Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Chapter 688 Chancellor Karr: The Ashen Prince Returns

"I don't suppose the Knights of Twilight will interfere?" I said to Master Halstar, never taking my eyes off the Six Lords bearing down on us. Weapons were drawn, and ready, eyes fixed and cold, seething heavy malice.

"They all are off-world," Halstar said, not letting his light injuries get the better of him. "They are wanderers. You know that.

"That I do," I said, taking a quick note of the battle with my divine sense, perceiving the lives of ninety of the Knights of Luna, all Elder Gods; Making short work of those around the tattered remains of the starship that that madman Leofric forced over the temple. Flames hotter than stars had torn the forest of Tenebrae to shreds, desecrating her lands.

We had the advantage, I had the Knights of Luna on my side, but that could call change at a moment's notice if the Kings all designed to release their limiter.

Limiters were the root of our survivability to this day. Noctem was not a realm of much war. Even I had not fully used my true power in fear of totally eradicating the Planet of Enrilila. We were all too powerful. A treaty was made, even before the Great Change, stating explicitly that Elder Gods were forbidden from battling near any of the Seven Prime Worlds. We may test the limit and play with it, but never has anyone dared to break such a rule.

Lord Darkmane took a step and soared through the air, gripping his glaive tightly, "You will stand down, Karr, even with the help of the Knights of Luna, assisting you unlawfully. That boy down there locked deep within subspace is destined to die. He is probably already dead after I dropped a few ships over the temple of Tenebrae."

"It matters not how many years you try to delay us." Layla Ozul said, carrying her usually noble bearing, her weapon of choice, a sword and shield crafted by Chaos Seeds, held by the former Prince of Noctem. Her sword and shield were scarlet-gold, radiating such a mysterious aura, even I dared not allow that blade to touch my flesh.

Who knows how many chaos cycles were needed to form these seeds?

"Even you, my sweet Layla," Master Halstar remarked, shaking his head. "You would fall so low as to attack a child?"

"When the child threatens my rule, then yes." She said, undisturbed with the excellent flow of Form I. She readied her weapon and shot me a withering stare. "This is a goodbye, Lord Karr."

I shook my head and chuckled, "None sense dare. I am no lord, but a mere chancellor, under the service of my king." I arched my sword in the air, leaving me defenseless, but they all needed to see. "Heed, my call, Mother of Night, Tenebrae." I chanted, giving myself to the will of the darkness, "May you take what you wish from your loyal subject and grant me—"

A disturbance struck me, and my Soul Flame trembled. Almost plummeting from the skies, my hands shook, dropping my sword, shocking all the Six Lords where they hovered.

"Karr?" Said Layla.

Turning my back to imperial lords, a natural death sentence, Master Halstar, along with all of the knights of Luna, followed my actions. Locking eyes over the young boy with long ashen hair resting peacefully over the ground. His clothing was torn and shattered, with bloodstains of old and new visible over the remaining fabric. His face filled with old, crusted stains, but his handsomeness did not seem to dampen.

"By the Night," I said.

"By the Moon," Siad The Knights of Luna, falling one by one to the ground. Their knees bent one by one as they prostrated themselves to the night.

Plunging from the skies, I tumbled over the dirt and debris to my knees. Scorched by unending flames and tears bled without end from my eyes. My breath seemed to lapse into dry heaving as we basked in the aura in the darkness. Akin to the Aura of the Abyss, we fell one by one into the abyss of night. Lost in its endearing shadow, we whispered his name, which clung to our hearts one by one.

"Arsene Snow"

"There he is!!!" Lord Darkmane thundered from afar. "Arsene still lives!"

Lifting my head, sights filled with haze, I took to my feet, removed my limiter, and tore past the confines of space, appearing on one knee, not daring to meet the gaze of the scarlet eye king, brimming with the very aura of Noctem.

"My Lord," I greeted, somewhat fearful for some reason.

"Karr," He said, closing his eyes that carried a glint that held the hairs on my back on end, the laws had cried, and Noctem as a hole shifted. "You are to remain chancellor. Such a position fits you. It fits you well." He said, almost as if he were praising me, yet his tone begged otherwise.

"But of course, my King,"

"I am no King, Yet. Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine Hells, holds my throne, but my authority is that of a king, or at least that is what the Night Mother told me." Master Arsene relayed, then shook his head and peered up at the Kings, who one by one began to release their limiters.

"My Lord, you—"

"So these are my dukes." He then said, baring a strange smile, "What a strange creature that one is, with the elongated head. Is that a new race?"

"My lord, that is—"

"Its matters not. " Lord Arsene said, cutting me off, " Who was the one to destroy my temple?"

"That would be me, boy!" Duke Darkmane announced falling from the skies, with the other five dukes falling one by one. He bore a dark smile, betrayed by the fear emanating from his very being.

His Majesty chuckled with an icy fury none of us missed. He approached in a smooth stride and stopped, then gazed up at Leofric Darkmane, "Your name?"

"Leofric Darkmane."

"Good, very good." He said, bearing a smile, "And do you know the powers of a King?"

"You have no power to have us killed." Layla quickly said.

"Hold your tongue, Layla!" I barked in warning.

"Kill you? My God, why would I do such a thing? That would never teach you anything." He said, "You cannot kill me, and I cannot kill you, but what I can do, is seal space. Teleport all of the Knights of Twilight to each of the Prime Worlds, and slaughter your entire families. Take their souls, and cast them to the deepest part of hell."