Moments before the demon was attacked.

Aeternum.

Instructors wing.

Valen was sitting with his legs crossed, eyes closed in meditation as he tried to center himself.

"Hoooo...." He breathed out quietly, the air churning from the mere breath leaving his lips, he was about to repeat the motion again when,

Snap!!!

His eyes immediately snapped open.

Huuummmm!!!!

Space split as Aunt V immediately appeared, her expression grim.

Crack!!

Reality splintered as the massive figure of tian tore through space, an extremely solemn expression on his face.

Woosh!!!

A swarm of bats swirled and condensed into the figure of Dakota.

"Something is wrong with Dante!" Aunt V’s urgent voice broke the silence.

"Already on it!" Valen moved with the urgency of a man on a mission, his eyes closing as he tracked Dante across vast distances, his expression immediately shifting.

"What happened?" Tian asked the moment he saw valen’s expression shift.

"That’s impossible."

"Valen! What happened?"

Woooshhh!!!!

Rhadamanth immediately appeared within valen’s grip as he swung the crimson blade, a dark crimson slash negating the concept of distance as it appeared right before the demon’s manifestation.

"Valen!! What is happening."

"Absalom. Asmodeus. Same person."

The man didn’t stop for one moment, his hands already sending forth another devastating slash, even as he explained.

"Damn this pest!!"

For the first time, valen cursed as he unleashed another devastating attack.

The attack landing true, but unfortunately,

Valen’s eyes snapped open, a burning rage clear within them.

"What happened?" Tian asked, voice solemn, all forms of playfulness gone.

"He escaped. I don’t know how, but he did." Came valen’s reply.

"How... how is that bastard still alive?" Raven’s voice came out low and quiet, yet the bubbling rage within was unable to be hidden.

"I do not know, but I know someone who does." The moment valen said those words, the eyes of everyone flashed.

"I think it’s time we have a proper conversation with the old man."

......

Aeternum spire.

The dark hall brightened up as the constellations appeared, the live, moving images of shooting stars, orbiting planets, and the wonders of space painting the roof of the entire hall in an enchanting glow.

"I must say, this might be the first time I’m seeing you two together since forever, and are these two the infamous RAVAGER and DISASTER?"

"Dakota, claimed to be the second coming of the Devourer.

Tian, the heavenly dragon of carnage. The rumored most powerful Omni Dragon on terra."

"I must say, your reputation precedes you, and I’m glad I could finally meet you in person, I’ve only heard about your deeds from regulus and the rest of the world, hahahaha..."

The starry eyes of the dean opened up within the starry skies as his voices echoed all around the space.

Yet, the ones he was addressing were all wearing solemn expressions.

"Haaa..." the old man sighed, "all this hostility. I wonder what this old man has done this time?"

"You lied." Valen was the one to break the silence.

"Hmmm?"

"You lied to us." He repeated.

"Haaa... I did not. You know me well enough to know that I would not lie. If I didn’t wish to tell, I would keep silent." The old man replied.

"Then what did we just encounter?"

.....

...

"Tell me, old man, what did we just encounter?" Valen asked again after being met with silence.

"You said Absalom was dead. You said Regulus killed him in an act of sacrifice. Dante had told me the exact same thing. So why exactly is that bastard from the demon continent, asmodeus, claiming to be Absalom?" Raven asked, her cool finally coming unraveled as she yelled.

...

A beat of silence passed, before the old dean decided to answer,

"The one you knew as Absalom, is indeed dead."

"Then..."

"The one you know as asmodeus, the demon king of envy, is also right. He is indeed the one you knew as Absalom. They are one and the same, yet at the same time, not."

A confused expression appeared on the faces of everyone.

"Hey! Old man, just what the hell are you talking about?" Dakota decided to ask the question on everyone’s minds.

"I’m saying, the being you all knew as Absalom. The one you all called friend and brother once upon a time, was nothing more than a split half of the soul of the demon king, asmodeus, one sent by the demon king to watch over his one true obsession."

That sent them all into silence.

"So you mean to tell me...."

"Yes, little dragon. The one you all called your friend was nothing more than a double of the true demon king of envy."

"Impossible! There’s no way that bastard could’ve played us for years!" Dakota denied it vehemently.

"I’m sorry to say this, little vampire, but it is indeed so."

"With all the innumerable number of abilities he has stolen in his life time, something like this would be basic to him, and you know what they say, a man in love, is a dangerous man."

"This...."

They were stunned by the revelation.

None expecting or hear such a thing.

"Now you know why I had told you that Absalom was dead. Because that part of the demon king’s soul, was indeed destroyed by little regulus."

...

...

"Where is he?" A cold murderous voice broke the silence that had fallen on the place once more.

All eyes turned toward Valen.

He had already summoned his sword, the white bandages already coming off.

His armor had appeared, the demonic spiked helm covering his entire face as only two crimson orbs of madness and death were visible from within.

The stench of blood and death began filling the entire space as,

DUM!!

The beating of battle drums began sounding out.

The faces of everyone changed the moment they saw Valen’s new form.

"Little valen..."

"Where is he?" The man’s voice no longer sounded human.

It came out cold and unfeeling, like the multiple wailing of souls lost to damnation.

DUMMM!!

The beating drums intensified..

"I do not know." The old man sighed.

"You lie."

"It hurts me deeply that you doubt my words this much, my child, but truly I tell you, I do not know where the demon king asmodeus has gone."

"You, who knows and sees all that happens within this world. Dares speak of being unaware of the location of someone within this world?"

"That is exactly it.. the demon king asmodeus, is no longer on this planet."

"""What??"""

Dakota, Tian and Raven all exclaimed in shock.

"Then where has he gone?"

"That my dear boy, is a question you will have to wait until the demon decides to answer himself."

......

......

Enviria.

Panthos.

I looked around.

Finally able to steady myself.

"It’s alright Khali. You can let go now." I patted her arms gently.

"Mm.. mmm.. just... let me stay like this for a moment." She shook her head softly, embracing me even tighter.

I merely smiled, and shook my head.

"Finally.... Some peace and quiet." I muttered internally as I turned my face upwards, eyes closed and losing myself in the moment.

"Haaa... Finally.."

**********

A/N: I feel like he just jinxed it, but ion know, maybe he didn’t this time around.

We’ll see in the next Chapter.

Anyways,

***********

Thanks for reading...