Devourer: Rise Beyond Celestial

Luciel, Uriel, Celest, and Ezekiel regrouped, panting, their energy almost depleted. Silence reigned for a moment, only broken by the crackling of residual energy.

"Is it over?" Ezekiel asked, his gaze fixed on the cloud of smoke rising from where Linfer had been.

"I used all my strength to hold him back..." Raphaël murmured, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"It should be enough." Luciel added, sheathing her sword.

"A shame that Sire Tzakiel and Sire Morael didn't survive until the end." Celest shook his head with regret, looking at the bloody rain that had momentarily stopped.

The smoke slowly dissipated, revealing a dark silhouette. Slowly, it took shape. His body was charred, torn apart on all sides. His wings hung limp, shreds of flesh peeling off his exposed bones. He fell from the sky completely inert.

"Finally, but I think at least 3/5 of King MorningStar's army has perished." Ezekiel observed.

Uriel frowned, his gaze fixed on the unsteady silhouette still falling from the sky. "Don't be too sure," he murmured, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Under their inquisitive stares, the charred silhouette continued its descent. No one dared move, dreading to be the first victim. As the form was about to touch the surface of the bloody sea, it suddenly spun around and then stood upright as if firmly standing on the ground. The blood only rippled slightly under his feet.

Linfer touched his disfigured face, his fingers brushing against the charred shreds of flesh. "You guys really messed me up," he said with sarcasm. Already, his body was regenerating, each burnt piece of flesh reforming at an alarming rate. In a matter of moments, his skin, muscles, and wings regained their integrity, as if nothing had happened.

He walked slowly, placing a hand on his chin, stroking a nonexistent beard. "I see now why you gave it your all, you really thought you had a chance?" His voice was laden with cruel irony. He shook his head, a sad smile stretching his lips.

Uriel, Luciel, Raphaël, and Celest watched in silence, frozen by horror and incomprehension. Linfer, unperturbed, pointed his index finger at the approaching angelic army with nonchalance. "I've surpassed Origin 9, and it's terrifying, right? You've noticed that my appearance has changed, that I'm more powerful, faster... but you've been subjected to monumental misinformation."

A heavy silence followed as Linfer took pleasure in delivering his speech with calculated slowness. "My appearance is just an evolved version of my Tenshi mode," he explained with icy calm.

Uriel swallowed audibly, uncertain of what was to come. He knew that Linfer was not one to boast unnecessarily, and if what he said was true, they were well beyond the point of no return.

"The creation of the inner world is a fascinating ability..." Linfer added, shrugging his shoulders slightly, as if speaking about the rain and the fine weather.

Raphaël, pale as a shroud, spoke up. "An ability?" he asked, disbelieving. According to ancient scriptures, the creation of the inner world, Ashkharsh, was the next level after surpassing Origin 9.

Linfer smiled with all his teeth. "Exactly. The synchronization of one's law with the world."

A shiver ran down Luciel's spine, who drew her sword in a defensive gesture, her hands trembling. "If what he says is true..." he murmured, unable to finish his sentence.

Raphaël's heart skipped a beat, while Celest, unable to contain his fear, trembled in place, ready to give in to panic. Linfer, however, observed them all with absolute detachment. In his eyes, their movements seemed slow, very slow. Even Luciel, moving at a speed close to that of light, appeared frozen in time.

With a simple flap of his wings, Linfer floated on the surface of the sea of blood, indifferent to the slowness of those around him. His dark claws shimmered slightly as he raised his index finger to his forehead, where an Omega symbol was engraved in his flesh. This symbol scintillated, emitting a terrifying aura, as a drop of black blood slowly emerged, suspended in mid-air.

Silence fell absolute.

Linfer whispered in a barely audible voice, which resonated throughout the planes:

"[Ashkharsh: All Red]"

The drop of black blood finally fell. As it touched the surface of the bloody sea...

****

South, Astaroth HQ

Astaroth, calmly seated behind his immense desk, observed the room with his calculating ruby eyes. His red hair fell in cascades over his shoulders. He had a slender build, but his appearance betrayed none of the respect he inspired. He was dressed in a long black cape embroidered with violet threads, his immobile posture barely concealing the tension in the room.

On a dark velvet sofa, Lilith, his wife, was seated, lost in her thoughts. She seemed somewhat distracted by the conversation taking place. Lilith, usually so lively and perversely charming, had recently lost many memories. Every night, she dreamed of an unknown face, a man she could no longer remember. She was tormented by fragments of dreams and hazy images. In her dreams, a name echoed incessantly: Linfer Vamp, a mysterious man whose face haunted her mind. Her spirit sought answers, the cause of her turmoil: Astaroth.

The heir of Duke Vapula, the right-hand man of King Deuce, known for his intelligence and intrigues more than for his power. Although he was only an Origin 6 among the younger generation, he surpassed them all in his ability to manipulate others. His law, *Mens*, allowed him to read minds and exert mental control, making him the true master in the shadows who pulled the strings. Belzebuth, far too lazy to get involved in intrigues, had ceded all this responsibility to him.

With the mission to conquer the lower world, despite his lesser power among the others.

He had quickly found his place, but a significant obstacle stood in his way: Leviathan, the Inferno prince who also confronted Luciel and Raphaël. But then an unexpected threat emerged, a name that was circulating and which he had not anticipated: Linfer Vamp, the Blood Devil. Intrigued, Astaroth sought to learn more. And the only information he could gather was that he was a cruel madman with a weakness for women of great beauty. So he had not hesitated to use Lilith as bait. Their marriage was nothing more than a convenient alliance, and Astaroth did not care about love. Lilith was just another pawn, manipulated by his mental power to seduce Linfer.

But things had not gone as planned. Uriel had foiled his plan, which had begun to bear fruit, and Astaroth had had to erase Lilith's memories, preventing her from remembering the moments spent with Linfer. He thought he had turned the page, but Linfer's mark slowly rekindled Lilith's memories, a detail Astaroth had not foreseen.