The forest around Erik seemed to tremble, every branch and leaf recoiling from the overwhelming force radiating from his body. Twisted villagers shuffled forward from the shadows, their hollow eyes glazed and empty, as though devoid of any remnant of the souls they once housed. Their forms were warped, limbs elongated and broken, expressions frozen in silent, agonizing screams.
Erik’s hand tightened around the hilt of the Hellfire Wielder. His heart hammered, each beat drowning out his thoughts until only a thunderous, primal rage remained. His system flared in warning, but the words were meaningless only fuel to the fire rising within him.
“Berserker Mode fully activated: caution, total control compromised.”
A low growl rumbled from deep within his chest, a raw, animalistic sound that barely felt like his own. The demon within him murmured, almost fearful. “Erik… the Sin of Wrath is consuming you. This is beyond what you’ve faced.”
But Erik was beyond hearing it. He was lost, submerged beneath a flood of fury so intense it felt like his very blood was burning. With a savage roar, he surged forward, his body contorting as the demonic transformation took hold. His skin darkened, marbled with crimson lines that pulsed like molten lava. Sharp horns cracked out of his forehead, and claws erupted from his fingertips, gleaming with an otherworldly energy.
He lunged into the crowd of corrupted villagers, swinging his Hellfire Wielder with unrestrained brutality. The blade ignited in dark flames, carving through each twisted form with ease. Each swing left trails of searing fire, reducing the corrupted bodies to ash. His vision was tinted with red, and all he could see was the next target, the next threat that needed to be extinguished, moving with an efficiency between strikes from his Hellfire Wielder and brutal assault with his fists, fingers, feet and any body part he could use.
From a distance, Vesper and Berndhardt watched, their expressions a mixture of awe and horror. Erik had become something almost unrecognizable; a creature of pure rage, a force of destruction unbound by humanity.
“What’s… Happening?” Vesper whispered, gripping her sword tightly. Her divine energy flared instinctively, a flicker of light against the dark, oppressive aura surrounding Erik.
Berndhardt’s eyes were fixed on Erik, his normally stoic face betraying a hint of unease. “He’s in the grip of something… ancient. Something primal.” He gritted his teeth, hefting his massive silver axe. “If we don’t join this fight, he might not survive it.”
Nodding, Vesper tightened her hold on her blade and stepped forward. With a sharp inhale, she summoned her divine energy, a radiant glow surrounding her as she called upon her power. Her sword pulsed with holy light, and she moved with a fierce determination, slashing through the approaching villagers to reach Erik.
“Flame of Akron!” Vesper’s voice was a command, and her sword shone with a blinding light as she brought it down on an advancing villager. The creature disintegrated on impact, the divine energy tearing through its corrupted form. But as she took another step toward Erik, her light flickered and dimmed. She gasped, feeling her own power recoil, shrinking back from the overwhelming demonic energy emanating from Erik.
Beside her, Berndhardt gritted his teeth, his gaze focused on the oncoming swarm of villagers. He raised his silver axe, channeling a skill he rarely unleashed. “Glacial Wrath!” Frost exploded from his axe in a wide arc, freezing the villagers in their tracks. The ice shattered as he swung his weapon, cutting through the frozen bodies with ease. But as he moved closer to Erik, he could feel the oppressive weight of Erik’s aura pressing down on him, forcing him to fight just to keep his balance.
The two fought their way toward Erik, carving through the eldritch horde. Vesper’s sword flared with bursts of holy light and flame, and Berndhardt’s axe left trails of ice in its wake, each strike meeting the corrupted villagers with deadly precision. But every step closer to Erik made them feel like they were entering the mouth of a volcano; his aura radiated an intense, primal heat, as though they were approaching a force of nature itself.
Erik was lost to the rage, his body moving with a speed and strength that felt both foreign and instinctual. He swung his Hellfire Wielder in brutal arcs, cleaving through multiple villagers with each strike. His claws tore into the flesh of any who got too close, and his horns sliced through the air like blades.
