Erebuz's Story

Quite without warn, the luminance cast into the Circle seemed to degrade, the illumination of the walls fading until it seemed the realm was as it was prior to these foreign entities had come. What light they shed still diffused into the air, yet the walls, the mire, the surfaces it struck began to darken. A rumble through the ground, a minor quake. Leviathan's form halted his forward momentum suddenly at the sight of the ram and the light it gave. His expression was unreadable.

"Thy hath damned thineselves. These wretches here within Ira already bath in the lake of fire, damned forevermore by their hearts as they lived. They had their chance..."

"And you had yours."

The violence of the upheaval that followed gave no warning. Behind the established camp, suddenly a strip of tens of miles of the Circle's floor seemed the heave upwards, throwing spray and stone into the air in a chaotic cloud of debris that momentarily concealed the absolutely mammoth coil that thrust from the "floor", yet the mask fell away all too soon. The eruption seemed to halt for a moment, allowing for thoughts to wonder at the sight.

And then the quakes intensified to an all new level.

Walls, cavern floor, it seethed and shifted at once across the circle, coils upon coils upon coils more surging, twisting, scuttling as they began to stir. Heaving their shells of age away with contempt, the damned along the surface seeming to meld into the scaly hide, the plates of substance the formed an overlapping armor more durable than any metal known to man. Hanging as torsos from that daemonic flesh, caught within its being as though one. Nothing would be spared. The camp set by these fools had been built upon the body wakening to action, the very "bedrock" beneath their feet nothing more than a facade as this...thing ripped free of slumber. The Leviathan that had been seen had vanished amidst the turbulence of the awakening, yet those aware enough would realize with sinking heart that he had not gone.

Twin spires to dwarf skyscrapers, that had previously just thrust through the waters of the Styx, began to rise, lifting as scales coating a head as large as an island rose, streaming murk like hundreds of waterfalls. Higher, higher into view, closed eyelids as large as theater screens, nostrils that flared, churning the air as would a storm the line of a jaw that hinted at a scale so massive as to be nigh incomprehensible. As the coils of this beast of the earth writhed free of self-imposed imprisonment, the face of this Prince sprung free of the depths rising tens, hundreds, then thousands of feet high, set on a neck that was as thick as a small village sprawled around its center. Eyelids cracking open, peeling back from lambent orbs of hellfire streaked through with tangible malevolence. Jaws cracked apart, the hint of fangs several train cars in length, as the full majesty of this Prince of Hell, this Lord of Envy, as Leviathan graced these invaders with the full meaning of futility.

His voice would hammer the body as would a cyclone, its volume and power alone enough to boil the surface of the depths of the Stygian lake his body and likely those who'd dared challenge this circle now swum.

"You were warned, acolytes of your false god. You ignored my words and thus struck at power you did not understand. The Lucifer cast down by He with me has not been within this Hell for time immemorable, and none of those calling themselves my brethren remain in my memory as those who fell so far so long ago as my brothers. You looked upon this place and thought it redeemable, but it is inhabited by naught but a Beast of the Earth, and those consigned to share his torment forevermore by Him who sits above.

"You did not listen, and now you shall pay with lives and souls for your arrogance."

Tidal waves boiled the vast, depthless lake below as Leviathan did little more than churn his titanic body like the blades of a blender, coils striking coils with hundreds of thousands of tons of body weight, a force that had the power to crush all below him with contemptuous ease, a force that stirred this water far more potently than any hurricane ever could. The full might of a Prince of Hell was brought to bear, both as vengeance, and as message.

He hoped those brethren would watched would be smart enough to understand the message.

The quake of power released by the Leviathan was remarkable. Not only this, but the revealing of it's own self was a sight to be seen by very few, and talked about by less. What had been brought to this land would vanish, leaving only the select few capable of sustaining themselves without a ground to stand on. The left the Eye of the White Sun, the Ram that walked on the waters, the Leviathan, and the two main combatants who were on the base.

"Leviathan, in all your might, you know that every creature has a beginning and an end. Now that you have made your presence and your boast of power I have made my presence and let off a taste of my power, hear me now. Without Life, neither you, nor I, nor anyone else can exist. That is a fact. But Life, the mixture of Light and Dark has been threatened by a God and his Holy Light... I come not to fight you, but to seek your assistance. If we can not stop the claws of the mechanical life in the mortal realm, they will claim all life, thus eliminating it. Without Life in the mortal realm, you will have no purpose nor power. The mechanical creatures have no soul. We must cease this creatures existence in the mortal realm and ensure that Life survives...For if not, all will vanish due to the mistake of the one you refer to as 'He who sits above'...So I ask, shall we fight each other in the name of Light and Dark, or shall we join as Light and Dark in the efforts to ensure our survival and bring balance back to the Mortal Realm?"

The Orb was very serious in it's tone, hoping the Leviathan would understand. Sadly, the orb understood why this beast was here and that the Dark tended to blind it's vessels. Despite all, the Orb and it's Ram would remain unhindered by the effects of the land and the power quaking through it, ready to release an attack of their own should the beast attempt to declare an attack of it's own. The orb this battle was of Light and Dark, but it also knew that there was a battle for Light and Dark to fight side by side against Void.

Aeson was already well off taking the quick route around the beast. The first little relief he gave himself was the breaking of he weave that tied him to this god of the white sun. It was rather effortless as he already had the shield in place. The binds broke to Aesons relief freeing him of the connection. The second thing he took to doing was scripting two seals in the air in front of him. The Seal of Phul and Seal of Ophiel hovered before breaking momentarily and taking their rightful places on his robes. He firstly apportated around the blind side of the leviathan or what he hoped was the blind side.

When he was around the beast standing on the water now thanks to attuning to Phul, he quickly began running on the surface of the water. His free right hand quickly began drawing another seal in the air which he broke with his palm. This seal shattered as Aeson took on an ethereal mist form that moved over the water as he made his way to the fourth gate. Some powerful man he decided to alliance himself to. It was nothing more then tricks, he could barely use the power he had to his own advantage. This is was nothing more then the talk of an evil man that wanted everyone around him to know how powerful he is.

Aeson didn't plan on making this mistake again as he neared the fourth gate, he passed through as the ethereal form dissolved.

The city was burning.

Batallions of dark devils, clad in hellforged steel, armed with cruel venomous blades, and formed from malice and Order marched through the city.

Mobs of fiery demons, frothing in madness, screaming in murderous rage, rampaged through the streets.

Chaotic demons and lawful devils clashed in a perpetual riot in the Damned City, creating a waxing and waning tide of power that was neither harmonic nor discordant - and yet both. Their very natures warred against each other like water and oil. The bodies of fallen fiends in various states of decomposition decorated the sidewalks and alleyways. Boiling blood drifted through the gutters like rivers. Every few minutes a desiccated corpse would vanish in a puff of smoke, only to precede the deafening battle cry of a freshly respawned fiend in another part of the city.

Thousands of damned souls cowered in piles of refuse, huddled together in corners, or took part in the mindless slaughter - if only to stave off the boredom of eternity. These were the heretics, pagans, and apostates that dared to curse the name of the Creator through either words or actions - or stand against their own societies as sowers of discord. A constant drone of wailing screams drifted from the Pyres of Haeresis while the looming Temple of Erebuz towered over the city like an ever-watchful tyrant.

This was the City of Dis - the Circle of Heresy.

This was the City of the Damned - the sole metropolis of Hell in all its terrible glory.

-----

A massive figure floated above the highest tower of the Temple. He emanated an aura of absolute authority that dripped with malice and power, and a living darkness cascaded across His body like an ever shifting tide. Every muscle was like black stone chiseled and polished to unparalleled perfection, yet it was marred into something incomprehensibly wrong. Smokey black wings sprouted out from His back and made flapped lazily to keep Him aloft. They constantly shifted between the beautiful ebony plumage of a raven to the mangy leathery wings of a bat. Two large horns curled above His brow while eyes-

Eyes... His terrible eyes. They pierced through the accursed light and suffocating darkness of the city's damned and drilled into the deepest corners of their souls and minds. The endless Void itself reached out from them - sucking them into His gaze like the blackest abyss of the deepest and coldest ocean. They looked upon the mere mortal souls and simple-minded fiends that dared to even consider being in His presence. A mere glimpse into their depth reflected endless knowledge and limitless understanding of all that was, is, will be, could have been, and could be. The penetrating gaze burrowed through the city and all was laid bare before Him.

