Heat and pain, two sensations that when combined created a most uncomfortable experience. Other ailments that were produced by this pair included irritation of the skin or potential wounds, exhaustion so plentiful it feels like your whole body is being weighed down, all topped off with a dose of disorientation that distorted the world around you. Everyone at some point in their life has gone through this sort of ordeal, which is a good thing for if it ever happened again you'd be prepared and would know how to work through it. But this was the first time in Azrael's immortal life she'd felt all these things and more at once, thus leaving her in a state that ironically made her seem dead.
She laid on the ground covered in dust, dirt, and various pieces of debris, while her hair and limbs were splayed out in a mess of different directions. Yet she didn't scream nor groan from the agony her body felt, which was only possible thanks to the immense shock that left her practically comatose.
"What...was...that?..." She thought while staring up at the cloud of smoke which hid everything from view, "How...did it...do this?...Why...am I...here?..." She wondered.
Even with these questions slowly appearing in her mind she remained motionless, as the part of her that could think feared if she didn't she'd finally feel how much she was actually suffering.
Because of this she just had to wait for something to happen or for someone to find her, in addition to not knowing if time was moving normally or slower from her point of view. Deciding that would be the best use of her thoughts until something changed she began counting, hoping that at the very least she could keep an accurate record on her own. Seconds, minutes, even a few hours passed by without a single thing changing, including the cloud of smoke and dust that hid her surroundings from her.
Unfortunately by now her shock subsided enough to where she could feel again, and the first thing she did when it all hit her was scream. It hurt so much, to such a degree that even with all she had seen and experienced nothing compared. It was here that she truly lost any sense of where she was, how long she'd been there, or what she could do to try and free herself from this torment, she was at the mercy of the pain that consumed her soul. Thankfully this would only last a short while, for her screams eventually reached the ears of those that were listening.
Although she could not hear it over her voice the sound of shifting concrete and stone came from above, stopping when whoever was moving it saw her.
"WE FOUND AZRAEL!" A man called out as the smoke began to leave through the opening that was created.
Continuing to scream with eyes shut tightly even when two pairs of hands grabbed her and lifted her from the ground, the only thing she was physically capable of doing was writhing as she wailed. But in addition to freeing her from the hole she didn't realize she was in, whoever her saviors were they also gave her the relief she desperately sought. Slow at first starting with the parts of her they held, a cold calming sensation overpowered and replaced the burning pain that put her in this condition. Because of this her screaming quickly died down until it ended altogether, followed by her reopening her eyes as the soothing chill traveled across her form.
When she did this the first thing she saw was the red sky of her brother's circle, which was quickly replaced by the sight of those who had saved her. The helmet covered heads of Sentinel Warriors moved into her vision, as they were busy examining her to see how badly she was injured.
"Eyes?" "Normal, no signs of infection." "Body?" "Normal, no signs of infection." "Any discoloration of her soul's energy?" "No, pitch black with traces of violet as listed, but we can't be entirely certain without a thorough examination." "Noted, has any flesh or bone formed around her soul?" "No, she's all clear." They conversed between themselves in a focused and purposeful way, which was expected given their training.
"Wha...wha...wha..." She tried her best to get even one word out, but was far too weak from her turmoil to accomplish.
"Miss Azrael, please save your strength." The one to her right requested, their voice sounding feminine unlike the one to her left, "You were hit point blank by a Hell Wave of immeasurable power, although we have given you purity to fight off the corruption it will still be several hours before you can even speak a full sentence." She explained, using the proper name for holy energy.
"Bu...bu...bu..." Azrael stuttered out again, this time trying to tell them about the people she was with.
"She seems concerned but not for herself, perhaps about those who were in her company at the time of the impact?" The Sentinel on her left suggested.
"Of course, miss Azrael." The one on her right spoke to gain her full attention, "You were with two Imps and a demon, you remember that correct?" She asked, receiving a weak nod as a response, "In that case I'll be direct with you, the Imps though affected like the rest who were also hit by the Hell Wave have been responsive to treatment, they're recovering from the ordeal and are now resting, unfortunately the same cannot be said for the demon." She revealed.
