Yesterday, the New York news reported on an attack by a group of supervillains on Metropolis. Seems like a normal day in a normal world, right? Except that one of the villains was possessed by a demonic spirit. His red skin and extra pair of eyes assured me of his kinship with Raven's lovely relatives. I watched the news footage with eyewitnesses several times and had no doubt about it.
If they can take control of a body and grant it incredible magical abilities, what guarantee is there that they can't do the same to me or the Justice League? That's right, there isn't any, but unlike the League, I've dealt with demons before and I know that for this type of demon, spiritual damage is considered the most dangerous. Also, based on the video, I understood that if the body that a demon has taken control of becomes "unusable," it will be forced to leave it. The first thing I decided to ask Raven was if she had any protection against such attacks. A spell that would prevent them from having such a clear advantage over us.
"Unfortunately, no," Raven shook her head sadly. "Although I specialise in soul magic, my barrier cannot protect against their intrusion.
"That's disappointing. I mean, what if they want to use one of the Young Titans? Me?
"I... I hadn't thought of that.
Eh, I thought you were smarter than that. Although her face and figure look quite young, so I can't judge her too harshly. Still, judging by everything, she has spent most of her time studying magic, but she has never learned to calculate her moves using her magic.
"Okay, I'll help. I have a spiritual weapon and my 'helpers', I can hurt them and force them to leave people's bodies," I say with a sly smile, showing her my thumb, to which she smiles uncertainly. It's good that she understands this and can rely on me when necessary, without any doubts or uncertainty. However, I still feel uncertain at the back of my mind. She probably realises that her father's servants won't let her go so easily. She will have to surrender so that no innocent people get hurt. Oh well... it's a dead end.
"I have an idea, but to carry it out, I'll need to return to my father's house.
"It's okay. Don't lose hope too soon. There's always a chance to win, even when it seems like there's no chance at all," I took her hand in mine and opened my eyes slightly from my eternal slit to let her see them, to prove the seriousness of my intentions. "Believe in yourself and in me. We'll make it through."
These were not empty words. Still, I have some suspicions that Raven is not simply the key to entering this world of "God-level" demons. In order to perform this ritual, the conduit must open a passage to the demon world. When contact is established, the conduits establish a strong "channel" between one world and another, gaining access to the magical energy of that dimension. Add to this the fact that Raven confirmed that the key word "Azarat," which she uses in her spells, gives her open access to the channel of her destroyed planet Azarat. Now it became clear to me how she managed to seal her father. The magical power of an entire planet was directed into a special vessel. By a lucky coincidence, she managed to find it. Perhaps she plans to pull the same trick? Does she want to check if the vessel is really still in her father's house? It's a risky venture, because Trigon could easily destroy it to prevent such a situation from happening again. It could be a waste of time...
Well, let's not dwell on the negative! Today, I will finally be able to meet the son of the "Symbol of Justice" face to face. Dick Grayson explained to me that Bats sent him here to teach him teamwork. I'd sooner teach my knights in armour to swim than try to explain teamwork to a mentally disturbed child. Why did I decide there was something wrong with his head? It's simple. Even though I respected Ras'Al'Gul, I couldn't accept the fact that he decided to train Batman's child to be a real killer. Apparently, he was so obsessed with his Legacy that he decided to disregard the wishes and childhood of this child. I fully expect to see a paranoid bastard who doesn't care about human life, because "weapons" must come from the most logical and cruel decisions. For more effective performance of his task. How do I know this? My previous "masters" psychologically broke my perception of the value of human life. They gave me drugs and special sessions. It all boiled down to a simple scheme: "Kill or be killed. Your life is more important than someone else's."
I think I would probably have become a cold-blooded killer if it weren't for the Player's Mind, or maybe it's something else...
We were now in a training room conducting a simulation with holograms of yellow soldiers from a group called Hive/H.I.V.E. Their goal was quite simple. World domination and world peace. Typical.
Well, to be completely honest, they were training, and I was calmly watching their progress from behind armoured glass. There was no point in me training, given the difference in our strength levels. And holograms were unlikely to do anything significant to me. I could have helped Blue Beetle with his problem, but I had no desire to do so. I'm not a charity organisation with time to waste on such things. Alien technology is clearly not my forte, and it's up to the owner to try to establish contact with them. I'll just give him a hint: when Nightwing arrives, ask him for help. This teenager wasn't the first Blue Beetle, which means that the "previous" Blue Beetle was either killed or somehow managed to get rid of the scarab. Nightwing can ask Bats for help. Bats has connections and money, and it will be in his best interest to help a teenager who doesn't particularly want to be a puppet in the hands of a living weapon. After all, who knows, under such conditions, he could very well become a "Villain."
"Playing the victim card is unpleasant, but it's better than fearing for yourself and those around you," I gave him some sound advice once.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Beastboy return to human form completely naked at the end of the simulation. Raven lost touch with reality for a couple of seconds, but still pointed this out to him. After a few seconds of panic, he found his clothes nearby, explaining that he had accidentally fallen asleep without them.
"I was half asleep, in animal form, when I was on my way here. Animals sleep without clothes. So I wanted to sleep without clothes too. I am a huge structure of the animal kingdom!
"You're something squeezed into something.