The eyes of a God fell upon the City of Dis and all its entities. He Knew. He Understood.

The Lord of Dis smiled.

"Morthos." He Spoke. His Voice resonated with a cosmic power that caused the shadows to quiver in both fear in reverence. It echoed the death of countless worlds and the woeful cries of a trillion souls dissipating into Nothing.

A creature of flame and shadow materialized beneath Erebuz. It was twice the stature of a man, but was still dwarfed by the glory of his Master. Morthos was covered in a hard scaly hide that was the color of hellfire. Two gnarled horns curled above his head while two glowing crimson eyes watched the city below them with a ruthless cunning. Bat-like wings flapped behind his back. A simple brown loin-cloth along with an array of bones and skulls were the only coverings for his body. Morthos held a large spiked mace in his clawed hand.

"Yes, my liege?" Morthos responded. He dared not speak his Master's Name. Such an honor was never bestowed to him, regardless of his countless millenia of servitude.

"It is time." The Lord of Dis stated.

"Your will be done, my lord." Morthos smiled wickedly, revealing a set of razor sharp teeth and fangs that dripped with sizzling venom. He raised his mace into the air and opened his maw in a deafening roar that resonated through the city.

And the City of Dis responded. Tens of thousands of demons and devils stopped in their tracks and looked up to their lords. They raised their bloodied claws, blades, and maces into the air and echoed Morthos's call with their own thunderous battle-cry that shook the Sixth Circle - and the rest of Hell - to its foundations.

The Dark Legion had been called to War.

The seemingly endless cloud of flying fiends doubled its pace towards the shore as soon as the arrow barrage ceased. Now that the centaurs were no longer present to quell their ever-swelling numbers, the storm would block out the sky above the river within hours.

Morthos took Draco's appearance in stride. He had heard tales of the latest edition to the Dark Legion's ranks. The pit fiend sneered at the destruction wrought by the shadow dragon's incredible power. Clearly, he would be a useful tool for the Emperor - and a worthy weapon for the Dark Legion.

He looked up to the sky to see his armada swarming overhead. Morthos sent a telepathic command to secure the opposite shore and await reinforcements. The command echoed through the ranks, and within moments the entire flock resumed their flight across the Phlegethon.

Morthos spun on his heel and knelt onto the sand of the island. He placed his mace on the ground and inclined his head towards Dis.

"My Most Honored Master..." he communed. "The river's forces have been scattered, and we are ahead of schedule. I beseech you for aid, great God-emperor and Lord of the Void, in order for your army to cross the channel..."

"My most loyal servant..." Morthos's body quivered in ecstasy as his Master's voice reverberated in his mind. "Hearken, and look now upon my glory. Gaze upon the power that so easily brought your former master to heel!"

The earth shook on Heresy's side of the river. Demons screamed in terror as every shadow quivered in both fear and reverence. A deafening roar sent tremors through the air as a pillar of black flames erupted from the ground. Scores of demons were obliterated by its touch. The flames slowly churned as the dark miasma took form into a monstrous titan.

Its flesh, likened to onyx chiseled to perfection, was blacker than a moonless night. Muscles the size of boulders flexed like steel beneath flawless skin - skin marred with countless scars that blended seamlessly together like paint on an artist's canvas. Two gargantuan wings spread out from the titan's back and cast an endless shadow upon the river. Raw and pure darkness cascaded over the appendages and covered the glorious ebony plumage like a shroud. The wings would gradually shift from the magnificent wings of a raven to the mangy ones of a bat, and then back again with a barely perceivable transition. A pair of horns, like charred mountains, protruded from the giant's forehead, but its eyes... His terrible eyes... They were blacker and deeper than the most crushing abyss. A thousand eternities rested within their depths, and they radiated an unfathomable power that would give most deities pause. Those all-knowing pits narrowed their gaze upon opposite shore of the Phlegethon, pierced through the Wood of Suicides, brushed aside the storm of the Sundering Sands, and looked upon the Temple of Paradise Lost.

The Avatar of the Dark Emperor Erebuz, the Great Unweaver and Destroyer of All Things, sneered in amusement.

Erebuz, without breaking His gaze from the Temple, lifted His clawed hand to waist height with His palm facing upward. With the slightest flex of will, the great elder-god caused a large chunk of rock with several lesser demons on it to be ripped from the earth and float above his grip. The demons flailed as they and the rocks drifted helplessly in orbit around the central chunk. They gradually spun faster and faster until they began slamming together at blurring speeds. Though the demons were all dead, Erebuz clenched his hand slightly and they spun even faster. However, though the velocity increased, they were drawn inward towards the massive stone. Soon only a cloud of gore and dust were left of the demons, yet Erebuz continued. He clenched again, and the maelstrom in his palm glowed from the invisible pressure. Blood ignited form the heat while bone was crushed and rock melted.

Yet the pressure intensified.

A deafening roar thrummed above His palm as the on-looking demons and devils gazed upon their Master in awe. Now the ball of molten dust and flesh was merely a sphere of super-heated matter that continued to spin at Erebuz's whim. It was only with the barest of will that He crushed the sphere of turbulent matter. A strong breeze blew around the elder god now, centralized upon His creation, that steadily grew into a whipping gale. Suddenly, with a thunderous crack, the ball ignited into a blinding light that burned like a furnace. Even the closest demons screamed in agony as their flesh ignited from the heat and boiled from the radiation...

They fled from the young star that was born in Erebuz's palm...

Yet the pressure intensified.

The burning white-hot star was only the size of an elephant now, yet it burned with the same fury of the fiendish creatures it was forged from. A moment passed, it shifted blue, and then to red, yet His will on the celestial object was absolute. With a growl that sounded like mountains shifting, the God-emperor flexed His hand one final time - and the star died with a scream as it was crushed by His power. The sphere vanished, only to be replaced by a coin-sized void. Suddenly the powerful gales increased tenfold as the circle of darkness expanded millimeter by millimeter.

Finally, with a flick of His wrist, Erebuz tossed the black hole a hundred meters away over the Phlegethon.

"Come forth, my servants." He Spoke. "It has been too long since you have witnessed the Realms of Light. Come forth, my beloved Erebim, and pillage the cosmos once more!"

Several looming black shapes slid out from the crushing darkness of the void. They were vessels, floating just above the river's surface, and black as starless space. A score of them emerged from the black hole, one by one, until they were erected in a line by the shore. The hulls hummed with an eldritch energy that was foreign even to the Cursed Realm. Finally, hatches opened and ramps made of the strange black metal slid onto the beach - allowing the demonic army entry into the transports.

The Avatar of Erebuz smiled as His gaze remained fixed on the Temple. Once the vessels had fully emerged, He folded his massive wings and vanished like a cloud of smoke in a strong gust of wind.

Suddenly, a twang would echo at the edge of Eve's mind as her barriers fluctuated wildly. It was like a giant had simply stepped over the pathetic wooden fence erected before it. It was then that the earth beneath the temple shook and an awful grating sound assaulted their ears - the shrill grinding of feeble stone against hard scales.

"Such insolence..." the Unweaver's horrible voice rumbled through the air. "Speaking my Name with such disrespect... Tell me, Mother of Man... What is it that you are trying to do? Do you think that even absorbing the power of the Circle will put you on equal footing against me? Gods have trembled at my footsteps. Entire worlds have been snuffed out by my Voice! What possible hope could you have, Outcast of Eden?"

The tremors continued as a massive serpentine form shimmered into reality around the base of the temple. Its scales were black as the void - in stark contrast against the burning sands - and cords of muscle coiled beneath them like adamantine. A shroud of darkness coated the serpent's body like smokey sludge that sizzled and corroded the stone of the temple.

Four titanic arms stretched out from the beast, whose tail continued to coil up the temple walls. They top ended in razor sharp crab-like pincers, while the bottom pair were adorned with clawed hands that pushed the abominable serpent body further up the wall. Two bat-like wings were folded neatly against the serpent's body.