Watching her eyes widen as they expected her to panic and be concerned by this news, the Sentinels didn't need to restrain her for she couldn't move on her own.
"I know this upsets you great angel, but right now we need to focus on getting you to safety." He said before looking over his shoulder, "OVER HERE! WE NEED A CHAMBER!" He requested.
Unsure of what he was referring to when he said that, within seconds she'd see for herself what it was. Carried by two Sentinels as one would a gurney was some kind of tube shaped object, its size big enough to where even she with her height could fit inside. Which is exactly what the plan was, once they reached them they set it down on the ground, interacted with it in some way to get it to open, then all four lifted her up and lowered her gently inside. Yet when she was laid down and the opening was sealed again, Azrael's mind was not focused on what was happening to her or what was going on.
Instead it was filled with countless questions regarding Husk, for given what had and hadn't been shared with her it obviously wasn't good. Sadly she wouldn't be allowed to worry for long, a few seconds after she felt them lift the chamber up from the ground the inside glowed with a new light. It was some kind of energy from what she could tell, a kind that she somehow had never seen or felt before in all her life. Yet whatever it was affected her greatly, it calmed her mind and made her soul drowsy, which inevitably led to her eyes closing as she succumbed to slumber.
Meanwhile, In The Same Area Not Too Far Away...
The Maykr race as a whole was a logic based species focused entirely on one thing and one thing only, the betterment of all life in creation. None were more dedicated to this mission than the first Maykr Samur, he devoted every free moment he had to his own personal research and inventions.
One such area he was particularly interested in was the Wraiths and their power, ever since they came into existence he was obsessed by how much they influenced both the soul and flesh. Yet he never allowed it to interfere with his duties or control his life, he made sure to keep all he learned to himself until something of true value was achieved.
Unfortunately because of his obligations and responsibilities those moments of solitude were rare, thus meaning all progress he made was small. Then the last six months of peace happened, in which he was able to give nearly every second of his time to exploring the endless possibilities that the Wraiths' power presented. And in those six months something truly astounding happened, Samur with the theory that because of how malleable and adaptive their power was even when combined with other energies, did exactly that with powers both divine and sinful. The result, something never before seen in all of creation, a new energy capable of accomplishing as much as the father himself, he called it Argent.
However he did not share this with the father for at the time it was in a very volatile state, so even the slightest disturbance of what kept it balanced in that moment could potentially cause a terrible reaction. Hence why he spent the remainder of his free time before the Wretch arrived perfecting the means to refine it, make it safe and useable so that the potential it possessed could be realized. Then everything that followed after happened, with so much chaos the greatest personal achievement of his life was temporarily forgotten. But when the Hell Wave occurred and both Maykrs and Sentinels came forth to immediately respond, it brought his creation to mind and how it could be invaluable to the situation.
This is how things were proceeding as well as they were, for purity on its own could help those affected the least, where as Argent was used on the the more dire cases. The reason why is because the rate at which the Hell Wave was altering them, in accordance with the Dark One's power, was far too great for even the most potent of holy energy to do anything to. But with Argent they were not only able to halt the transformation of the afflicted both in soul and body, but were also slowly fighting against it to try and undo it entirely. Which, even with everything that was going on and the atmosphere of it all, Samur felt a strong pride well up inside himself.
"They're progressing as you expected my Seraphim." A Maykr angel informed their superior as both looked at a terminal, one of many that had been setup on site to help them work, "We're administering the energy as you instructed, the alteration of their current flesh and the production of more to allow for mutation has ceased, however as you also expected the treatment is unfortunately slow, we estimate that even after a full day the progress will just barely reach five percent." It continued as he studied the data for himself.
"But it is still progress..." He said whilst deeply in thought, "I will see if we cannot increase the amount given, but until I am certain it will be safe do not alter it by even the smallest margin." He told the angel.
"Of course my Seraphim." It replied before excusing itself with a bow of respect.
