Shadow of the Abyss

Chapter 244: Execution

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The People of Earth were screaming, blinded by the flames, rising and falling in the form of ash from the ensuing chaos. Cruzers alongside skyscrapers were falling like meteorites all across the northern hemisphere, killing hundreds of thousands.

It had all happened so quickly. A halo of sword light came, severing all whom it graced in the skies to dust, leaving the buildings to fall on the people below. In a single moment, destruction swept the planet, leaving bitterness in Vaiga's chest.

She had been conditioned since birth to protect her planet even if she didn't like it. Even if they constantly betrayed her… Earth was her home. It was the place she never wanted to see burned. Yet now… the skies had turned black from debris. Sirens around Zemphis were blazing, echoing a lone cry for the people to seek shelter.

Vaiga was in tears, taking it all in. Only now grasping the Level of destruction she brought. She covered her mouth, nearly dropping Shadowclaw.

"Beautiful, isn't it," her master asked. He patted her shoulder, sending jitters throughout her body. His touch was like honey against her skin.

"Monster…" she cried.

"Why? Because a few people died?" He chuckled. His laugh was as smooth as whiskey, crawling down her skin as she felt his will tease the deepest regions of her being. "It's curious, isn't it? For a woman who hated the customs of Earth, the way it treated your gender when compared to Genesis and other worlds, you genuinely seem upset such trash perished. Are you a masochist?"

Vaiga palm lashed out, but Altair caught it. "I will let this transgression pass, but there won't be a second time. Get your head in the game," he said, letting her palm go; he turned his attention towards the Palace of Sunset. "I'm tempted to kill every nobleman, but that'll do more harm than good. Cedric send word to all the nobles about the state of the Aros Estate. Show them what Talia is doing.

Let them understand what it means to side against me."

"As you command, my Lord,' he vanished, thereafter, whisked away in a blinding flash.

The Prince slowly made his way toward the Palace of Sunset, which had been split in half. He sighed, conjuring Nia the moment his feet landed at the threshold. "Capture all of the politicians so that they can be made my thrall. I will deal with the King and Queen."

Nia bowed. "Might I have a team of fifty demons?"

He gave it to her, conjuring them out from his shadow, before sending her off while he made his way into the palace marred by the chaos. There was blood everywhere. Several maids lay bleeding out, some trapped beneath various iron beams. Those had been the lucky ones, with various men and women who had been caught in the collapse laid mutilated beyond recognition.

There was so much noise Altair couldn't hear his thoughts as Vaiga made a path for him with the wisk of her sword.

"Are you going to have me kill the other two Ninth Circles?" she asked as she led him towards the throne room.

"Yes… and you going to eat their soul. I'm curious about something. So let's experiment a bit."

"And after that?"

It was Syris who looked at her with a growing frost in her eyes. "It will seem this one doesn't know her place."

"It's fine… she likes her freedom. I'm sure we can both relate to that." Altair mused. "But you are indeed right. Don't worry, Vaiga. Until I get more Sword Maids, you will alternate each day with Talia. I plan to have seven in total, one for each day of the week."

"All women?" Syris asked.

"Not to sound sexist, but…"

"But you're going to anyway. "

"Of course. I'd rather look at a woman all day than a man. No offense. It's probably why I've more female Shadows than male… huh? I lowkey just noticed that. Damn.

Ya boy Altair was pimping before—"

"That's enough of you,' said Syris, resisting the urge to bonk him on the head. She looked at him with half a smile, twirling a finger through a lock of her silvery hair. She was smiling, amused by something. "How did Ren not notice that?"

"She brought it up many times. I just never put much thought into it at the time. Nine Years gives a man a lot of time to think. A shame, really."

'Just what the hell did the ninth form do to his mind…' Syris wondered, stopping in her tracks. She looked ahead towards the butler outside the throne room. He was bleeding from the head, clearly injured, but he had a smile on his face.

"Altair Blackwood, I presume?" he asked.

The Prince nodded.

"Right this way," he said, pushing open the doors. Altair entered, attended by Vaiga, warily looking around.

Upon the throne of gold, she sat in a white dress marred by debris. Beneath her heels, the head Altair recognized to be the king, severed by what seemed like a sword.

"I must thank you… You gave me such a good opportunity to kill that useless bastard." Queen Lyvina said, flitting her golden hair to the side. She lifted her lips into a formal smile. "Shall I reward you?"

"Would could you offer?" Asked the Prince calmly, taken in the ruined throne that looked like it was about to fall apart. The ceiling had long collapsed, leaving flames caused by electrical wires to ignite.

"You can have the throne? I'll be more than happy to marry you," she said brightly.

"Vaiga… go kill the two Ninth Circles."

Queen Lyvina looked startled, but before she could voice a complaint, Vaiga vanished in a whooshing sound.

"Now, why would I marry a woman who made his king become known as the cucked king? From what I heard, three men each had a piece of you."

A/N: 114

"Oh! I heard of that." Syris suddenly remembered. "After you vanish. There was another incident of her enjoying the pleasure of wolves. Especially werewolves."