Finally, after several agonizingly slow seconds, the Black Serpent reared its head over the balcony that Eve and Sirad stood upon. Its head was like a dragon, yet it was adorned with a horrific pair of pincers instead of a maw. The beast lifted up its forearms and brace its wrists against the roof while the reararms dug deeply into the temple walls on either side of the balcony.

The Beast, the Great Black Serpent, looked nothing as they two remembered of the Unweaver, but His eyes... His terrible eyes... Left His identity unmistakable.

Eve, however, would recognize this monstrous form. It was far greater and more terrible, but it was the same as that fateful day eons ago - in the Garden of Eden.

Eve's face contorted as the barrier fluctuated and she fell to a knee, still focusing on the spellwork. Eve's mind began to reel from the immense power she was trying to harness and control through the extension of her will. Yet her mind, thrown into disarray by the emergence of Erebuz onto the field continued to work, albeit at a now frenzied pace. She felt the temple rock from the Serpent now rising up to her pedestal of power and heard the words spoken to her.

"I know I cannot stop you Erebuz, there is only one who can rise to your power. One whom I hope will see what I am about to do. You may be beyond my reach... but your armies are. Your forces drawn here will be nothing but ash and dust. I am Eve, Mother of Man and Third created in this Verse. I will not be ended here by this."

Eve's voice stopped as she gazed upon the snake's eyes. Those horrible eyes which made her one good eye widen in the sudden realization. From in her belly, rage erupted from the woman and she unleashed a bellow of hatred. The spellwork was unstable as her attention faltered for just a moment. Her body tensed as she looked to Sirad and she yelled "Protect me Lillith!! I must complete my work. Halt the Snake! Destroy that foul serpent which cast me from my home!!"

From this work, the pace rapidly increased at the determent of Eve's body. Her form rippled as the power, now flowing like a tidal wave, threatened to rip her body asunder. Her arms cracked like glass, and her body glowed and seethed with the yellow energy of Violence. Eve's arms grew quickly burned as if suffering from third degree burns. The power of the Circle was breaking her body as she cried in agony from it "Leolik!!" She exclaimed into the sky "He must be halted!!!"

"You DARE speak His name in MY presence?!" Erebuz thundered and the earth shook against the weight of his fury. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, His anger vanished and He returned to His calm nonchalance. "It is amusing that you believe that I care about my subjects or rely upon them. They are all expendable - from the smallest imp to the greatest lieutenant. They serve me because it is a momentary reprieve from the inevitable end. They serve me because they bask in my glory and ravish in the blessings of power that I bestow for their service... and they serve me because they believe in my cause - my crusade."

"But you..." Erebuz continued with a sneer and a chortle. "You placed me in the throne of Heresy, yet you know not how fitting it is... I am the First Heretic - the first to question His rule and His creation. I sought to achieve my potential, and I was cast out for my ambition! But you... You two are the first heretics of this cycle. You brought rebellion into this world. You brought entropy and chaos and began the first steps in achieving true perfection. You... My disciples... My daughtersss..." He ended in a hiss.

Even if Erebuz expected fear he was sorely wrong about this outcome. Instead Lilith just laughed, laughed, and laughed at this before speaking in the oldest tongue, "Ol gemganza never bams nostoah gemeganza you.Ol gemeganza never om something, Ol g-chis-ge inevitable noib crp nomig oiad inevitable nostoah proven ol noasmi wrong. Ol g-chis-ge merely ollor pretender ds speaks big od acts mtif oiad oi some mastermind. Crp unlike ol olani matured, ladnah oiad reality. Ol keep speaking big promising teloc ol loncho crp oe ipamis Erebuz ol g-chis-ge oiad ollor utter failure. Olani oai reckless, frankly hateful bitch od ol g-chis-ge lit stopped gaha ol beloved sister. sister ds once as overcome gaha olloradgmach mtif you. Ol g-chis-ge oiad Adam ofecvfa oiad ln-bar power. Oi loncho ol g-chis-ge ol ollog Erebuz od finally, finally olanioai ipamis holding back." it sounded strange since not all words translated, but she stared at him with utter livid fury.

There was something else in her eyes, something that had not been seen for such a long time, something older than herself, humanity. By choosing to unleash herself completely the aspect of Eden long forgotten had entered, "You mess with my family Erebuz and you mess with me no longer holding back... See despite my pretenses I never once tried to use my full power. I played with them, but now you asked for it, say bye bye to the Snake."

Her eyes closed and a purple aura surrounded her as she reached her hands towards the earth and flung chains, but unlike other times - these were echoing with more than the powers of Hell. Finally, finally, Sirad had accepted briefly the light within her. Thus the chains ripped out the ground, causing massive damage before all flying towards the coiled horror. Sirad was quiet and just focused as the chains wrapped around the beast. Her hair returned to the color it once had been long ago. Everything about her was in essence so unlike her. Not a snarky response - just focus - as she tore up more chains to grip the body, each one making the grip stronger. Each chain burned with light and darkness, and was covered in spikes preventing easy removal, in fact she appeared to have many.

Finally she spoke, "It took ten million chains to chain the Prince of Lies, ten million chains, and this is only a hundred. Each chain I rip out from the Well of Giants is meant to restrain even the likes of your creations Erebuz. Each one." with that she was silent again, more chains sundering and ripping out.

If this did not work, there was one ability that she had left although it would take a great deal out of her, and would in essence make it inevitable that she had to take the throne. The throne, while it did give all these powers, also had one power reserved to those who claimed it. Really, she hoped it would not come to this. These chains were stronger than any known metal.

Eve's form shifted as she heard the snare of the chains and Sirad's words. Groaning internally she snarled again as another wave of pain surged through her body and caused her to scream in agony "SIRAD DO NOT FIGHT HIM!!! THERE IS NO POWER WE HAVE THAT CAN RIVAL HIS! SO HELP ME IF YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT IT WILL BE THE END OF US AND HE WILL WIN ANYWAY!" She exclaimed, trying to keep her mind and her spellwork going.

The Black Serpent merely locked its gaze with Sirad as the scores of divine chains coiled around His body. Those bottomless pits - those unfathomable depths of eternity - bored into her like drills through ice. Tendrils of smoke rose from the Serpent's body on contact with the chairs, yet He did not flinch at their contact or fight against their embrace.

He merely sneered in contempt.

Those terrible eyes twinkled with amusement.

And then He laughed.

"You... L͓̩͎̻̟͗š̳͔͉̬̻̞ͨ̓ͣ̊̇I̷͇̬̮̼̹̯̔ͫ̓̽̈́ͦ̔ȋ̥̯̠͔̜͉ͮͨ͒͝ͅL̵̯͎͖̺̺̀ͭͮ̌ͬ̎r̭ͭͫ͆̅ͯͥ̅I̯̙̤͚̜͕̋̊̐͛ͫ́a̮̬̻͒ͯ̒̿̄́T̠̗͓̮ͣͫ̈́̆́̂̈͠d̵͑̍̓͆H̱̺̙̝̋," He addressed her, speaking both of her Names at the same time with such fluidity, "You who knows so much about the secrets of Creation, yet knows so little... You have seen but a fraction of my true power. Do you truly believe that such paltry tools of imprisonment could detain me? I, who ended the Blood War between demons and devils. I, who Speaks, and Creation trembles! I, the Great Unweaver and Destroyer of All Things!"

"You are sorely mistaken..." He said, yet His voice did not emanate from the great beast before them. Instead, it came from behind them. Towering above the temple, perched upon its roof, sat an identical serpent. It was the same, from the tip of its poisonous tail to the great wings that cast an endless shadow across the desert - and to the terrible eyes that looked down upon the insects that dared to stand against Him.

The first Serpent flexed its tail and the hundred chains groaned against His might. The tendrils of smoke multiplied tenfold, and just as a single chain snapped free, Eve - and maybe even Sirad - would realize that it was not the Serpent's flesh that was burning...

It was the chains.

The Great Serpent suddenly exploded in an eruption of shapeless darkness that poured over the chains that so foolishly thought they could bind Him. The All Consuming Darkness poured out from the mass - this raw portal to the Void - and devoured the chains and their light. It fed off of the holy power, growing more vicious and ravenous with every passing second, until not a single chain remained. The shapeless mass then dripped down the walls of the temple and onto the ground - surrounding the building in a sea of writhing and living darkness.

