Claude wandered through the barren and gloomy landscape, a chilled wind blew behind him. The red eclipse began to wane, Hecate's fun was almost at an end.

As he walked, Claude became lost in his own head, trying to probe further into the fleeting memory he'd recovered prior. His thoughts drifted to Hecate, just what was she?

Despite having never met her, his mind painted a vivid picture of Hecate, her creepy giggle, her fiery horns that flared up whenever she lost her temper, and her guiltless eyes, not a shred of remorse or guilt for those she'd burned alive.

The land around him gradually gave way to the ruined Abyssal Hive that Hecate was waiting inside. Claude looked up at the looming structure and sighed. "This is it, time to meet Hecate, I hope she's willing to talk, if I know who she is, she must also know who I was"

Claude stepped into the hive, blood pooled around his ankles as he did, he knew Hecate was nearby, he could sense her presence somehow, almost as if he was attuned with her very soul.

Hecate was stood upon one of the three solid blood pillars she'd created a while earlier. She tilted her head to the side and gasped when she saw Claude.

"You're here! You must be Claude, you're exactly as I envisioned you, come, let's play!"

Hecate jumped backwards into a backflip and landed in the blood below with a small splash.

She twirled around and faced Claude. "You haven't changed at all, well maybe a little, but that's besides the point."

Hecate extended a hand to him. "Welcome back, I don't know if you remember me or not, but we're gonna have so much fun! You know, the entire time I knew you, I had no idea your name is Claude, that's kinda strange."

Hecate shrugged and nodded to Claude. "Anyway, I'm sure you're looking for your friends right?"

Hecate pointed around the room, to the three pillars. "They're in there, I'm slowly filling the room with Abyssal Energy, if you can beat me, I'll let them go, but time's ticking, if you take too long then they'll die!" Hecate giggled.

Claude shook his head. "Must we solve everything with a fight? You're defending an empty throne Hecate, your Monarch isn't here, you serve a dead master. I don't want to kill you, so give up and release my allies!"

Hecate's expression turned to anger. "An empty throne? How dare you! The Monarch WILL come back to me! He's just waiting to be revived. Don't make me angry Claude! You won't like angry Hecate!"

Claude smiled. "Your Monarch lost, give up Hecate, you're serving a failure, a man who lost to a mere human."

Hecate's horns grew larger and ignited on fire, she glared at Claude. "That's it, I thought you of all people would understand, now I see how wrong I was, you're beyond my help, it's time for you and your worthless friends to die!"

She threw a disk of blood at Claude, it cut his arm and caused blood to seep from it. She smiled. "You've taken a lethal does of Abyssal Energy! That'll kill you without the need for me to waste my energy!"

Claude held his arm tightly. He turned his head to face Hecate, a smirk on his face. "Nice try, looks like you failed." He clicked his fingers and Hecate flew backwards, landing with a splash.

She swiftly jumped to her feet and faced Claude. "You've got crazy resistance to Abyssal Energy! You're just like him... I understand now. This'll be fun after all!"

Claude glared at Hecate, his dull eyes burned with an almost electrical intensity, he chuckled.

"I couldn't possibly think of who you're referring to, I'm simply Claude, the one who'll be your end. You like fighting, don't you Hecate? Fight me, I'll put you out of your misery."

Hecate smiled excitedly. "I take back what I said about you earlier, you're perfect! Yes let's fight, I wanna feel that power of yours again! It'd be an honour to be killed by somebody like you!"

She cut her arms, blood flooded out of them like a waterfall, it changed direction and wrapped around her arms, solidifying into gauntlets, she ignited the gauntlets on fire. She put her arms up towards Claude. "Let's fight!"

Hecate charged at Claude, her flaming gauntlets drawn back in preparation for a punch. He chuckled and clicked his fingers.

Her gauntlets suddenly shattered like glass as she pushed them forwards at him, they fell from her arms and splashed into the blood pool below.

"What? Why? How? I... I see, you're truly something special Claude. I can see why those guys wanted you around."

She created a series of smaller blood spikes which ran up her arms. "Claude, I don't know how or why you know how to use that power, but clearly I misjudged you initially, even with your strength, you're stronger than I could've imagined, I'm gonna have a lot of fun here!"

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Claude nodded and smiled. "You won't be having any more fun Hecate, today is the day you'll see what true strength looks like!"

Hecate giggled at him. "As if I'd go down that easily, I've seen what you can do now, it's time for me to strike back!"

She rushed at Claude. He clicked his fingers and Hecate suddenly jolted to the side. "Heh, I can see what you're doing, that isn't gonna work a second time!"

She jumped into the air and crashed down onto Claude, the spikes dug into his body.

"You dodged my atomic powers? How?" Claude glared at Hecate.

"Well, I guess I just sorta knew what you were gonna do, it's hard to explain, it's as if our souls are linked." Hecate's blood spikes melted away into the bloody floor.

Hecate jumped backwards and landed a few meters away. "You've got ten minutes left Claude, the Abyssal Energy will reach fatal levels and all your friends will die!" She giggled.

Fires began to spark up, the pillars ignited and then the blood in the room followed shortly after.

Flames raged towards Claude. He tried to run but the fire cornered him against a wall. Hecate giggled and walked to him, through the flames.

