New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

906  Kings Bending The Knee

Solomon looked at Belial in disbelief.

"I've been dead for four thousand years, Belial. And I lived a long life. How could you have seen his future when you met me? A single diverging event, and he would have never existed. How far ahead did you have to look to see him?"

Belial sighed as he shook his head disappointingly.

"We've spent nearly five millennia together, and yet, you still don't grasp the intricacies of my abilities, Solomon. They've dubbed you the great sage, Solomon the Wise, but it seems you were never the keenest intellect, were you?" Belial taunted.

"Be careful with your words, Belial. Though I may no longer hold dominion over you, I still possess the power to erase you from existence," Solomon growled, his voice dripping with menace.

"Can you?" Belial asked with a smirk.

"Alright, knock it off," Alex intervened.

Belial looked at his new master and clicked his tongue.

"Any others who want to join while they can? Or do I have to smash all of you into one demon and force you into obedience?" Alex threatened.

Of the five remaining demon kings under Solomon, Purson and Beleth willingly walked over to Alexander's side, not too keen to determine if he was willing to go through with his threat.

But the last three stood next to Solomon, Viné and Balam glancing at Zagan, ruler of the ninth hell.

Zagan had always been the strongest amongst them, and the ruler of the seventh and eighth hell knew better than to go against his will. They were waiting to see what he chose to do here before following him.

Alex looked at them and immediately understood the dynamic.

"For kings of hell, I feel you two hold little pride in your own power. Looking up to Daddy Zagan for direction. Is that what the kings of hells amounted to back in your days? I get how you were so easily replaced, then," he mocked.

Zagan took a step forward, grinning menacingly.

"For an inferior being, you talk an awful lot of smack, human. Should I remind you why humans always feared demons? Or where that fear comes from?" Zagan asked, pulsing with a thick, dark Aether.

Alex was taken by surprise. He knew Zagan was the strongest of them, and his powers were troublesome to deal with.

But he had never thought Zagan had learned how to use Aether.

This Aether felt so corrupted that Alex was almost tempted to call it something else entirely.

The pulse reached Alex, and his vision instantly clouded over in black.

He looked around, hearing scratching and grinding around him.

"Do you think this still works against me, Zagan? Your domain of fear is merely an inconvenience nowadays. I've met things that scare me a lot more than you ever will," Alex mocked, as he also focused on his mana.

In moments, he converted a quarter of his remaining mana to Aether, and coated himself in a thin layer. This may not act as a sturdy barrier, but it kept the fear domain at bay.

"You think this flimsy layer of Aether can stop your fears from coming to the fore?" Zagan's voice echoed around him.

His voice then laughed creepily, sounding straight out of a horror movie.

Alex smirked.

"Maybe not forever, but I don't need forever. He should be done soon. And when he comes out, he'll deal with you just as easily as he dealt with Asmodeus and the sixty-three demons under you and your kin."

Zagan paused his laughing, his mind going to the thing the human had come with, and he hesitated for a single moment. It wasn't fear he felt, as he couldn't feel that emotion.

As a manifestation of fear, Zagan could not feel it, but what he did feel, was a great apprehension about the Nephilim.

Like it didn't belong to the realm of logic.

"Do you really think that thing can deal with all sixty-three demons you locked it with, including our Princes and Marquises? That is an awful lot of confidence you put into such a young being. Do you not fear it will lose?" Zagan taunted.

But Alex chuckled in response.

"I heard from your subordinates that you can't feel fear. I wonder if Sangis can change that for you?" he mocked. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The space around Alex trembled as Zagan began to feel anger welling inside him.

His domain of fear wasn't a skill where he could attack or hurt his enemy. It served the purpose of locking them in place until their minds broke, and then he could go to town on them with little effort.

It was why he made it to King as fast as he did when he came into existence. Once he used his fear domain, nothing could stop him from devouring his prey and growing in power.

But it wasn't working on Alexander at all. The flimsy layer of Aether the boy had coated himself with was holding the mana from the domain at bay, keeping it from corrupting his mind.

Zagan's uncertain voice echoed around Alex, who was simply waiting things out inside the domain.

"Why aren't you scared? Humans always fear something. Why aren't your fears eating you alive?" he asked, confused.

With a scoff, Alex replied, "Would you fear a battle you've already won?"

Before Zagan could ask what he meant, a violent impact on his face knocked his concentration away, and the domain was dispelled.

When his eyes came back into focus, he was on the ground, blood trickling from his mouth, and the thing was standing above him with a neutral face.

Black and purple blood covered its body as it leaned forward toward Zagan.

"Your choice, demon. Servitude or demise?" Sangis' two-tone voice asked.

Zagan looked at the Nephilim and growled at him.

He saw the two other kings of hell kneeling in front of Alex, fear evident on their faces. Whatever the Nephilim had done before attacking him, they were terrified and didn't dare look in his direction.

"Choose, now. Do not make my master wait."

Zagan turned his face toward Solomon, who looked at him grimly.

Solomon had already understood what was to happen. Even if he fought against the boy he had once thought was so weak, there would be no good outcome.

Alex could leave the ring whenever he wanted, and Solomon had no way to replenish his spent power. His lack of a vessel meant he could only use the mana he had in this fragment.

Once it was depleted, he would vanish.

And Alex seemed aware of this.

Once he felt the two tethers latch to his soul, Alex turned to the floating orb of black fire beside him.

"I'll give you one last chance, Asmodeus. Cross me again, and you'll disappear faster than you can say, 'Wait,'" Alex said, snapping his fingers again.

The orb took the shape of Asmodeus again. He was sweating profusely and looked at Alex with a look of horror on his face.

"You madman! Do you realize what you threatened to do?! It's blasphemy!" Asmodeus howled.

But Alex laughed at his comment.

"That's rich, coming from a demon. Give me your answer, or you can return to being a piece of an unfinished puzzle. What will it be?"

Asmodeus looked at the other kings, hoping one would help him, but he quickly realized they weren't even looking him in the eyes. Some even looked at him with disdain.

"What in the nine hells happened?" he mumbled.

"I don't have all day, demon," Alex barked.

"Why would I follow you? What good would it do me? What do I have to win by staying at the side of someone like you?" Asmodeus mocked.

Alexander grinned at him.

"The luxury of staying yourself," he replied.

Asmodeus shivered at the thought. He could tell by the Nephilim's traits that he was in pain every so often.

Did he want to end up like that?

"You have three seconds, you demonic ass hat. Three. Two. One—"

As Alex raised his hand to snap his fingers, Asmodeus threw himself on his knees, shouting, "Wait! Please wait! I'll swear fealty!"

Alex grinned at him.

"Smart choice. Bind yourself to me. And if I feel any funny business in the seal, I'll rescind your safety."

Asmodeus shook his head, fear the only thought on his mind.

He refused to become an abomination, a mixture of two beings. He would never let that happen.

He promptly tied his soul to Alex's, being meticulous in his sealing mark, so Alex didn't take any of the runes as a betrayal.

Solomon stood by, knowing he couldn't do anything about what was happening. For all his might in life, he was only an echo of his previous self.

Zagan watched as the last of his peers switched allegiances to this farce of a human being.

He spat at the Nephilim's feet.

"You and your master can both go fuck yourselves. I would never bind myself to a being who thinks he can take on gods and win. Solomon at least had the wit never to confront them directly."

Turning his head toward Solomon, Zagan smiled.

"You never showed fear, even in the direst of moments. I respected you, Solomon. And so, for you, I offer my life."