God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

The light that filtered through his half opened eyes were mild...

His mind was blank for a moment. Then this thoughts began to flow smoothly.

'I see...'

He recalled what had just happened moments ago.

The moment he had placed his hand on the body of the {Parasyte Soulfiend}, it had enveloped him immediately. For some reason, he was also rendered completely immobile, forced to feel the tendril through his flesh and into his body, spreading until it had covered every inch of him internally and externally.

Then, he had lost consciousness.

Now, after regaining his consciousness, he had appeared in this strange place.

No, it was not strange.

Looking around, Cain couldn't help but feel incredibly unsettled by how normal his surroundings were.

He looked down.

Beneath his feet was coarse white sand.

When he raised his head and looked into the distance, all he could see was the frothing ocean.

The blue and green colors of the waves filled his eyes and mind with serenity.

Looking up, the skies were calm, and whilst the Sun was indeed hidden by a few clouds, its subtle warmth and light still graced the world below.

If anything, it was a rather beautiful sight to behold.

It was precisely because of this, he was so unsettled and uncomfortable.

He was under no illusion of what had happened. If that was the case, then according to what Azazel had told him, he was supposed to be locked in an epic battle with the soul of the {Parasyte Soulfiend} trying to invade his own soul.

Instead, all he got was this beautiful, but dull scene.

He looked around.

"There's nobody here."

"Are you sure about that?"

Cain felt all the hairs on his body rise.

His senses immediately began screaming. In the fraction of a second, he drew the {Lonely Dragon} Warblade from his armory, unsheathing it another fraction later, and snapping around on his heels.

Cain couldn't help but be confused at the sight laid out in front of him.

The thing that caught his eyes the most, was in fact, not a thing, but a person.

Or rather, a Devil.

Cain frowned, gripping the hilt of his blade tighter,

"Are you the one I'm supposed to fight?"

Cain knew the nature of the being in front of him due to the subtle Devil Essence pouring off of it. However, relying on just his eyes was a different story.

Devils, for the most part, especially humanoid ones, were usually of huge frames, with layers of natural armor protecting their organs and more delicate parts.

On the outside, they looked more nightmarish than anything else. Some had enormous, razor sharp blades attached to their firearms, others had maws that could rip a fully grown man to shreds and devour him whole.

This Devil didn't look anything like that.

Its body was small, and it seemed fragile, almost weak even.

It had a head full of white hair and wore a black robe, which was strange for a Devil as they did not need to wear clothes, at least the ones he had encountered.

This Devil looked old and widened. Experienced...

Which was strange. Incredibly strange...

The Devils that had come to his world were supposed to be only a few months old. While they did develop very quickly initially, this development slowed down and would eventually stall for an absurdly long time.

Meaning it would take a lot of years for a Devil to look so old.

Cain felt the depths of his stomach churn.

'Shit!'

The Devil's eyes were like a regular human's, but it seemed to contain boundless darkness at the same time.

Still, it only stared at him with a subtle smile.

From the looks of it, it had no intentions of attacking him at the moment.

The Devil sat down cross-legged on a mat that had been laid down on the sand. In front of it was a low table.

Cain stared at this setup, unsure of what to think.

The Devil, perhaps sensing his dilemma spoke.

Its voice was raspy and old.

"Come and sit. I am sure you have a lot of questions, but I suggest you take a seat first. Also, but the blade away."

Cain stared at the {Lonely Dragon} Warblade in his hand.

Then he silently placed it back into the {Armament Armory}.

Walking a few steps, he stepped onto the mat and took a seat as well.

Staring into the eyes of the old Devil before him, he was unsure of how to feel.

The Devil smiled,

"Yes, I am a Devil. Although I do look a bit different from those you might be used to. However, that is to be expected. My blood is more noble. And I have lived through this current incarnation for about a few thousand years now."

Cain clenched his fists,

"But that doesn't make sense. The Devils in this world should only be a few months old as of now."

