Shadow of the Abyss

The surge of power that came into being toppled buildings and mountains alike appeared as if it came from the heavens, and yet the destruction it brought made it seem as if the hells had been called forth.

Chaos unfolded in a maelstrom of destruction. From north to south, east to west, the lands churned, writhing like a living thing. From the heavens, lightning fell deep into the bowels of the earth. Molten lava surged hundreds of meters into the skies, twisted into tornados as molten rock rained from the skies, bringing with it utter ruin.

Tasha felt as if she'd stood within the first layer of hell, Avenos that forever bled the burning embers of the Fallen Angel, Arakiel's wings, when he was cast into the hells. All through Avenous, flaming maelstroms came and went, decimating the denizens of that infernal hell.

Just then, a shout that seemed to carry the power of a hundred burning suns thundered across the realm, shaking all who heard with a primal fear.

"ALTAIR!!!!" The name echoed far and wide among the oblivion as a wildfire came crashing across the earth. Flames ignited across the foliage, setting what remained of the city ablaze.

Altair heard none of it. As if he was plunged into the depths of some unseamed void, his hair and clothes rippled as if the sea had swallowed him.

Vale Qi began to swell around him as a power beyond the Myriad came from the depths of his being. Knowledge so old it predated the nexus of creation began to unfold itself across his mind.

"There you are!" Varis shouted savagely. "No one can save you now!" piercing through the skies towards the Emperor locked in enlightenment.

Raven stepped forward with chilling eyes, wielding a glaive made of pure Vale Qi. Her swing had come so ruthlessly quick Varis could barely perceive its nature as a set of obsidian gauntlets made themselves known around his hands and arms.

He winced at the shattering force hurdling him across the earth like a rag doll.

Name: Raven [???]

Class: [Vale Guardian Lv 1 → 95]

Mana Circle: [Fifth Circle: 50% → 55%]

Strength:2500 → 2690

Dexterity: 3000 → 3285

Constitution: 3000 → 3475

Wisdom: 4000 → 4475n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Charisma: 4000 → 4475

Mana: 310 → 340

A/N: [+2 Str], [+3 Dex], [+5 Con], [+5 Wis], [+5 Chr] Per Level Up

Despite his superior strength, Varis felt Raven's superior Mana augmenting her blow, leaving him powerless to properly defend himself from the sudden blow.

"Bitch!" he snarled, stabbing his feet into the earth to stay his momentum. "Get out of my way. I've no intention of killing a woman."

An obsidian spear intent began to rise from off Raven's glaive as she took in a long breath. In a single breath, hundreds of thousands of lines appeared across her vision, marking the infinite spectrum of spear paths approaching perfection. The air turned cold and stagnant as the presence of the Vale pressured space around the two.

"Stand down, Varis," Morrigan commanded as she opened her hand, willing a bloodstained longsword to appear in her palm. "This isn't a battle you can win."

The giant sneered, his eyes finding Altair wielding a double-edged sword. "Are you going to hide behind your woman? Answer me, Blackwood!"

When no response came, Varis scuffed, trailing his eyes to Morrigan. "I've heard about you. You're the failure who faced defeat at the hands of some weakling."

Morrigan arched a brow. Her defeat had been at the hands of the Fallen Angel of Death, Azrael. To belittle the mere defeat was nothing sort of an insult to the Fallen who'd stolen her life. She almost had it in her to laugh. Instead, she brushed past Raven with a type of fury that felt tangible.

"I think after I kill you. Your Elder will be the next bastard I cut down," Morrigan declared, vanishing into the ether. By the time she appeared, she was behind Varis.

The Giant paused, looking down at his chest exploding into a geyser, blood spraying across the earth. Horror lined his face as he whirled to face Morrigan. He saw the tip of her sword piercing towards his eyes, with every intention of running him through. In the moment that constituted the now, his giant instincts roared, forcing his movement art.

Even so, Morrigan's blade aimed true, slicing through his ear like hot butter. Varis screamed, flashing backward as the Goddess of Slaughter chased.

Raven arched her brow as the eye of sacrilege burned like fire in her eyes.

