by something dark and sickening. It was like a leach sucking away life with each passing moment.

  "You reside with the hells! I have no reservations about facing defeat. But I am not alone." Tala explained, with her head arched high and her eyes low as if she was speaking with one of her servants.

  "Three Demi-Gods vs. Me." Said Zanris, approaching without reservation. Her steps were like that of an enchanting dancer, carrying with them a profoundness I had never seen.

  The air was slowly growing thin the longer we remained, the moment Zanris summed that weapon. Loosening my gown, I remained hidden, growing extremely uncomfortable within my skin the longer I watched from within the audience.

  "Why not tell her to appear?" The tantalizing Lilim whispered, licking her plush cherry lips. She halted her step, an arms-length from Andor and Ragnar, and watched.

  "What the bloody hell have you gotten me in?" Said Ragnar, his azure eyes reflecting the scarlet night that hung over our heads like the looming Sword of Damocles.

  Sweating bricks by his side, Andor held no words but stood silent, sending a glance at the two monsters standing that had not moved.

  "It would seem Sitri overestimated you all." Declared a shadow that rippled from behind Ragnar. Appearing like that of a ghost stood a pale maiden with snake-like scarlet eyes. She had long dark hair that hung to her chest and a brilliant smile. She was beautiful, in many ways, but she appeared rather sickly. Her arms were shaking, and she was using Ragnar to support her own body.

  But what truly grabbed our attention was the golden skull that hovered over oak staff. It was glistering with a dark shimmer. I could not say much regarding the skull glistering a fiendish power, but the staff that held such a corrupted power captured my attention. It was the color of ash, appearing like it was once burnt to a crisp with strange lettering that did not resemble any Norse runes.

  Turning paler alongside everyone else standing against Zanris, the woman gripped Ragnars shoulder, "I told you to remain hidden, Grace. Now more than ever."

  "It's the weapon. We must get it away from her," Siad Grace, ignoring Ragnar without so much, a second thought.

  Shattering the very pavement, Zanris tore off the rocky ground like a mad beast shattering the air at the sheer speed.

  Meeting Zanris's thrust, the air grew even thinner as the very color of heaven and earth began to drain away. Unable to dodge or react in time, the rapier within Zanris's grip blinked from my sight.

  "TAG!" Zan Screamed with child-like wonder. "YOUR IT!"

  BOOOM!!!!!!!!!

  Unable to even find the energy to summon the Qi to use, I, along with many of the people at my side, were blasted like a ragdoll. Some even turned to mist as a horrendous shockwave tore a new valley into the Island of Sa'ar.

  "Lori, hurry up before we are fucked! She is absorbing the QI of Heaving of earth." Andor roared.

  Howling like a crazed beast, I could hear the whisper of those by my side, "It's the Ashen King; he's back. He's fucking back! No, please, no…… Gods of heaven, please not that laughter! Not again!"

  "We need to run! RUN!!!" Said a mighty-looking warrior, coved in fearful tears. His trousers were all but stained by piss, but he did not care. In the face of the laughter of Zanris, the memories of the Ashen King filled the minds of everyone present.

  Playing along, my attention remained upon the insanity known as Zanris and the large silver barrier protecting Ragnar and his woman.

  "That will not work!"Teased Zan as the blade within her hands hummed to life. Absorbing all the qi within the air, I felt myself start to age at an alarming rate. My skin began to crack and dry while my very vision began to blur.

  "Destroy that blasted weapon!" Andor roared with fright, shooting towards Zanris with a blood-red spear in hand.

  Giggling like a small child, Zanris sparked, "Dance with Zan!" she cheered.

  Sidestepping with elegant grace, a glint of scarlet tore through the air missing its mark by a single strain. Yet Andor was not done, twisting his spear the moment he thrust towards Zanris's head, his wrist twitched, allowing his very spear to come like that of a crescent moon bending to meet her neck.

  Shooting her blade up without needing to look, the sparkles of embers fired off, bringing color to the world once more. While Zan lowered her head, knowing she could not stop Adnor's strike, she swung his blade high with a parry.

  "I, too, am a demon!" Andor roared, pointing his finger towards Zanris's face, "I hold with me the blood of royals!"

  Liftin her lips high, the child-like wonder within Zan's eyes vanished, bequeathing to the realm something none had seen before. It was black, sinister, and downright evil.

  Like the very hells were contained within her eyes, she spoke, "And I belong to the first of devils. The Origin of it all." Said Zan, equally pointing her finger towards Andor. "You are simply a low-level demon that carries Sitri's blood. Not even worthy of being in the presence of a true Devil of royalty. Your just a bastard!"

  "Dincintergate!" He roared as a crimson qi formed at the tip of his finger like a small star that glistered with the Laws of Destruction.

  "Lilim Domain," Zanris uttered with absolution.

  Everything happened so quickly, but it all went blank for but a moment: the sound, the color, even the fucking stars seemed to have died.

  Touching my cheek, I felt the very tears begin to fall from my eyes, as I could not even understand what was happening. It was like all that I was taken without my knowledge. I was no longer myself but an empty shell.

  "Succubus, a low-level demon, will suck the life form from men and women. But We Lilims are different. You think it's my weapon that drains your qi? No, it's my will. Qi, Laws, Concepts, Thoughts, Emotions all are energies for me. All are mine, and Zan will take. She will take till she dies!" The Young Lilim bellowed with bleeding eyes. Scheeaching like a depraved banshee, a massive explosion rocked the very island sending waves and the very heavens into madness.

  "TALA. LONI!!!" Ragnor and Grace screamed.

  Feeling death was at my doors, I could only watch, knowing this was definitely not the plan! Damn it! I should have known those by Arsene's side were insane. However, as the blast reached us, a familiar divinity shot from Loni into the very skies.

  Bringing color back into the world, a golden barrier appeared to protect us as blood gushed from Loni's nose. Breathing a sigh of relief, I got in position.

  Stepping out of the debris, Zan stood still without a smile. She was grim and solemn, but her body had changed, and the color of the world was beginning to fade once more. She now appeared with entrancing snake-like scales upon her flesh and sharp like claws with a crown that laid untouched upon her head.

  "Take, and release." Andor faintly whispered, covered in blood, alongside Grace and Ragnor. Their bodies appeared fine, but there were definitely wounded.

  "Indeed, but what I have taken cannot be returned. So is the Law of the Lilim." k