"The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously."
Psalm 37:21 (NIV)
The research facility was situated in Dunkelheit, the void continent. A void zone was a place dense with corrupted ichor. This accumulated due to constant exposure to demonic influence from long-lasting wars. The purity and density of corrupted ichor in the region negatively affected the biotic components, killing the majority of these poor creatures.
The survivors mutated into eldritch anomalies and horrors. Although the transformation gave these creatures a level of sentience, they relied on nothing but instinct, driven by fear and the desire to destroy others. This made Dunkelheit suitable for a top-secret research facility; the dangerous nature of the continent would dissuade unwanted visitors.
Dunkelheit was also the least probable place for a research site, as its harsh conditions made it the most dangerous place on the planet. The continent's poor weather conditions masked the site. These factors further reinforced the element of secrecy and confidentiality. These Seraphites never expected that their efforts to remain hidden would backfire.
Traz'gaxaun was face-to-face with his torturers and captors, yet revenge didn't cloud his judgment. He could feel it: the looming feeling of impending doom that was rapidly approaching.
Astaroth. He is coming to collect what he is due!
Apart from the fact that these filthy Seraphites underestimated his power, the main reason he was able to escape was that the fools had captured the wrong demon.
He didn't have enough ichor to break out in time before the strange solutions took effect. Even if he had, he wouldn't be strong enough to face the scientists. So the crafty demon devised a plan. When they were focused on his "story," he used his blood to draw a Seal of Astaroth. Instead of summoning the demon to his aid—which would have been more exhausting—he drew power from the seal to breach containment.
Of course, the instance in captivity sensed this exchange and broke out. To make matters worse, Traz had neglected to mention his means of payment; he had just duped one of the most powerful demons to ever live. This act of disrespect drove the instance into a crazed, fanatical state, further facilitating his escape by keeping the agents on standby busy.
Now all he had to do was get out before Astaroth found him.
"Die, demon scum!" Pearce yelled, firing a golden beam of light from his palm.
Traz shifted instinctively; the attack grazed his cheek slightly. Blood slowly trickled down where it had hit.
"Don't forget about me!" a feminine voice said behind him.
Traz'gaxaun's senses had already warned him of the incoming danger. He sidestepped the strike from Elise's strange blade, retaliating with a powerful haymaker. A glowing barrier suddenly appeared between his fist and her face, blocking his attack. Utilizing the opportunity, Elise quickly retreated to her companion.
The barrier couldn't withstand the force of his attack and shattered afterward.
He shattered the barrier with a single attack? Even if it was still in testing, I didn't expect it to be destroyed so quickly, Elise thought nervously.
"You will not leave here alive," the middle-aged man bellowed, preparing to attack again.
I have to end this as fast as possible, or I will have to face that monstrosity of a demon, Traz thought, preparing his next move.
A sickly red aura encased his fist as he fired a blast of pure ichor at the Seraphite. Pearce evaded the attack with ease, sidestepping immediately as it was fired.
"That's all you g—"
The demon was no longer in his sights.
A shiver ran down his spine as he felt an attack rapidly approaching. Elise stepped in with an overhead swing, slicing through the attack effortlessly.
The demon raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What is that mysterious blade?" he asked, pointing to the purple, glowing sword. He had never seen a weapon dispel an attack in such a manner, especially one as powerful as his.
The dark-haired woman brandished the blade, ignoring his question.
"Very well then. I shall take it from your corpse—"
Pearce fired a beam of light at the demon, hoping to catch him off guard. Traz tilted his head to the left, evading the attack completely.
This demon is unbelievably fast, and his attacks deal devastating damage. Is he really a lowly fourth-gen? Pearce thought.
"I don't have time for this!" Traz spat, covering the distance in a dash.
"I do!" Pearce replied, his eyes suddenly bursting with light.
Traz's eyes widened in shock; he had misunderstood this Seraphite's ability. Condensed beams of light fired at point-blank range from his eyes. At the last second, a protective coating of condensed ichor materialized and shielded his head.
The light beam collided violently with the mask, leading to a flash of blinding light. The demon leaped backward, preparing for his next move.
So that's how his abilities work; he can fire those light beams from any site on his body. It isn't limited to just his hands, Traz thought, eyeing the middle-aged Seraphite. But this woman has yet to reveal her ability. Could it be she has some type of conjuring or summoning ability? That would explain some of these strange devices. But it matters not; they can't defeat me regardless.