"You know, you had a nightmare last night...
"They're just dreams. Don't read too much into them.
Ah, yes, she did have a nightmare. I was able to help her then. Well, morally. After all, of the two of us, she is the one who specialises in soul magic. I know that Raven lost her home planet because of her father, but it is not yet possible to learn the details of that aspect of her life.
Nightwing arrived at the Titans' tower with his new Robin, Damian. He had a suit that fit him well, a mask that was more for show than for keeping his identity a secret, and a sullen, dissatisfied expression. The introduction did not go well from the start, and Damian simply decided to go to his room in the tower. Apparently expecting this, he had asked Dick for the key and a room in advance.
"And I thought I was the problem child," I decided to casually voice my thoughts to Jamie.
"You have no idea..." I commented with a smirk and shrugged.
"Do you know him?
"A little. Just don't judge him by his first impression, sometimes it's misleading.
Although he may well maintain that image for a long time if you don't bring him down to earth. Why am I so sure that it's just an image he's created? Well, as I said before, he thinks he's better than everyone else and doesn't care what other people think.
And he's proving it right now, with a clear example...
Training room. Damian has been fighting holographic soldiers like some kind of crazy fanatic for the past two hours. Children demand attention and are selfish, so I wasn't at all surprised by this turn of events. Jamie Reyes turned off the simulation, and Damian threw his batarang at him. The suit easily deflected it with a blue pulse from a mini-cannon that formed at his shoulder in a second.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!
"Heh... I heard your technology is fast. I wanted to see how fast.
"You want to deal with us?!
Starfire decided to intervene just in time when she noticed that things were taking a turn for the worse. However, her attempt to explain to him that the Young Titans were a team was met with another attempt at provocation.
"Whether you like it or not, I'm still the leader of this team.
"As far as I know, you're an alien with nowhere to go.
It seems that Dick Grayson gave him a rather vague description of our shared adventure, because Starfire could return home, but simply does not want to for certain reasons.
"Everyone needs a home, Damian. Including you," Raven decided to add, folding her arms across her chest.
"Thanks for the advice, 'witch girl'.
"We're only here to help you unlock your potential," Starfire said, not giving up hope for a positive outcome.
"You've been here long enough. So where is your potential? I don't see it.
And he decided to leave, putting an end to this "dialogue." Halfway there, Blue Beetle intercepted him, put his hand on his shoulder, and voiced the general opinion that was spinning around in everyone's heads:
"Dude, show at least a little respect," his arm was grabbed, he was punched in the chest and stomach, and thrown aside. He got up from the floor and grinned maliciously, his suit creating blades like those used for cutting paper at his hands.
He sighed heavily. Well, it was only a matter of time before someone lost their patience. The blades of the suit's hands crossed with the katana. I instantly appeared between them, grabbed his wrists, and threw them to different sides.
"What are you doing?!" Jamie shouted at me. I cracked my neck demonstratively and smiled.
"What am I doing? I'm more interested in what you're doing. Hmm? Have you forgotten what your suit can do when you're in danger? Do you like the fact that it's the suit doing it and not you? That way, you don't have to feel guilty or sad.
"Well, what was I supposed to do? Just accept the insult and defeat?
"Yes, damn it! You have to avoid direct combat with people because of your suit. Whether you like it or not, you have to hold back and put your pride aside if you don't want the second chance you've been given to be wasted like this.
"Thanks, Alex. If it weren't for you...
"Starfire, I have a complaint for you too. Let's imagine for a couple of seconds what would have happened if I hadn't intervened. Things would clearly have taken a turn for the worse. You saw what Blue Beetle had in his arsenal, but you allowed the fight to happen. If you see and feel that a conflict cannot be resolved with words, then you, as the leader, must intervene first, because you will be held responsible for all the team's mistakes. And don't try to justify yourself, because it's all pointless in light of the current facts.
"Who are you? Their defender? Well, this vaunted team really has problems. I don't understand what Nightwing saw in you.
"I'm going to teach him a free lesson right now, Starfire. Watch closely. If you dare to interfere, I'll teach you a lesson too. You remember that I know how to heal, don't you?" He nods uncertainly. "Good," I say, turning to the sullen, tough-looking guy. "Hello, Damian. Since you clearly have no idea about manners and respect, I will respond in kind. I will be your opponent, and while we dance, I will voice my thoughts. You can either respond or ignore them. So... shall we begin?"
Without waiting for his response, I tilted my head slightly, lunged forward, and struck his katana with a powerful punch.
"How's your grandfather, Damian?" The pressure intensified, forcing him to retreat.
"He's dead. Deffrost killed him, and I killed him in return!" He raised his katana above his head to strike.
"Hoh... sad," I caught the blade with my palms and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying to the side. The blow knocked the air out of his lungs, and his hands slipped from the weapon's hilt. "It's surprising that two such strong individuals died so easily," I said, grabbing the hilt with a reverse grip and throwing him aside. I make it look like the blade is about to hit him, but it passes dangerously close to his head and sticks halfway into the steel wall. I pull on the handle and pull the blade out of the wall.
"You respect murderers. Is that who you want to be like?
"I didn't say I aspire to be like them. I respect them for their achievements and principles. That doesn't mean I like their methods. They chose their path. You don't have that choice.
