Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

"A few more days and it will be done," Gathering myself within my office, a long sigh came and went as I lifted my eye to the downcasted expression of my brother. Dark shadows seemed to dance around him as he ebbed closer with a stride holding a small box in his palm.

"What the Hell happened to you?" I couldn't help ask, having not seen Mephisto in such a disorderly state before. The bastard only held that look when he tinkered with his toys but never anything else. The man had a legendary poker face. I swear he got that from Father.

"Tracking the Twin." He mentioned, but his tone suggested failure. " Seems I'm doomed to come up short."

'And the Box? Did you release the Coven?"

"Why not? They were sealed long before the Forsaken for believing they could kill me. Foolish little lambs. "

I sighed at that. The Coven of End. The caretakers of the Forsaken. The ones who gave them weapons and even taught them how to fight, read, hunt, and kill. The Coven was one of Father's most primitive races. There was nothing really special about them. Not like the Forsaken. But they were a force to be reckoned with.

They were, after all, one of the first to step into godhood. The Coven was made of Witches and Warlocks that excelled in the Divine. They held an absolute affinity for it. Not even we Angels born with the power of the Divine in us held as much affinity as they did.

They were an Order of all-knowing beings. But they also craved war. I saw too, that. Never before had there ever been a race whose power was so strong they held the ability to threaten the Myriad Heavens on their own.

It was a shame they placed their eyes on Mephisto. A great shame indeed. I had been planning to pull them into my ranks. The fools got greedy. They thought that since Mephisto was the most light-hearted of us, the most eccentric and forgiving, he would make the perfect target.

"Thinking of those fools, are you? Forget it. Nothing good will come of it. They are like the Ilthad. There is no controlling them."

I shook my head and sighed. " Mephisto, you slaughtered them like cattle. You went out of your way to torment them for cycles. You butchered them so long that their entire genetic material became adapted to fighting against you. I still remember an army of Angels on our borders because of your grotesque—"

"First off, it's called art. And what other race do you know that is utterly immune to magic? I created something revolutionary." he jokingly snapped, finding a smile. The dark complexion faded like it wasn't there at all.

Had I not seen it firsthand, I wouldn't have believed my little brother could change faces so quickly… is he planning something? Shit. That has to be it. Mephisto doesn't do anything without reason.

"Your sweating…" the Arch Fiend pointed out, taking a seat as he chuckled maniacally. " relax, I'm not here to screw with you. I've come because Zariel and his little team have arrived here on Iluthath."

I frowned at that.

"How is that a problem? Surely you accounted for that."

"I did… but I've spent the last few Hell cycle planning for this. And while a few things have slightly messed with my Master plan, the timing of Zariels and his Order arrival is slightly off."

"... the timing."

"Yes," He confirmed with a straight face. " The timing is off by an exact cycle. I know Zariel… I made the boy into what he is now. I know all his weaknesses, all his strengths, and how he thinks. The only reason he's still alive is due to Zero. Who matched my plays several times. I know what he'll do before he has the idea."

My frown deepened, and I nodded.

"The Coven will distract Zariel… after his fall when Arcadia is opened up." Mephisto placed the Box over the table. "Pandora's Box… I gave it to Arsene to harmonize with his soul."

The fiendish smile on Mephisto's grew as a realization struck. "You want to seal them? Arsene too!"

"Pandora's Box is something of the strongest sealing devices within the known Myriad Heaven, but it can't hold Zariel… not unless I collapse it into itself while he or should I say they are inside. This will also stop the Abyssal Fiends from toying with the Box to rescue their Queen. It'll be a great distraction. My only problem is—"

"Zero… he'll see it coming."

"Zero and the Twins. They are out there. They've been out there probably before the beginning. They could disrupt us. And since we've never been to Arcadia, they might be a little stronger or equal to us."

I sneered. "You act like we can't grow as we fight. If the twins are foolish enough to battle us and not kill us instantly, we'll reach their power level in a few years."

The trickster nodded. " That is quite right. But they could still interfere. You should know killing anyone at our level is highly unlikely. Not without careful planning and resources. Not to mention… oh, never mind. Back to the Coven, they are there to help me contain Zariel and the others once they escape."

"Contain?" I mused, lifting my lips into arcs. "One of the Most Ancients Myriad Orders against the Order of Chaos. The Old Gods Vs. the New. Interesting. And Aurelia and Jin?"

"Aurelia will have to be sealed. You can have Jin. He's too young and too Innocent." He waved off, shaking his head. " Plus, you'll stop me if I did anything to your grandson."

"Damn right." I coldly said, narrowing my eyes at Mephisto. "Aurelia is grown. She can handle herself."

"Things are finally getting serious." I softly continued, conjuring two decanters. I poured Mephisto and myself a drink. " I felt the Angels enter this realm around the time of Zariel. What are you planning to do about them?"

"Arsene has already ensured that their focus will be on someone else. The Teleth are interesting abominations that they will surely begin purge at the dawn of this new age."

Understanding flashed through my eyes as I smiled. I lifted my glass. " To a new age, then. May the blood of the Myriads guide our path."

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