As he slaughtered each twisted form, his system continued to call out skill notifications, his body moving with demonic precision. “Abyssal Frenzy activated.” Erik’s attacks quickened, each swing of his blade leaving arcs of dark fire that scorched the ground.
The Sin of Wrath pushed him further, drowning out every thought, every emotion except for a ravenous need to destroy. His pulse roared in his ears, and he could barely see through the haze of red that coated his vision. All he knew was the next kill, the next life to extinguish. Each strike only fueled the inferno within him, a power that felt bottomless and devastating.
As Erik continued his brutal assault, a hollow, mocking laugh echoed through the chaos, cutting through the sounds of battle. Dominion stepped forward from the edge of the clearing, watching Erik with dark amusement.
“Well, well,” Dominion sneered, its voice a sickly, hollow rasp. “Look at the beast you’ve become, Erik. Nothing but a puppet to your own fury.”
Erik snarled, his gaze snapping to Dominion. But even as he advanced, the ground beneath Dominion began to blacken, twisting and warping as its eldritch aura expanded, corrupting the soil in a radius around it.
“Watch closely,” Dominion continued, its tone almost taunting. “You and I… we’re one and the same. You think you wield power? Let me show you true corruption.”
Dominion’s body began to contort, limbs elongating and hardening into jagged, armored appendages. Its skin darkened to an abyssal black, and its eyes glowed with a sinister, unnatural light. It became a creature of pure eldritch horror, an abomination that radiated an aura as dark and consuming as Erik’s own.
The twisted villagers fell back, their hollow eyes fixed on Dominion’s new form. Erik’s rage flared even higher, his body reacting to the presence of a true threat.
Vesper and Berndhardt exchanged a wary glance, both sensing that Dominion’s power was something far beyond anything they’d encountered.
“Whatever this is… it’s beyond both of us,” Berndhardt muttered, his voice tense. But even so, he tightened his grip on his axe, his gaze steely. “I didn’t come this far to watch Erik lose himself to this.”
Vesper nodded, her face resolute. She took a deep breath, summoning her divine energy to its fullest, even as it flickered in response to Erik’s overwhelming aura. With a fierce cry, she raised her sword. “Divine Aegis!”
A radiant shield of light formed around Erik, deflecting a tendril of darkness that Dominion had hurled his way. But even as her shield held, Vesper could feel the strain. Erik’s power was tearing through her own, pushing her to her limits just to maintain her footing.
Beside her, Berndhardt raised his axe high. “Glacial Rampart!” With a thunderous swing, he brought the axe down, summoning a wall of ice between Erik and the advancing villagers, forcing Dominion’s forces to move around it. But the heat from Erik’s aura began to melt the ice, and Berndhardt grunted, his muscles straining as he fought to maintain his footing against the intense energy.
Erik, seeing Dominion’s new form, let out a roar that shook the ground. The Sin of Wrath pushed him forward, his vision narrowing until all he could see was the eldritch terror before him. His Hellfire Wielder blazed with dark fire as he charged, his horns lowered, claws extended.
The clash of eldritch and demonic energies filled the air with a cacophony of sounds; Dominion’s eldritch tendrils lashing out and Erik’s Hellfire Wielder slashing through them with brutal precision. Each strike seemed to tear at the very fabric of reality, sending ripples of energy that knocked Vesper and Berndhardt back.
Dominion raised a clawed hand, and Erik felt eldritch tendrils coil around his limbs, squeezing with an unnatural strength that drained his vitality with each second.
“Vitality Depletion at 50%. Energy Drain in progress.”
Erik roared, tearing at the tendrils with his claws, his rage intensifying as he pushed against Dominion’s grip. Every ounce of his power, every bit of his wrath, surged to the surface, and his core pulsed within him, straining against the barriers holding it back.
Dominion smirked, tightening its grip as it whispered, “Look at you, Erik; no better than me. Just a beast lost to its own fury.”
But Dominion’s taunts only fueled Erik further, and with one final surge of demonic strength, Erik shattered the eldritch tendrils and lunged at Dominion, his Hellfire Wielder igniting with a fire so fierce it seemed to burn the very air pushing past Dominions tendrils and plunging straight towards Dominions chest.