"What do you know about me?!
He threw a smoke grenade at my feet, closed his eyes, and listened to his heightened senses. At the moment of impact, I grabbed him by the neck and threw him aside like a stuffed toy.
"Enough to understand who you are.
"And who am I in your eyes?! — He rushes into close combat and stops using tricks. A swing, a jab, a kick. A shift, a step to the side, grabbing his leg and using his own momentum to slam him onto the steel floor.
"A boy trying to find his place in the world. A boy who has been taught since childhood to be a killer and trust no one but himself. To be better than everyone else. I'll tell you the cruel truth that's right in front of your nose. You're not special, and you're certainly not chosen, even with your special lineage. You're just an ordinary boy in this world who thinks he's something special — he fights purely out of stubbornness, pride and anger. His little fists try to hit me, but they either hit my block or I dodge them, and they just shake the air. I was no longer smiling; beating a child gave me little pleasure.
"You're blinded by pride and you think that because you're that man's son, you can't be killed so easily? Believe me. It's very simple — grab one arm, then the other, and hit him on the head. While he's half-conscious, clasp his hands together at his neck and lift him slightly off the floor."You're just unbelievable..." He flails about, gasps, tries to reach his face with his hands, kicks, but to no avail. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Starfire flying towards me. "Lucky," I throw him aside and, instead of a blind attack, he just lifts himself slightly onto his knees and tries to catch his breath.
"You... 'Ghost Snake', but I saw you when I was a boy, back then...
"We're not talking about me right now. I have one last question for you, Damian. What are you going to do?
"I'm going to my room to train..."
"You know what I mean," he says angrily, looking away. I've touched on his most unpleasant subject, namely, the simple understanding of his place in this world. "You don't know, do you? You think I'm going to give you the answer to such a difficult question? No, only you can answer that. I'll just give you a hint. It's perfectly normal to feel confused and unsure about whether your actions are right or wrong. That's how we learn and gain experience. You can't make a decision now? Then what's stopping you from making a decision later? You're still young and need to accept your own weakness and youth. Even right now, I'm throwing my hands up in the air. You lost terribly. You didn't have the slightest chance of winning this sparring match from the start. Before you act, you need to at least learn how to plan your actions. Isn't that what your father taught you?
"Shut up, or you'll end up just like him..."
"How I hate teaching children," I shrug, "it's much better to learn. Listening to the pleasant voice of the 'teacher' and learning new tricks," I glance briefly at Raven, who rolls his eyes in response, feigning exhaustion. "You're a smart kid, and you're perfectly capable of understanding and discovering something new for yourself.
That evening, Raven wasn't in the mood to meditate in her room and decided to go out for some fresh air. I decided not to stress her out with training anymore, as I realised that I was unlikely to learn anything new in the tense time remaining. However, I had a question about her father. What if...
I touched her shoulder as she was meditating. The world disappeared. It was engulfed by darkness. Images are changing. Quickly. Too quickly. I can barely understand anything. Her thoughts are in my head.
"Knowledge is power. I just want to know more..."
Just a child. Raven sits in a white robe, in what looks like her own library. She comprehends, absorbs, learns.
"Why won't my mother tell me who my father is? Ever since that day, I can't get this... power, my form and emotions out of my head. You told me that power without control is nothing. But how can I control something I don't understand? I have to know the truth."
The barrier protects the planet from any demonic invasion. The only way to enter the planet is through a ritual.
"The Summoning of Your Heritage spell..."
"…I learned the truth, but at what cost…?"
A massive, gigantic figure of the demon Trigon appears in the middle of her city. The mother realises the reason for his presence and bows her head in prayer. A crimson wave sweeps away everything in its path and destroys everything around it. She saw it all with her own eyes.
"It's my fault... if only... if only I hadn't done it. I am the cause of everything. I became death itself for all of them. Now, they are all looking up at me from the deepest Abyss — the Destroyer of Worlds. I will never be able to forget or forgive myself for this..."
I woke up with a start and could only nervously pull my hand away. However, I was not afraid of the burning sensation, but of the fact that I had touched on a very personal part of her life.
"I told you not to disturb me during meditation," she said, her hands crossed over her chest, looking tense and uncertain.
"I'm sorry, I...
"Just forget about it. I don't want to talk about it.
Well, I won't insist. If you can read my thoughts, just know that I don't blame you for what happened. It was definitely planned by Trigon. You have reasons to hate yourself for what happened, but even so, I want you to find something precious to you in this world. I'm only here to help you win because I want you to win.
She silently stands up and creates a purple rift, apparently leading to her room.
"Why... why are you so obsessed with winning?" she asks uncertainly, turning her head slightly towards me.
"Because it's the only thing that matters.
"There must be a reason.
"Everyone has their reasons. Some fight for justice, some for moral, selfish satisfaction, and some just see it as their purpose in life.
"And some people want it all at once, right?
I shrug with a sly smile.
"I have one last question..." He chooses his words uncertainly again. "Do you think I have the right to stay here?