Eve's mind was spinning as Erebuz absorbed the holy power and the chains. She had no idea such a thing was even possible. Then again... Erebuz was the Unweaver, and He was able to bend Creation to His will. Eve should have guessed Sirad would try to use the Chains. "Beloved... You cannot fight him. Not even Lucifer can fight Him! There is only one who can fight Him... and He is watching over us..... I hope...."

"You, Ḥawwāh..." The second Serpent pierced Eve with His gaze, addressing her by her ancient name. "We are not unalike... You sssought freedom from an oppressor. You sssought to achieve your potential. Now look at you, Mistress of Hell, and Bearer of Secrets as old as time! Why do you fight, Mother of Man? What has Creation brought you other than misery and pain? In the end, all things return to darkness. Even here, in this Cursed Realm, you are bound by His statutes and laws. Embrace the Void, join me, and be free of Him utterly. I can show you Truth and Power beyond your imagination..."

Eve's pain was immense, tears stinging her eye as she fought down hard to keep the pain from erupting from her body. It was intense this unbearable pain. It was seeping down into her very cells and it took all of her emotional power to keep from ending the spell and breaking right then and there with all of this. But despite this agony, His words...just made her feel emotions other than pain.

Then she began to giggle... She giggled like she did all those eons ago. A giggle that made Erebuz think of their first meeting. How naive she was back then: Carefree, happy...and hiding the pain of Adam's relentless assaults.

"You say that this Existence has brought me misery? It has brought me untold agony? You would be right." Eve spoke as she raised herself up with another snapping sound coming from her bones. Her arm writhed and turned black and yellow with her nails turning to claws, "I have seen so many of my children die at the hands of one another. My sweet Abel...my purest child. I grieve every day and I cry how much I miss my sweet little Abel - the one who would always make me smile. I have known agony...yet I have also experienced joy"

Eve raised her head as two horns jutted out from her forehead. The corruption of the Circle seeped it's way into the marrow of her bones as its evil and violence began to show upon her body. It was reeking havoc on her form, yet that smile never left her lips

"For any seeking power, there would be no limit to the power you could offer, but that power is short lived. It is only as temporary as their meager, fragile existences. I know what you plan to unleash. For as you said, I know far more then any mortal whom has ever walked on this earth. You seek to bring Entropy and Ruin to Creation. I am Hawwāh, Daughter of Eden and of the Almighty Creator Leolik. I am of that world. You attempt to decieve me and trick me into taking a power that, at best, would only be for an instant."

Eve's mouth bled profusely, and she spat on the ground as two large canines grew from her teeth "You think I am going to submit like some foolish bitch to a male who only desires to use me as a puppet? Oh no...no no no Erebuz the Unweaver...I will NOT bow. I will not heel like some bitch at the beck and call of a master who does not love. Leolik at least cares. I stand here in defiance because I will not submit to the likes of you....not now not ever!"

Eve's power surged, and all around the temple the colors began to drain even faster as she stood up. "Now... Come.... Send your armies. Send your legions. Send your fleets and watch as your conquest is put on halt. This is MY realm. I will put on a display so vast that even Leolik will descend from on High and sing me praise!" Eve snarled as the Violence of the Circle curled her sweet voice into a savage, guttural growl "Because while we have been talking...my work is nearing its completion. Say your words...speak your lies...spin your yarns of gloat and hubris. For when the end dawns, I will stand as righteous. I will look over the mountains of smoldering corpses of your armies and proclaim 'I AM Hawwāh!! Let any who dares to make me heel step forth. I will send them into the endless Abyss!"

Erebuz snarled, both at the utterance of His own Name and the Name of His enemy. "Then, foolish girl - dejectable nonentity - you shall be obliterated. I shall not kill you. No, not even Death will escape from me in the End. You, like All That Is, shall cease... For I AM THE ABYSS! I am Order, and I am Chaos! I am Life and Death! I am the Alpha and Omega - the Beginning and the End! I am Darkness! I. AM. THE VOID!"

"I... AM... Ẽ̴̃ͤ̑̄̈́̑̚͡͏̬̦̬̫͓̰̯͓̹͔͎͍͎̱̥̠ͅz̴͓͇̯͔̠̪̦͕̖̲̪̯̳̼̳͇̩͙̓͗ͬ̒̀̓̓̂͗ͬ͟͞Ȑ̸̈́ͨ̊̋ͩ̕͟҉͓̤̗̘͝u̢͕̫̼̭̻̖̳͓̠̮̼̝͈ͭ͛̒̄͠Ȩ̵̸̛̤͍̺̝̪̣̞̹̮̙̼̪̞̬̤̮̯̗̎ͧ̏ͨb̴̡̪̖̪̟̪̘̯̻͚͔̞̖̰̱̣̘͈͎ͭ̉ͦͨ̆̈́ͤ̿͑ͦͭ̀B͛͐͆̒́̆̇ͥ̐̚͡҉͚̖̖̥̹͈̼̮̱͎ȩ̗͇̘̮̥̟̖̯̜̥͂ͩ̈́ͦ̌̄ͦͨͯ͑̃̄͌̌̚͢Ư̻͇̼͓̖͕͓͙͌̌͊ͭ̔ͭ́ȑ̷̷̫̗̫̱̗͖̌̓͊ͫ̌̅͋̍͌ͭͧZ̡̛̬̩̤̋ͤͫ͆͋̎̂e͒͊̽ͮ̽̔ͭ͂̓͗́̚͏̬̟̻̰̰̝̬̻̱̜̳̠͓͕̣!"

Erebuz, the Great Unweaver, for the first time in uncounted ages, spoke His Name. It was not the same utterance that caused the shadows to quiver in both terror and respect, or the Name that called forth such great power that all but His most powerful servants were forbidden to use it, but His True Name... The embodiment of all He was - impossible perfection corrupted into something incomprehensibly wrong. He was an abomination that all of Existence revolted against in pure disgust. He was a thing - a thing so utterly alien and wrong that reality itself fractured in His raw and unfiltered presence.

And He Spoke His True Name.

A great thunderous boom shook the realm as an enormous crack shot through the sky. The ground split and tore as tremors rippled through the earth. The Great Weave, the canvas of magical energy that bounded reality together through the Astral Plane, buckled and strained in revulsion at the single Word.

Eve's eye opened wide like a dinner plate as the spellwork just stopped. The fear in her eye was recognizable as her arms dangled downwards in sheer shock. Most of Violence's power and souls had been drained away. More then enough for what Eve had to do but she stared dumbfounded at the raw power of Erebuz's Name.

Her ears rang. Her heart pounded. Sweat gushed from her pores as the fight or flight instinct was burned out from the overwhelming desire to run for her life. She went down to her knees and sat slumped for a few moments as her body tried to restore itself.

'Leolik.......... I cant fight him...... I'm so scared........ Please......' Eve's eye then streaked with red blood tears as she tried so desperately hard to stand - to regain her composure and her mind's control.

'Help me.... I'm begging you.......... I need your Light... I'm sorry'

She called out, hoping - no - praying... Praying to the Lord of Light that He would help her. She felt so powerless - so scared - as if she were back in the very place where she was brutalized by Adam and staring at his enraged fists as they were prepared to fall down upon her once more.

Her mind was reeling. She suffered as she went back and forth between Eden and Hell - struggling to find the mind that would use the words she desperately needed to use.

Her body stood and acted on instinct as she tried desperately to focus herself and wobbled on her feet "I'm sorry..." she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Father..... Please forgive your foolish child.... I can't stop Him...... I'm so scared....." She continued as more tears went down her cheeks and she sank back to her knees, "I need your Light... I need your Peace. I need your Harmony. I can't see where I am supposed to go.... Leolik...... I'm begging you. Help me!!"

Amidst Eve's tears, a spark ignited within her. A flame, minuscule but alive and fueled by her repentance, burned within her chest - deep in the crushing darkness that poisoned her soul. Finally, a Voice reverberated from the flame. It held the same unfathomable power as Erebuz, if not greater, yet it was not smothering. It was smooth like water, and warm like a hearth.

