Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

"You're a dick. You know that?" Zaid said to me, stepping through the threshold to the temple and onto the marble floor that reflected our image."Is that what you wanted to teach me?"

"Where are we going, Vita," I questioned, surveying my surroundings. To the dozen or so angels stations as guards. I knitted my brow and glanced at Lilith, a little guarded: This was the Overworld, not the Heavens.

"Your room, why?" She replied, leading the way.

"I trust you enough to know Lilith is at least safe. But something is off." I said a little presumptuous. Something felt wrong. What's even odder was that Uriel, an Archangel, greeted us. That action makes any Lord or Lady not in their territory look weak.

A basic show of dominance is to make those lower than you approach. But in this case, Uriel approached with a smile. He is stronger than Lilith and me. Thats clear. Despite not being able to sense him. I know this to be the Truth. Nevertheless, that one action…

Vita glanced at me, and my footsteps paused as my palm reached for my chest, consumed in suspicion.

"Arsene?" Lilith said.

"What is it." Vita quickly asked in a hushed tone. ????????????r????????d.＆nbsp;c????m

"Vita, Damaris. Do you two feel weird?"

The two Abyssal Generals glanced at one another and shook their heads. "We're fine." Said Vita reaching for my head with the back of her hand.

"You feel fine. Both in Body and Soul."

"The art of manipulation is one I've mastered since I was a child," I announced, clenching my chest, consumed in an uneasy sensation. "And I've perfected it as a man, then a God. And I got a feeling that something was going on. Valiscar." I called, watching as a mist of darkness materialized before me.

Despite not liking the man, Tene had made some good points regarding my safety. She tapered my pride a little in this regard. Although I made it clear he couldn't be around me.

"My Lord?" The Shade marred by nodes of darkness said calmly.

"Nothing," I muttered grimly to myself, tightening my grip.

"Sene? What's wrong?" Lilith calmly asked, staring at me with growing suspicion.

"I'm not angry."

"And?" Said Zaid. "Do you need to be?"

I shifted my gaze to Lilith, catching the look of recognition this situation demanded.

"You're a God of Wrath and Pride." The Abyssal Fiends all said.

"Yeah. And for some reason… I have this disgusting feeling like I'm being absolved of my sins. If you catch what I mean."

"And that's a problem?" Zaid questioned. "As long as you have an understanding of your sins, what's it matter? You'll still be as powerful as anyone else."

"Do you like sex, Zaid." I coldly questioned, and he nodded.

"I get the appeasement. Yes."

"A virgin response. Well, if someone rapes you, do you still like sex? It's still sex, is it not? One just has trauma, and the other doesn't." I grimly explained. "This Field of Atonement, or whatever it's called, is purging me of something I hold dear. And the Trauma? Well, it's my future progression. They're trying to sever my attunement with the sins."

"How'd you two not catch this." Asked Lilith with fire in her eyes.

"Not their fault," I told her, shaking my head, and released my hold over my chest. "Especially to those who don't have much experience with Sin itself. After all, such a concept is mostly within the Myriad. Not to mention… this might feel like a calming place for normal people. You two aren't devils. You to Lilith. Your crazy and wild, petty and much more but your no devil or demon."

"When did you start giving compliments?" The amethyst eye lass sang, blushing a little. "You think I'm wild?"

Every day I learn something new.

"Oh? You want me to talk dirty to you?" I teased, finding a smile, only to shake my head and glance at Zaid. " But as a good father. I must shield my boys from such sinful behavior."

"... I'm a grown-ass man."

"Whose balls have yet to drop."

"I… I hate you."

"Love you too, son," I said, patting his shoulder. " When this is over, me and you are going to play catch."

"Fuck off, old man!'

Chuckling, despite the situation being quite grim for Zaid and me, I looked him over. " I might send you to the hells early. But I want to talk to Hellmaster first."

"You… You know Lord Hellmaster?" Zaid questioned softly, trembling a little as his eyes glowed.

I nodded and turned towards the ceiling filled with angelic tapestry, ones tainted with war and prayer. I saw a web of history above me. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ (f)ir(e).nᴇt

"They're trying to cripple you." Said Lilith through a layer of frost. "And there doing it in such a cowardly manner."

"It's war." I shrugged. "Nothing cowardly in war. When one party plays unfairly, the second party will share the same sentiment."

Chanting the two lines within the Path of Abyssal Night, a gentle quiver rippled through the void around me like a small wave on a still lake. Line after line, I repeated, connected me to the Nine Hells and the Abyss.

'What are you doing!" Uriel shouted, emerging from behind.

I smiled, clasped my hands together, and shot Lilith a lovely smile. She nodded, taking a step to my rear with Vita and Damaris at her side.

"We came here in good fate, and you pull this shit?" She started in a tone fitting to a Regine. Like a storm of fire, she stood bathing in ephemeral light. She persisted. "You best have a reason for insulting my husband and partner."

'Abyss-Chan, I need your help,' I softly called as the evils of the Abyss gathered.

My sins did not originate with the Myriad Heavens. They came from the Abyss from the Mother of Darkness.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you speak of." Uriel rebutted with a poised expression that harbored a faint smirk at the corner of his lips. "What? Is Arsene Not feeling well? How about we prepare him a room to spend the remainder of—"

A chill I'd never felt rippled through our bodies as a voice, cold as the reaper, stormed the Heavens, and Hells, quenching the light from the darkness.

"Remove your aura, Uriel, or face the Children of the Abyss."

'Ves,' lily sang!