"Do you think that because you're the reason for all this, there's no point in staying here?" — a short nod. — You can't run away from your problems forever, especially "family problems." As I said before, believe in yourself. You are much stronger than you can imagine.That same evening, Cory decided to boost morale and team spirit by taking the group to a local amusement park, which was hosting a small festival to celebrate its tenth anniversary. I admit, Starfire is really trying to teach the teenagers teamwork, but she simply lacks leadership skills and an understanding that the key to teamwork is open trust, which takes time to build.
I couldn't help but join in. Especially considering the fact that Raven had picked out some nice clothes for the occasion. A light blue top, a short black vest, fingerless gloves, and a short dark blue skirt. Ah, if it weren't for the tense situation, I would have allowed myself a little mischief, but alas, Raven's safety is my priority. I decided not to stand out and wore a simple white shirt with jeans.
Damian wanted to take his katana with him, but Cory insisted that he wouldn't need it. I wasn't so sure, so I decided to help out one last time.
"Let me take your katana," I said, holding out my hand in a pleading gesture.
"What?
"Like Raven, I'm also a magician in a sense, and I can store things in a special space. The only condition is that the living owner of the item must give me permission to do so.
Let's not mention the simple fact that if the user is dead, no permission is needed.
"I've offered you an alternative. Either it stays here in the car, or it stays with me, and if a critical moment arises, I'll give it back to you immediately.
"Let it be so. I give my permission.
It seems that paranoia has overcome mistrust. Charming. I take his katana into my space and, already out of the car, I approach Raven, put my hand on his shoulder and simply whisper:
"I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious, so just try to enjoy yourself. If anything goes wrong, I'll let you know.
You can't play coy with the Young Titans for long, because soon they'll be attacked. It could happen at any moment, so the sooner Raven gathers her courage and tells them her story, the better. She nods quietly and cautiously, and I add aloud:
"You have a beautiful outfit. I'll be nearby," I step forward and wave my hand over myself.
Raven tried to do what Alex had advised her to do, which was to enjoy a simple, pleasant time in the night park. Ride the Ferris wheel, shoot an air gun, and so on and so forth. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Alex performing magic tricks for a girl at a street café table.
"May I ask your name, princess?
"I'm Sarah!
"So, Sarah, all we need to perform our magic trick is a 'bet'. Do you have anything?
"I have some candy!
"Ooh! That's a really big bet! Just right!
"Uncle, are you really a magician?
"A real one! Look, here — six of clubs appear 'magically' in his palm from the sleeve of his white shirt. With a slight manipulation of his hands, the card disappears between his fingers. The girl was delighted and clapped her hands.
"What's the bet for?
"Good question, I was just about to explain. We're going to play a simple game. You have to guess which cup your candy is in. I'll spin the three cups very quickly, and to make sure it's fair, I'll choose my cup too.
"But you'll know where the candy is!
"Me?!... Of course not! I'll be looking up and I won't know where it is either! Alex said confidently, making Raven smile softly. She just loved that side of him. The girl's parents were smiling too, Alex's charisma and positivity winning them over and making them completely trust him. There were three ordinary cups on the table, and only one of them had a sweet in it. He raised his head and spun the cups with incredible speed, so fast that the child's head spun, but after a couple of seconds, the cups stopped abruptly, and he turned to her with the same smile:
"My dear lady, I see you are having trouble choosing, so I will choose first," he said, lifting the right cup, and the candy was inside. The girl was clearly saddened by the realisation of her defeat. "Now, now, Sarah, the game isn't over yet! You should choose a cup. After all, who knows what's inside them?
"But they're empty. Only one had candy!
"They were empty?!" — she replied with feigned surprise, and Sarah pointed to the mug on his left. His hand slowly lifted it, and with every centimetre, a small mountain of sweets formed on the table.
"Oh, I'm so unlucky..." he moaned with fake sadness and disappointment, spreading his arms wide and shrugging his shoulders.
"Yay! Mum, Dad! I won the Super-Duper-Mega-Prize!
Unlike the girl, her parents were not so positive and felt that Alex deserved to be rewarded and paid for such a gift to their daughter.
"How much do we owe you?"Real magicians don't need money," he said, and a black fedora magically appeared in his right hand and was placed on his head. The brim of the hat covered his sly eyes, and a typical snake-like smile remained on his face. "They can get them themselves, so consider this a small gift.
"Raven! Raven!
She didn't immediately realise that Damian was calling her right next to her.
"Ah? Sorry, Damian, I was lost in thought.
"I have a curious question.
"Yes?
"Is Alex your boyfriend?
"Um... where did you get that idea?
It seemed like a simple question, but for some reason it caused a stir and resonated in my chest. Just for a moment, I remembered the feeling of his touch, his smile and...
"Stop. Now is definitely not the time or place. Keep yourself under control," I thought, regaining control of my emotions.
"Well, I've seen you with him quite often, and that gesture before you entered the park...
"No, it's just... he helps me, and I help him. That's all.
"I just need to understand what to expect from him.
"He doesn't want anything bad for you or me. He's just trying to help.
"Are you sure about that?
"I'm sure. I'm a Soul Mage, and I can sense people's auras, their emotions, what's true and what's not. When I'm with you, I can be sure that you're much better than you think you are.