Traz was short on time, so he had to end this battle fast. Normally, he would toy with the scientists, showing them how futile and weak they were, killing them slowly and painfully. But every minute he wasted was more time for the crazed instance to find him.
Traz'gaxaun tucked his knees, sparks of red aura crackling across his feet.
Noticing his stance, Pearce charged in, his eyes glowing and fists encased in ichor.
"Going somewhere?"
He threw out a fist but hit nothing but air. Once again, the demon was out of sight.
The sound of shattering glass above caused the two Seraphites to avert their gaze. The panel lights were no more.
"What the..."
Another light source was destroyed, reducing the room's illumination.
"The lights… the cocksucker's trying to blind us!" Elise yelled.
But what could they do? Traz'gaxaun was just too fast to track. They couldn't even shoot at the lights to predict his next position without risking more destruction. Glass continued to shatter and fall from the ceiling until the only source of light left was the dim emergency lights and the glow of the computers.
A bead of sweat rolled down Pearce's forehead as he stood his ground. He was relying on his ichor manipulation to boost his sight, but keeping it up meant he wouldn't have enough if engaged. He didn't want to admit it, but deep down, he knew the truth: they had underestimated these demons.
Their confidence stemmed from the leader of the project: The Hand. And he wasn't even on-site to help them. Fear and doubt were gnawing at Pearce's heart.
A sudden gust of wind blew past him. Pain exploded in his right leg as blood trickled from a slash. Pearce winced, cursing.
"Fucking demon scum! Coward! Face me—"
Another deep gash appeared on his right shoulder, causing him to double over in pain. A blast of condensed, corrupted ichor emerged from the darkness. Elise stepped in, dispelling the attack with ease.
"Face us, Traz'gaxaun!" Elise yelled, knuckles whitening from her tight grip on the sword.
This brief moment of confusion was all the crafty demon needed. With a surge of speed, Traz'gaxaun shot out of the shadows, nails drawn.
Pearce let out a guttural gasp as he felt an arm rip through his back and emerge from his chest cavity. The sickening squelch of organs filled the room.
Oh my God, Elise thought, quickly turning to see the horrifying sight.
She was too distracted from blocking the ichor blast to see through the demon's tactic.
"I told you that you'll regret underestimating me," Traz'gaxaun smirked, Pearce's heart still in his hand.
The demon ripped out his hand, clutching the organ. Blood coated his body, flowing down his arms and chest.
Meanwhile, Elise's hands were shaking, her sword stance faltering.
"Y...you will not escape this facility, hellspawn!" she quivered.
Traz'gaxaun took a bite of the organ. His razor-sharp fangs sank into its thick, flexible exterior, blood flowing into his mouth. Power welled in his core as he ate; he could feel his ichor being replenished.
Barely even worth my time. But this power will have to do, Traz'gaxaun sneered.
Elise charged forward, ichor boosting her vision. She sliced at the demon's neck, aiming to take him out in one swing. Traz moved out of the way effortlessly. She spun, swinging her blade in an arc. The demon leaped backward, evading her attack again.
"Come on!" she yelled as she let out a flurry of slashes.
Elise was relentless, slicing, spinning, and kicking. But she was outmatched; none of her attacks connected.
The dark-haired woman swung at his neck again; this time, his figure blurred, and he disappeared.
Her heart dropped as she felt an ominous presence behind her.
"A futile attempt!" Traz'gaxaun sneered as he sank his fangs into her neck, draining blood.
The Seraphite struggled, growing weaker. Using the last of her strength, Elise thrust her sword into his neck, temporarily stopping him.
She freed herself but slowly dropped to her knees. Her body felt heavy; her enhanced vision had worn off. Stars danced in front of her eyes, dizziness plaguing her.
"Kill me," Elise muttered, clutching her bleeding neck.
Traz held the blade handle lodged in his neck.
"And reunite you with Pearce, dearest? Never."
He smiled, dislodging the weapon and throwing it aside.
The stab wound closed almost instantly. His eyes glowed again, power swirling.
"An interesting ability. A shame you could not draw out its full potential."
Elise's eyes widened.
"So that's your power. Stealing abilities? Your kind steals everything! Destinies, souls, abilities, and lives!"
Traz shook his head.
"Copying, not stealing. And what can I say, you are what you eat, after all!"
