And now he stood there, not knowing what to do.
An absolute silence fell between them.
Linfer didn't move, his body frozen like a statue. His olive-green irises trembled slightly, as if an abyss opened beneath his feet. Linfer saw the moment reality struck him. His breath became erratic, his fingers clenched.
"Our… son?" he repeated, his voice rougher, uncertain. Looking at Celest in the distance.
Luciel slowly nodded.
"Will you really kill your own son?" she whispered. "Will you kill me too?"
Linfer's hands began to tremble. His gaze darkened, tormented. The destructive energy building around him dissipated slightly. For the first time, he seemed to hesitate.
"You're right… Luci…"
She felt her heart stop for a moment. A wild, almost painful hope blossomed within her. Was Linfer finally…?
But before she could respond, a twisted smile stretched across his face.
"Is that the answer you were waiting for? Huh, bitch?"
Before Luciel could react, Linfer plunged his clawed hand into her heart. She staggered, her eyes wide with shock and pain.
"LUCIEL! WATCH OUT!" Uriel roared, but it was too late. Linfer stood holding Luciel by her heart, his smile now a grimace of triumph mixed with despair.
"You see, Luciel?" he whispered, his tears mingling with the black blood flowing from his eyes. "It's too late for us. Too late for me."
And as darkness engulfed him, Luciel extended a trembling hand toward Linfer, a final whisper escaping her lips: "I'll love you... always."
Luciel's body fell into the bloody sea.
"Good... Me too..."
Linfer touched his cheek.
"Am I crying?"
"LINFERRRR!!!!" Uriel roared as fierce lightning crackled.
"Shut up, URIEL!"
Linfer's eyes were possessed, the serpentine creature with a thousand heads, each bearing the Omega symbol on its forehead, grew brighter.
A crack formed in the depths of the bloody sea, a tearing roar coming from the abyss.
"The Primordial Mother of Waters..."
Linfer mumbled, but it wasn't really him.
Then she appeared.
First, a gigantic eye pierced the surface, an unfathomable orb, streaked with dark veins, so vast that the horizon itself seemed to bend to its gaze.
The sky darkened, as if sucked in by the colossal presence of this chaos entity.
The fate of the Lower Realm was sealed. Seventy percent of the population would perish, and even the foundations would not survive.
Suddenly, a voice echoed behind him.
"I don't think your mother would approve of this."
Linfer slowly turned his head, his eyes still glowing with a mad light.
"Who are you? And what are you talking about?"
His piercing gaze lingered on the figure who had just spoken.
"This isn't you, Linfer—"
"I don't know who you are, but... Can you stop me?" Linfer sketched a smile, even more sinister than before.
"Fuck all of you! DEVOUR EVERYTHING! TIAMAT!"
The chaos intensified around him, the serpentine creature continued to rise from the depths, and the entire world trembled under its weight.
"Then, I'll have to..."
The man disappeared from his vision, only to reappear before him, sword ready to strike his head.
Linfer, at his limit, couldn't dodge.
Then, a familiar scent drifted into his nostrils. A fragrance he hadn't smelled in an eternity…
She appeared out of nowhere. The world froze completely, only Linfer could see her. Time stopped entirely.
She wore a long white coat that fell to her calves, perfectly fitted to her figure. Silver buttons gleamed on the front, symmetrically arranged over her chest and along her abdomen. The collar was slightly raised, giving an impression of imposing stature. The wide belt, adorned with a metallic pattern, firmly held the garment at her waist. Beneath the coat, black fitted pants contrasted with the immaculate white of the main garment, ending in elegant white boots. Her hands and neck were covered in bandages, leaving only her nose and mouth visible.
She seemed to emanate a supernatural grace, a creature of indescribable beauty. Her long, shiny olive-green hair flowed like a fluid cloak around her, almost trailing on the surface of the bloody sea with elegance. Each strand seemed to have a life of its own, subtly undulating like waves under an invisible breath. Her eyes were mysteriously hidden beneath her hair's fringe, plunging her face into a sweet and fascinating enigma. Yet, even hidden, it was impossible not to feel the intensity of her gaze.
Her aura was hypnotic, almost ethereal. With every step, it seemed she floated, barely skimming the surface of the sea. Around her, reality rippled like a thin veil, distorted by her mere presence, bending between worlds with each of her movements.
"So, you're insulting mothers, Linfer?" Her smile was gentle, almost mocking, as she approached him, frozen by emotion.
"Mother..." Linfer's voice broke for a moment.
"A little more and you would have freed this woman from Tartarus... It seems you've practically merged with the Devourer's consciousness..." she murmured to herself.
"So, did you miss me?" She asked, still in a playful tone, with a wave of her hand, the man's figure disappeared, swallowed by a spatial rift.
But Linfer's tone suddenly changed, filled with anger.
"You abandoned me, Mother!"
"Hush, don't say that, Linfer..." She gently placed a hand on his cheek. "It was for your own good. I'll always be there for you."
The woman, known as Lady Lofiel, still smiled, but Linfer brutally pushed her hand away.
"Too late. Get lost." He turned his face away, his jaws clenched, but she remained unperturbed, her smile still fixed on her lips.
She calmly observed the carnage around them, taking a deep breath.
"You're not ready yet, Linfer, and you're drawing too much attention. Do you want to get yourself killed foolishly?" Her voice was calm and gentle.
She turned to the surrounding chaos: Raphael, almost swallowed; Celest, in agony; Uriel, lying with his limbs torn off; Ezekiel, his guts hanging; and Luciel... Or rather, her corpse floating on the sea of blood.
"You really screwed me over by selling me... Just get out of here and let me finish what I started!"
Lofiel's gaze softened slightly, almost like that of an indulgent mother.
"I can't let you destroy your soul, my dear."
Linfer frowned, his mind racing. Even after reaching this level, after making the Lower Realm his playground with Ashkharsh, he still felt inferior to her. Was his mother some kind of hidden expert?
"What do you want—"
Lofiel interrupted him, gently placing her finger on his forehead.
"We'll meet again, my son. Now wake up!"
Before he could react, everything went black.