I didn't have to play local games for long. While everyone was distracted by Beastboy's dance game, I could feel the presence of demonic energy somewhere beyond the park. Reaching its source, I silently formed a spectral dagger and, taking a couple more steps towards the tree, struck the unnatural shadow. Not a bad imitation, but you can spot the disguise if you look closely at the details. The dark red slime formed a thin, human-like demon with an elongated head and four red eyes. Interestingly, this was not his physical embodiment, but purely spiritual. This meant that ordinary weapons would not cause them any damage. Unlike spiritual weapons.
"Khargh! You!
"Aha! Me! Answer my questions or I'll poke you with this dagger... — he twisted the blade a little in his stomach, which was pierced to the hilt, causing him to burst into a vicious scream again.
"You cannot intimidate me, mortal! Trigon's will shall be done!
"Then I'll just take what you value most. Your interesting demonic soul.
While holding him by the stomach with his right hand, he formed the Soul Subjugation spell in a red glow with his other hand.
Your Subjugation Level is insufficient to take the soul of Trigon's servant. Reason: Oath of Heritage.
"Foolish mortal! Your pathetic magical abilities will not save you or this world!
And how much hatred and disgust! Ah, some simply refuse to admit defeat, no matter how dire their situation.
"Well, if I can't get anything from you, then...
I didn't finish my sentence and summoned Astu with a mental command, who in a second formed a blue mist and executed him by beheading him. Nearby, I sensed another demonic disturbance, but this time it was stronger. I was able to witness the reunion of the family. The image of her father and four identical demons, similar to the one I had destroyed, appeared.
Trigon said, "My dear daughter, it is time for us to be together again," and Raven replied, "I am sorry, destroying planets is not my hobby. Besides, the fact that you are sealed away and these demons are the best you have puts you at a disadvantage."
"He wants you, Raven.
"Sooner or later, you'll come to him...
"Sometimes expectations don't match reality," I say, stepping out from behind the trees and spreading my arms wide. "Hmm... one, two, three, four. There should be five of you, right?
"What have you done to our brother?! I can't feel his presence!" The demon hissed angrily and was ready to attack me, but he held back because he was afraid.
"Let's put it this way... he simply refused to cooperate. You are, after all, a 'temporary factor', a spiritual component that is not afraid of being wounded. Then I have a counter-question: what if there is someone in this world who can harm your spirit, apart from Raven?
"He's bluffing!
"Let's tear him to pieces!
"Trigon's will is absolute!
"Die!
I sighed wearily.
"They never listen. I warned you, Asta, Robin, Trusk, Maria, show them the difference between us.
First, Asta stepped out into the outside world, clanking in her black metal armour, with a black helmet and darkness around her face with a blue streak, made a funny straight kick and knocked the first demon out of her way, the crash of destroyed trees, and with a calm step, she walked towards her opponent, placing the blade of her huge spiritual sword on her shoulder. It was as if she wanted to teach him a lesson...
Robin, in his eternal brown, half-torn cloak with a hood, threw his spiritual tomahawk, and while the second demon was distracted by the weapon, he fired a live spiritual arrow, which exploded into a multitude of needles upon contact with the demon from within...
Trask, a knight two metres tall and almost as massive as Asta, with a tower shield just as tall, rammed the third demon and stood in a defensive stance in front of Maria...
Maria, the spirit of a priestess-healer, became the one who instilled the most genuine animal fear in the demon. Forgetting his pride, loyalty and malice, the demon tried to escape by turning into a shadow, but after Maria recited a silent prayer, the demon was bound by a conical barrier, which in a couple of seconds filled with bright white light and a buzzing sound, incinerating him in a matter of seconds.
Quickly realising their situation by what had happened to the demon, they all decided to hide.
"You have a servant of the Light?!" Raven asked in genuine surprise, approaching Maria uncertainly, while Maria herself reached out her hand strangely towards Trusk. Hmm... Strange. It felt like there had been something between them once, and the fact that Trask always tried to be near her and protect her when she was summoned. She touched his back, and his head turned slightly towards her. The silent contact lasted a few seconds before he decided to simply retreat into his own space. "And... it hurt her. Every time she casts a spell, it hurts her terribly, Alex."
"It's okay. This is what I want to do for my friends. It's my decision," she explains her position with a silent gesture, and looking at me, I just nod quietly, allowing her to return. With a respectful bow, Maria disappears into the blue mist. Just like Asta and Robin.
"Well, considering they found out where you are, their next move is only a matter of time.
"I realise that. I... will tell my friends everything they need to know.
Raven, already in her standard attire, decided to give a sort of tour of her home. She was able to open a rift to her native, destroyed planet. Wow, besides the gloomy atmosphere of ruins and silence, there was an incredible amount of magical energy. She told them her story. About how, long ago, a small cult in the capital of the planet Azarat summoned a powerful demon in search of knowledge and power. Trigon gave them knowledge in exchange for a magically powerful woman to give him her legacy. It's a shame that the people of Azarat were short-sighted and Raven's mother didn't do everything she could to avoid their tragic fate.
"There's an incredible amount of mana here. Is that why he was able to cast 'The Spell'?
"What are you talking about?" Damian asked, puzzled.
"Azarat was destroyed not in a few hours or days, but in a single moment, thanks to one very terrible spell. And the answer to your question is yes, that's exactly how it happened.