Altair looked disgusted. "Woman, you need God. I think I'll pass on marrying you."

Queen Lyviana was outraged. "Are you so arrogant that you believe that through force, you can conquer Earth?"

"Are you seriously trying to talk me out of this? Lyviana, I think we are past that, don't you? The entire northern hemisphere is in chaos. Hundreds of thousands are dead. Millions by now. No way anyone could just ignore that."

Lyviana smiled, but her eyes were cold and narrowed. She was ready to explode. "Then you would choose death? Are you—"

"You're an eight-circle, right? Despite not looking injured. You're hurt. Badly at that. Why not just surrender? Personally, I don't really care what happens to you.

Leave Earth, go have your fun in a zoo, or whatever you like being fucked by. I don't care. But you can't be Queen."

"You're delusional if you think I'll ever back down. I'm Lyviana! I… "

As Lyviana went off on a tangent, Altair patiently waited, occasionally flitting through his Shadow eyes to grasp the various situations. By the time he'd finished, Lyviana had just about wrapped up her speech.

"... I will burn this world before I allow it to fall into your hands. Once that traitor Vaiga is dead, you'll be next."

Altair smirked, glancing towards his lift as she reemerged all bloodied, her ashen hair a bit haggard and her robes lined with a few cuts. But she was without injury.

"How is it possessing all that power? I'm sure with my Level of skill; you can finally execute the Primal Swords' Second Art. Imperious Rain."

Vaiga did not respond, clutching Shadowclaw even tighter.

"I-im-impossible," shouted Lyviana, turning as pale as a ghost. She practically began screeching at the top of her lungs, "Lynix! Lynix! Help me! Help me!!! Kill them!"

Startled by the sudden fluctuation stretching across space, Altair's domain narrowed on a slight disturbance around him. He lept back as space splinted in two around the area where he was stationed.

'Domains are stupidly strong. It really gives a new meaning to perception. Doesn't it.' The Prince thought, pivoting backward in quick succession as someone tried to cut him down through spacial manipulation.

"Vaiga!" He commanded.

In a blinding flash, Vaiga took off, escaping his perception as she tore through rubble above the Queen, clashing against something hidden away. The force of the blow was so powerful that the shockwave shook the damaged palace and tore the Queen off her throne, rocketing her toward Altair and Syris.

"Master, what do I do? I can't win against…"

"Woman, you aren't human. I'm pretty sure you can handle a transcendent. Stop your panicking and concentrate on the skills I possess. You've got foresight, primal instincts, my swordsmanship, my domain, and my damn movement art. Even if you can't win, you should be able to hold them off."

Shaken to her core, Vaiga's eyes rested on the metallic android, commonly known as Lynix, blocking her sword with its palm. The android was nearly seven feet tall, appearing quite humanoid in more than one way. But it was hollow. Its eyes were dead.

"Was it your plan the entire time to have me fight this damn thing?"

Altair ignored her, drawing in on the Queen, who had been blasted towards his feet like a rag doll. She was coughing up blood, bleeding from several orifices, as she looked dourly at the Prince. Her eyes seething hate.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Aren't you an Earthling?"

The Prince did not dignify her with an answer. He slid Endmiyain out of its scabbard, narrowing his indifferent eyes.

"Answer me! Blackwood! Why!!!!" She screamed, vomiting a mouthful of blood. Tears swelled through her eyes as she looked up at the Prince, unable to understand. "Are we not your king and Queen? Were we not kind to you?"

'Vaiga's sword must have really drained her…' he thought, sensing he might have underestimated the techniques held within the Shard of the Primal Sword. 'I wonder if the damage is a lot worse than I initially thought as well.'

"Altair… please… don't kill me…" Tearing the clothing off her back, revealing her naked breasts, Lyviana's tongue lulled out, "I'll let you do anything you want to me. You can have me any which way. You can—-"

'Altair, look out!" Syris suddenly squealed.

But the Prince did not remove his eyes from off Lyviana at the sudden emergence of another Lynix. He smiled, not even bothering to defend himself, as a palm reached out from the void, grabbing the android's arm and squeezing it so tightly that its metallic arm ruptured in half.

"I thought you might wait until I was half dead,' said the Prince. "How've you been Tasha?"

"tsk… so you knew I was here?"

Altair chuckled. "Of course. My deal with Astaroth still stands. You can't risk me dying."

The Lilim fashioned a palm through her jet-black hair, which curled well past her shoulders, nearly reaching her bottom. A teasing smile played at the edges of her seductive lips as her eyes dangerously narrowed.

"you smell different… you've got a man's stench now."

"And a man's hunger, " he replied, slashing his blade over the Queen's neck, amputating her head from her shoulders.

[Level up]

[Level Up]

[Level up]

[Level Up]

…

"I trust you'll handle the rest of these androids?"

"Perhaps if you treat me to dinner, " said Tasha.

"deal," Replied the Prince, opening a rift to the Palace of Stygian.