Claude's head tilted towards Hecate, his face contorted into laughter.

"Nice try Hecate, Just now I figured I'd try something new, and you've set me the perfect stage to do so."

He extended a hand and the flames were extinguished. Hecate began clutching at her neck, coughing and sputtering.

The flames on Hecate's horns suddenly faded into a low glow.

Claude looked at her with a deadpan expression. "I'm not strong enough to manipulate solids or liquids yet with my powers, however I'm more than capable of manipulating gasses, so I pulled all the oxygen in the room towards myself, blood and fire are useless without it."

Hecate dropped to her knees, still clutching at her throat, she sputtered and choked as she tried to speak, a look of fear on her face.

The blood pillars around her began to melt away, freeing Claude's allies who were now unconscious.

Claude chuckled. "Had enough yet? You really are weak Hecate!"

Hecate tried to glare at Claude as her vision blurred.

He pulled her towards his hand using his power, hr gripped her neck tightly as she tried meekly to scratch at his hands, she tried to create a sword using blood, but it immediately melted away.

Her body went limp and Claude released her from his grasp. "Breathe Hecate, you're not dead already are you?"

Claude waved his hand and Hecate suddenly gasped, she began coughing and breathing heavily.

With a struggle she sat up, her hand on her throat gently. "You're... so strong... you beat me somehow..."

She stood up and her legs trembled. "Heh... I've not felt fear in a long time..."

"Claude... Demon customs dictate the strong dominate the weak, honouring my traditions I will listen to you... Your authority is overwhelming... just like his was forty years ago... You've earned the right to give me commands, just as The Monarch did decades ago."

Claude chuckled. "Get down on your knees Hecate, you've got a lot to atone for!"

Hecate fell to her knees and bowed her head. "Yes Claude, I'll do whatever you command of me. You're just like him... I miss him..."

Claude placed a hand on her abdomen. Hecate looked up at him. "Claude? What are you doing?"

Suddenly Hecate flew against the wall, blood poured from her old wound from forty years ago, she clutched at her abdomen with a hand, trying to contain the blood.

"Gah... h-how did you know that was my weak point?"

Hecate's eyes closed and she coughed up her blood. "The bleeding won't stop... This was your plan all along huh? You wanted her back... not me..."

Claude approached Hecate and grabbed a handful of her hair, he yanked her head back.

"Two rules you're never allowed to break, the first is you cannot intentionally harm any of my allies, if you do, I'll finish you off, and second, bring Charlotte back, she'll be allowed to freely switch with you on command, fail to comply with these rules and I'll kill you, do we have an understanding?"

Hecate opened her eyes and glanced at him. "I said I'd do as you told me... if you want her back... I'll let her come back... but she'll be in the state I'm currently in..."

Her head fell back and she fell unconscious.

Claude's allies awoke slowly, they looked around and saw Claude looming over an unconscious and bloody Hecate. Michael stood up and walked towards Claude.

"You beat Hecate, I suppose I underestimated you, Regent Squadron is proud to have you Claude. Now, let's finish her off before she wakes."

Claude shook his head. "No, I won't do that. Hecate is a true villain, but Charlotte isn't, and she needs our help, I've managed to get Hecate to bend to my will, she won't cause any more trouble, not while I'm around."

Mirage stepped forward. "As if anyone would fall for such lies, I expected better of you Claude. Hecate is a Demon, Demons don't make compromises or do as they're told. It's a fact."

He readied his mirror shards.

Claude turned to Mirage and Michael, his eyes shone with a strange authority. "I said stop!"

Mirage and Michael were pushed backwards a little. Both looked at each other and then back at Claude, who was now facing Hecate again.

Charlotte stirred awake, she glanced up at Claude and then gasped. "W-what happened? Where am I? C-Claude... did... did Hecate hurt you?"

She winced in pain and held a hand to her abdomen. "I feel really weak... wait... d-did you... beat Hecate?"

Claude nodded. "Hecate has been brought under my control, I beat her in combat and she's obeying me now."

Charlotte nodded to herself. "I see... I suppose I also serve you now... C-Claude... I'll... I'll do what you ask of me..."

Charlotte saw the authority glowing in Claude's eyes. She spoke up.

"C-Claude... y-you have the Abyssal Authority... I-It's a rare curse that humans are sometimes born with... it makes you immune to Abyssal Energy... but also alters your temperament sometimes... It makes it easier to control Demons... C-Claude... let me absorb some of your Abyssal Energy... I'll be able to patch up my wound with that... and you'll be able to return to normal before the effects are irreversible..."

Charlotte extended a hand to Claude. He nodded and let her grab his arm.

Claude began to calm down, the shine in his eyes faded back into his usual dark dull colour.

Charlotte solidified the blood on her wound and stood up slowly. "T-there we go... everything should be back to normal now..."

Charlotte bowed to Claude and turned to face his allies. "I'm really glad you're all okay... I was worried I'd hurt you...."

Claude turned to Charlotte. "Do you know what Hecate was here looking for? She said it was related to resurrecting The Monarch."

Charlotte nodded. "I think so... it's the Abyssal Crown... I can sense it somewhere around here... follow me..."