"Phew, you've reassured me. I wouldn't want the Earth to turn into a lifeless wasteland like this in a couple of moments.
Upon returning to the island near the Tower of Titans, I noticed that it was already sunny. Apparently, time is measured differently in Azarat and on Earth.
"What are you going to do now?" asked Starfire, speaking for the Young Titans.
"I have to find a way to seal him more securely. Without Trigon, his demons won't be able to...
She couldn't finish because Cyborg had opened a portal nearby, from which Wonder Woman, Batman, and The Flash emerged.
"Alex? What are you doing here?" Diana found something to ask first.
"Taking a break. What are you doing here?
"We have questions. Superman has become obsessed with... something, and Batman suspects it's because of one of your team members," she said, pointing at Raven. Wait, when did Batman find out she was connected to demons? Hmph, apparently when I was sparring with her, he noticed her connection to the demon from the first encounter on the CCTV footage.
"She has to come with us.
"What if she doesn't want to?!" Damian clearly intended to defend his team member, holding his katana in front of him. Wow, that's quite an achievement.
"He wanted them to be here. It's too late. They're here.
Since when did you start speaking in poetry, Raven?
Ah, it's a shame there's no defence against demonic possession, and Raven's beloved family, now red and black shadows, have consumed the entire Justice League. Batman distinguished himself by injecting himself with Bane's toxin to completely incapacitate himself, and only Diana, Cyborg, and Flash gained an extra pair of eyes and a crimson hue to their skin.
"You must come with us to the sanctuary. He is waiting.
"Ah, Diana the Warrior, to let yourself be swallowed up by some demon so easily. It's a shame you won't see our second round, and I'll have to settle for this fake in front of me.
"This time you won't stop us so easily," the double-edged sword pointed its blade at me."I can try," I say, forming the Scar dagger in my left hand in addition to the spectral dagger...
It all started abruptly and quickly. I shouted to Starfire that I would take Diana on myself, because she was on a completely different level compared to Flash or Cyborg. The cross-block of her sword daggers tries to reach me with her foot, but I barely manage to dodge completely, calling on Astu, who with a blow from her steel glove slightly shifts her head to the side. Following her, I call on Robin, Trask and Maria to help the others.
I can't keep track of what's going on around me and am completely focused on Diana. If I disappear into invisibility, the possessed version of the Amazon demigoddess will choose another target, and I can't guarantee that the lucky one will remain unharmed. There was one piece of good news and one piece of bad news. The good news was that the demon had no idea of the Amazon's limits and was guided only by instinct and current strength. The bad news was practically identical. The demon had no concept of honour or moral principles and was willing to do anything to achieve its goal.
Even the fact that Maria strengthened me during the battle still made me realise the simple difference between us. Despite this, I enjoyed the battle. This test. I wanted to gain the necessary experience from this type of enemy, but I quickly realised that I couldn't play with them for long. Their goal is Raven. I have to stop them, and then...
Stop Time
Create five copies of the spectral dagger. With a mental command, the daggers in the air rush forward and pierce the Amazon up to the hilt. I reach the possessed Flash and stab Scar in the back with the dagger, simultaneously creating branch-like stems of blood that entangle him and prevent him from escaping his confinement, as the living weapon is connected to his nervous system. The cyborg was the easiest to stop, as he was only half machine, and any technology can be disabled.
"Sorry, Cyborg. I'm going to shut you down for a little while..." I took a good swing and punched him through the chest. (From the author, Kakyōin style) I calculated it so as not to hit his heart, otherwise it would have been very sad. The material was quite durable, but under a lot of force, there was almost no resistance.
The colours of the world suddenly began to return to normal, and I suddenly felt that something was wrong. It was as if I had forgotten something important...
The answer came quickly enough. The red and blue blur of the possessed Superman grabbed me by the neck and lifted me slightly above him.
"I can break his neck in an instant. I'll give you three seconds, Raven. Don't make me resort to extreme measures.
"Enough! I command you, as Trigon's legitimate daughter, to let him go!
Perhaps I could have come up with something, but it still wouldn't have stopped me from trying to get to Raven. Maybe it really was inevitable. Well, either that or I'm just terribly lazy and can't be bothered to put enough effort into getting rid of Trigon's demons. As it turned out, only Cyborg was able to break the possession. Wonder Woman, thanks to her semi-divine body, calmly survived the attack of spiritual daggers and pulled them out of her body, and Flash, even despite the intervention of such a dangerous weapon as Scar, was able to make his body intangible by vibrating in place to escape his confinement. All I could do was silently watch as Raven disappeared into the portal in her demonic form.
In the Tower of Titans, I decided to return Cyborg to "online" mode using a temporary rewind. Fortunately, almost his entire body was made of metal, so returning him to his original state was not difficult. Batman, however, was in a more serious condition, so I had to call on Maria to cure him of his own poison.
"We need to find Raven!
"I planted a bug on her. And on all of you," Damian decided to share his revelation. His father kept an indifferent mask, but I could feel the emotion of pride coming from you. You're a sick idiot if you think that's normal! No wonder people don't trust you. Although, what about you?
"Well, I also labelled her the day we met," I shrugged, responding to his revelation with one of my own.
"What do you know?" Bats decided to ask me directly, to which I replied calmly with a sly smile.