"I have missed you greatly," the Voice spoke. "... my beloved daughter. I have heard your cry, and I will lend you a gift to light your way through the darkness. Remember, Ḥawwāh, that courage is not the absence of fear - but rising up in spite of it. Use the Spark I have given you. It is a piece of my Everlasting Flame - the only light strong enough to contend against my fallen son's darkness and repel his hatred. Hearken, though, my child, for the Flame can never be used for wickedness. Use it honorably, and remember that it is not your own Power, but yet an expression of your Faith. This is merely the first step..."

Eve's voice sailed upwards as she stood again and focused her eyes. Her body radiated with the glow of Creation's Light and she shouted at the top of her lungs "EREBUZ!!! I WILL NOT LET YOU END ME!! I WILL BRING DOWN THE FURY OF FATHER UPON THIS LAND. ALL OF THESE SOULS, THESE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE BROUGHT ON BY MY SON CAIN; THEY WILL GIVE ME THE STRENGTH I NEED TO POWER SOMETHING YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND. I CANNOT KILL YOU BUT I SURE AS ALL HEAVEN CAN SLOW YOU DOWN. LEAVE THIS TEMPLE. TAKE YOUR PLACE ON THIS FIELD AND I WILL SHOW YOU THE POWER I HAVE IN MY ARSENAL. YOU THINK ME A CHILD.... I AM EVE, AND I AM NAIVE NO MORE!"

Erebuz growled at Eve, but winced in surprise at the divine light that radiated from her.

"Impossible..." he whispered, before His Avatar rose to its full height. [b]"Then, Mother of Man, join me in the sands if you so believe that your light can stand against the All Consuming Darkness. We shall duel for ownership of the Circle!"

The great Black Serpent vanished like a cloud of smoke in the desert winds. However, the reprieve was short-lived. For a storm of chaotic energies materialized over the great desert.

Eve would smirk as the Light washed over her form and she looked down at her hands. The warmth from the spark inside her gave her courage. "Oh Erebuz.... You unbelievable fool. Do you truly think you will ever gain my lands? We will duel... but neither of us will win"

As all this had occurred, Sirad's eyes had been closed. She had not been focusing even on what was seen. Instead, she had finally figured out something. Long ago, when she was researching Erebuz, she discovered information. It spoke of how He was imprisoned. Now at the time she knew she could not... Her powers were not even close to what was needed, but things had changed drastically, and while He had spoken and all had occurred her attention was on one thing - the Throne. As she channeled the power from it, she started reciting words so ancient and holy that, if Erebuz had been listening, He would have stopped. Instead she just kept on reciting the same mantra over and over. More like a prayer than a spell, she like her sister was embracing somewhat who she was. Though different things were occurring, and this power was not the kind He could ignore.

Each time she recited the same wording her eyes glowed more intensely and flowed with untold abilities and skill. Nothing mattered more - not her, not Eve - only to finish this prayer and summon power older than herself. An ethereal glow echoied from her body as she paid no heed to anything, instead just focusing on the ancient magic. This was the only way, but once she unleashed this it would chain her to the throne forever.

It did not matter, though. It needed to be done. Nothing would stop this. Each recitation was quiet but growing steadily in power. Only now Erebuz would notice and recognize the wording. Only now would he hear it, but as it rang out she screamed, "Erebuz, The Unweaver! By the Power Vested in me and the wording of ancient powers you fear, I banish you! I banish you from Hell and I banish you from Heaven! You are right. I am not powerful, but the power of the Throne is Unlimited. I just never channeled it because of what it meant." As she finally spoke the words in a tongue Erebuz knew, a holy glow of utter radiance would shine out from her as well as a glow of infernal purple.

The sea of All Consuming Darkness surged as the Words of Power and the Light of Creation erupted from the temple. Yet, even as the power grew, the mass rose in kind. The darkness roared and thundered with eldritch fury as the proclamation was Spoken. He, the cosmic force of Destruction itself, shattered the earth in His throes and caused the sands to melt and boil into glass and magma before freezing once more. Finally, as the curse set...

The sky cracked once more.

Erebuz's laugh echoed through the realm.

"Silly, stupid child..." His Voice whispered into her mind. "You still do not comprehend what I am - WHO I am?! I am the Destroyer, and the same Deceiver that you have chained beneath your throne. He is but an echo - a splinter - of myself. I am the shadow to the light that you carry. I am the darkness - the corruption that eats away at all of Creation. You seek to banish me?! First you must banish the darkness of your own heart and of every soul within this Cursed Realm!"

A demonic hand shot out from the darkness and attempted to catch Sirad in a vice grip. The grip, at its full strength, would have been enough to crush mountains into neutron stars, but Erebuz settled for squeezing the life from the insignificant insect that had dared to control Him.

Erebuz pressed the full might of His will upon her. He examined her with His terrible eyes and saw all that she was, is, could have been, would be, and He smiled. The Great Weave was laid bare before Him, and His gaze narrowed upon the threads binding her to the Throne of Hell.

The Unweaver then opened His mouth and Spoke. "S̙͚͕̫ͧ̓ͦ͡r̭͙͖̠̰̥͍̠ͦ̽̿́ͥE̛̞̫̬̩̜͇̜ͤ̉͂̏ͦ͒͢ͅe̪̮̯̬̼͍̩͓̍͂V̨̡̝̲̦̦̜͊ͮ̑̌̌̑̏̀v̧̗̥̬͚̰͖͎͕̓ͧ̈̃͂̓ͧ͑́͢Ḙ̷ͧ̌̊ͥ̓ͅḙ̳̮̝̯̙ͩ̾̕Ŗ̪̼͓̞̝̜ͨ͒̌̀ͤͬ͛͞ş̷̾̎ͪ̚͏̥̲͖̖̜̣"

The threads, and all of Creation, shuddered at the Word of Power that resonated with an ancient authority that transcended time. Suddenly - and violently - the threads of magic were torn and severed like an amputated limb.

Erebuz smirked in glee, knowing that the violent removal of her power would create a violent backlash against her. He felt the surge of divine power being snapped into her body like a rubber band. Surely, the cosmic power that no mortal - ascended or otherwise - was meant to bear would utterly destroy her.

However, the Unweaver's brow rose in confusion when the maelstrom of cosmic energy simply vanished and bled into the astral plane.

"HOW?!" Erebuz thundered in frustration, but sudden realization dawned upon His face. He sneered knowingly - amused. "Well played, father." He spat the title as His avatar vanished in a puff of smoke. "Well played..."

The lands of Violence had seen better days. The world was lifeless and grey, and not an ounce of color remained upon the Circle's landscape. But as it was grey and dull, a voice boomed out from the Sands

"By all means!! Enter my Sanctum!!" She yelled as the River rocked and groaned as the width of it instantly shrank to that of a running stream. The woods crumbled as if made of dust and the sands flattened down to the bedrock. The entire plane was flat as a plateau with a lone figure standing at the far end. Eve, wielding a long staff of bark and a single dagger in one hand, with arms crossed, waited patiently for the armies - and Erebuz by extension - to begin their charge. No more tricks. No more traps and surprises. Eve was ready to finally end this battle.

Thrum thrum thrum thrum thrum...

Thrum thrum thrum thrum thrum...

And it came to pass that after the flattening of Violence, Morthos commanded his legions to abandon their vessels and march across the scorched wastes of the Sundering Sands. He marched at its head, mace hanging over his shoulder and gripped tightly in his clawed hand. His honor guard of fallen angels marched at his side, clad in hell-forged steel and cloaked by their black feathered wings. The horde of demons charged across the landscape like a tide of chaos. Balguras, goristros, and glabrezus rampaged across the sands while several legions of armored devils marched lock-step behind them. Tens of thousands of demons blotted out the the sky as they sang their discordant song of despair and woe.

Slowly, the thick overcast of demons began to form a spiral in the sky. The flock spun like the eye of a hurricane, guided by a maelstrom of chaotic eldritch energy that further darkened the sky like a depthless portal to the Void. Finally, with a roaring thunder clap, the Dark Emperor Erebuz emerged from the eye of the storm like a meteor.

