20 Chapter 20 - The Pale King

Mephisto

I was lying on the ground, and my whole body couldn't move. I never thought that I'll have to face Michael but I couldn't let him hurt my ward. It was a thing for demons, a pact that can never be broken. We're the only ones who are allowed to touch and talk shit about them. I don't give a fuck if he's the strongest archangel that exists. So when he was standing on top of me with his sword ready to give the finishing blow, I thought of how foolish I was to take him on. And that was when I heard the faint whispers of death in the air.

I saw Dante and he looked nothing more than a shell. His eyes were still the same though everything else about him was greatly changed. His hair was now the color of silver and he seemed to have grown an inch or two and he looked like he had no idea what he was doing here. It wasn't the physical change, it was something else, his "consciousness". And Michael could feel it though he was still intent on killing me. He was about to stab me with his sword but before he could do so, Dante rushed at him with uncanny speed, using his bare fist to attack him who dodged easily.

Now there's really something going on with him. Dante didn't look like himself, on the contrary he felt like something else.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice seeming to crack.

" I don't know." And the voice gave me chills, a distortion, almost a whisper. "I just woke up and found myself here. "

"Well whoever you are, you better be ready because here he comes again." I pointed to Michael who seemed to be studying the thing in front of him.

Then the archangel spoke. "What are you? " He looked at Dante with wonder.

"Ah, I remember now." Dante, rather the thing answered, bemused. "I am the end."

And he laughed, the sound of which reminded me of Lucifer during one of his bad days. He kept going at it for what seemed like minutes. When he was done, he looked like someone who was handed out a revelation.

"I am the one who comes to bring the end yet I am now trapped in here. How can that be?" He was looking at his hands with wonder. "How can such a mortal frame hold me prisoner?"

And again he laughed like a madman as if the incomprehension made him insane. He was shaking with maniacal laughter. When the fit was over, he looked at Michael the same way a mad scientist looks at a lab rat he's about to experiment on.

He ran at him on all fours, like a fucking dog, his inhuman laughter ringing through the whole dome. He went as if to grab the archangel with his hands who tried to parry it with his sword. When the blade of light made contact with his hands, the sword disappeared, swallowed in darkness. When he was about to try grabbing again, the archangel moved sidways and flew. Michael still looked composed but I knew he was bothered about this as I was.

The thing who was now wearing Dante's body screamed. "COME HERE, COME HERE, COME HERE, LET ME END YOU, LET ME TASTE YOU, LET ME BRING YOU OVER!!!!" And once more, the laughter.

*If that thing thing turns to me, I'm fucked. * I still couldn't move, Michael's blade left me paralyzed.

"What have you done?" Michael was looking at me, his eyes seemed to be looking for an answer. "You've brought the end of the world."

"I didn't do shit, only what I'm supposed to do."

Dante meanwhile was still laughing, insanity made flesh. He was gnawing on his nails now and I feared he was absolutely losing it. Whatever it is that's inside him, it felt alienated by the body it was trapped in. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! Everything is going to end, I will bring you all to slaughter, I am the deliverer, I will bring the eternal silence. Come to me all of you."

Now Michael for the first time looked concerned for Dante was now looking at his surroundings and seemed to have taken noticed of the thousands of people who looked like shades in this realm where angels and demons lived.

The thing seemed to be fascinated with the sight of a thousand human shades. Then his expression changed and he licked his lips as if savoring the taste of whatever it is he was craving for. He seemed to morph and I could sense what it was he was doing, he was trying to rip through the fabric of the realm of purgatory and get back to the world. He was channeling the same energy demons and angels alike are familiar with, this should've been impossible but then again fighting the strongest of archangels in a one-on-one battle should've been impossible too. Whatever this thing is inside of Dante, it wasn't any demon or angel.

Michael also noticed what the creature was up to and immediately took action and this time I could see he meant business. He raised his hands to the sky and after a flash of light, he was holding a spear of light in his hand. It wasn't just any spear, it was the Spear of Destiny and for Michael to call for the aid of the spear meant he took the thing in Dante's body as a threat.

