The Court

"I see... There is no need keeping this mask on while I'm with you.", the queen replied as her smiled dropped, changing her whole expression into a more disgusted one.

"Much better. Seeing you smile makes me wanna puke, please never smile at me again."

"Tch. Your attitude hasn't changed at all. How... Nice..."

"Thank you, I love seeing you annoyed."

The queen's mood kept dropping the more she was mocked by Abyss until she couldn't stand it anymore and attack him, with a giant magic blast. Abyss's eyes shot open as he looked at the magic blast, knowing he wasn't able to get out save.

Boom!!

The queen waited for a moment before she began to smile again.

"Hoo~ You dodged that?"

"Well... A little bit...", he said smelling the scent of burnt flesh. His eyes widened seeing the left part of his stomach completely torn apart, allowing him to see some his ribs.

Mana smiled, seeing in how much pain Abyss was, and began to prepare her next attack.

Abyss grabbed his left stomach in the meanwhile and thought about a way to stop the bleeding. But no matter what he thought of nothing would help him to survive this fight or afterwards.

Almost sure his end has come he began to close his eyes. But then a voice echoed from somewhere. It was a voice he sure knew but couldn't recognize. It talked in words he never heard but understood and told him do what to do.

He had nothing to lose so he could at least try it, right?

Abyss took a deep breath and tried to control, and lead, the chaotic energy within his body which strangely immediately followed his command.

A strange warm feeling then flew through his body followed by red glowing veins which appeared all over his body and slowly moved towards his wound. Abyss could feel how his energy began to cover his wound to stop his bleeding, and the pain.

"That feels good...", he said as the pain decreased.

"You stopped the bleeding?", She said surprised seeing his wound covered in dark red energy.

"But more importantly what is that energy... It isn't mana.", She added as she wasn't able to determine it nor to feel the energy within Abyss body.

"It isn't?"

"Yes... I would know it after all I'm the apostle of magic."

"Apostle of magic?"

"Yes. Don't worry its only normal for someone like you to not know about it. An apostle is the representative of an aspect. Be it an element like water or darkness or a concept like hope or order, it can be basically everything."

"And out of everything you got magic? How lucky."

"Yes. It gives me the ability to use any kind of magic with any kind of mana type, be it demonic mana mixed with holy magic or angelic mana mixed with demonic magic, but you are different. You don't possess mana you possess a different kind of energy something which seems to despise mana, but I can't say what... Since I'm unable to feel it."

"I don't possess mana...?"

Abyss remained silent for a moment before he broke out in laughers. Mana thought that he may be gone crazy but that wouldn't have made sense. And so, she was forced to wait till he stopped laughing.

The boy took his time, laughing to his hearts content. But once he stopped his smile dropped alongside it.

"Perfect. An energy which despises Mana as much as I despise you. I guess that's called fate."

"But that's strange..."

"Hm?"

"Your Body... It feels like it's only— No. That can't be. It's impossible. You're just a different kind of Apostle, yeah... Only one reason more to kill you."

With that said Mana once again unleashed a magic blast, one even stronger and bigger than the one before. But Abyss just smiled as he raised his hand.

"Chaotic wrath.", he muttered as an equal amount of energy instantly gathered around the tip of his finger before he fired it at the blast. Unlike Mana's blast Abyss's was much thinner and was surrounded by another blast which like a spiral wound around it.

The two blasts clashed against each other struggling to push each other away. They sheer presence destroyed anything around them, making the whole forest shake.

Mana couldn't understand how Abyss was able to gather such an amount energy in an instant but knew that if she wouldn't further support her attack, she would lose. And so, she instantly began to support her attack and added as much mana as she was able to per second.

Abyss on the other hand just sat down and waited, fully trusting his own attack.

And why not?

Unlike Mana which couldn't feel the difference of their blast he could.

Mana thought he gave up on his attack, but after analysing his attack a little more she quickly understood his action. His energy blast didn't push it pierced through her blast and, before she could even really comprehend her own thoughts, hit her directly while her blast split into all directions expect Abyss's.

"Now were even, right?", Abyss said smiling as he slowly stood up.

"You bastard!!!", The queen replied with a giant hole in the middle of her chest.

"I see, most of your body is only made of mana. As long as your heart remains undestroyed you can stay alive, how annoying."

The queen spit the remaining blood out of her mouth as he began to speak: "I thought raw magic would be the best solution, but I was wrong. Your power is stronger in terms of destructiveness. Which means I have no other choice. Than to use this one"

Abyss's eyes widened as he saw how a giant clock appeared behind Mana.