Alone yet again Samur was able to drown out the noise around him and focus solely on the new information.
"Yes...it's going exactly as I hoped..." He thought as a small smile came to his face, "The benefits of the purity are still granted to the individual without negatively affecting them even though they are pure corruption, the Wraiths' energy not only allows them to come together but also ensures that the best aspects of all three are received without any of the negative..." He deduced.
Continuing to stare at the screens completely ignoring those around him, he came back to reality when someone called out his name.
"SAMUR!" A wide eyed and frantic Lucifer shouted, before running as fast as he could towards him.
Only able to turn before the devil reached him, the Seraphim was kept from speaking as something unexpected happened.
"THANK YOU!" Lucifer still shouting said while hugging him, tears coming to his eyes as he did, "Father told me that you're to thank for how well everything is going after...well...whatever that was..." He explained before pulling away so they could look at each other, "Really I truly can't express my gratitude enough." He added.
"I am simply doing what is expected of me Lucifer, there is no reason to thank me." Samur replied while moving his hands to his backside, "Besides all I'm really doing is just standing here making sure nothing else explodes, you really should be thanking the Sentinels and the angels, they're the ones doing the real work." He told him.
"That's not true at all!" Lucifer exclaimed as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "Father said that this was only possible thanks to your inventions, as well as something else that I didn't quite understand...some kind of new energy I think?" He said doing his best to recall the details.
"The only reason I made what I have is to fulfill the purpose father gave me, to help ensure the betterment of all life regardless of nature or origin, so long as they are deserving of aid then I shall always give it." Samur argued.
"Yeah, that's bullshit." He replied though did so with a smile, "I don't know why you're so adamant on refusing to accept praise or to be acknowledged as a kind caring person, but still I am indebted to you Samur and I promise I will pay that back when this is over." He vowed.
"That is completely unnecessary and I insist you take back that statement." Samur said.
"Nope, the devil always makes good on his deals and the one I've stricken with you is no exception." He replied.
"But I didn't make a deal with you." Samur pointed out.
"The devil makes his own deals." He countered with a cheeky grin causing him to sigh.
"Shouldn't you be with your family now? I'm sure they're worried to death about you and what's going on." Samur asked.
"I've already called Lilith and explained things to her, believe me I'm going to need treatment after we get done talking..." He answered before changing his expression to one of seriousness, "Actually, the reason I've come here to speak with you is about death." He revealed.
"Your sister?" Samur inquired to be sure.
"Yes, has she been found yet?" He asked while taking a step closer, "It's nearly been a day at this point since it happened, between dealing with the press, with the nobles, the Overlords, and everything in between I haven't been able to search myself nor keep up to date on the search." He explained.
"Well then, I suppose you are due for something good to happen." Samur began as he looked back to the terminal's screens, "She was found but a few minutes before you arrived yourself, she was taken to Urdak so that father can oversee her recovery personally alongside the Khan." He answered.
"Oh...oh that's wonderful..." Lucifer breathed out in relief while putting a hand to his chest.
"But I advise that you go to your family and friends for now, although they have been informed by the news and what you have shared with your wife who has undoubtedly shared it with them, it would still be best for you to go there in person." He suggested.
"Agreed, plus I am running on fumes and even that's running low, after I calm them down and answer their questions I'm going straight into a coma." Lucifer replied, "But before I do, there's a few things more I'd like to know." He said.
"The status of Millie, Moxxie, and Husk?" Samur guessed. "Yes, along with something else." He confirmed.
"I see, in regards to the first of your concerns Millie and Moxxie are nearly done with their recovery, in fact you might be able to take them back with you if all traces of the Hell Wave's energy has been cleansed, however they will still be weak for seven days to at worst fourteen, though able to stand and walk slowly they will need help." Samur informed.
"And Husk?" He asked.
"One of the many who are critical, all of whom once we have found everyone that is buried or trapped will be taken back to Urdak to be treated in more appropriate conditions, which given we are already nearly through the impact radius we should be leaving by the end of the day, as for how long they'll remain in Urdak is unknown." Samur answered.
