Bul-Kathos swung Azurewrath, tearing a rift in space. On the other side lay the Kingdom of the Dead. Leoric's residence in the Palace of Death was sanctioned by Bul-Kathos, which meant the Barbarian King could pinpoint the location of Death itself. If Death ever stood before the Barbarians again, she would have nowhere to hide. Even in the heat of battle, Barbarians were not without their calculations. Death had become a bird in the sights of a crossbow—a prey that could be found at any time.
"What has driven you to expose your schemes just to call for me in such a manner?"
Leoric stepped through the rift. Having regained a physical form, he wore a pale white robe. A faint red lip print was visible on his face as he stood at the gateway to the Burning Hells. He spoke with confusion but was already braced for battle. Bul-Kathos's summons had been abrupt.
"Being here feels like coming home. Is it because of this body?" Leoric's hand manifested the Wrath of the Bone King, which he slammed heavily into the ground.
The temperature plummeted once more! He saw the Burning Hells before him. The enemy was in sight; further pleasantries were a waste of time.
"Leoric... can you endure an eternity of solitude?!" Bul-Kathos shouted, his eyes wide as the fire on his body flickered.
Having inherited the physical form of Duriel, Leoric would receive the same boons as a Lord of Hell within this realm. He would not fall; he would not die. But he would do nothing but swing his heavy mace at Baal and Mephisto for all time.
"Ha! You ask a man who has nothing but solitude if he can endure his only possession?"
Leoric understood the situation. It wasn't exactly what they had planned, but it didn't matter. Revenge against the Lords of Hell was the highest goal!
"Then, can you promise me this, Bul-Kathos? Can you make that bastard Diablo feel the same pain I felt?!"
Leoric took several steps forward. His face was nearly pressed against the defensive line of the Burning Hells, almost touching Baal. Though Leoric was not yet a match for Baal, he could ensure that Baal and Mephisto had no energy left to scheme or flee.
Neither living nor dead! Eternal! Indestructible! Leoric would use this power to force the two Great Evils into an endless brawl, where they would all experience agony together!
"I will make sure Diablo's death is anything but quick!" Bul-Kathos roared. The scent of Duriel radiated from him, the agony of that physical form proving his claim. He could do it. Even a Lord of Hell could feel pain. Even Fear would howl in agony, just as the Barbarian himself couldn't ignore the powers of Destruction and Hatred.
"I hope that when you find Diablo, it is after you have devoured that Andariel in your head. With the mastery of complete Agony, you can provide that piece of filth Diablo with many more... happy hours!"
A slender, pale hand suddenly appeared from behind Leoric, gripping his arm tightly. The owner of the hand remained hidden.
Death.
Mistress Death could not bear to lose her lover after such a brief moment of joy, yet she was powerless to stop it. She and Eternity had already given their word to the Nephalem; they would assist Bul-Kathos when the time was right. This vow meant they could not interfere with his actions—unless they were prepared to go to war with another universe.
"Leoric."
Baal looked at the Skeleton King, his eyes returning to a cold calm. All his emotional outbursts had been a facade; he was a being of pure, icy self-interest. But Leoric appearing in Duriel's body was a personal affront.
"If you come over here, I will peel the skin from your bones, inch by inch," Baal said quietly, his eyes fixed on Leoric.
This outcome was within the realm of what he could endure. As long as Bul-Kathos didn't enter, there was a chance. Imperius had provided enough information, and Baal would make his move when the time was right. Once Diablo was consumed, he would make his choice.
And now, he suddenly saw an opportunity—a chance to devour Mephisto!
Diablo wouldn't return to the Burning Hells immediately; Bul-Kathos knew this too. If the Three Prime Evils gathered, Bul-Kathos could bring an Archangel or two and storm the Hells directly. Diablo was too smart for that.
Thus, Baal could use Leoric's strength to devour the weakened Mephisto. It was almost too easy. Even though the thought had just occurred to him, Baal saw its perfect feasibility. He could even hand over Mephisto's status to Bul-Kathos just to buy himself an opening. Once he possessed his brother's essence, Baal could exist just like Leoric—eternal and unyielding.
"Leoric!"
As Leoric prepared to take that final step into the Hells, Death finally revealed herself. She no longer cared if Bul-Kathos was a threat. She no longer cared about her duties as the conceptual manifestation of Death.
Love is eternal. Power says to Love, "You are mine," and Love hides behind the throne. Freedom says to Love, "I am yours," and Love joyfully embraces Freedom's face.
Death had fallen in love, but she bore a heavy responsibility. She could not be restricted, for her disappearance would lead to the collapse of the world. But Love is rarely free.
"Death, we will meet again. Compared to the span of your existence, our separation is but the blink of an eye," Leoric said without looking back. Baal's gaze fixed on the red lip print on Leoric's face, his mind racing. He saw Leoric's love and realized how he might convince the Skeleton King to become his ally. Leoric wouldn't betray Bul-Kathos because everything he wanted depended on Bul-Kathos becoming a god. But helping him finish off Mephisto? That would be good for both Bul-Kathos and Leoric.
"But I cannot... I have never felt such pain! Leoric," Death cried. "You know that our time together is but a single breath in the eternity of my existence. But it is the only breath I have ever taken. When I lose you, I am no longer living."
Death finally threw back her hood. She did not appear as a human woman, but in her true, skeletal form. her body began to wither; she was no longer a graceful maiden, but a desiccated skeleton. Her jade-like bones lost their luster, and her gentle light faded. Only her hand remained unchanged, still gripping Leoric's arm with desperate strength.
"Death... I never much liked that name. Perhaps you can choose a human name for yourself while we are apart. Our wedding should not have to mention 'Death'."
The flesh on Leoric's body began to dissolve, seeping into his massive skeletal frame. The face of the Skeleton King remained as it always was, yet the horror was gone. Only the red lip print remained vividly upon his cheek.
"I... I still cannot. I feel it! I feel your presence, your soul. I see your fading! It is my own death, my own forgetting! It is the terror I feel every time I wake! Leoric, do not do this! Do not involve yourself in this any longer!"
"I am Death. I can be called any name, but I am the law of this world. I can protect you! Whether it be the Lords of Hell or the Archangels, I can protect you!"
Death's voice was stilted and trembling, but her grip was slowly beginning to slip from Leoric's arm. She knew she couldn't stop him from doing what he had to do. Was this her final plea? She hadn't given up. She was nearing a desperate decision.
"Bul-Kathos! I beg of you... stop this! I can give you every soul you desire! I can return everyone you hold dear! I can stand behind you when you fight; you will never die! Even against another Death, I will not lose in the realm of Laws! Now, tell Leoric he does not have to leave me!"
Death turned her empty, hollow sockets toward Bul-Kathos, her voice filled with raw supplication. She felt that this separation would be an eternal farewell.
Diablo and Oblivion's first target was Leoric himself. Fear did not fear the Skeleton King, but it couldn't solve the problem he posed either. Diablo wanted to weaken Bul-Kathos's forces, and his first target wouldn't be the Archangels. It would be the Skeleton King—difficult to kill, yet lacking the raw power of the others.
Within the laws of Oblivion lay both Creation and Destruction. When merged, they possessed the power to erase existence itself. Diablo could resolve the problem of the Skeleton King because Leoric's strength was ultimately too conventional. Without enough power to resist such a Law, he would become one of the Forgotten—a man who never existed.
Death shared a metaphysical bond with her "brothers." She felt the malice. Though she couldn't see exactly how it would happen or for whom it was intended, she felt the encroaching dread. This was not just a goodbye; it was the end of everything.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 30 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"