"Divine magic: Clock of Casziel!"

"This sounds bad."

"You damn right!", she replied as the clock wildly began to spin backwards.

"Prime-Time!"

A black mist suddenly spread through the room and turned everything black and white. The walls, the ground, Abyss and Mana. But unlike the rest, Mana was able to move.

"It's my victory.", she said as she stood in front Abyss ready to pierce his heart with an energy blast. But the moment she touched him she froze.

"Huh... Where... Where is it... Where is his heart... Wait... This blood is made of pure energy it isn't real blood... And what is that for a body... It feels... incomplete... the only thing which isn't only made of energy is this eye... But that would mean this is only an incomplete astral body... A state similar to a ghost..."

The queen then looked up to his eyes seeing how they pierced her with their gaze. She flinched but didn't move, knowing that if she would've jumped away, she would've died.

Abyss smiled as he began to move again and stretch his arms.

"So, it's true."

"What..."

"I already had a slight suspicion. But I just wanted to be sure."

"Sure? Wait... You mean you..."

"Yes, I let you hit me on purpose and touch me so you would confirm my suspicion, since you seemed more skilled in this topic. But it still was a huge gamble. I didn't know if my energy would absorb your mana or if it would just have been stopped."

Just then the queen understood that they never were on the same level. It was even worse. Abyss who was already stronger than her gotten even stronger through her by letting himself getting hit and brought into a critical situation. It may be a mad way to get stronger, but it suited him so perfectly that it worked flawless.

After she figured it out, she fell on her knees, realizing she could never defeat him.

"This isn't fair--"

"Huh?! Not fair? Says the one who can use any magic and any spell with any mana type. You should watch your damn mouth. Unlike me you know what you are, who you are, what your powers are, and how your body works."

Mana looked up to Abyss whose aura began to deform the space around them until it destroyed Mana's spell.

"When did you become so skilful with your energy?"

"When huh? Good question. The moment where I was about to get hit by your attack... Yeah there was a voice telling me to use my energy, or maybe it was myself? Well, once I used it, it worked. It was like driving a bike after a long time. The more I used it the more fluent I got in controlling it. I don't really understand it myself to be honest."

Abyss then raised his hand and pointed his palm towards her as he began to gather his energy.

"Whatever. Enough chit-chat time to end our little dance.

Abyss once again began to gather an immense amount of energy at the tip of his finger but suddenly stopped as he smiled bright seeing a new guest.

"My queen!!!"

Mana turned around seeing Morax heavily injured.

"Morax..."

The knight slowly approached his queen but fell before he could reach her. The queen gasped as she saw how multiple swords have been stuck in his back.

She slowly crawled over to him and laid his head on her thighs as tears begun to slip down her cheeks.

"Morax... I'm sorry... This useless queen of yours wasn't strong enough to protect you all. Please forgive me..."

Abyss remained silent allowing Mana to mourn. But just then Abyss had an idea, which made him smile even brighter. And so, he walked over to the queen and looked down at her.

Mana looked at him waiting to be finished.

But he didn't do it.

He just lowered his self and took a good look at her face before he went up again.

"I love this face of yours, I wish I had my phone to take a picture of this artwork and watch it every day."

"Fuck you."

Abyss then left the scene happier than he ever was when meeting Mana.

***

"Did you win?"

"Of course."

"Is everything alright?", Jack said noticing his friend's discomfort.

"Huh?"

"You seem bothered?"

"Do I?"

"Yes. What happened?"

"It's... Nothing..."

"Abyss?"

"Looks like she vanished. Quick lets go and claim our new base."

"Yeah..."

Abyss and Jack quickly walked back, noticing Mana's disappearing and a flying black orb in the middle of the destroyed room.

"What's this?"

[base orb]

[An Item which appears only to those which have the right to claim this base as theirs. A claimed base takes on the characteristics of its user and adjust itself to his preferences. It also strengthens him and his subordinates inside and provides them constant with mana.]

"And when is someone seen as subordinate?"

[This process is different per race. According to the Players biology a person needs to dedicate himself to him and receive his mark.]

"Mark? How do I give this mark?"

[Unfortunately, the system holds no information about that.

"What?"

[It seems like the information about the Player's race has been deleted.]

"My race... I still didn't fully realize but I'm not human anymore. But what bothers me more is that I don't even know what I am."