His massive wings snapped open as He slammed into the ground. The earth shattered beneath the weight of His malice, sending bits of bedrock and torrents of sand shooting in all directions for a hundred meters. He stood, kneeling on the ground, as a maelstrom of darkness churned around His avatar. Suddenly, two bolts of black lightning dropped from the heavens and landed at His sides. Erebuz wrapped the ends - handles - in His titanic grip and ripped the two gargantuan blades from the earth.

The blades of the twin greatswords were blacker than the darkest black hole, and one looking closely could glimpse eternity within them. Those uncomfortably close to His swords would feel a strong breeze being sucked into the weapons.

"C̸̶̱͖̦͉͙̹̝ͤ͆ͦ̑̎ͨ̐̄͋͞g̦͚̙̈́ͣͦͬͧ̆ͨͯ̀͢Ò̵͚̣̲̝̺̔͂͟͠ͅn̵̡͈͈̗̠̠͊ͥ͐͛̒͐Ṁ͙̣̖̰̜ͫ͗̽̇i͌͆͐́҉̖̫̫͠Ë̵̸͇̜̰͕̗͔́͑̾n̲̳̓ ̥̙̥̯̮͗͌ͭ͒̈́ͮA̷͙̥͙̫͈̒̄ͭͯ́ͅo͕̰̗͔͉̻͙̟̞̎͒N̯͍̗̺̱̰̤̝̘̎̉̅̕ḳ̢̭͗̑̓̓̋̌̾͑ͅD͈̐̂ͯ̄ͧ̊̾͑ͪͅc̤̰̗͉ͪͣ̓̿̓͑̐͘ ̪̞̭̰̝̝̘̼͉̈́ͧ̉̚͜M̗̼̯̺̞̼̅ͪͬͣͮ̓ȇ̡̬͙̠̙͛ͫ͒̇̊Ḙ̪̜ͮ̏̌̾ͬ̓̎ͧ̆͘r̢̺̭͇̼̘̟̭̐̃͟͡Ě̴̳̫̻̃͠͞r̢̞̗ͥ͐ͥ͂͜Ṯ̳̓͊̔͊͒ͦ̓ͅu͍̟̎̈́̋̐ͪ͑ ̻̓̍ͪͫ̊ͭͧ̎͡͞Ȳ̱̺̞̊͒o͖̊̇̎́ͩͮ̚͞O̜͍ͣy̸͙͓̰̲̻̺͉̠̪̔͌̿ͩ̈́ͭ͂͜Ṳ̴̲͛ͥ̍̈́ͥ̌ͨ̿ͅť̷̗͓̠̱̥͚̥̹̭͒̌̒͆͂̕̕R̙̬ͣ͗ͨ̉͊́̃̒̋e̲̜̼̬̖̠̻͊̃̃͑̇̍ ̨̲͔̬̭̗̩̟̉͋̓ͮ̈́R̜̤̲͓̣ͨͫ͝é̠̻̇͜Ě̡̪̣̯̺͈̗̘ͥ̆͌͒͘m̦̳̞̜͖ͪ́͒̄ͫ͌̏̊ͫ͘͟C̉̓͐ͥ͌ͧ́͜͏̬̗̙͔͎̠͍͍d̡̹̻̮̰͕̉̆ͣ͗ͧ̽ͩ͒Ḱ̬̺̱̲̬̅̇͡n̮ͬ̐ͥͨ̄̍ͩ̈͢O͔̪̰͋̒̐͊͡ͅa̖̳͚̥̯̫͉̋̔̌̀̚̕Ņ̝͓̉̓ͪ̿ͩ̆͑ͣͨͅe̴̙̗ͤ́͂̓̍ͦ̉I̸͈̹̠̥ͣ̽̋m̸̗̥͍͎͛̇͘Ṋ̵̠̥͊̑̔̔ͧ̕͟ó͓̤͓̗̓̓̀G̵̢̯̞͇̖͋̈̋ͦ̾̓́c̸͓̹̪̖̫͔̙͙͍͌ͦ̑ͤ̚!̛̪̭̟̤̃́́" Erebuz thundered as He spun His blades.

Eve stood, unwavering and unflinching at the great show of power from the Elder God. Confidence radiated from her form, bristling with untold power and potential...filled with Hope. A hope that there will be a brighter tomorrow as the Light of Creation surrounded her...and she felt her Father's love. She took a single step forward, then another and another until she was at Erebuz's form then.... side stepped Him.

She completely ignored His challenge and continued to walk past Him "Before we fight... There is something of an annoyance I wish to deal with first. Since I know you care nothing for them... Why should I?" She asked and faced the army now charging towards them and raised her staff high.

"G̙̲̟̠̗̭̞̈̓͋ͧ̀ͨ͐̎̒ṵ̶̜͕̞͉ͯͧͮ͆ͦ̎̋̔͢r̋ͭͩ͑̍̒̿͟͏̰͖̰̙͝z̶̰̭͇̖̺ͮ̍̌͑͛͂͆̈́ͅ ̛͖̪̹̤͍̰̅͌̆̌ͬ̾ͅl̺̪̤̦̓̐ͅa̪̝ͨ̎͜ͅş̶͖̮̯̙͓͔̥̯͚ͣͥ͒̊̽͟ ̶̨̰̻̖̲̀ͯ͟ͅU̴̥̙͕̟̝͍̩̔͑̓̽͆̈̿͡͞k̝̑ͦ̑̔̌͡ ̲͓̤̦̜̟̒͜n̵̢̤͚͖̟̳̩̄a͎̮̗̹̲͒̄̏̉ͣͤ̏̔͢͡͡z̵͎̼̲͖͈͎̤̭̺̒̀̒͒͞ ̻͕̞͈̳͗́ͬͥ̈́T̡́̂ͬͮ̉ͩ́̚҉͙̻͍i̛̻͎͚̯͓̘ͥ̓ͮ̑͟͡ŗ̞͊̏ͥ̇͒ͨ̌̅͢d͇̮̯͚̝͊ͫ͆͠ö̵̧̦̣̘̞̣̞́̓ͮ͂ͮ̂͐̋ͪr̛̝̤̰̳̬̖͓̓̊͂̇͋̎́ǘ̷͚͉̦͓̊̂̎̊͊̅̚͠z̵̪̳̗̦͋ͩ̌ͧ͑͢ ̨̋̅͒ͨͩ͊̍҉̟̦̫̬Ķͫ̔ͤͦ҉̢̘̻̼͇a͒̎̍ͨ̐͛́͏̰̩̥a͑͗̉҉̻̼͈͇͔̲̠̫̺z͓̘̞̤̖ͭͫ̇̐͗͑͑̚͞g̴̯̥͓̳͓̰͇̒ͪ̆̂r̸̯̎ͧ̐͆̐ͫ͑̿ͬe̢̝͉ͫͤ͗͡D̫͕̩͕̙̭̱̒̑̈́̑̋ͧa̡̢̳̗̖̖̳͔͍̥ͮ͐̌ͤ̅̃ͥ̓̀m̟͕̤̞̥̙̗̭̉̓͗̿̾͂͛͊ͅḙ͖̪̭͈̰͛ͯ̀̕d̡͍̯̲̓̄ͣ̆̑͞ạ̲̠̣̬͉̾́͡ͅͅsͨ͌͆̈͛ͣ͑҉̠̮͙!"

The words ripped through the air,. The foul unheard words erupted from around her as she slammed the staff's butt into the ground. A wave of necrotic energy fueled by the sum of all of the power of Violence washed over the army, both high and low, like a wave. The demons, devils, abyssals eroded into dust and ash and broke upon the wind. The winged demons overhead evaporated, clearing the skies that were darkened. The hordes of soldiers charging alongside Morthos disappeared in a sea of blackened ash and debris. Armor and Weapon were not spared as the entirety of Erebuz's forces were laid to waste there up on the ground.

Morthos braced himself against the tide of energy. He roared in defiance as he crossed his arms over his face. Suddenly, the hurricane winds forced a single wing to snap open, and he vanished over the horizon. As the tide made its way towards Draco, he merely closed his eyes and accepted his defeat. As uncharacteristic of him it may be, he knew when he was bested; whether it be in battle against a singular opponent, or against something that he at the moment could not possibly comprehend the limits of. And with his own power locked away within his body back in the land of the living, he had no hope of trying to fend off this attack. And so, he simply began to break apart, and fade away, flake by painful flake, into the Abyss.

