divine punishment

"You... You just hurt Saewyn… That's not one, but two important people to me that you and your kind have hurt. Why?"

A fist clenched, a silver gaze looking upwards towards Szora, who had just finished defeating Saewyn. A clash of sorts between the two, with the Snake Demon proving itself as the superior.

"Tell me why."
(Cless Durages)

"..?"

Was this child that oblivious to the nature of Demons? Was this something that could surprise him so much? In all truth, these remain the questions that one should be looking not only to answer as soon as possible, but to acknowledge it as reality of the world.

"Oblivious child."

"Demonkind is born of nightmares to your kind - and the very few that remain impressive specimen to us are the only ones worth of notice."

"But humanity itself?"

"Repugnant, obnoxious. You distance yourself from the beasts, lost in delusion of self-importance and grandeur, and yet.."

"Predatory attributes remain. Much like your friend's, with his desire to battle my kin."

The snake-eyes keep staring at Cless. Cold, analytical... and at the same time, almost disappointed. How could someone be this ignorant of everything that goes around?

Even if they're young.

"In case your feeble pea-sized brain is unable to comprehend this.."

"Your friend asked for this."
(Fidi)

The demon simply chuckled as the boy approached.

"I remember you, boy." The serpent inched nearer. "The Knight who defeated Serea, hm?"

One wouldn't forget such an accolade so easily.

"The answer is simple, boy. You mortals are toys. I do with you lot as I please.. else you've the means to stop me?"

And of course, it didn't expect he did.
(Szora)

"Neither of you are right. I might be stupid as your friend there says, but I can tell you that you aren't right. You fight and kill just to fight and kill, that's all there is to it! You both know it. Demons are the worst of the worst, and you guys have shown that everyday with what you do!

All you guys do is go around hurtin' people. It gets to the point where we have to strike first or else we lose. We can't let people like you push us around jus' cause you want to grow or whatever the stupid reason is. I'm tired of you guys hurtin' me and my friends.

First a big bad fire wolf takes my arm. When you started hurtin' my friends and family that's when you pushed the last draw. There's no more kindness from me, at least for Demons. I've learned that the hard way! I don't care if I'm stupid!"

The 'pea-sized brain' Cless already had his right hand grasping the hilt ofhis blade. He ready for any conflict that could arise from this predicament. They could strike at any given moment, be it at him or at anyone else who was around.

"One of your friends hurt my brother and messed up his Cosmic Magic. Which one was it?"

Yet again, exasperation. Everyday, he had started to feel more and more anger towards Demons, as they were the bottom of the barrel who continued to harm others for their own personal gain.
(Cless Durages)

Amusing.

So much anger to this. So much anger to show for the Demonkind as a whole.. but could he not understand that he deals with the very same beings that entirely thrive off the rage of others? Could he not see that this is something that they live for?

Futile.

"Neither of us are right?"

"The idiot child does not know the world as it is, I see." Is it the brooding laughter that echoes from Fidi? Could snakes even laugh? For what it's worth, it sounds as of there was a certain height of entertainment to this..

"Humanity creates the monsters they intend to fight."

"With every waking hour, every waking breath - your impunity corrupts this world with the darkness unlike any other. Because while Demons are born to the darkness.."

"Humans choose to walk into it."

And yet, the Serpent begins to slither closer to Cless. Despite thefact that he seemed as if he could become hostile any moment, he does not fret. How could he ever, anyway?

"Besides.."

"If gods didn't want humanity to be punished - we would never exist."

The snake-eyes loom over. The stare upon Cless, mesmerizing and eerily still. Here, a single proclamation comes..

"I did."

"What will you do, little one?"
(Fidi)

"Humans choose to walk in darkness? I ain't ever choose to walk in darkness. I walk the path of my Star, Anos and of High Angel Maltziel. I follow the commandments that my Dad left behind for me, his Knighthood rules. And one of those rules?

Was to cleanse the world of evil. That was his second rule. I didn't know what it was for the longest time, until I realized that it was you and your evil people kind! It was the Demons, I know that now! High Angel Maltziel isn't bad, you guys are!"

The young Durages wasn't going to make the first move, that much was obvious. Cless was certain that the Snake was going to attack first, but he wouldn't reveal his blade until the intent for a fight was shown by Fidi by them attacking.

"Gods only punish the super bad humans, if I remember. "
(Cless Durages)

"It matters little what you walk, little child."

"A single light in the sea of darkness isn't going to redeem humanity.. nor it will prove me wrong. You aspire to be a young hero? Please.."

"Whatever have you even done for that, hm?"

It seems that the Serpent wasn't convinced by this in the slightest. Instead, there's an always amused sight that was portrayed upon his features.. something that could very well prove itself to be a mockery of everything that Cless stands for.