[Ding]

Name: Morrigan Del Rav <Chaos>

Race: High Imperial - 10%

Class: Lord of Destruction I - Lv 175

Mana Circle: [Sixth Circle - 67%]

Str: 2450

Dex: 1725

Con: 4050

Wis: 4050

Chr: 4050

Mana: 500

[High Imperial Aura Detected: All Attributes Will Double Once User Reaches The Peak Of Any Circle]

"What a ridiculous ability."

"As are all High Imperials," Tasha revealed. "Of all Palantine Blood, they are one of the strongest, rivaling the High Humans. All High Imperials are artificially made, causing them to be infertile."

Raven's frown deepened. "But isn't she supposed to have a baby with Master?"

"That's the wonder of the Arcanes. They break laws set forth by creation. To bypass such restriction, one needs a stronger bloodline to force the change. In all the myriad Heavens, there has only been one recorded case of a High Imperial creating life from their body." Tasha claimed. "And that was through the unity of Nephilim and High Imperial.

And what is Master Altair if not by most accounts a Nephilim?"

"You wretched bitch!" Varis exclaimed, forced to retreat again, unable to perceive how she was moving.

Morrigan smirked, "When one creates a domain, they'll be able to perceive just about anything. The second level is the ability, Shadowheart, which allows them to hide themselves, but the third level, Black Heart, allows the user to obscure the mind of his opponent."

"Shut up!" Varis demanded, desperately using the gauntlet to guard the best he could, but each blow appeared as if they were invisible. He was dying. Each swing of her wretched sword was true, claiming his lifeblood.

"Spirit Warfare is the specialty of everyone that is on the Omnis Ranking." Morrigan continued. "Shall I show you, boy, the Fourth Ability of a Spirit Domain, or would you like to see the fifth? The Fourth Ability is called Infernal Intent, for it stops you from healing.

At the same time, the Fifth is known by many as Universal Annihilation, for it seeks to annihilate anything and everything between Heaven and Earth, no matter how strong they may appear to be. Shall I show you?"

Around the tip of Morrigan's sword, a terrible force came into being, demanding ruin upon the realm. Space seemed to twist and burn, trickling into Mana, only to be absorbed by the strange Annihilating force rising across Morrigan's blade like a flame.

The force brought the Giant to his knees as everything in a mile radius ceased to exist as Universal Annihilation claimed the authority within the third floor. The Gods all watching stood from their throne, reeling with a fear that touched their core, for it had to be known only those on the Omnis Ranking were capable of using Universal Annihilation.

It had been said that when the Silver Devil created Universal Annihilation in the face of the Almighty One's Heavenly Tribulation that would have wiped out all life in the 33 heavens, he survived trying to cut God himself and instead managed to cut the flow of energy generated by the Almighty One.

In a single stroke, Zariel's Sword had managed to cut through Heaven's End, reaching past the thirty-three Heavens far into the Myriad Heavens.

That day, Mephistopheles stepped forward, dubbing the force Zariel had used as Universal Annihilation, for it had done the impossible, challenging the Almighty Ones' rule.

Morrigan herself had been witness to such power as that stroke of pure annihilation had managed to reach her amidst her battle with Azrael. At that moment, that marked her enlightenment; it had also marked her death at the sudden distraction.

"...stop…" Varis suddenly pleaded. Stained by blood and sweat, a primordial fear he had no control over lashed at his soul, bringing tears to his eyes as he begged for the first time in his life. Forgoing his giant pride, he felt for the first time his blood shrink in fear before another lineage far more superior than he was.

He was made to bow, to squirm in place like a lowly worm whose only goal in life was to die by her hands.

"Please…Mercy…Mercy…"

Morrigan smiled. "Mercy? The fuck is that?" She swung her sword, pausing short when the Mark of Cain that tarnished her shoulder flared. She paled when the words of the Goddess of Rot trailed across her mind.

She scuffed. "Aren't you lucky? It would seem her Majesty wishes you to live. However… " And her blade flashed, carving through Varis's shoulder without the slightest bit of resistance, claiming his right arm.

The cry that left Varis had been something so deprave it made even a Devil's heart shake with anticipation.

"This is the price for challenging me," Morrigan declared as her sword turned to vaper, unable to retain the power being channeled through its depths.