He smirked.
The triumphant demon rushed to the computers, but they were beyond his understanding.
What am I doing? I could just compel her to do my bidding.
After thinking, Traz decided against it.
What if she has a device to resist my mind control?
Without wasting more time, he walked back to the injured woman.
"It appears your life still has a purpose. You are going to lead me out of this facility," he said cheerily.
Elise let out a strained laugh, wrapping a torn piece of cloth around her neck.
"Or what? Are you going to kill me? You said it yourself: the moment you breached containment, my fate was sealed."
She coughed.
Traz'gaxaun held her chin, raising her head and locking eyes with her.
"You're right; I could kill you right now. Or… I could hand you over to the rampaging instance of Astaroth laying waste to your men. I'm sure he would be happy to have a new pet. For eternity."
He whispered into her ear.
Elise's heart raced; her hands trembled.
Between mild cooperation and being a greater demon's slave till the end of time, I have already made my choice.
"What would you have me do?" she shuddered.
Traz ripped off the cloth on her neck, exposing the bleeding wound.
"What… what are you doing?" Elise quivered.
The demon ignored her, placing his hand on the wound. The punctures began to heal, but not without searing pain that nearly made her pass out.
"Thank you," she muttered.
Traz raised an eyebrow.
"Thank you? I didn't heal you for your benefit. I can't have you dying now; what's the fun in that?"
He grinned, violently dragging her to her feet, ignoring her shaking and wincing in pain.
"Come on, puny human. I don't have all day!"
He pulled her to the computers and holographic equipment.
"I'm assuming you have certain authority among these rats. Tell all your men on site to focus on holding back Astaroth. Every single one."
With trembling, bloodstained hands, Elise picked up the tablet and activated the communication line.
"T… This is Lead Researcher Elise Everhart. Requesting all agents to prioritize eliminating Astaroth."
After seconds that seemed like hours, a voice responded:
"This is Agent Sanders. Mobilizing all remaining agents. What's your status, Everhart?"
Elise glanced at Traz, who responded with a bloody smile.
"Our subject is still in containment. It appears he was low on the priority list due to his low threat level," she replied.
"Very well. Heading out now."
The line went cold with a screech.
Traz'gaxaun hauled Elise to the electric doors.
"You know the drill."
The injured woman placed her hand on the ID scanner, and the door opened, revealing an expansive hallway.
A sudden feeling of dread washed over Traz.
This feeling… he is close!
"Give me the directions out of this place!" he hissed, fangs drawn.
"Go down this hallway and take three lefts. On the last turn, there is a door leading to the portal room. That is the only way out," she groaned.
Traz'gaxaun hauled her onto his shoulder and took off in a burst of speed, corrupted ichor flowing behind him like a comet's tail.
Not long after, an explosion erupted in one of the labs. A dark figure emerged from the rubble, stepping over the expired body of a man.
"My debtor… he was here!" the figure growled, touching the blood seal.
The distinct thunder of gunfire filled the air as agents began to surround the figure, unloading magazines.
The figure turned slightly, completely unfazed.
"Mr. Easton!" an agent bellowed, his gun trained on the mysterious figure.
It didn't take long for the entire area to be surrounded by even more agents, armed with swords, maces, and guns.
"Control to base: this is Agent Sanders. The facility has been completely compromised! We managed to get rid of Legion and Phenex, but Astaroth got to our lead researchers. Easton was K.I.A. Elise is M.I.A.—"
Astaroth tilted his head back and let out a menacing roar that shook the room.
"Where is he?" the demon asked, his coarse, sinister voice sending chills down the Seraphite agents' spines.
Only one person confidently approached Astaroth.
"All your demonic buddies are dead or back in hell where they belong! You will join them shortly!"
Agent Sanders bellowed, his large suit of armor emitting a blue glow.
Astaroth's response was a low, guttural growl.
"Out of my way, puny mortals. Don't hasten your inevitable deaths!" the demon replied.
"This 'puny' mortal will have your head, devil spawn!" Agent Sanders yelled, charging fearlessly, his men escorting him.
Meanwhile, Traz'gaxaun and Elise finally arrived at the portal room entrance.
The room, though small, had confusing machines that hurt the demon's head just by looking at them.
"The reliance on these mortal instruments will lead to humanity's downfall," he muttered.