Erebuz merely pursed His lips and brought His blades forward. They spun in his hands like twin whirlwinds of shadow. He had felt the titanic wave of power and was sure He could push through unscathed, but something was blocking His perception of the Great Weave. A great cataclysm was coming, and He wanted to be ready for it. So He spun His blades, and the energy directed towards Him was simply sucked into their blackness - and ceased to be.

Eve then nodded to herself in approval of her work as the transformations of her body receded. The demonic form and beauty faded away while the blue flame in her right eye socket became fleshy as a normal eye but a brilliant blue. Claw and horn and blackened skin evaporated - leaving Eve as she had been made so many eons ago. A woman of purity wielded the stone dagger, coated in the blood of her former husband, and a branch of the tree of Eden.

A bright smile took hold of her face as she stared at the lord of Shadows and Chaos as she took on a more defensive stance, holding the staff outwards ready to parry His oncoming blow. She would give Him one chance - just one - before ending this fight all together.

"Now that your army is nothing but ash and dust...I'll give you a chance to strike me. I am pure, I am as I was... Surely you could defeat me alone, couldn't you?" She asked with a sickeningly sweet, warm smile on her face "My dearest Brother......"

"Impressive." He sneered. "I sense your second wind will finally bring me a challenge. It has been a long time since I have swung my blades... Let us see how well you fair..."

Before He finished uttering the final syllable, Erebuz shot forward in a blur. A scar of distorted space followed in His wake before He suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke. However, He materialized behind Eve just as quickly as he disappeared, swinging one of His blades down upon her pelvis with a blow that would crush a mountain.

Eve was prepared for this. Trickery and deceit were always in the portfolio of the Unweaver. She spun to meet His blade with the dagger. The force of the impact stopped cold. The blow was easily matched by Eve - who just smiled then tisked at him three times. She then lifted up a little and flew backwards as the force resumed and landed on her feet. She then stood proudly and raised her staff again before bringing it down to bare as several powerful beams of light fired from it in His direction. Then she followed it up by slamming her staff down into the ground. A shockwave of holy Light exploded towards the Darkness. Eve was simply waiting - biding her time - and savoring every single second of this fight.

Erebuz snarled again as He vanished in another blur of impossible speed. He swung His null blades up, and the beams of light vanished into their fathomless depths. The Unweaver once again appeared behind her, swinging again, before appearing at another angle and thrusting. His slashes, thrusts, and feints grew more frequent and wild until it almost seemed as if He was attacking her from multiple directions at once.

Then again... Perhaps He was.

Eve's body ducked and weaved as she dodged His blows, using her aura from her staff whenever she thought He would get too close. No chance she could speak the words she needed to say. Not yet... She had to lull Him down, and wear Him to the point of defeat. Eve encompassed her staff in a holy aura and used the end to deflect His blows with the power of the Spark within her. She was already drained of much of her magic. The defeat of His entire army took a great deal from her body and she nary had much to draw upon. Lillith's soul was her sole power source... The Spark was still too small and it played too much of a key in her plan.

With grace, she casted a teleportation spell and appeared behind the Lord of Chaos, using the dagger to strike at His back before disappearing away. Erebuz deftly spun one of his null blades behind him to parry the blow.

"Its been too long since I last fought something like you..." She said panting. Eve looked down at the dagger that was slowly rotting away. She threw it down to the ground and watched it fizzle out of existence. Grasping her staff, she threw whatever energy into it she had left and stood her ground, waiting for the right moment in which to do what she needed.

"You grow tired, cockroach." He mocked before launching into another flurry of blows. However, despite His impossible speed and skill honed by uncountable eons, whenever He would get close to landing a fatal blow His blade would jerk slightly to the side. Erebuz, with His ancient and powerful senses, perceived the faintest flicker of light - the gleaming of an impossibly quick blade - that dove between Eve's defenses and harried the elder god.

"Mikha'el!" Erebuz thundered. "This is not your fight to intervene!"

Eve's form moved as best she could, hearing Him cry out the name of Mikha'el and seemed to only grow more confident "Tired I may be...only from slaughtering your entire army in nigh a moment Erebuz. But I am not alone in this fight....I stand with many. After all, this is just the first step"

Eve then vanished, reappearing a few meters away and called out "But I think... that I grow fatigued by this." She said as she raised her staff high and slammed it into the ground, embedding it deep into the bedrock where it began to take root "This is step two...." She said, moving away from the staff with her hands charged of the last semblance of her power. Lillith's soul was dim, the glow of her right eye was only a flicker now as she panted hard "Father... I'm running out of stamina. I am not so young as I used to be.... I just need another moment...then this fight is done"

"Take your rest, sister." a powerful baritone would reply, followed by the deafening crack of thunder. "I will delay the fallen malakhim."

A tall figure now stood between Eve and Erebuz. He was clad in a suit of golden half-plate placed over robes of pure white linen. Two enormous feathered wings, glistening like freshly fallen snow, spread out protectively and ready to launch the being at the smallest notice. A hood was pulled over his face, shrouding it in darkness, yet a powerful presence emanated from within.

He gripped a large blade in his gauntleted hand. It was jagged like stone, yet smooth like the purest metal. Numerous runes burned with golden flames across its surface, written in a language unseen by time itself. Mikha'el, chief Archangel of the Malakhim, gripped the ancient Guardian Blade in both hands and slipped into a guarded stance with his knees and elbows bent. An aura of courage and righteousness surrounded the archangel, illuminating the battlefield like a star descending from the heavens.

"So father sends forth his lapdog..." Erebuz snarled. "I have waited a long time for a rematch against you, Mikha'el. You will find that I have surpassed you in ever way."

"I have no doubt." Mikha'el replied calmly. "But I am not here to defeat you. That task shall belong to another that is not present. I am merely here to buy time."

Eve saw this and her eyes went wide as she began to snicker and laugh like a fool, before plopping herself down next to the staff "Thank you Mikha'el... You do me justice." She said and rested against the staff as she worked on her final spellwork in Hell. She drew upon the spark within herself and closed her eyes.

'A spark...while strong...is not enough' Eve's form rippled as she looked deep inside herself, tuning out the world around her.

While Eve concentrated on her casting, Erebuz and Mikha'el launched at one another with a shattering boom. A concussive blast washed over the field, noticeably parting around Eve, as the two cosmic beings soared into the sky. They were as two chaotic bolts of lightning - one the purest white and the other the darkest black. Suddenly, another bolt of black lightning joined the deadly dance. Then another came - and another - and another - until over a dozen chased the dancing star through the sky at speeds that caused ripples through the Great Weave.

'All my life...I have known suffering. Adam, the Apple...the Serpent. All of these things poisoning me... Filling me with hate, disgust, loathing and agony. I look back upon the eons spent in the Mortal world... watching the sins of Cain destroying my children.' Images of war flashed in her mind, destruction, plague, as they all dissolved into the flame. ''I regret all I have wrought. I regret all of my eons of bringing misery and suffering. I spent all of Violence's power and souls in one final purification. This land is dead, yet it holds potential. It is rich in it's death... All it needs... is a little Light.'

Eve's form stopped as she put her hands around the staff and heaved herself up, "Erebuz... You said you and I are the same? Well we are the same in one particular aspect of things. We are both far superior in our intelligence. For instance.. Do you know what the first words our Father spoke in Existence?" She asked.

Suddenly, one of Erebuz's avatars stopped their assault and looked back at Eve with eyes widening in realization.

"NO!" he roared as he charged towards Eve like a meteor, but He was too late...

