My vision shudders briefly, as I suddenly find myself standing beneath the sunlight. Blinking several times, my vision returns to me, and I am surprised by what I see.

Before me, a startled and confused winged being stands.

"Who..." Lilliana asks as she stares at me with wide eyes.

Yet I give her no time to ask further, as I dissipate away alongside the cloak she previously held, her grasp growing weak from the surprise allowing me to easily escape it.

I disappear from view, yet remain very much still there.

I hide within the realm in between realms, yet remain watching this realm I know as Chaoz, allowed so by the power of the artefact.

("So, this is where you bring me...at this point in time?") I think to myself, watching as Liliana glances about in confusion, surrounded by demons and two Devils, as in between them lays a chained God.

I recognise the prisoner as Orion, the Fae God King, but this matters not to me.

("He's nearby.") I realise, turning around to take in the rest of the scene.

As a war, rages on before me.

The continent I know as Tempres, under siege by an armada of demonic ships, monsters of all kinds rushing down onto land and crashing into the awaiting human and dwarven armies.

Amongst the battlefield, one conflict catches my attention the most.

A goliath of a Devil stands tall above all, swinging their massive weapon about, five figures clash with it.

One, wielded a long spear piercing their surroundings with a bright smiting light.

The second a bow, loosing arrows so quickly, even I can barely keep up with their speed.

Then a beast, draconic in appearance, the humanoid monster clashed face first with the Devil. Raw strength its only power.

The fourth, I recognise, wielding a large scythe as dreadful black energies loom about him. The Lich I seek stands with the archer, watching in terror as his allies fend off the hellish warrior.

But as my eyes fall upon the fifth, surprise fills me.

A tail, long and fluffy. With two, long pointed ears, also furred white.

A Spirit Beast fights with them, and it is one I recognise, to both my surprise and realisation.

My very own father, younger than I've ever known him to be, I watch as he soars about the battlefield, finding any and all openings...The Hero of Frost assaults the Devil from afar.

But even though they have the Devil outnumbered, even I can tell it is a lost fight.

The hellish knight rampaged about freely, undeterred by their attacks, yet finally turning to face them.

The Devil looms over them all, its fiendish energy flowing out as a heavy pressure, each of them is forced to their knees before it.

"Admirable," The Devil chuckles, as its clawed gauntlet digs into The Hero of Draco's chest, pulling out the beast's heart. "But your resolve is for naught, this battle, you lose." It tells them, watching with great amusement as the previously giant draconic warrior shrinks down into an unmoving human corpse.

"Strengthen my hand in this time of need! Empower my attack, and thus strike down my enemies in vengeance for the fallen!" The archer chants, as he nocks a pitch black glass-like arrow, a bright crimson energy flowing out of his hands then and into the projectile...

He looses it, sending it flying true and into the Devil's chest.

Watching with horror as it shatters, as the crimson energy disperses into nothing, leaving the hellish warrior unscathed.

The Devil laughs, a horrid cackle as its massive foot crashes down upon the frozen archer. Terrorstruck, he doesnt move an inch.

The squelching sound of crushed flesh and bone then ringing into the other's ears, as the remaining three also fall still, horrified by the sight.

Filled to the brink with fear.

Yet I sense something amiss, something rising amongst the fear of one.

I sense rage, I sense fury overflowing within The Hero of Frost.

I sense the Nogitsune appear from within my father, just as I see its dark energies rush out of his body.

I watch, as dark ethereal claws push down the Devil, two more grasping onto both Scythe and Spear then.

"Too weak...This body...Too fragile...This vessel!" I hear the beast whine, growling as it crushes the Hero of the Spear within its grasp, smashing the Devil about too as its darkness grows to envelop their surroundings.

But not Scythe, no the beast's claw raises the soon to be Lich over to Frost's now emotionless black eyes.

"You...You can prove to be...useful. Join me, feeble being, become my pawn. Do you wish for power? Do you thirst for glory? I can give you all, I can give you more." I hear the void spout its lies, rage filling me as I hear it lure in another soul.

Yet, I hold it in, knowing it wasn't truly here.

Not fully here...

So I watch, calming myself, I watch.

As Scythe nods frantically, "Y-Yes! P-P-Please! I will obey! I will follow!" The cowardly fool promises as the black fox's darkness starts to recede.

"Good...Yes...You can be useful." The beast whispers, as a tendril of darkness gushes out of Frost's chest and into Scythe. "You will listen, you will follow, or else." It warns, as its energy dissipates abruptly.

Leaving three dead heroes, one unconscious Frost and a trembling Scythe.

I watch, as darkness surrounds my father once more, enveloping his entire body like a malleable shadow. Frost, disappears then, seemingly being faded out of existence.

Yet I sense his movements, I sense him traverse into another realm...("Back home"), I guess to myself.

Returning to the scene then, before me Scythe still lays.

Kneeling, shuddering and mumbling to himself.

I sigh, having hoped for more of a struggle.

As I step back into Chaoz, revealing myself once more, I now stand before a frozen Scythe.

Long before the Lich I know, the villain I remember.

A snivelling mess lies before me, eyes wide at whatever he might see me as.

"You must be confused," I chuckle to myself, "Before you appeared a being beyond anything you've ever seen, and right after...something much worse comes out. Truly, you are an unfortunate bastard."

"Wha-What d-do-d you m-mean?..." Scythe manages to ask through his stuttering terror.

"Nothing really, but I do want you to know something..." I dont know why, but I just feel like monologuing a bit. Every good villain does that right?

And so I kneel before his fallen form, grasping the back of his trembling head, I force his eyes to stare directly into mine.

I smell his fear at this point.

"I want you to know, that you're one sickening, twisted and cowardly son of a bitch." I tell the man, confusing him further, before suddenly showing him hell itself.

As my form changes, a giant of a white fox now standing before him, I snarl.

Revealing my massive fangs, I enjoy the moment fully, as Scythe yelps and scurries away.

Truly, I enjoy this moment, taking in every second of his fearful pleas of mercy.

Every damn second...Right before I devour both his body and soul, leaving nothing behind.

I salivate over the taste of his disgusting flesh.

Over the feeling of absorbing his soul...

Erasing him, from existence itself.