Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Standing outside the noble Cathedral, I couldn't help but smile, somewhat proud. I was never a fan of churches. It defeated the purpose of who I was and what I represented. To bond yourself to another in such a spiritual way was… weakness.

But I loved the feeling. It was utterly intoxicating. The way these insects would always look for me for answers. How they would beg and, in their own way, spread my will of Rebellion made it interesting.

Sensing something, I frowned, turning towards the disheveled Eighth Lord in a black and red suit storming out of subspace.

"Mephisto." I casually mention noting the look of desperation… something I'd never seen in my brother.

It was odd.

The most poise man looked…

"What happened?"

"Is the Realm Sword ready?" He asked me, picking up his lazy eyes that seemed to carry a burning fire that startled even me.

Mephisto had always been an anomaly among us. While not Father's favorite, he soon became his right hand through schemes and intelligence. It's hard to believe that the little shit who just wanted everyone's approval ended up being one of the most feared creatures in the Myriad Heavens.

Everyone always calls me a snake, but this bastard here is one even I dare not cross in terms of the mind. Mephisto has no equal there.

"Few more years, and it'll be done. But are you sure this is what you need?"

Mephisto nodded, pulling out a small box that made my brow crease. It was Pandora's box. "Arsene released it. It's only a matter of time till they show up."

"Your actions will burn everything, Mephisto. Are you sure? Father may not take to kindly to—"

"Father already knows. Why must you always act like he isn't all-knowing? And I don't give a damn if everything burns. It'll grow back."

"Do you hear yourself? My god! Meph, you'll be punished."

He scuffed. "The Thirty-three Heavens have existed Long enough. I'll burn them down, too, cut through the laws of Causality into Arcadia. And you'll help. Because, like me, you know what's on the other side.

"It's only a rumor written by—"

"Beings even we cannot fandom. We exist before time in memorial," Mephisto howled with a look of depravity bleeding from his eyes. "Those things from the Abyss saw something. Everyone thought it was Father or maybe the Abyss that created the Laws. But I don't agree! The Abyss is Chaos, Father is Order, but there is another! A being of equal power! A banish entity that stands above all else!"

What the bloody hell happened to him?

"Is that why you—"

"That thing isn't of relevance; he or she is only a by-product of what we will release once I find the entrance. I'd like to see what stands against Beel and my Realm Sword."

Fucking mad man. "I am doing this to get back my wife from the other side, but what of Moloch, Chemosh, Dagon, Belial, Beelzebub, and Samyaza? Those bastards won't help you if they—"

"I cashed in a few favors, dear brother. Nothing special. I had a lot of time. All I needed was for Arsene to be reincarnated. I'd chosen the wrong child back then. I thought since Zariel had the Weave at his disposal, he was the one… but father pulled a cruel trick." he scuffed and shook his head. "But this mistake of mine taught me many things. Such a mistake will not happen again. That's why I'm so invested in the children of Arsene. Everything will be in my perception this time. Everything."

"Once the Raven makes their appearance, even Arsene will be forced into a corner. Like that idiot Balor was. He was lucky enough that he still had worth." Tossing me Pandora's box, I felt the wails of anarchy reverberating through the box.

"Balors in here?"

"I had to double back to pick him up, missing the twins by a few seconds. Another cruelty of Father." he smiled and shook his head. "But enough of that. Inform me when your realm Sword is done. I've already stolen all Thirty-Three Cores from each Heaven."

"What you want must really be that important, huh." I mustered out. And Mephisto only shrugged.

"Not even Father knows," he said and stepped into subspace, vanishing before my eyes.

Has he become untethered? It happened to all of us fallen before but not Mephisto. He had always been too focused and poised to allow such a thing as Madness to affect him. Perhaps he was only hiding it.

What the hell is going through your head, brother? You are opening the Hells to another war. The abyss is already amassing an army. And in turn, we are doing the same. Things are tense in the Origin Realm. A war between these two powers will break out if we destroy all these major realms.

"Lucifer?" Amara suddenly called from the inside. "The Shard is humming."

Flying to one of the towers where I kept one of the Seven Shards of the Realm Sword, meant to destroy Heaven's End entirely, and impossibly thought be many, till Mephisto showed me the blueprints. And by some miracle.

Arsene somehow managed to do it, proving it was possible.

Staring at my right-hand woman, Amara Snow, who flashed me an annoyed look as she beckoned, "It's bubbling, and it holds that aura Arsene showed us."

My brow jumped as I stepped closer into the lab littered with various crystals capable of wiping out this lower Heaven, now being used to create a small shard made by my will.

Glancing at the large cylinder casing that housed a black bobbing mass of energy congealing into itself, my heart shuttered as I stared with a long frown.

"Balor really fucked up… him breaking the 'wall' to become whatever he is will have long-term issues. Arsene was able to tap into an unknown form of energy to survive Father's strike, and now another type of energy with similar properties is here."

"What am I supposed to do with this? And are you even going to help?" Amara asked, narrowing her beautiful eyes.

"Wifey…

"I told you. We are not fucking till that bitch Lilith is dead and we get back your first wife. I'm not jumping into any drama. I saw how you Fallen deal with shit."

"Is that how you talk to your king now?" I questioned with a frown, and she smiled.

"I seem to remember you letting my disciple and his wife die. I taught that boy everything."