"A little more than you. Raven is the Key. And as it happens, the one who wanted it got it, so we should expect consequences. Or, to put it more simply, an invasion by her 'father'.
"Unless we stop them," Starfire interrupted. "Damian, Alex. Give us the coordinates! We have to!"
"Yes, Damian. Give them the coordinates.
"And you?
"You can handle the possessed League on your own, and I need to prepare in case things go wrong.
"Do you have a plan?" Batman's calm voice betrayed a hint of interest.
"Something like that. I hope my head stays on my shoulders after this.Everyone left through the Cyborg portal rift. I was left alone in the Tower of Titans and went outside through the space rift. I recreated the Mana Core with a full supply and summoned Astu, who knelt before me. Her clawed metal hand gently touched my cheek. I smiled sadly and mentally conveyed the necessity of this action.
How to defeat "God"? Two things are needed: strength and skill. How can an ordinary person obtain all this? Knights, mages, heroes of the empire — they all possess a spiritual component. Their minds, will, emotions. All their spiritual energy can give me the opportunity to compare myself to God. Skills? Asta is the only great hero of the empire who retained his qualities during his lifetime. She is much stronger, faster, and more experienced than me. I just need to use my body as a "container." True, because she is cursed, she is forever trapped in her armour, and I must be inside her. As strange as it may sound, I must awaken in her what was once lost.
Unlock her full potential as a hero of that time.
The problem is that all this spiritual energy, all these... poor damned souls will be inside me. Needless to say, this is extremely dangerous. Starting with the loss of my "self" and ending with the banal demolition of the roof. Okay, enough hesitation.
"So... let's go.
Every knight, every mage and hero was summoned thanks to the Mana Core. I opened a rift to a special place where Trigon could be summoned. The entire Empire is behind me. I see the huge figure of Trigon, almost a hundred metres tall, slowly stepping towards the city.
I rise slightly into the air, hundreds of metres above the ground. Using time rewinding, I dismantle the armour into its components and order it to gather around me. A whirlpool of two hundred and sixty-nine souls is inside me. I close my eyes and imagine the appropriate image, and the metal takes the form of a knight hundreds of metres tall in black armour, with only the cracks and some places shining with spiritual energy. To complete the image, a cloak burning with blue flames appears behind me, and a blue tassel on my helmet. I am in the centre of the whirlpool, in the chest part of the armour. The synchronisation of the soul is almost complete. Only the final touch remains...
"I'm handing over control to you, Asta. Give it your all. Show him the full power of the Empire."
Consciousness fades and merges into a common stream of voices and thoughts.
Asta looked at her palms and her new body. The order has been given. She must show him what the Empire can do against creatures like Trigon. The demon stopped. He did not halt his calm walk towards the city, even when the great Justice League tried to stop him. He felt a growing agitation in his spiritual energy and, out of curiosity, decided to find out what it was. As soon as he turned his head in that direction, a powerful blow to the jaw shook the air and made him stagger slightly. A series of three blows to the chest, an attempt to strike back ended in failure, his fist was caught, and a steel leg struck his shin, forcing him to fall to one knee.
"Who are you?
There was a hint of interest in his voice. It seemed that among the insects, there was someone who had caught his attention. He wiped a small amount of blood from his lips with his palm.
"I am the Voice of the Empire! I am Asta! Demons, monsters, beasts, and gods — all of you were nothing more than obstacles in our way! They all fell, and you, demon, will fall too!" Alex's loud voice echoed off the armour.
"Ha, big words for a mere ghost in armour. Let's see how long you last!" Four deadly beams shot from her eyes. She formed a huge spiritual sword reminiscent of the one she had once used in the past and deflected the projectile.
Despite the demon's enormous strength, Asta was significantly faster than him and, most importantly, could wound him with her sword. Watching the giant figure in armour disappear in a ghostly step and swing his sword was truly impressive. It was as if someone had cut out the intervals of time from reality as she lunged, closed the distance, or swung. Her clawed palm twitched in the shape of a grasp, but in reality, her invisible grip bound him, squeezing and pressing with its invisible force with every passing second. Trigon grimaced and, with a huge burst of crimson energy, threw off the invisible shackles. In truth, Asta had no intention of hurting him in this way, but simply wanted to occupy him for a while so she could perform her favourite move. Trigon noted with surprise that he had lost sight of his opponent, but in fact, a giant black figure with a face burning in blue fire inside his black helmet was performing a somersault in the air, using all the mass and inertia of his body in one monstrous blow. A clean strike. The blade passed vertically across the chest and crashed into the ground with a loud bang, forming a real crater like a meteorite. Trigon fell on his back, groaning in pain, but... somehow it seemed fake and strange. Asta sensed that something was wrong."Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! It's been so long since I've met an opponent like this! This is truly a unique find!
Despite the fact that Asta had landed a clean, tangible blow to his chest, the wound, and indeed all the wounds she had inflicted, were neither deep nor impressive, and therefore they were also healed. Realising that her King's mind could be harmed, she decided to end it all with one attack.
"The Empire thanks you! Your death will be a vivid example of our strength!
