Soul of Blades - Chapter 56: The Infernal Regent (Patreon)

Alex’s fingers curled around the grip of his sword, a quiet, familiar touch that anchored him amid the escalating chaos. His heart beating a steady, calming rhythm in his chest that sent waves of information surging through him. It was strange to be able sense and see your inner workings so vividly. He was no doctor, but he could feel that he had hardly sustained any injuries reaching this here. His boots enhanced his movements, and his armoured’s force field held strong, imperceptibly shielding him from the endless harm he had faced.

Yet His mouth filled with a bitter tang — the sharp bite of caution and the deeper, stronger flavour of resolve. He watched the demon horde, absorbing every detail. Each tiny motion, each restless shuffle and low grunt, added layers to the puzzle he was about to throw himself into.

Then, cloaked in shadow and silence, he moved.

Launching from his concealed perch, Alex flowed through the air like a shadow detached from its source. His worn boots met the hardened lava of the ground with a faint crunch, a minor sound in the grand orchestra of resistance.

A guard, standing oblivious near the crimson pillar of light, was his first target. Alex’s blade hummed softly in his hands as he closed in, a whispering ghost on the winds of the surrounding flames. The blade found its mark with swift and deadly precision. The guard crumpled as alex silently guided its fall, taken down before it even knew there was a threat. He reached for the demons ornate silver blade, experimentally storing the battered military blade in his Inventory skill. Good, it still works, he confirmed with relief. He had long discovered that under cooldown, he could not retrieve specific items, but only store them or pull them at random. The blade vanished to some unknown space he felt he could access more deeply when the restriction was lifted, but now was not the time to investigate further.

Already, Alex was moving again, blade in hand.

His boots gripped the volcanic ground, propelling him towards the next demon. His sword sang again, its silver arc catching the red light as it plunged through the demon. He was a living specter in the darkness, a soft-sounded threat that quickly became a roar.

One by one, the demons fell. Each quiet, precise strike etched a brutal tale into the dark canvas of the dusk. Yet for each demon that fell, it seemed another stepped forward. Among them, the 4th prince peered into the portal, unflinching. His gaze as hard and cold as the twisted stones beneath them.

Alex moved like a wraith among them, unnoticed until a sudden hush fell over the scene. The demons, who had been relentless in their forward march out of the portal, suddenly paused. A clear path opened up between the guards, leading from Alex to the fourth prince. All eyes turned toward him, and Alex understood that his cloak of anonymity had been shed.

At the end of this eerie corridor of still guards, the 4th prince turned along with his monstrous mount. The prince’s axe, a weapon that had radiated a terrifying wave of power, shone menacingly from its place on his back.

"Challenging me, human?" Prince R'jdar's smooth voice carried over the battlefield, cold and deadly as the winds sweeping over the molten landscape.

Alex planted his feet, wiped the sweat from his brow, his chest heaving as he gathered his breath. He raised his sword, pointing it directly at the prince.

He watched for any signs of movement.

“Bold words for a beast that lurks in the back of a battle and sends lesser creatures to fight his battles,” Alex responded, the words hissing through clenched teeth. His eyes, hard as the obsidian scattered around him, never left R'jdar’s icy gaze.

“You understand nothing of our world, human,” prince R'jdar shot back, his voice dismissive, as if swatting away a pesky fly. “Your kind, with your crude weapons and feeble magics, you are like mewling infants in the grand cosmic scheme. You’ve been playing with ants and dogs, hatchling, while we serve those who shape destinies.”

Prince R'jdar stood from atop the brood mother, glaring down at Alex.

"No, you have merely scratched the surface," the demon continued lazily, his tone oozing condescension. "You have yet to comprehend the grand design, the true essence of power. You revel in the scraps we toss to you, like a starving beast finding a rotten carcass."

Prince R'jdar then descended from his monstrous mount, a single step clearing the distance between him and the ground. And watched Alex from across the corridor of silent demonic guards.

R'jdar’s glowing red eyes glared across the distance “a bug under the might of true power, crawling through the dirt, believing it to be the heavens."

Alex was silent for a moment, pondering the demon's words. He had indeed witnessed the system's mysterious and seemingly limitless power. He’d experienced the arduous climb to power, one step at a time, fighting tooth and nail for every scrap of strength. And he had indeed wondered, what force commanded such a grand design?

Alex glared back at the entity before him. The ‘4th demon prince’, R'jdar. He stood at Alex's height, but that was where the similarities ended. The princes powerful form was intimidating, cloaked in a swirl of dark energy and exuding a strange malicious aura. This wasn't a creature of this world; it was something altogether more sinister. Alex's hand gripped the hilt of his newly claimed sword tighter, the cool metal and ancient designs grounding him in the face of thick, potent, and mounting hostility.

“What do you want from me?” Alex asked, his voice steady despite the dangerous aura of the demon prince.

I haven’t been attacked yet and they have the advantage. He wants something, clearly. The only question that remained was what exactly it was, and how exactly Alex could specifically not do it.

The demon, R'jdar sneered, an ugly expression on an already alien visage. “What do I want?” he repeated his question with a mocking tone, as if the concept were amusing. “Nothing. You are nothing but a plaything, a puppet. You hold no value to me beyond your potential for entertainment.”

Alex frowned, mostly undeterred by the insult. They had only just begun to interact and this guy was already starting to get on his nerves. He wanted to check how long was left on the cooldown for his mana, but judging by how quickly R'jdar had just moved, he couldn’t afford to be distracted. There were too many demons for him to hope to survive the encounter without his skills, he would have to check when the prince seemed distracted. He had been discovered, he was surrounded on all sides, and had already seen the a glimpse of the Prince’s powerful capabilities. He needed a new strategy.