The old Devil shrugged, "This reality we exist in is one of magic and arcane wonders. This shouldn't be a surprise to you, Cain."

'So it knows my name. How wonderful...'

Suppressing the urge to turn around and bolt to safety, Cain wanted to ask another question, but was cut off.

"Relax. I am not on your world. But that doesn't mean it isn't within my reach. The void is the domain of the profane ones after all."

Cain's frown deepened,

'What does this thing want with me? If it isn't in the City, then why is it here?'

"I am sure you have a lot of questions. But I doubt I have the patience to answer them all." The old Devil started.

It stared into Cain's eyes, a bit of amusement on its face,

"Tell me something, Cain. How did it feel to gaze upon the face of a goddess?"

Cain grimaced, "A goddess? What are you talking abo—"

"The one who's blood flows in your veins. You should be thankful, worshiping her name as we speak. If not for her, the stunt you just pulled would have cost you your soul."

'Damn it! I knew that insane Demon would set me up!'

Cursing Azazel a thousand times over mentally, Cain wore an ugly look on his face,

"You are talking about Lyx, aren't you?"

The Devil smiled, "The goddess of death and life. So she still lives... That means the other Devil Gods might still be living as well."

Cain wisely kept his mouth shut. He wouldn't give off more than what was expected.

Right now, he completely understood the situation he was in.

This Devil could sneeze, and all signs of him and all that he was, would vanish immediately.

The Devil sighed, "To think I would come across this fortune today."

The gaze in Cain suddenly became heavy, forcing his shoulders down. Cain's eyes widened.

The Devil leaned back and spoke in a relaxed tone,

"You hold the favor of a goddess. Which means it is out of my rights, or that of any being with Devil blood running through its veins to take your life. It belongs to her."

"Trying to connect to the a hive's mind was pure foolishness on your part. You are lucky I was the first to notice you. Had it been a more ignorant soul, you would be in the depths of hell. But I doubt all these words are necessary." The Devil said.

Cain dropped his head and let out a sigh of relief,

'This means I'm safe, right?'

He lookef up again at the smiling Devil.

"There's still a whole lot I don't understand. But I am willing to accept your grace."

His expression contorted,

"You seem oddly reasonable for a Devil."

The Devil chuckled,

"What is that? Do you believe all of we Devils are unreasonable? That is quite the insult."

Cain frowned, "Well, isn't that so?"

The Devil was silent for a moment. Then shrugged,

"Well, I guess you are right then."

"So much anguish and death and pain. You all turn worlds into wastelands. Why?" Cain said, his frown deepening.

The Devil raised a brow,

"Why, you ask?"

The Devil was silent for a long time, his gaze stretching out into the distance, enjoying the view of the frothy waves.

Then, finally, he answered,

"Because it is our nature."

"It is what we are."

"We are beings of destruction. And we seek, to create chaos, sow death and malice, and watch this accursed reality burn to cinder and ash."

Cain shivered.

He could feel the boundless darkness and madness behind every syllable spoken.

This creature firmly believed in those words.

'How terrifying...'

"If you want to blame anyone, blame the creator for making us this way. You do not blame a beast for seeking out the flesh of its prey, do you? Such is the nature of this reality. But all that is not important right now."

The Devil's eyes narrowed,

"So tell me, Cain? With what intentions do you delve into the soul of a shared consciousness? Is this a suicide attempt, because let me tell you. There are far less gruesome ways to get yourself killed."

"Before I tell you anything, I would like to know your name."

The Devil raised a brow, "You want to know my name?"

Cain nodded, "You know mine already, although I never told you. Isn't it unfair that I do not know yours?"

The Devil chuckled, "I see. That is quite reasonable. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you my real name, as just hearing it will be enough to rend your soul apart and corrupt your very essence with chaos. So instead, I will give you an old name of mind."

"You can call me Melech. In the Devil tongue, it means Empty Soul."