Rising from off the cold stones, fully rejuvenated, I stared dead at Arsene, covered in sweat, and he stared back with exhaustion.

  "You ready?" he asked, knowing he would recover while we battle.

  "Can you survive for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea?" I inquired softly as a dense abyssal qi began to surge around me. Releasing a heavy breath, deep dark scales started to give rise from the flesh.

  "Can you hide the Abyssal Energy?"

  "It will soon vanish, but I need you to hold out till then," I muttered, glancing down at Morningstar within my hands, shimmering with radiance.

  Sucking in a deep breath, the air around Arsene shifted. Slowly a tyrannical aura began to emanate from his body. Yet, just as I was about to speak, an intense heat assaulted my mind. Threatening to wipe me from existence, I backed away, staring at the spear of Noctem burning with the power of a million suns.

  No flames were visible, but the intensity of the heat and aura emanating from him was most definitely god-level. Opening his other hand, a strange scepter I had never seen before appeared.

  Dropping the Domain of Noctem from around us, a wave of Yin Qi matching the power of a sun-exploded out.

  Taking a single step, Arsene blinked, appearing right in front of the Wraith, towering overall like a reaper of death, taking quick note of the few dozen knights and some woman carrying a lofty air. I immediately slit my wrist upwards for results. Spraying my body with blood, a cruel, almost bloodthirsty intent began to invade my mind.

  "Guess this will be the last time." Arsene voiced in a tone that did seem to carry emotion. He stood tall and proud with a devilish glint that seemed to contain the Hells themselves.

  "AHHHHH~" The Wraith roared, turning the entire canyon into a sea of ice, yet Arsene stood still gripping the Spear of Noctem, bleeding an intense heat.

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!

  Flashing like two stars Arsene and the Wraith exploded out with such heavenly might that the mountain we resided within became stained with starlight as a massive hole appeared within the cavern.

  *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING* *DING*

  Shooting around like gods, Arsene zoomed towards the Wraith carrying within him the darkness. Shadow stepping just above the Wraith, I saw his entire body fade into particles as the Wraith's Sythe zipped through his body like hot butter.

  Witnessing the illusion of his body fade, Arsene appeared from the very shadows of the Wraith, pointing his staff towards the beast he spoke.

  "HALT!"

  "Infernal Lightning!"

  Everything after that happened so quickly as my entire vision turned into a sea of hellish scarlet—annihilated everything within the mountain, the echoes of a painful whimper from the Wraith rang.

  Standing untouched by the devastation of these two, the skies began to dim, and the flow of time began to come to a halt within my eyes. Be it Arsene, the Wraith, or even the few knights that had managed to live, they all froze within my sights.

  Tightening my grip around Morningstar, my blood that had showered me froze into bloody shards.

  "By the Authority of my Name, Grant me thy power! One who will exist within the All." I chanted to The Abyss itself. "Hear my cry, and submit to my will! Sever, The One, and appear within me!"

  Bleeding from all five orifices, I grunted as the sigil of the Abyss appeared within me. Sensing, the Pale Gate, open within my soul, a power…… a Supreme Almighty Power flooded into my body. Tearing my insides apart, I released a horrifying roar that put to shame the Wraiths.

  Gritting my teeth, the scales upon my body began to change into a sea of azure as the power within me turned into celestial energy. Sending half of it to Morningstar and keeping the rest, I vanished.

  Ignoring space and time, I appeared by Arsene, who stood still. He was pale and trembling, but the smoldering glint of darkness told me he would keep going.

  "How long?" He inhumanly uttered, without emotion

  "One Minute," I replied in a callous tone.

  "Then I will take the lead!" He told, shattering the cold ground with a single step.

  Moving like a bolt of Scarlet lightning, Arsene appeared before the Wraith with a massive hole within its shoulder.

  Roaring like a wild beast, the Wraith blade turned wild and untamed but so to did Arsene as he met head-on with the beast. Using everything at his disposal Soulforce included, Arsene's appearance soon turned like mine. Entering his abyssal form, the clanks and dings of steel shattered the air around us.

  Flashing like beams of light upon the battlefield, the arm that held The Spear of Noctem became nothing more than a blur, moving at speeds many could not even perceive.

  Giving a few light hops to get into the rhythm, my gaze hummed to life as time froze at my will. Ripping off the surface of the mountain, I zoomed through the madness of Arsene and The Wraith carrying with me a golden blade that delivered a strike that tore a valley into the massive mountain that spanned further than the clouds.

  Severing its arm from its body, a mighty bellow resounded, yet beneath such a cry came the clanking of its Sythe. Widening my eyes, in shock, the barrel of a massive rifle pointed right at my face. Witnessing the glow of death at my face, It pulled the trigger.

  BOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Kicking me out of the way in that single instant Arense entire body was blasted off the face of the mountain down into the valley below.

  "ARSENE!!!" I howled as my vision once again became frozen.

  Shifting my eyes towards the beast, an arte appeared within my mind. It was a single Arte, but it did not originate from me, nor the Abyss but rather the Golden Blade within my hands.

  Pushing all my soul force into the blade of morningstar, my heart, soul, and mind all turned sub-zero as a golden sun appeared mighty and strong around my blade. Shimmering with such radiance, one would think a True Angel had appeared as its aura seemed so clean and untouched.

  Yet that all faded away like a dream, as the sun began to turn dark and cold, like the very hells themselves. The screams of turmoil, the pleading of man, all of it began to resound from the sword of Morningstar when everything vanished.

  No more was there a Sun, screams of anguish, or qi for that matter. It all vanished, leaving only me, and the Sword of Morningstar arched high towards the heavens.

  "Sinful Descent"