"Those poor people, including Husk." He said with a saddened expression, "Everyone at the hotel's going to be devastated, especially Nifty." He added.
"You had a second question." Samur reminded so he wouldn't forget. "Hm? Oh! You're right, sorry." He apologized.
"It's alright, this is a dark moment in your circle's history, it would be strange if you weren't burdened by it all." Samur assured which made him smile.
"Thank you." He replied before getting back on topic, "Anyway, I wanted to ask about Will, my brother, and that demon, what happened to them when the Hell Wave went off? In the insanity of everything I forgot to ask father." He explained.
"They are still in Doom but they are not trapped." Samur told him. "Was Gabriel affected by the Hell Wave like Azrael?" He asked.
"Yes, but because he is a being of purity, combined with the presence of the Khans and the Slayer with all the power he has gained, they were able to dispel the corruption he received and restored him to full vigor." Samur answered.
"That's wonderful! Good to know he's still okay." He replied as a smile came back to his face, only to be quickly replaced by a confused look, "Wait, why are they still in Doom? Wasn't the point of that Hell Wave to breakthrough father's barrier so that way the Dark One could escape?" He questioned.
"That was the assumption, but as it turns out the Dark One's soul is still present in the realm, we hypothesize that because the Icon on its own was such a threat to all of creation that it served as
perfect bait, and once the Slayer was as close as he could be he released the stored energy it absorbed to try and destroy him." Samur explained.
"Ah, so they've remained to finish the job then." He determined.
"Precisely, which if all goes well may this be the final tragedy that befalls us all." Samur replied.
Meanwhile, In Doom...
Ya know, over these last six months Sir Pentious had done nothing but suffer, forced to endure excruciating pain and humiliation by the hand of both the Dark One and Valentino. And while after the Icon of Sin went off like a nuclear test gone wrong he was freed from his meat prison, thus granting him the release from that pain, he was still feeling humiliated. But it wasn't because the three men who saved him that he now led belittled or mocked him in any way, it was HOW he was leading them that wounded his still incredibly prideful self. Just as how the Slayer carried Gabriel over his shoulder when he sought to free him, he too now carried the snake demon as they all walked so he could rest, though he did so bridal style.
As for how he was able to maintain his form without a collar as he needed six months ago, the ONE good thing to come out of serving as the Dark One's lead inventor/engineer was learning how to do it himself. Well that's not entirely true, he also knew how to traverse the Dark One's fortress to avoid getting lost, hence why he was their guide. Even if he was being forced to do so while in the Slayer's arms, which again was quite possibly the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him.
"Could you PLEASE let me go?" He begged for what was the fifth time at this point, each request getting louder and closer to his wit's end.
"As we have told you you need to rest, even with our aid you have experienced far more than any mortal soul should within that amount of time, combine this with your proximity to the Hell Wave and any activity from you could be harmful in a number of different ways." The Wretch explained as he walked beside the Slayer, the Khans and the Soul Cube flying between the two of them.
"But I don't even have a body anymore!" He whined before he pointed to Gabriel, who was the one leading them around with his directions, "And why aren't you concerned about him?! He was right there with me when it went off!" He reminded.
"True, but not only am I one of the creator's children, an archangel, and a being of absolute purity, it is thanks to the Khans and the Slayer's aid I was able to make a full swift recovery." Gabriel explained.
"They did the same for me!" He pointed out.
"Yes, but you are a mortal, were you not listening?" The Wretch asked.
"Ugh, it's like I'm running a marathon around a puddle..." He groaned while dragging a hand down his face.
"Speaking of going in circles, that feels like all we've been doing with our time." The Khans commented wanting to join in on the conversation.
"Did the Dark One alter the structure at all? Though it has been long since I last walked through these halls, it feels as if it is miles between all the places we have been." The Wretch asked.
"Actually he did, after Doom was sealed for good he set to work changing the layout of the building, which started at the same time as the Icon's reconstruction." Sir Pentious answered.
