Time… it was such a weird thing.

 

Sometimes, it went by so fast as a day could feel like just a couple of hours…

 

But at the other extreme, it could slow down, to the point even a fragment of a second could turn endless.

 

And right at this moment, an explosion of fear, anger and despair inside Seraphiel’s heart sent blood rushing into his brain, making this angel’s perception of time a million folds slower.

 

He had to act now. He had to stop Earesh no matter what! 

 

But how?

 

The reaper was already way ahead of him...

 

And not only that, it has more speed, and too much power that no way a mere angel on the verge of death could match.

 

It was physically impossible, and magically too, as the fastest transportation spell, Teleport, would not be fast enough as it required a certain cast time.

 

So how?

 

How could he do it?

 

How could he save Alice?

 

Well, Seraphiel already knew the answer. There was only one, and he was even aware of it from the beginning, since Earesh first entered the cave.

 

No, even since two years ago, when he first got lost inside his little girl’s eyes and decided to stand against the world with her. He just had been trying to avoid it as long as he could. He had to seal this power at all costs. Every single day, he prayed and prayed, that he wouldn’t ever have to come to this final option until he fulfilled his plan. 

 

But there was no other way. Once the scythe reached Alice, everything would be lost, everything they did so far would be in vain.

 

So, there was no question about it.

 

Seraphiel’s mind spoke the word...

 

Libero

 

The instance he thought of this, black mud inside his body boiled and expanded. Blood, skin and bones, turned to dust in the blink of an eye. 

 

After all, the angel was not really an angel. 

 

He was Amarae, a reaper of God. And not just any reaper, the commander of all reapers! He was the one whose power was even on par with Lucifer! 

 

Holding out his arm which was now turned into black mud, Seraphiel shouted.

 

“STOP!”

 

This sent out shockwaves so fast that it reached Earesh before it got to Alice.

 

A wall of black mud shot up from the ground!

 

The scythe was blocked.

 

“WHAT!?” Earesh shouted in surprise. But before it was able to react to the sudden change of event, black mud where it stood twisted and warped like vines, immobilizing its arms and feet. 

 

“AMARAE!” it screamed. “What have you done?”

 

“Don’t you dare harm her!” Seraphiel shouted back.

 

He then casted Teleport, the feathery cocoon immediately moved to Seraphiel’s side. 

 

Alice was safe now.

 

But… what about Seraphiel?

 

Looking at Seraphiel now, no one could recognize the body of Aziel Von Helsing anymore. There was no longer any angel. Most of his physical body, including his wings, had disappeared and was replaced with black mud. The angel had finally returned to his original form, a reaper.

 

Black mud then continued to expand, until Seraphiel’s body doubled in size, way bigger than Earesh right now. 

 

However, despite the black mud destroying everything inside him, there was one part that still stayed unharmed. Somehow, his heart was still beating, and was buried deep inside the boiling mud which was now his physical body.

 

There was also a white flame. For some reason, this flame was blazing on his back, turning black mud into smoke and slowly spreading to other parts of his body.

 

The reaper Earesh didn’t have this kind of flame on it.

 

“I see, ahahaha…” seeing what Seraphiel had become, Earesh laughed. “Using my own defense to block my attack, ordering my own chain to bound me to the ground? Captain, if you are truly what you said, if you are no longer my captain, why still use Absolute Authority against me?”

 

Yes, Absolute Authority, in Heaven’s term, meant that a person with a higher position would have the power to order their subordinates to do whatever they wanted, and this was absolute, meaning there was no way to disobey.

 

This kind of authority was so strong that one could even tell the other to go die, and no matter how hard the other tried to resist, they could not survive any extra second. 

 

And in history, there was only a single case who had survived this kind of power being used on her...

 

So, at this point, it seemed that the battle was over. But… how could this be? Did God make a mistake and forgot to take away Seraphiel’s position as a commander even though he had betrayed Heaven?

 

No. The rank of reapers were determined by something else, an ancient artifact.

 

Seraphiel raised one hand over his head, then shouted:

 

“Come.”

 

It was this. This was the thing that made Seraphiel the leader of all reapers, giving him the power to command them as he wished. 

 

Materialized out of thin air and dropped right onto Seraphiel’s hand, a majestic scythe shone brightly like the only star in a pitch black sky. It was huge, with its blade engraved with countless magical glyphs. There were also six eye-shaped particles flying around the scythe in a vortex pattern. 

 

One eye opened, and five closed eyes. 

 

Deathbringer. First state: Kill Earth. 

 

“Hey hey Captain!” Earesh shouted upon seeing that weapon, its voice shivered in fear. “Sr...seriously!? Are you seriously going to kill me now?” 

 

But Seraphiel didn’t answer. Holding the scythe high above his head, he slowly walked towards Earesh. Then, he put his hand on his subordinate’s head.

 

Black mud touching black mud, a magical glyph appeared right at the site of contact.

 

“Hey, Captain! What are you doing? This… this can’t be happening, right!?”

 

“I’m sorry, Earesh…” Seraphiel whispered.

 

“No… you can’t do this...”

 

“As a commander of Heaven's army yet a servant of God…”

 

“NOOOO! AMARAE!!!” 

 

“I command you, Earesh…”

 

“CURSE YOU!”

 

“return to Heaven right now!”

 

As Seraphiel gave his order, Earesh instantly vanished. Everything happened so quickly that all it took was less than a blink of an eye.

 

And so, as the threat was gone, Seraphiel turned around, facing where Alice was at.

 

“Forgive me, I broke my promise…” 

 

He held out his hand and was about to undo the protective spell.

 

But... right at that same time.

 

Some disturbance in the surrounding air, temperature dropped. The blade of a scythe, as cold as ice, stabbed right at the middle of Seraphiel’s back. It then pierced all the way to his other side. 

 

“H...how?” The former angel gasped, then dropped on his knees. 

 

And a familiar voice echoed through the cave. 

 

“Ha! Servant of God you say? Why don’t you look at me directly in the eyes and say that you are still a loyal servant of Him again, Amarae?”

 

“E...earesh?”

 

It was it.

 

Still having the scythe blade pierced his body from back to front, Seraphiel turned his head, trying to take a look at the one he just sent away just seconds ago…

 

But that was not the same Earesh anymore…

 

Standing next to Seraphiel was no longer a figure completely made of black mud. It now had another form. Or actually, one could say it was now able to maintain and bring its original appearance in Heaven into the physical realm.

 

A beautiful woman wearing black full plate armor, eyes shone with the symbol of the cross.

 

“No, Amarae.” Earesh said and raised her hand high. Seraphiel’s scythe, which was now laying on the ground, flew back into her hand. 

 

“Ereshkigal.”

 

And around the scythe, still six eyes circulating, now one more of them opened.

 

Deathbringer. 

 

Second state: Kill Sky.

 

“Now, Amarae, as the new Supreme commander of Death's army and by the rule of Absolute Authority, I, Ereshkigal, order you to die.”

 

She then put her hand on Seraphiel's head. The magical glyph appeared, and he screamed and screeched in pain.

 

The feathery cocoon fell apart.