Part of him meant it, but part was impressed. These machines had contained multiple troublesome demons that would be hard to trap normally.
His pride wouldn't let him admit it, but he knew these mortals had almost bested him.
In the center of the room was a large, mysterious spherical device. Its frame was covered in strange metal the demon had never seen. The air crackled with static. At its center, a blue, swirling mass shimmered.
Traz walked to an empty seat close to the machine and placed the weakened Seraphite.
"Don't do anything unwise. Just prepare the gateway," he declared.
Tension surged within Elise.
If I prep this portal, this demon will be released. The high ranks might capture or kill him, but I'm not sure the world is ready for a demon that can copy multiple abilities. On the other hand, if I don't…
She stared at Traz, a sorrowful expression on her face.
"Come on; you're not even dead yet and have this look? Just prep the portal," he remarked.
I have to survive this encounter. If he spares me, I'd be the only one with information about his abilities. With enough research, I could create a counter!
The Seraphite placed her hand on the ID scanner.
The machine beeped a couple of times.
"Password?" it asked monotonously.
"Armageddon," she replied.
"Voice recognition confirmed. Welcome, Lead Researcher Elise Everhart. Connection established. Portal system online."
The gateway whirled to life, humming loudly. Static crackled around the entrance as a warning.
The demon stared at the gateway in awe.
At last, I am free.
He began to approach—
—but a hand grabbed his wrist.
Traz turned, red eyes locking with Elise's.
"What is it that you want, human? Do you long for death's embrace?" he snarled, retracting his hand.
For the first time that day, Elise's heart beat with excitement, not crippling fear.
Is he sparing me?
She didn't ask why. Demons were volatile, reacting unpredictably. Instead, she asked:
"That story you told us… was any of it true? Or were you just making things up?"
Traz stopped, muscles tensing briefly.
"Even in the face of death, you cling to your pathetic research? If it helps you feel better, it was true. But that was my story; there isn't any word about an armageddonic creature. None that I am aware of, at least."
His story? So, he's the unique demon he was referring to?
She had many questions, including how he resisted the hypnothite solution, but for her safety, she remained silent.
Before stepping through the portal, the demon looked at her one last time.
"This isn't mercy, human. Your kind doesn't deserve it. Judging from your line of work, your death will come soon enough."
He stepped through the portal, disappearing.
"ALERT: unknown ichor signature detected. Failsafe activated!"
Elise smiled weakly as the AI spoke.
The portal had a contingency: if it detected unauthorized personnel, it teleported them to random void regions. She was sure a demon of his caliber would survive most anomalies, but it would deter him from reaching civilization.
The woman limped to the portal, weary.
What would I tell Pearce's poor daughter?
She stepped through and disappeared.
Not far from the portal room, a previous experimental chamber lay in ruins from the battle. Agent Sanders stood in a pool of his own blood, battered hands raised in a defensive stance. Around him, his men had fallen to the monstrosity before him.
Astaroth himself was in a terrible state as well—multiple holes pockmarked his chest and abdomen. His left horn had snapped, and one of his eyes was missing.
"Come on, Astaroth! Is that all you've got?" Sanders sputtered, blood running down his face.
The truth was, he didn't want to know the answer. For some strange reason, Astaroth was growing in power as they fought, as if drawing strength from an unknown source. The only reason I've slowed him this long is because of my ability, Sanders realized.
He possessed a unique skill: the power to suppress the healing of others, whether innate or external. Combined with his brute strength, it allowed him to inflict substantial damage on the demon. Yet Astaroth stood, grinning wide, oozing ichor as the building quaked around him.
"You fight well, mortal," Astaroth's voice echoed, deep and terrifying. "Unfortunately, I must end our exchange here. My debtor has successfully evaded capture. I can entertain you no longer. But fear not: I shall grant you a warrior's death!"
Astaroth's body vibrated violently, ichor crackling through the air at breakneck speed. Agent Sanders rushed forward instinctively.
"I won't let you!" he bellowed, grabbing the demon's arm and performing a shoulder takedown.
The moment Astaroth slammed to the ground, he erupted with cataclysmic force, unleashing a shockwave that sent debris flying.
Concrete shattered.
Metals screeched.
The very earth split beneath them.
For a fraction of a second, everything was swallowed by white.
Then a deafening silence.
The entire landscape transformed in an instant. Ash and sulfur filled the air, consumed by the volatile ichor.