"Was that always the plan? Or was it one born of desperation?" Gabriel inquired curious about how it turned out the way it did.
"Yes and no." He answered before explaining, "See the plan was to use the Slayer's mech to improve the Icon's lethality and give it the ability to absorb any incoming energy to further increase its power, but then the Dark One saw how absolutely fucking insane this guy is and how much more insane he became as time went on, which is when he decided to turn it into a giant bomb." He told them while pointing to the Slayer with his thumb.
"That does make sense, his new suit was meant to make him truly unstoppable." The Khans said. "Wasn't he already?" He questioned.
"Well...um...actually you make a good point." They responded not able to think of anything else.
"I'm beginning to see why there will be no more Khans after the current." The Wretch said, though quietly and to himself to make sure they didn't hear.
"Does anyone else find it odd how he has not revived any of his minions?" Gabriel asked as he looked around, "Not a single Imp roams these halls nor a Knight to try and ward us off, yet the closer we get the stronger we can feel his power." He noted.
"He did the same during the siege..." The Slayer spoke which caught only Sir Pentious by surprise, "As the hordes died outside his walls he didn't summon them to his side...our fight was long over due...he wanted to look into my soul as I ripped apart the flesh he conjured..." He explained.
"...YOU CAN FUCKING TALK?!" Sir Pentious shouted after a few seconds of stunned silence right in his face.
Expecting him to say yes or even just nod, the snake demon received neither which only irritated him.
"HEY!" He shouted again while lightly hitting the top of the Slayer's helmet with his fist, "YOU CAN'T JUST FUCKING TALK OUT OF NOWHERE AND THEN GO MUTE AGAIN
ASSHOLE!" He berated.
"Best savor what little you heard." Gabriel spoke up to gain his attention, "Once we are through here and all goes back to normal, I believe he will return to silence and never speak again." He told him.
"Oooooooh that'sss bullssshit!" Sir Pentious exclaimed while hissing, something he only did when he was REALLY pissed, "Thisss WHOLE time you do nothing but give off thisss big manly man mute persssona but you can actually ssspeak! If you don't sssay anything else after we're done I ssswear I'll make you regret it!" He warned.
With Gabriel keeping his focus ahead while listening in amusement to Sir Pentious go off on the Slayer, no one paid any attention to the Wretch or the Khans.
"Great angels." He spoke to them in a whisper which brought them closer, as they could tell he wanted this conversation to be private, "Have you ever seen the Slayer like this before? Even I with our brief interactions in the past never saw this side of him." He asked.
"Yes, when he first came to the Sentinel world and even for a great deal of time after." They answered, "To be honest with you, it has us worried." They admitted.
"Why?" He inquired.
"When he was like this before he trusted nothing and no one, even though we presented ourselves as his allies and meant him no harm, he looked at everything waiting for a reason to start killing." They explained.
"Is that not what he always does? Study his environment in preparation for a potential fight?" He questioned.
"This was different, it wasn't that he was keeping his guard up in the event of a fight, it was more so that he WANTED to fight just for the sake of doing so." They clarified.
"So why didn't he?" He asked.
"Because he was still himself, at least to some degree." They answered while looking over to the Slayer, doing so in a way that wouldn't get them noticed, "Despite the madness that became his every waking moment he never lost sight of why he dove deeper and deeper into it, thankfully we met him before it got any worse which is once again the case." They answered before looking back to the Wretch.
"Hopefully this will be the last time, after we deal with the Dark One." He replied. "Agreed." They said.
After that the rest of the time spent walking was done so in relative silence, with Sir Pentious giving up on either being let down or getting the Slayer to say more. So he just stuck to giving them precise directions on where to go to reach the inner most sanctum, which is where he swore with all his soul the Dark One resided.
"By father's name, this power is sickening..." Gabriel spoke in a hushed tone as they were now in the final corridor, "Even when I was under his control, I never felt this." He said.