Asta raised the spirit sword above her, absorbing spiritual energy from her armour and charging it for attack. A few more seconds and the blade suddenly doubled in length and began to burn with blue flames. She swung downwards and a slanted wave rushed towards the demon. Trigon grinned, caught her attack and held it in his palms. With a joyful grin, he redirected the attack into the sky with a furious jerk, where it continued its flight, cutting through the clouds in its path until it lost its power in the distant blackness of the endless cosmos.
"You may be a powerful Spirit of the Empire, Asta, but I still sense the human whose body you are using for our battle. What about him? I'm sure he is strong in some sense, but is his mind strong?" The devil grins again. His hand sent out a crimson wave that enveloped the armour. A few more seconds passed, and the armour fell apart.
"It seems that the Empire is not so strong without its 'King', huh?" Trigon muttered disappointedly, and continued on his way towards the city.
But as he took his next step, his leg was enveloped by a black and purple viscous energy that gradually consumed him, and a bird made of the same energy, larger than him, soared in front of him — a raven. It engulfed him and took him underground, where he was sealed in a red diamond-shaped crystal in his own dimension of hell thanks to Raven and her team.
At first, Raven wanted to stay in this dimension because, even despite their victory, someone had to watch over her father. To be his jailer, so that this would never happen again. However, Starfire, Damian, Beast Boy, and Blue Beetle insisted that she go with them. She really wanted to return, not only for them, but also for one person who had been loyal to her until the very end and had tried to help her. With the help of her connection to the Justice League, she was able to find him in the Tower of Titans. True... his condition was terrible. He was conscious but not himself. He was kneeling, his eyes staring blankly into the void, his hands by his head, and an indistinct speech coming from his lips. It was too fast and garbled to understand.
"That... demon did something to him. We couldn't help him," Diana said anxiously, clenching her fists. She was a little uncomfortable with the fact that some boy had been able to do so much, unlike them. He... had saved many lives by standing in his way.
"I'll help him.
Her palms touched his temples. Memories of the past few hours flashed through her mind until she finally reached the moment when his mind was attacked.
"Mental attack. Aimed at awakening fears. I have to find him..."
A mere child, Alex lay on the floor in a foetal position, covering his face from a dark figure with a terrifying, faceless smile.
"I'm sorry, Father! No! Please, don't! I won't disobey you anymore! No!
A slight mental command and the figure of his father disappears. As soon as she touches Alex, he crumbles into white dust.
"I just... want to live a normal life! Is that too much to ask?!... Please, make him stop drinking, please, God, devil, demons or angels, make him stop. I don't want to see my mother suffer anymore. I don't want to be helpless! I don't want to be weak!
This time there are two dark figures. One is lying on the floor, and the other is beating her and then disappears. He tries to intervene with a furious cry, but is thrown aside by a vicious blow to the jaw. Next to him lies an empty beer bottle, which has crashed down on his temple with a loud bang.
"What have you done...?" asks a frightened female voice from the floor.
"Me? I... I... I won. I helped! I made sure he wouldn't hurt you anymore, Mum!
"No, you're such a fool..."
The figure that had been lying on the floor moments ago is now hanging from a rope on the dark ceiling.
"But I helped. Why...
The images change again. At school, he is shunned, despised and hated because of his reputation as a "murderer" and an orphan. Comics and video games have replaced the outside world for him. Memories of those times now bothered him little, because unlike the cruel and terrible real world, in them the heroes could win, just like in virtual games. Only occasionally did he venture out to ride his bike. To feel the light summer breeze on his hot, sweaty young body. At such moments, right at the crosswalk, a thought occurred to him.
"I really don't care whether I live or die. This whole world is one big, terrible disappointment."
Green light. His foot hit the pedal. Something fast and powerful knocked him off the road. His body somersaulted in the air and fell flat on the ground in an unnatural position. He couldn't move a finger, his gaze fixed on the damn green traffic light, in front of which some amateur had jumped out to film a horrific accident involving people.
"Help... idiot... damn it, I don't want to die... I don't want to... die."
This time, a new life. New opportunities and a new destiny. He had complained so many times about his world and how he could never win, and now he might just find out what it's like...
He made a mistake. He trusted someone else in this new world. He thought he could win by trusting a random person. What's the point of helping the weak when all I need is to win? I won't lose again.
"I won't... lose again.
All the images of the past are erased. Dark space surrounds her again. The image of Alex, who had been with her all this time, forms in front of her. He is sitting on his knees, holding his hands to his head, trembling with fear.
"Alex, you won," she crouched down slightly and hugged him gently and slowly.
"I... won? Really?!
"Yes, I'm very grateful to you.
"Ha-ha! I knew it! I knew I could do it!
"I'm sorry you had to see all that.
"It's all good. I saw things I shouldn't have seen too. Oh well, two insecure people trying to act confident in front of others. It's funny.
"Everyone has fears and doubts. There's nothing unusual about that.
"How about after all this, we...
She was unable to finish her happy thought because her consciousness abruptly returned to the real world. Alex had fallen asleep and was now being transported by Raven's telekinesis to a separate room. She decided to stay close and assumed a simple meditation position. Except that her body was slightly suspended in the air. She still needed to keep her emotions under control, considering that her father, Trigon, was inside the red diamond-shaped crystal seal on her forehead.
***
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