Chapter 855 Fragment Consumed
Inside Astaroth, another change was happening for the umpteenth time, and his mind struggled to adapt.
The divinity fragment that had once been wholly sealed inside him, which eventually freed a part of itself to become Nemus before another part separated from the remainder to become Geminae, was no longer caged.
The cage had been broken once and twice, and now for a third time, and this time, there was no more caging it.
The cage shattered the moment Astaroth came into direct contact with the fragment, and his soul shuddered. It swelled in power as the lines of runes that Geminae had inscribed were being erased.
Although Geminae did as the fragment had ordered him to, he suddenly feared for his continued existence. He was technically a part of this divinity fragment, and now that it was assimilating into Astaroth's soul, he feared it would absorb him, too.
In the corner of the soul, the imp was crying out in pain as the golden light burned his skin, the regeneration only barely keeping him protected from it.
Astaroth was once again floating in the center of his soul space, this time upright, as a golden halo shone behind him, a bluish-white flame flickering at its center, runes circling inside the halo.
Geminae could understand the runes, but not what they meant as a whole. It was like the letters moved as he tried reading them, keeping him from grasping their meaning.
Once the fragment completely consumed itself, strengthening the interior of Astaroth's soul, the halo disappeared from behind him, and his eyes stopped glowing before he dropped to the ground like a rag doll.
Geminae sighed in relief, as he hadn't been erased in the process, but could feel something had changed.
Instead of being a part of the divinity fragment, he now felt like he was no more than a fragment of Astaroth. This made him uncomfortable, given he was sharing the soul with his antipodal being.
The imp had it worse, as even being here was hurting him. His skin was burning, and he felt like his presence inside Astaroth's soul was blasphemous to the universe itself.
The imp could slowly feel his strength sapping away and his regenerative abilities weaken. If this went on, he would burn up and cease to exist.
The imp ran over to Astaroth, who was now his only hope for a future.
"Hey! Wake up, flesh puppet! Wake up!" he shouted, slapping him in the face.
Just the act of touching Astaroth's skin was burning the inside of his palms, and he understood what was happening.
"Come on! If I die, you die too! Wake the fuck up!" the imp shouted.
Seeing as he was getting no answer, the imp did the only thing he could think of. He tore a horn from his head and stabbed it into Astaroth's leg.
The latter jumped up in pain as he glared at the imp. The horn was already burning away, its ashes turning golden, before sinking into the floor.
"You have to do something! If I die, you die, remember?!" the imp screamed, his voice laced with panic.
"He's lying," Geminae said, looking at the imp with disdain.
Astaroth looked at both of them and could see the imp burning up, and Geminae suddenly seemed more tame.
"Please! I beg you! I'm telling the truth! Help me!" the imp begged, throwing himself to the ground.
But Geminae interjected again.
"What just happened to you has made your soul whole again. You no longer need either of us to survive. Hell, we are no more than parasites, leaching off you, now," Geminae claimed with a defeated tone.
The imp was staring daggers at Geminae, his eyes screaming at him to shut up.
But Astaroth was already ignoring them both.
He looked around him and couldn't find the fragment anymore, and the voice was gone. But when he looked at the imp and Geminae, he could clearly see the flame flickering inside them.
'Are those their souls? This is new…' he mused.
"Hey! Look at me! I'm burning up! Save me! I swear, I'll do anything!" the imp shouted, grabbing hold of Astaroth's face, his hands instantly starting to sizzle.
Astaroth looked at him with eyes devoid of emotions.
"Why would I save you? You've been nothing but a problem for me. Since I no longer need you to survive, what's stopping me from just outright ending you myself?" he asked, his tone neutral.
"You need me! I'm a great ally! My powers aren't like the other demons, and you know that! Please, just keep me alive. You can enslave me, for all I care, as long as I don't die!"
Black tears started rolling down the imp's face, startling even him. Demons weren't supposed to know fear, let alone sadness.
Yet, here he was, begging for his life, crying at the prospect of dying before he could become complete.
Astaroth could almost feel pity for him. But he couldn't stop the hate from overcoming him.
But before he opened his mouth to tell the demon to fuck off, the voice echoed in his mind again.
'Save him. His powers will be useful later. I know a way to bind him. He can never harm you or anyone around you unless you order him to.'
'Who are you?' Astaroth asked, still glaring at the demon.
'Who am I? I am you. Or rather, I am what you were to become. What you will become. Trust me, and humanity has a chance at being saved,' the voice claimed.
Astaroth had trouble believing those words at face value. He'd lied to himself before when the demon was trying to take form.
What was to say this wasn't just another elaborate deception of his?
'If you don't act now, he will disappear, and his powers will never be yours to control again. This will tilt the balance in Gaius' favour. Save him.'
Astaroth clicked his tongue mentally.
He wanted to refuse the voice. But the thought alone of getting back at Gaius suddenly spiked a feeling of satisfaction within him.
'Fine. Guide me.'
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