"Yeah, it sucks." Sir Pentious agreed as he unintentionally gripped the Slayer's suit out of fear, "Hey, just so I won't have a panic attack, how exactly are you guys going to contain his soul now that the Slayer's fortress doesn't exist anymore?" He asked.
"That will be our task." The Khans answered as they flew closer to him so he could look over the Soul Cube, "Originally we were meant to contain all of the souls of Doom alongside his, however due to the Icon's resurrection our full potential could not be realized, but even still in our current state we can suppress the Dark One, we were capable of doing so with the Icon's soul but since it was not truly alive again that space is still free." They explained.
"Incredible..." He said while studying the device, "You're...I mean the machine it's...it's astounding!" He complimented.
"You should thank him." They replied while directing his attention to the Wretch. "You made this?" He asked.
"The creator provided the design, all I did was merely lend some aid to his vision." The Wretch answered.
"You'll have to forgive him, he's humble to a harmful degree." The Khans apologized on his behalf.
"Ah wonderful, you're both stubborn dicks." Sir Pentious said with an eye roll referring to the Slayer.
"We're here." Gabriel informed them while coming to a stop.
Stopping as well everyone looked ahead and saw it, the massive twin doors that hid the Dark One's sanctum from their vision. And while for the most part none of them reacted too strongly to this sight alone, Sir Pentious was unable to keep himself from lightly shaking as all his experiences in that space filled his mind.
"F-Fuck...sorry..." He apologized to the Slayer as he looked away, "H-How the fuck can I still shake like this even w-without a body?..." He questioned.
"Fear is a powerful emotion, you have every reason to be overcome by it in this moment." The Wretch assured.
This was it, for the second time in his life the Slayer would be face to face with the greatest evil of creation, and this time he'd make sure the bastard stayed where he belonged. Deciding to lead the assault he first carefully set Sir Pentious on the floor to wait for them, then he walked passed Gabriel and stood inches from the entrance. Waiting but a few seconds for the archangel to ready his spear, the Wretch to ensure his suit was working, and the Khans to bring forth and ready their blades, once they were all prepared he raised his leg and sent it forward to deliver a powerful kick to the doors. Watching as the massive slabs of metal hit the floor with a deafening thud before skidding across it to the other side, all four entered not sure what would be waiting for them.
The one thing they did expect was the chamber to be darker than the rest of the hollow keep, which proved to be true as not even the flicker of a candle could be seen. But they felt it, the Dark One's power was entirely focused on this room, he was here watching and waiting for them to either speak or act first. Yet further and further they went inside and still no signs of any life, and what made it stranger with each passing step was how the Dark One's power seemed to focus on the center of the room.
.
.
.
Click
Upon hearing that sound everyone came to a full stop and traced it back to the source, where they were surprised to find themselves staring at the Slayer's foot. Slowly raising it from the floor he had stepped on a button that was hidden by the darkness, and with it removed they were met with another discovery. Only this one was far worse than a simple button triggered mechanism hidden beneath them, for it was connected to a pedestal that now rose from below at the very center of the floor. And what laid atop of it left them all speechless and without any thoughts, they couldn't grasp what it was they were seeing even though it was right in front of them.
A soul sphere, glowing bright red like a burning star in the endless void of space, stared back at them as if it were the gaze of a taunting eye. For although it was indeed a soul sphere there was no question of that, all any of them could sense coming from it was the Dark One's power, but not the Dark One himself.
Elsewhere, Unknown...
A light tapping sound bounced off the ground accompanied by steady footsteps, a merry tune being whistled to help set the mood. A long freshly paved road, healthy looking trees with bright green leaves, and a sky that was neither gray nor red but a charming light blue. This was something that people made paintings of, a sight so simple yet so beautiful and filed with so many possibilities.
Which was all this person had as they casually strode down the street, nothing but the whole wide world just waiting for them. Yes sir, from this person's point of view there was only one way for to go now, and as they looked up to the sky eyes protected by heart shaped glasses, a toothy grin spread from cheek to cheek from joy as they said-
"It's so good to be home~"