The Demon Monarch System

----

The entire independent space was enveloped with an ominous heat. In fact, space itself presented signs of turning unstable. The boundless hatred and infernal malice radiating from Apollo seemed impossible and in truth it was; what was present was something Azridan was familiar with.

That wasn't Apollo, but rather his body and part of his soul overtaken by Ira. At this very moment, he unknowingly succumbed to Ira. He was still stuck in the trial, but his soul was acting on its own. The hatred from death he possessed was greater than he truly understood.

Unbeknownst to him, it was eating him alive turning into fuel for an exceedingly insufferable trial. If he wanted to regain himself, he would need to come to terms with the maltreatment he suffered. However, would he be able to? And if he did do so, would the end result still be him anymore?

[Apollo, do not lose to the Sin; if you do, you may never return.]

"Hoh? What is that voice? Are you a demon who has overcome me? Interesting. Regrettably, the boy you are speaking about is weak. He will be unable to do away with me, much less break free from my temptations. I can offer him power, what can you offer him," a dark voice escaped from Apollo's mouth on that stimulated rage with every word.

[You are wrong. I do not believe him to be weak.]

"How is that so? You said so yourself, he is weak." the possessed Apollo chuckled at Azridan's words. Weren't these very words a contradiction to his earlier ones? How could he say this with a straight face?

[Ira, I have already mastered you. I know exactly what emotions you cling to. He was unaware of how to step forth in the trial. Hence, I have incited him with my own actions. If that boy were as frail as you claim, he would have never been chosen nor would his trial be so diabolical. I believe he is more of a demon than I have ever come to witness.]

"Nonsense. I have experienced demons who have overcome me easily. If this was true, he would be one of those," the voice rebutted.

[That may be true but that's doesn't mean they are strong. I believe if something is meant to be, it comes after much suffering. Not only will that boy overcome you, but I'm also willing to bet he will subdue you. That is something that has yet to be done.]

"Subdue me? Preposterous! While I can be overcome, I can never be subdued. I will not allow such a paltry turn of events to come to light. I would rather grovel before the Demon Monarch before being subdued by this puny thing." the voice retorted venomously. With its riled emotions, the atmosphere deteriorated further under the manic Hellfire.

[Your emotional state showcases your fear. You don't truly believe your words, instead, you're leading yourself down the path of denial. After all, who do you think that body you're taking control of belongs to? No… who do you believe me to be?]

The voice halted its actions, falling into deep thought. Being as it was the embodiment of a Sin, it couldn't access Apollo's mind. However, that didn't mean it was mindless; it possessed its own set of memories to tap into.

"I recognize this voice. No, I recognize this demeanor. It's been countless millennia but...you're that person. The one who has come closest to becoming a full-fledged Demon Monarch—Azridan. How can that be? From that disturbance, it was said you had perished! How can your soul remain?" the voice trembled. It felt an innate fear for the being he was talking to.

This was the first person to ever come close to subduing him. Although he wasn't the only one, he was the one who made him feel undeniable fear from his overbearing will; in his heyday, that will was irrevocable. If this is the successor he chose, then perhaps his existence was truly in danger. If he was subdued, his will would always be Apollo's to control.

[Don't become afraid. My successor's will is far too weak to subdue you now. However, I will tell you now, he is one to bear a grudge. I'm sure you've witnessed this in his trial. I suggest you relinquish your claim on his body. The longer you reside here, the greater the chances of him perceiving you. If that is to happen, I will tell him exactly what you are and he will seek you out earlier than you'd like.]

"Tch...you are deplorable! Very well, I will comply. However, I will not reduce the difficulty of his trial. As he is now, he is a menace to himself. You need to temper this thing. Furthermore, what is this world? It is powerless!"

[Don't worry about that, leave!]

Apollo's body remained standing but the malicious light vanished. In place, a lifeless gaze fell on the boundless space above. His mind was still trapped within that flashing space.

[It is now up to him to overcome whatever he is experiencing in his mind. The longer he stays in this state, the less the chances of him completing the rudimentary form of the Stigmata is. Not to mention, he may very well suffer death if his soul is detached like this.]

----

Back inside Apollo's mind,

"I am not weak!" Apollo muttered with a hint of resolve in his mind. His gaze remained fixated on the flashing scenes contributing to his inner turmoil. Furthermore, the image of the demon reappeared once again. Earlier it had assimilated with him, but Azridan's warning prompted it to cease its actions.

"Tch, I don't see what he sees. All I see is a whimpering brat unable to come to terms with his past. While hatred fuels wrath, that isn't the true way to harness it. At least, not over such trivial matters. Others causing your death? So what, there are things in the world far worse than death." Ira grumbled, crossing his arms before his chest.

In truth, the form he possessed wasn't actually him but the demon he held the highest affinity with. Alone, Ira was formless but always present. For Demons, not only was Ira one of the powers, but it was also a way of life. However, one thing they didn't know was they were the source of Ira's power; they sustained it. Or at least the demons below a certain threshold didn't know of this fact.

"Accept your truth already. You will be unable to move forward if you don't do so. Why is it so hard for you? Also, why is your soul so abnormal? It feels like it was never one, to begin with. Perhaps, this is why there is a fragment of another Sin present in that turmoil." Ira mused as he spectated Apollo's vacant eyes.

"It isn't me...who was weak. It is you all who were weak! You all were weak so you projected your unfulfilled hope upon me! I never asked for that. It is all your faults I died! I will never forgive anyone!" Apollo roared, copious streams of bloody tears falling down his face while staring at the images.

His mind was being damaged. His defiance towards accepting the truth of his trial prohibited him from taking a step forward. Until he accepted what he needed to, the trial would seem like an endless affliction.

A moment later, he dropped to his knees closing his eyes. His lips trembled but it seemed as if he wanted to utter something yet couldn't. Instead of talking, he bit his lip and clenched his fists.

When his eyes opened, a crazed look filled them in place of the previous vacant one. Forcefully, he extricated his eyes from the scene. In turn, he gazed murderously at Ira. "No! This is your doing! I am not weak, it is you who is leading me to believe so. Who are you? I will not give in to you. Disappear!!"

Apollo screamed, the trial mind space trembling in response.

"W-what?! You can see me? How? You haven't harnessed my Sin, you shouldn't be able to see me." Ira's eyes widened with apparent shock. While his voice could be heard throughout the trial, unless one overcame it, they wouldn't see the personification of Sin.

To come toe to toe with a Sin, one first needed to handle whatever trial they presented.

However, an anomaly was taking place. It was evident his trial was still in progress by the scenes still unfolding, but yet he could also perceive Ira. These outlandish actions caused the mindscape to turn unstable.

"What are you doing? A trial has never been completed like this. You're tearing the environment apart. You'll potentially damage your mind!" Ira screeched. This scene baffled him but a light of understanding soon flashed within his eyes. His words were being digested in the slightest, Apollo's actions were already set in stone.

'I understand. This is why he was chosen. Although his soul is weak, it is aberrant. His unyielding soul is concentrated on one thing. His trial is done. I need to leave. If he perceives me further…'

Attempting to leave, Ira's image started fading. However, his actions were halted by Apollo. His vice grip hand dug into Ira's shoulder. No words were exchanged, but a soul-wrenching frenzy was apparent in Apollo's eyes.

When he let go, Ira understood the message. 'He was coming for it and his escape was impossible.'

With that, Apollo's eyes regained clarity in the independent space but something was different about him. As if some slumbering menace had been awoken, his eyes filled with a smoldering, abyssal flame.

[By the unholy...this is…]