Dominion staggered, momentarily thrown off balance by the force of Erik’s blow that now was caught between a pair of skeleton deformed hands. Dominion quickly recovered, its form warping and shifting to withstand the hellfire surging from Erik’s blade.
Dominion’s eldritch energy pulsed, thickening around it like armor, and its eyes gleamed with an unholy light as it launched a torrent of darkness toward Erik.
Erik’s system flashed another warning: “Vitality Depletion at 70%. System Overload Imminent.”
But Erik couldn’t stop—he was consumed, fully gripped by the Sin of Wrath, his every instinct screaming for destruction. His Hellfire Wielder roared with dark flames as he met Dominion’s attack head-on, the clash sending shockwaves that blasted the ground around them into splinters and dust.
And then, in the heat of the battle, something within Erik shifted. His Core, straining against the limits of his demonic transformation, began to pulse, sending waves of power through his body. He felt a searing heat in his chest, an almost blinding intensity that radiated outward, threatening to tear him apart from the inside.
For a moment, the battle halted as both Erik and Dominion sensed the shift.
A prismatic light began to emanate from Erik’s chest, pulsating with a strange, ancient energy. Colors fractured across his skin, brilliant and fierce, pushing through the dark lines of demonic power. Erik’s system flickered wildly, unable to contain the sheer force now surging from within him.
Dominion’s expression twisted, its taunting confidence faltering for the first time. “No... Not possible,” it hissed, almost to itself.
But the Core pulsed again, its vibrant energy pushing Erik’s demonic transformation beyond anything he had known. His horns elongated, curling upward, and his claws grew, sharp as razors and wreathed in multicolored flames. The air around him warped, the energy distorting reality itself.
Vesper and Berndhardt, caught in the storm of energy, shielded their eyes, feeling the crushing weight of Erik’s power pressing down on them. The rage they had sensed before now felt magnified, as if they were witnessing the birth of something both monstrous and absolutely terrifying.
Erik’s demonic system finally registered the Core’s activation, sending a cascade of new abilities through his mind, his senses already overloaded by the Sin of Wrath and Berserker mode.
“Complete demonic Mutation integration initiated. Status: 25%... 40%... 60%...”
With each percentage, his power grew, pushing his Hellfire Wielder to a higher state of resonance. The blade darkened, absorbing the multicolored energy, until it radiated a fierce, deep red glow. Erik felt the flood of ancient demonic knowledge merging with his own, granting him access to abilities beyond his previous comprehension.
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He lunged at Dominion, his blade cutting through the eldritch guardian’s defenses with newfound ferocity. Every swing left behind a trail of rainbow fire, the colors shifting and changing, each strike more powerful than the last. Dominion screamed, its eldritch form faltering as Erik’s blows tore through its corrupted armor.
Dominion snarled, fury contorting its face. “Complete manifestation..” it spat, lashing out with one last desperate surge of dark energy.
Eriks mouth opened, leaving long serrated teeth and long pointed fangs dripping demonic blood, and breathed in deep sucking in the very energy that the eldritch being had shot out absorbing the dark energy and converting within Eriks Core. The intensity was overwhelming, pushing Erik’s demonic form to the brink as the core reached 100% demonic mutation integration. His system blared warnings, trying and failing to contain the new power that now defined him.
With a guttural roar, Erik raised the Hellfire Wielder high, the blade blazing with prismatic flames that danced with every color imaginable. Dominion recoiled, its eldritch form trembling as it recognized the inevitable.
Erik brought the blade down in one final, devastating strike. The demonic flames surged, enveloping Dominion entirely, burning through its eldritch essence with an intensity that left nothing but ash in its wake. Dominion let out a final, inhuman scream, its form dissolving into the wind as Erik’s blade cut through its core, and was instantly sucked in along with all the other eldritch essence on the battlefield like a mist being siphoned.
But as Dominion faded, Erik’s Core continued to pulse, its power surging beyond control. His vision blurred, and his system screamed in alarm as the raw energy overwhelmed every fiber of his being.