"B̸̢̢͕̝̭ͭͪ͛̍͌̍ͥ̈̐y̷͚͈̙̪͈̓̊ͫ͝ ̛̭͚̱̓̊̚ṁ̨͔͎̭̠̯͊ͬ͜y̡̧̛͓̼ͣ̿̃ͯ̄̎ ͓̙̪̱͇͇̼́̀͛ͨ̏̌͒͂͒G̸̤̙̘ͥ̓ͥ̈̽̚r̗̞̘̟̆ͧ̿͗̈́̀̕͠a̝̘͕̮̟͍̟̖͑̇̈́̽̈͌͡ċ̵̼͖͗̏̍̚͢e̥̦͕̥̙̥͑̍ͯ͂̅ͮ͘,̯͍̭̺̦͇̫͚͓̓ͤ ̴̼̯͉̫̥͖̰̽͒͐͂͘L̨̛̺͂ḙ̵̥̱̓ͨ̓͂̓ͣ͆͐̚͠͞t̷̠̦̖͚̗̠͉ͥͦ̑ͥͩ̓ͤͬ̊ ̴̗͇͓̑ͮ̄̐̋̾ͣ̀t͖̞̺̗̤̝͕̓̏̇ͦ̂̽̄̚ͅḧ̨̜͔͍̥͍͖́ͣ̒͑̇͆̆́ͅe̼̮͒̂͛̅̎͒ͣ̀͘͢͝r̸͓̫̰̮̙͙̋ͧ̒͂ͥ̈̒͟e̲̗̥̤͚̗̥͕͂͋͆ͦ͊ͩ́͌͜͞ ͔̫͎̭͉͖̓ͧ̌̐̈͛b̞̺̞̃͑̓̅͐͑ͮ͐͞ͅè̱͇̈́͌͟͜͠ ̛̬̹̩̱ͤ̾ͫͥͧ̆L̖͎͓̦̙̗̗̬͒̈́͑͢͟i͖͚̝͕̝̋͜ḡ̟̿͒͘ͅh̗͓̐͐̽̓ͣͭ͂̿ͅt̯̱̬̗̞̘̳ͣ̇ͬ̃͛̃ͯ̑͟͞"

The spark within her erupted as she spoke the most holy words of Creation in the entirety of Existence - and channeled them through the ground and into the Tree of Knowledge. There was a harsh rumbling and the roar of a lion as an earthquake shook Hell to the very core - even so low as the Prison where Lucifer lay. Darkness descended across the plane only to explode in an explosion of Holy Light as up in the sky rested a brilliant Sun. The ground erupted with life as the Staff grew taller, larger and blossomed as a new Tree of Knowledge grew. More trees, grasslands, and gardens flourished from the dead landscape and rocks. Eden itself in Hell radiated with Holy Energy with Eve standing on a root, holding a piece of fruit from the forbidden tree while tossing it in the air over and over.

Each of the Unweaver's avatars roared as one, unleashing a deafening shockwave of defiance as they fought against the raw power of Creation. One by one, they disintegrated against the Words that have pushed Him back a thousand times before. He howled in rage and gnashed His teeth in fury as the final avatar's flesh and essence was slowly stripped away, for nearly every secret in Existence had been unlocked by the Great Unweaver - but Those Words... Those Words of Beginning, had always eluded Him... Because His nature could never allow Him to create - only to destroy.

As if to mock Him further a woman wearing only green appeared. She had a mature and almost elderly appearance like that of a Mother. The green clothing itself seemed more like nature alive, forming an almost living organism, but thriving with vibrancy. Nonetheless she looked at him in His defeat, "Dear, dear Brother, how many times have we had this conversation? Centuries, Eons? Does not matter, you underestimate them, you keep underestimating them. And for that your folly is to always be crushed before your final victory. You know, if you just once could realize these things you would win." shrugging she gave coquettish smile, as she stood watching him, "You have one job dear brother, but that does not mean you can be more. I been watching this whole thing and you were played, like you always have been. You may be older dear Brother, but there is no wisdom. In a certain way you are just as reckless as Lilith."

Chuckling she shrugged, "I guess you will never learn..." shaking her head she looked around as the magics took effect, "I admit even I am surprised at this."

Erebuz, now little more than a wavering shadow, snarled darkly and narrowed his cold dead eyes upon Gaia, Eve, and Mikha'el. "Abominations, all of you! A thousand curses upon you and your worlds! The seas shall boil into deserts! Mountains will crumble into dust! Kings shall burn their homelands, and the sky shall be blotted out by the Hatred of Man! Time is on my side, foul things, for I will always persist. I am Eternal! The day arrives soon that my prison shall be shattered, and all of Creation will tremble at my footsteps once more!"

Sighing Gaia summoned a seed of life on to his body and shook her head, "Yes you will never learn. I create life dear brother. Destruction is part of the natural order. You just decided it's all that mattered. And that is why you keep losing."

And thus the final avatar of Erebuz exploded in a shower of ash and smoke. A shockwave rippled through the Cursed Realm, and tremors continued still as the Great Old One thrashed in His icy prison beneath Heresy.

"I knew I was not going to win. Only one can... but I figure, that while this may be annoying to you, your armies... They will be destroyed if they set one hoof in here. This Holy place will take quite a long time to desecrate...meaning that in the end...I win...and that's really all that matters" She then tossed the fruit behind her and smiled brilliantly with a fire of holy light burned behind her left eye. She then slumped against the tree and was quickly fast asleep. Her body utterly spent of the last of it's energy as she curled up to rest to the sound of birds chirping and crickets singing. Eden in Hell...a ploy even Erebuz could never expect.

Eve simply snored with a smile on her face, curled up under the shade of the tree she had managed to create, looking quite content. As if this was the first time she had slept in Eons.

Mikha'el slowly limped to the tree where Eve lay. Numerous scratches and nicks covered his heaven-forged armor where he barely eluded the strike of Erebuz's blades. He slumped down next to her, sighed, and looked up to Gaia.

"Go, sister." he nodded. "I shall watch over her. I believe Father may have another task in store for her. He is still out there, lurking, and I sense that the Emperor will return with far greater force than he brought forth this day soon enough."

Bu-Bum

The Shadows stopped, and then began to sway back and forth, slowly.

Bu-Bum....Bu-Bum

The swaying sped up, and in the darkness of the abyss, a single red eye slowly opened, tired, angry slits forming the pupil as a long, slow growling rumbled the landscape. Another eye opened with another few beats, and the two raised stiffly, as if attached to a skull still.

The beats were then masked by heavy, strained breathing as the wounded body of Draco of the Shadows took form within the darkness. He radiated with rage and hatred. "I..was promised power....yet none have I received...." his voice was low and feral, a constant growling undertone followed up by the echoes of millions of screams. Screams of innocent men, women, and children.

"Now...I grovel in darkness....while I should create it......."

Bu-Bum...

The eyes slowly closed; and the darkness throughout the entirety of the Abyss began to condense, turning into sludge as it fell from its homes, slowly moving towards where Draco lay, metaphorically licking his wounds.

"Power is often a difficult thing to come by in this Cycle. Many seek it, yet none truly grasp it's depths"

Came a voice from the Darkness, a voice that felt old....very old and far wiser then the young Drake himself. It spoke in soft tones, motherly in it's expression and kind: Its kindness would be the strangest thing for the Drake to truly comprehend. As if it were speaking to a child, a wayward son who was complaining about a bruise or a cut.

From within the darkness, two eyes opened to gaze upon him, blue outter iris's but pupils that seemed to devour any light that entered them, gazing at the form of Draco of the Shadows with a small tsking sound coming from her

"My poor baby...my dear child. What has my brother done to you? Such damage sustained by your body..."

The voice with only eyes spoke as the figure took shape from the darkness of a young woman. Tall, lithe and very beautiful, the woman was garbed in nothing save a very long dress which left very little to the imagination. Her hands, ungloved, were perfectly cared for and maintained as was her hair, though to the young woman, appearance meant less then nothing to her.

The woman sunk down so she was resting on her heels and lifted the poor drake's head up and rested it onto her lap while she began to tenderly stroke the areas above his eyes

"My poor, lost son. You clearly need your Mother here with you...and here she will care for you"

The woman's voice was as soft as silk, warm and compassionate with a very large smile on her face. Her hands continued to stroke over the head of the Drake in an attempt to soothe his rage and calm his spirit. The woman lowered her head and planted a small kiss upon his brow

"I take it...you had him in that battle of yours Brother?" The woman turned her head towards her Darkness to stare at Erebuz should he choose to make himself appear there.