Crackling in laughter at this Young Fools words that seemed to reach my ear, I sneered, "Boy, has the Hells already corrupted your mind? She is but a harlot, one of Odin's playthings."

  Tapping my foot over the Heavenly Piercer, hoards of my brethren began to race out, while hundreds from over the edge of Midgard started to drill through the atmosphere. Falling akin to comets, it was only a matter of time before we conquered the Nine Realms.

  Freya's lips curled up into a sharp smirk, but what was it she had hoped to achieve? I am a Monarch, while she a mere High God, from the crippled Bed of Chaos. She stands no chance.

  "By your will, Master," Said the Harlot, shooting that bloodthirsty fiend a smile.

  Resisting the urge to puke, Freya opened her left hand, creating a small azure cube littered in the ancient jet-black runes from the Land of Arcana, Aether. Pulsing with a profound aura, she lifted her eyes that burned a scarlet fire.

  "Mirror of Death," she commanded, as the cube within her hand gave one last pulse. Heaven and Earth were consumed in a heaven-defying black cube. Banished into the Mirrored Realm before we could react, horror touched over my heart as the screams of my brethren reached my ears.

  Watching the darkness begin to swallow them, the winds of death fluttered through this mirrored realm across my people, turning their bodies into nothing but bones at the slightest touch. Horrified by this power, I hastily stomped my foot down to activate Heavens Cross. But in my haste, I bearly had time to notice the glint of the blade about to touch my throat.

  There was no time to summon my sword, so I had my wings shot forth, arriving before Freya, just as her blade nicked my neck. She frowned and easily parried my counter. However, Freya's free hand was prepared as she pointed towards my skull as a sigil appeared. "Death March,"

  No time to act, an invisible army of ghosts carrying the Dao of Death shot passed my flesh, arriving at my soul; they all detonated in quick succession, releasing flames black as night that seared my soul.

  Releasing a deafening cry, I retreated, trying with my all not to scream at the horrendous power burning my soul. Never have I seen such a powerful spell. That called forth an army of those of the Etherial Realm to explode.

  "I was wrong," I muttered, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

  Letting her finger dance, the silence queen, cold as ice, pointed once more at me. However, I would no longer be surprised……

  "AAAAAH~~" Bellowing to the skies, I fell from the clouds, crashing down onto the ground. I began trashing over the ground, wailing as the searing flames around my soul began to turn back into Ghost of the foulest kind. Appearing like flaming elemental constructs, they clawed at my soul.

  "Sacred Flame!" I cried in desperation as a pure and mighty golden flame tried to touch upon Freya's Death March. Yet as these monsters were swallowed by my sacred flames, that horrid power I felt four months ago rose to from these apparitions.

  "No! No!!! Nooo! What is this!" I howled, drawing my flaming sword from the void, sending cracks far and wide over this mirrored realm of death. Freya's fingers continued to dance without end till she was surrounded by a sphere of formations and runes carrying infernal inscriptions.

  Filling my body and soul with the sacred flames, a blazing radiance shone from my body. While I could not destroy Freya's Death March, I was able to hold it at bay. Blasting off the ground, I arrived before my opponent and cleaved my blade down.

  DING!!!!!!!

  Parring my blade, Freya's entire body suddenly began to glow with a scarlet shimmer that slowly began to grow black as night.

  "I hope my brother will not hate me if I begin to share this Arte with my followers." The foulest of demon's voice, causing Freya to smile still surrounded by her inscriptions. Horrified by the rising spike in power, the scent of blood began to fill the air, and winds tainted with the Dao of Death began to race.

  Shaken off my sword with hers, night swallowed me as Freya's inscription suddenly exploded. Expanding past my body and out, my face paled.

  "Your A king! Impossible, no one in the Bed of Chaos carries a battle prowess of a king!" I cried, as Freya's scarlet eyes, hummed.

  "Tarnishing Star of Bael," she coldly uttered as an azure star suddenly coiled over the surface of Midgard. Burning brighter than my very own radiance, that forsaken aura once more surfaced around this accursed Circle.

  "Retreat! Retreat!" I howled, glancing around at the lifeless bodies of everyone. I turned to Arsene, smiling, licking the blood off his fingers, while Yggdrisel and Mimir stood behind him. Their bodies were stained with my brethren's blood. Despair raced over my heart.

  "No! I refuse to accept this! How does a king like you exist!" I cried, but as I stared up at the blazing azure star, all that remained was Freya's icy eyes. Aside from casting spells, she had not once spoken to me. Not once bothered to reply.

  This cannot be it! No! I must inform Seraphina! I must tell her of Freya's involvement with Arsene. I must! I need to!

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Swallowed whole by the Tarnishing Star of Bael, my wings were seared from off my back while my very flesh began to drip like melted cheese before turning to a rotting pile of meat. At the same time, my soul wailed and withered by the tarnishing power of this Circle. I howled and howled, Consuming myself in every protective Circle I held before it was over.

  Blinking my eyes, I peered up at the goddess standing over me while I lay on my knees. My current form was unrecognizable, and the anguish was so great my body could not even handle it. My soul was weeping and begging for an end, and end, I knew would not arrive quick enough. Death March was not striking. It was waiting and watching.

  "Who…… Who are you," I muttered my last words.

  If only I had taken her seriously, I might have been able to harm her. I might have been able to do some type of damage.

  "The Knight of Darkness, the Knight of the Monarch of Darkness, Arsene Snow," She coldly uttered as the flicker of her sword landed over my neck.