“Core Overload. System Failure Imminent.”
A prismatic light enveloped Erik, growing brighter and brighter until it was impossible to look directly at him. The energy intensified, rotating around him in a cyclone of colors that sent waves of power in every direction. His demonic form began to dissolve, reducing back to his human shape as he was lifted off the ground, floating mid-air, his body arched as if suspended by the light.
Within him, the demon screamed, unable to withstand the raw, prismatic energy that is released only when a core is destroyed from a system overload. Desperate to survive, it clawed its way out of Erik’s body finding holes in the very areas that core was destroying from within, a dark, spectral form twisting as it was ejected from Erik’s core. With a final, agonized wail, the demon latched onto the only place it could—the Hellfire Wielder, merging into the sword that was soulbound to Erik to avoid destruction.
The demonic voice faded, leaving Erik alone in the storm of prismatic energy, his guardian gone but his body still thrumming with raw, untamed demonic power.
As Erik began to float within the prismatic light, four dark tendrils descended from the sky, forming into shadowed figures, each radiating an aura that dwarfed even Erik’s new power. These figures surrounded him, their presence pressing down like the weight of a mountain.
Each figure raised a hand, activating a barrier around Erik, attempting to contain the prismatic energy. The light grew more intense, pulsating in waves as Erik’s core struggled against the restraint, his body thrumming with enough power to tear apart reality itself.
Vesper and Berndhardt watched in stunned silence, their faces pale as seven more figures descended, each bearing an insignia: one divine, one demonic, and five others that pulsed with unknown energies. These were the Seven Court Captains designated to maintain balance between the factions and ensure that each factions power remained in check as to not destroy the very boundaries of their worlds. Each Captain, a legendary rank, each one standing as a guardian of universal balance.
The divine figure stepped forward, his voice resonating with an authority that left no room for question. “The Prismatic one... has surfaced and awakened here.”
One of the figures, bearing the demonic insignia, inclined his head toward Erik. “This power is ours to control, we will not allow this new royal infant to run unchecked. It threatens all life, mortal and immortal alike.”
Vesper’s grip tightened on her sword as she stepped forward, defiant. “What are you going to do to him?”
The figure with the demonic insignia glanced at her, his gaze impassive. “Protecting your friend is beyond your power, mortal.”
Berndhardt growled, stepping forward beside her. “He’s not just a weapon or a threat. He’s one of us.”
One of the Court Captains raised a hand, releasing a pulse of energy that sent both Vesper and Berndhardt staggering back. “This power transcends all bonds and all loyalties,” the captain said, his tone resolute. “Step aside.”
As Erik stood within the storm of prismatic energy, suspended mid-air and pulsating with power, the light around him shifted, twisting into forms and symbols he could not recognize. His demonic form dissolved, reverting back to his human shape, though he remained enveloped in radiant colors emanating from within his chest. His vision blurred, and fragments of memories; strange, foreign images; flickered through his mind, as though unlocking a part of himself he had never known.
Only now did he notice the new arrivals watching in silence, their expressions unreadable as they witnessed his transformation. Among them, one of the Seven Court Captains stepped forward, bearing a symbol Erik had never seen before. This figure radiated an aura of profound authority. As he approached, his voice resonated through Erik’s mind, bypassing his thoughts and speaking directly to his soul.
“You were not meant for this world, Erik Marlowe,” the captain intoned, his words filled with both sorrow and awe. “You were hidden here, where no system or guardian could reach you, in a world far removed from the conflict of your origin in an entirely different universe. But the time has come to reveal the truth.”
Erik’s vision darkened, and suddenly he was transported to another world; a vision so vivid he felt the soil beneath his feet, the warmth of a distant sun on his skin. He saw vast landscapes filled with towering spires and lush, green fields under endless skies. It was a world both familiar and alien, beautiful beyond words, yet tinged with a sense of impending doom.
“This,” the captain continued, his voice echoing within the vision, “is where you are from. A world destroyed by those who sought to control its greatest secret.”