Dante however paid not attention, he was still channeling, weaving the energy that would allow him to move from purgatory into the other planes, namely the real world.

Michael prepared to strike him down. He took aim and I understood that the thing inside Dante's body doesn't matter anymore, if the spear hits him, he's dead and so is my ward. I tried moving my body, and found out that my wounds still hadn't healed. Wounds inflicted by holy weapons sucks. I know that it's futile but he was still my ward and I needed to save him. I could feel his soul alive within the body along with this strange alien presence that must belong to the entity who was now holding his body prisoner.

Instead I shouted a warning at it. "LOOK OUT YOU IDIOT!" But it was too late, the spear was already off and I could see that it would hit its mark. I closed my eyes and braced myself, waiting to hear the agony of the creature's scream but there was nothing.

Instead I saw Lucifer, holding Lightbringer, and the spear lying harmless on the floor. Despite all of what was happening, I couldn't help but tense up at the prospect of seeing Michael and Lucifer go at it.

"Fallen." said Michael, looking down on Lucifer who was wearing a suit and looked out of place.

"Hello brother." Lucifer merely stared at Michael, waiting for the other to move and when none did, it was the entity who took advantage. While they were busy staring down at one another, it had already managed to rip through a fabric and create a hole towards reality.

It was about to jump through the hole but a chainwhip took hold of both of its limbs and legs and it was unable to move and I heard a familiar voice, one I haven't heard for quite some time. "Oh no you don't , you madman."

His voice sounded eerily seductive and out of the shadows appeared what looked like a man. His hair was the same as Michael's, only it was black. His right eye is the color of amber while the other, the color of the azure sky. He was wearing his armor, the color of velvet. And so I beheld one of the seven Princes of Hell, Asmodeus.

The thing trashed at the chains which only seemed to grip even harder the more it tried to break it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Asmodeus grinned at the thing. "I've got him Lu."

Lucifer and Michael were still staring at one another, daring the other to move.

"What are you planning Fallen?" Michael's voice demanded, and he looked troubled.

"Nothing that concerns you and the one you serve." Lucifer's voice was cold and calculating.

Michael seemed to be weighing his options but Lucifer went on. "If you call upon Heaven, I know they'll send you help but so could I.Would you really want this to happen now? Or shouldn't you ask him first?" Lucifer gestured at the sky innocently.

The holy war, I knew that it wasn't the time yet, hell everyone on both sides knew it. Skirmishes every now and then but a total war? No, not yet, but the situation right now might as well be the perfect excuse.

"Take that thing with you." Michael was looking at Lucfier, his eyes blazing. "Fate has brought him in my sights and I should destroy him where he stands but now with you here, things have become complicated." He sighed as if he was tired, without warning the Spear Of Destiny reappeared in his hands and he threw it once more, this time at Lucifer who parried it with his sword. As soon as the spear and the sword met, light and shadow exploded from contact and then Michael disappeared though I knew he would be back and the next time, he'll be back with an army at his back.

Lucifer stood there for a while. When he was sure that Michael was gone, he confronted the other problem, the thing which by now could barely move though it still hasn't given up in breaking the chains.

"He's as you said, strong, though stupid." Asmodeus commented. He looked untroubled holding the chainwhip with the creature which held Dante's body.

"Keep him in chains for a little longer." Lucifer then went to me.

When he saw my predicament, he chuckled. "You look well."

"Fuck you." Typical of him to make a joke out of my humiliation.

He kneeled beside me and placed his hands on my chest and I could feel the hellfire come out of his hands and flowed through my body. Then my wounds started to heal, and after a few seconds I could feel my strength returning. He helped me get up.

"I'll need your help in subduing him." He pointed at the thing in chains.

"Sure, how?" I kept all the questions in my head for now knowing the answers would come later.

"We need to bring Dante out of the hole he has crept into."