I guess no plan survives contact with the enemy. He mused bitterly, checking the countdown on his cool-down with Inner Focus as the prince glanced towards the portal.

Twenty minutes left.

Despite the odds stacked against him, at this moment, all he wanted was information, something to help him end the incursion, or even better - eradicate them.

“Answer the question,” Alex shot back, eyes still locked onto the demon. What he wanted even more was to buy time, to understand the bigger picture that seemed to stretch far beyond the confines of this world.

The demon prince paused, a smirk pulling at the corner of its lips. “Tell me, hatchling. What use is knowledge to a slave?”

“You can't comprehend the truths of the universe. You haven't even grasped a speck of the Dao, nor are you worthy to. You youself are but a speck, an insignificant creature squirming in the grand tapestry of existence.”

Okay, I get it. You’re a dick. Just say that— wait, the Dao!? Alex met the demon's stare, his mind halting to a stop, then pacing with concern.

His cool exterior belied the turmoil within. The prince had mentioned a Dao.

The 'Dao of True Immortality' that Alex had discovered after witnessing Phoenix's battle felt so far away now. If this demon prince held a Dao too, just how advanced was it? This could be more dangerous than he had imagined. He needed to know exactly what he was dealing with, and he needed to know fast.

"I've survived the trials thrown my way so far," Alex retorted, trying to keep his tone calm. "That's more than can be said for many."

Prince R'jdar’s eyes narrowed. "Survival. A concept cherished by the weak. True servants of the Martial Empire surpass the very notion of survival. We do not cling to life. We rule over it."

‘The Martial empire’? Is that the true name of the imperials? Alex wondered. The term ‘martial’ meant combat, fighting, and war. Alex envisioned a powerful group with a dominant presence, where martial prowess and combat skills held great significance. The name suggested a disciplined society, focused on military might and hierarchical structures, possibly ruling over vast territories- worlds, with an iron fist. From everything he’d seen and heard, Alex imagined a combination of strength, control, and a relentless pursuit of power woven into the very fabric of this empire. At the prospect, he could only think one thing.

Pyra and Earth, might be fucked.

"A grand claim," Alex said, maintaining his composure. "So, what Dao do you follow, 'oh mighty Prince'?"

Prince R'jdar scoffed, a hint of irritation slipping through his composed demeanour. "Knowledge of the Dao is not for the likes of you to understand. What use is such enlightenment to a slave?"

The demon prince continued, his voice grating on the air like the shrieking of ancient gears. "A fledgling, strutting about and asking questions as if you've tasted the secrets of the universe. Your efforts, your struggles... they are pitifully futile."

Inside, Alex’s heart thumped. visions of his last insight to the Dao plagued his thoughts, the destruction he had seen, the death, and most of alll, the immense strength he had witnessed. Was the prince implying he had a Dao? Or did he simply have knowledge of it? If it was the former, Alex could be dealing with a being on a whole other level of power.

Their discourse had led to potentially dangerous territory, then to extremely dangerous grounds. But he had no know.

"Knowledge is a privilege, human. A privilege meant for those who are capable, not for slaves or lesser servants," the Prince R'jdar countered, his tone full of disdain. "You are not worthy of it."

Ignoring the barb, Alex continued, “Well, I'm here. With no intention of serving or submitting.” He paused before recklessly adding, “And if I am as unworthy as you claim, how did I make it so far? How did I get here, to talk with you?”

The demon prince glowered, impatience clouding his infernal gaze. “You're only alive because I allow it, insect. Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you have control here.”

"Your place," R'jdar continued, his tone cold, "is at the feet of your betters, as a slave, or perhaps, a lesser servant. That is the fate of the weak. What use is the truths to the likes of you?" His voice rang across the clearing.

"Sorry to disappoint you prince, but I decide my own fate," Alex said, squaring his shoulders, settling into a stance. His hand touched the hilt of his sword as he shifted his feet. He gazed at the surrounding demons, and at the crystal, floating some distance away. He would need to avoid the horde, and avoid the prince long enough to damage, or steal the crystal, somehow. These were bleak odds, but they were all he had

The demon prince, R'jdar, sneered. “Dreams. The fantasies of the weak. Do you believe you can reach the same level as us, the chosen of the Empire, with just dreams? Naive, just as I expected.”

Alex clenched a fist, the words stinging more than he cared to admit. He had been called weak before, when he had failed to complete training, by his lessers in skill, strength, or technique. But hearing it from this being… was a reality check, a reminder of the vast cosmos and the powerful entities that resided within. He knew he was in the early stages of his journey, but to be dismissed as such felt like a mockery of his effort, of his struggle. He had ventured through trials and tribulations, battled mythical beasts, and had even begun to scrape at the surface of the Dao. But to this demon prince, it was all insignificant.

“Enough.” Alex finally said, his voice hardened with resolve. He was not one to back down, not one to be belittled.

Alex stood firm, his chest heaving, sweat trickling down his brow. He lifted his sword, directing the point of it at the prince.

“I’m ending this,” he stated, his voice cutting through the tense silence.

“End this?” A laugh, as harsh as grinding stones, rumbled from the 4th prince. “You’ve only just begun.”

As the prince’s words rang into the night, a brilliant light sliced upwards, originating from the crystal within the glowing pillar. The landscape was suddenly bathed in a hellish light as another large crystal appeared, followed by another, and then another. Each bright pulse of light marked the arrival of a mess of more demons, more soldiers, and more creatures. Four crystals had appeared. The prince’s promise of ten minutes had been fulfilled.

A demon army, and four demon royals, surrounded Alex.