The words resonated within Erik as though they were a part of his very essence. He struggled to make sense of the emotions flooding through him. The captain’s gaze was solemn.
“You, Erik, are not merely mortal. You are an Aetherian, one of the last of a race born with an unparalleled connection to the mesh of the multiverse itself. Aetherians are unique among guardian races; able to travel freely across universes and worlds without the need for a host or vessel. You have the power to walk between universes, to wield magic in ways that transcend the dimensional boundaries that others must obey.”
Erik’s heart pounded as the prismatic core pulsed within him, each beat bringing more clarity to his identity. Fragments of memories returned, glimpses of his life before he was hidden on this world. He remembered flashes of battle, of a struggle that had consumed his homeworld as forces from across the universe clashed, each seeking to control the planet’s magic and the beings who could wield it.
“They destroyed our world,” Erik said, his voice shaking as the realization sank in. “All of it… for control.”
The captain’s expression hardened. “Yes. Your world was caught in the ambitions of many, each one seeking to control the magic of the Aetherians, to turn your people into tools. But you… you were different from other Aetherians. You were born with a power beyond any other; a core that draws on the very essence of magic itself, without limit or restraint.”
Erik opened his mouth to speak, but his voice faltered as a new realization struck him. He felt his chest tighten, the enormity of the truth sinking in. His mother... it couldn’t be true that she had died giving birth to him, as he had been told his whole life. If he was hidden here, with an implanted core meant to suppress his power, then his mother had been… alive.
He took a trembling breath, his hands clenching as a chill washed over him. Had his father known? Had he willingly kept this truth from Erik, or had he, too, been left in the dark? The image of his father, a man he had thought stern but honest, seemed to blur and waver.
“Why didn’t I know?” Erik asked, his voice barely a whisper, thick with sorrow and anger. “Why was it all hidden?”
The captain looked at him with a mixture of sadness and understanding. “To protect you, Erik. You were taken from the destruction of your world and hidden here, a place where systems and guardians are a rarity. Here, an artificial core was implanted within you; a barrier, preventing you from accessing your true power, hiding you from those who would seek to control or destroy you.”
Erik’s mind spun as the truth unraveled. The artificial core… it was never meant to enhance him. It was a restraint, a lock that had kept him dormant, hidden from the reach of those who might sense his limitless potential. His inability to wield magic all his life had been a protection, a cage forged by the captains themselves.
“This core,” the captain continued, gesturing to the prismatic light within Erik, “was meant to remain dormant until the time was right. But your exposure to eldritch and demonic forces, combined with your rage and resilience, has broken the seal.”
Erik felt the weight of the revelation settle on him like a mantle. He was not just a mortal with a demonic guardian. He was something far greater; a being capable of traversing worlds, of wielding magic without limit; a true guardian in a way he hadn’t understood.
The captain’s voice softened, yet it held a warning. “The power of the Aetherians, your power, is something beyond comprehension. Unlike guardians bound to specific vessels or planes, you can travel freely across the multiverse, unhindered by the limits others face. You are the last of your kind, Erik, and now… you are without boundaries. Even we, Captains of the Court, can only inhabit vessels outside our domain, and only for a period of time.”
Erik’s core pulsed in response, filling him with an exhilarating, terrifying sense of freedom. He could feel the possibilities unfolding before him; the ability to step from one world to the next, to bend the very fabric of magic itself to his will. But beneath the thrill, there was a dark realization: if his abilities had attracted conflict once, they would again. And this time, he was the sole Aetherian remaining.
He looked up at the Seven Court Captains, their expressions both guarded and wary. “If you went to such lengths to hide me, why not implant another artificial core?”
The captain with the divine insignia stepped forward, his gaze sharp. “Because you have awakened a power that will attract attention across the universe. The Prismatic Core within you is a beacon; a signal that cannot be masked now that it has been activated. Now, others will come. They will sense your power, your ability, and they will seek to use it; or to end it. The eldritch have already sensed it and sought to break the bond that restricts your core. This incident was likely an attempt to shatter that seal. In that, they succeeded; but I doubt they anticipated that the merging of the artificial core with demonic energy would produce a manifested royal demon. This would normally be impossible due to dimensional restraints we all face..”