"Maybe Lucifer knows something about your race.", Jack said, resting his head on Abyss's shoulder.

"Yeah, but this man..."

"I know you don't like him. But... Well, when I'm absolute honest you two are really similar."

"What?!", Abyss yelled, letting a portion of his aura slip out.

"Someone who enjoys his superiority, who sees himself as a superior being with an extremely strong ego and arrogance. The only difference would be that one holds an excessive amount of Pride while the other holds an excessive amount of Vainglory."

"How..."

"When you spend a long time alone you learn to read people. Their voice, body language, gaze, behaviour all of this shows a person's true face."

"Then why do you follow me?"

"Because I don't think that a person who holds excessive pride in his achievement, and himself, is bad. Arrogance, pride and ego are often seen as bad characteristics, but they're also pretty good characteristics. Arrogance can lead to your demise but can also allow you to be more productive and work harder than any other. Pride can blind you in front the truth and stop your growth entirely but can also be the very fuel which sends you to new heights. Ego can be a huge burden and even kill you, but it can also be the very reason of your victory, by having faith in your own abilities."

Abyss was speechless.

Jack's words sounded right, even more than that. But exactly that enraged him even more knowing that this also means that he indeed was the same as Lucifer.

Jack quickly noticed this and smiled as he continued.

"Abyss. You may want to reject the thought of being like him, but you can't change the fact that deep down you're like him. So instead of denying it you should rather accept it and become even better than he could ever be. Thats what I wish for you, as friend and as your subordinate. You're the only one I see fitting to be my lord, who I follow until I take my last breath."

Just then Abyss view cracked.

The moment he heard the words "my lord" his view simply cracked and shortly after broke followed by multiple voices calling him their Lord, their King, their Sultan. Followed by multiple voices and pictures of memories Abyss began to grab his head in panic and screamed as his mind was being pushed to its utmost limits.

Until it suddenly stopped.

However, once he opened his eyes again, he was alone, sitting in a throne made of a black hole surrounded by near infinite black holes.

The boy didn't know what happened or where he was but once he swinged his gaze from one side to another, he began to notice multiple creatures dancing to a horrific melody of a demonic flute. After a' closer look he was able to recognize them. It were eldritch monsters which couldn't be described with simple words. They were creatures made only to dance, and to play the flute. 'But why?', The boy thought already forgetting the true problem.

"Wait... That isn't important. I have to go back to... To... To whom?"

Abyss raised his hand and rested his head on it still watching the creatures dance happily in absolute bliss. Abyss began to smile already forgotten that he forgot something important as if all was just a simple dream.

Soon after the creatures noticed their lords awaken and immediately bowed down before they continued again. The lord smiled at the sight, as if it had been an eternity since he last sat on a throne, and someone bowed to him.

But as he was about to stand up and move his body, he noticed something. His body was different. Completely different, in any way, and yet still more familiar than his old body.

His body looked like a massive humanoid entity with deer-like antlers. He had eight crimson eyes on his chest and a sharp toothy gaping maw with two constantly closed eyes. His skin looked like the texture of pitch black burnt human skin. His fists were massive and gnarly, while his arms were hugged by multiple tentacles coming out of his shoulders which moved and behaved like additional limbs but still being able to move on their own. He also wore a crown which flew above his head and crimson red robe, which covered anything below his stomach.

Seeing his new body, the boy wanted to go crazy or feel at least strange, but he couldn't. He felt good even better than good he felt amazing. His body felt perfect beyond comprehension. Every part felt as good as he could wish it would to the point that thinking of living in a human body felt uncomfortable. Alone thinking that gave him claustrophobia.

But while the eldritch lord enjoyed his body five people suddenly began to arrive in his dimension one after another.

"We did it... We are in the court!"

"All... All our wishes can come true!"

The four happily began to discuss what to wish for while the fifth member just watched them knowing something they don't.

But all happiness ceased to exist once they laid their eyes upon the eldritch lord. Two of the four began to laugh in madness as they began to rip their own eyes out and ate them. The other two just stood there motionless. Ripped of all their senses just by gazing at the person known as Demon Sultan.

But they soon were freed as their fifth member cut off their head. The eldritch lord who just kept ignoring them suddenly laid his gaze upon them as he witnessed what just happaned.

The fifth member quickly bowed down as he began to speak up.

"Oh lord of chaos, Eater of souls, Devour of worlds, Red Ruler and Great Demon Sultan. Please accept these offerings and fulfil my wish."