"Gods punish everyone by letting us exist."

"Come. Let me show you how."

"Let me show you the terrible reality of your divine punishment."

The shadows deepen. The mesmerizing stare of a Serpent that was lingering too close intending on taking hold of Cless' mind, until he could persevere no more..

And a lunge.

To sink the fangs into his flesh.
(Fidi)

"I have to. I have to become the beacon of light that shines in the darkest of darkness, for Dad! Even if I'm the little simmer of hope for Humanity to redeem itself, then I'll do it! Even if it's just me alone who wants to change the world, then I'll do it!

I've protected as many people as I could time and time again. I'll risk my life for my friends over and over if I have to, no matter how many times! That's why I have to put creatures like you to rest, so that you can be sent to the stars and be reborn as someone nice!"

Without even realizing, his mind had be trifled with. Soon after, the serpent that appeared before him and lunged towards him, to attack him, further signalling their aggression towards Cless' kind for little to no reason. A hand unsheathes his blade, manipulating astral energies and the likes to defeat the foe before him.
(Cless Durages)

The first bite.

The Serpent could feel it already. The intoxicating flesh of magi, the essence which could be drained plentiful in this regard for the feast. How could he ever forget the taste of flesh he yearns for? Perhaps, Fidi could be considered among the most conniving, perceptive Serpents out there..

But it is a Demon in the end.

"Hushhhhh..."

"You'll feel it. Soon."

Two marks of fangs upon his neck; as the battle begins, and the larger Serpent evades the strikes that would otherwise reduce Fidi to gory mess made out of the cosmic slashes and cuts, the phantasms and shadows that extend forth are there to create the palpable challenge for Cless to overcome.

And it is here, that it truly begins.

Badum.. badum.. badum..!

The heartbeat quickens. The breaths grow shallow-an impossible fever takes over his mind, and sweating intensifies beyond anything normal; horrible nausea overtakes him, and the muscle ache almost becomes unbearable. This weakness grips him, so sudden, so quick after the initial bite that almost felt painless..

Venom.

Is there suddenly two of Fidi? Three? Four..?

When did he begin hallucinating? When did he begin losing the grip of reality? The shadows toy and play with the aspiring Knight, and the forked tongue picks up the scents.

"I sense your fear.."

"Growing anxious, hm..?"
(Fidi)

A crunch?

What was this different feeling? There had only been a few other times where he felt the venomous stings of snakes, and that is during strife with Jianyu. Essence had commenced depletion from his body, and his perceptiveness had been trifled with.

Sunken flesh was seen on his neck, two marks embedded in to it, representing that the serpent had been there recently. Once he feels this sensation overcome him, he couldn't tell what had been occurring.

Around the young Durages, he saw next to nothing. A translucent serpent had been before him in his eyes, one who had mirages appear beside him. There were a plethora of the same serpent, and yet, he could tell that it was his own hallucinations. For some reason though, he couldn't rid of them.

Even in this state, this repugnant state, he wouldn't back down. Fear never radiated from the youth, as he learned to conquer them. The only time fear struck his countenance is when others were endangered for his own mishaps, his own failures. That is when fear strikes Cless.

"Fear...? Never..."

Shaking his head, he temporarily removed the hallucinations placed on him before standing up once more. He was an aspiring Knight, being triumphed over by none other than a serpent.

"This ain't much..."
(Cless Durages)

"Not much..?"

"More venom it is."

Cless would be fully exposed to the punishment that presence of Demonkind brings. Amidst such battle, he finds himself subjected to the power of shadows, to the ever present disabling power that comes with the illusory prowess, as well as that of gravity. Could it even be called anything light, could it be even shrugged off?

Perhaps, initially, but now...

His guard slips, if only just for a moment. And it is here that he finds himself subjected to yet another bite, leaving two fang marks upon the neck of Cless. Yet, this one lingers for a while longer, letting the Serpent take what he desired from Cless at the very start.

His essence. The very thing that lets them grow.

In return, the larger quantity of venom is introduced to his bloodstream. The shadows, the illusions become vivid too much- the landscape before him lies barren, dark... akin to an entirely different world.

A world filled with dead.
And him standing atop of the piles of bodies.

"You failed, young knight."

"Look at what your failure brings.."

The hallucinations beyond anything that could be imagined. And yet, there are Serpents encroaching closer to him, swarming upon the piles of bodies in this barren, desolate land; the mesmerizing gaze keeps its stare upon him...

There are a dozen of Serpents.
All too familiar to Fidi.

"Run along."

"Or perish."

But the visions..

They would haunt him for a while. Even if he escapes. Even if he flees the consequences of defeat here.
(Fidi)