Behind Erik, Vesper and Berndhardt listened, both stunned and awestruck by the revelation. Vesper’s grip tightened on her sword as she tried to comprehend the enormity of what Erik truly was.
“So… he’s not just one of us,” Vesper whispered, her voice tinged with a mix of fear and admiration. “He’s… he’s something beyond anything we know.”
Berndhardt looked at Erik with newfound respect, though a shadow of worry darkened his gaze. “… from another world. All this time, Erik… you’ve been more than we ever understood.”
The two of them could sense the shift in Erik, the prismatic core now pulsating within him like a second heart, radiating a magic so profound it felt as if it could reshape the world around them. They both knew, instinctively, that they were witnessing the emergence of a power that would change everything.
The captain bearing the demonic insignia regarded Erik with a solemn expression. “This is why we hid you, why we placed that core within you. But now that it is broken, your path forward is fraught with danger. Forces across realms will sense you, and they will come, Erik. You are no longer hidden.”
The captain with the divine insignia nodded. “The Prismatic Core is your birthright, Erik, but it is also a burden. It will draw allies; and enemies from across the universe. Your choices will shape more than just your world.”
Erik felt the weight of their words settle on him, the enormity of his power a crushing yet exhilarating responsibility. He looked at the captains, his expression resolute. “Then I’ll face it. Whatever comes for me…”
The captains regarded him in silence, their expressions unreadable. One by one, they began to fade, their forms dissipating like shadows retreating from the light, leaving Erik, Vesper, and Berndhardt standing alone in the clearing, the prismatic glow within Erik fading to a soft, steady hum.
As the last few captains vanished one by one, one figure remained, standing silent as the shadows of his fellow captains faded into the darkness. The captain bearing the demonic insignia, his form dark and massive, stepped forward with a commanding presence that sent a chill through the air. In his hand, the captain held Erik’s Hellfire Wielder, its black blade still faintly pulsing with residual energy from the battle.
The captain inspected the weapon, his sharp, crimson eyes tracing the length of the blade as if measuring it. “This sword,” he began, his voice deep and resonant, “holds more than just steel and fire. It now bears the presence of a royal demon; a power not lightly contained.” His gaze shifted to Erik, and with a flick of his wrist, he drove the sword’s point into the earth, summoning a dark, swirling energy that wrapped around it like a shroud.
Dark flames coiled up the blade as the captain infused it with his own energy, his focus intense. A faint hum filled the air, and Erik felt a surge of familiar power resonate from the sword. The aura of the demon, his demon, began to grow, and for a moment Erik could almost feel its consciousness awakening within the blade.
“This will allow your demon to move more freely,” the captain said, his tone low and authoritative. “I have imbued the sword with a release enchantment, giving the demon the ability to return to his own world. When it chooses; or when you call upon it; the demon may come and go, though its power is still bound to you.”
Erik’s hand instinctively reached for the hilt, feeling the vibration of energy as it melded with his own. “Why… why would you do this?” he asked, curiosity and a trace of unease in his voice.
The captain’s expression remained unreadable, though a faint glint of something; perhaps respect appeared in his eyes. “You may find use for its presence, as will I. Through this blade, I can remain in contact with you. Should you need guidance, or when you are ready, I will reach you through this demon.”
Erik’s gaze lingered on the dark blade, and he felt the faint stirring of the demon’s consciousness, a familiar voice murmuring at the edge of his awareness. “And… if I wanted to find it another host?” Erik asked, testing the idea, uncertain of its true possibility.
The captain gave a low, humorless chuckle. “It would take an extraordinary being to serve as a host to a royal demon. This kind of power is rare and not easily contained. But” his gaze sharpened “you are not powerless, Erik. You hold the potential to do more than you know. Should such a host appear, you may find a way. But be cautious. Royal demons do not tend to enjoy relinquishing a connection to ones that can possibly grant higher power like yourself lightly.”