New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Astaroth looked from a fair distance away, the pressure on his shoulders now gone, as the demonized him and angelic him fought it out inside the soul space.

Black flames erupted, washed away by rays of golden white light. One moment, Geminae shot out of the explosions, chased by his demonized version, and the next moment, the tables were turned.

"They look equally matched, for now," Astaroth mumbled as he tried to avoid the fight.

When the two started duking it out, he rapidly realized they cared little for him, as attacks closely missed him or flames licked at his face as he jumped back.

He could become collateral damage at any point if he stayed too close to them. The problem was that their combat was moving quickly and all over the soul space.

Astaroth didn't know where to go to stay safe anymore.

He also wasn't sure leaving them to fight alone was a good idea.

So he kept moving around, keeping as much distance as possible, and observed.

Outside his mind, time had crawled down almost to a stop around Astaroth as things happening in the soul space occurred at a different pace than outside. And if someone were to observe his face right now, they would see an expression of pain on it as tears of blood leaked out of his closed eyes.

His nose and mouth were also slowly beginning to trickle in crimson liquid, making him look like a virulent bio-weapon or something had infected him.

Back inside the soul space, the two opposing forces kept wailing on each other, attacking with magic just as much as their bodies, as wounds appeared and disappeared on the two of them rapidly.

The demon's natural regeneration factor far outclassed Geminae's, but the latter had the power to use healing spells and kept himself as immaculate as possible.

Although the fight looked like it could go on forever, since neither of the combatants seemed to tire out, the surrounding room quickly changed. Where there had been only an expanse of white, there were now spots of black everywhere, slowly growing and spreading.

Astaroth was the first to notice when one of those spots appeared near his feet, and he lost balance. The black spot was akin to a hole in which the whiteness was getting swallowed.

Astaroth frowned at the sight as he looked around and saw more and more of these black spots appear.

"It's like the demon's essence is swallowing the place…" he muttered.

Astaroth didn't know if he should let this phenomenon continue to happen or if he should intervene. The issue was picking a side.

Since Geminae had clearly made known his intent of using Astaroth as a meat suit or vessel, he wasn't sure he wanted to help him.

But he knew that the demon wouldn't even give him the courtesy of choosing the when.

Images of the bad dream he had flashed in his mind

Flashes of him, with a hand through Phoenix's chest, her weeping eyes looking at him with sadness and love as life slowly left them.

The question she had asked resounded in his head.

"When did you lose faith in humanity?" he repeated to himself.

He pondered on the question.

'Have I? Have I lost faith in humanity?' he wondered.

The answer may be unclear to him, but he didn't feel like he had. He wouldn't be so adamant about keeping Earth safe from monsters if he had.

Another thing struck him about that dream, as well.

'Is that what would have happened if the corruption slowly ate at me? How long would that have taken? Months? Years?'

He also felt that if the corruption manifestation in his soul space right now got out, it wouldn't turn out like his dream. Would it wait for an opportune time to strike?

Or would it go on a wanton destruction spree? He had the inkling of a feeling toward the latter.

Astaroth knew that something terrible would happen once Geminae fell, or even if the demon lost. But he also couldn't just let either of them think he was helping them.

He wanted to make them understand he was still in charge and that he was the core of this soul, not them.

But how to do so?

'I'm no match for either of them. Geminae pinned me down so quickly, and this demon matches his power. How am I supposed to bend them to my will instead of vice versa?' he wondered.

Just keeping out of their attacks was already proving to be a hassle, as more and more of the white room turned into black spots of nothing. If this continued, they would be fighting over the void while he fell forever.

Or at least until he gave up and exited the soul space. But he didn't want to think of the results of that course of action.

Only one area of the white room had yet to be affected by those black spots. And Astaroth wasn't the only one to notice.

"So that's where you hide it! RHAKHAKHAKHA! Let's see how long you fare without the source of your power, angel boy!" the demon laughed hysterically as he lunged toward the only wholly white area of the soul space.

Astaroth saw him do this and understood immediately what he meant.

Turning his head toward the white space, Astaroth's eyes turned resolute.

'I can't let him reach that.'

He started running toward it, much slower than the demon, but at least he was unimpeded.

On the other hand, the demon had to contend with Geminae, who suddenly became a lot more violent, desperation evident on his face.

"You shall not sully my essence, you filth!" Geminae shouted, shooting out a wide beam of golden white energy, threatening to slice the demon in half.

The demonized Astaroth had to focus on defence lest he become charcoal, and this stopped his advance toward the spotless white chunk of the room.

This allowed Astaroth to reach it, and he instantly felt the difference.

The air around there almost tasted of divinity. It was like he was standing back in front of Nemus once more.

'I'm here. But now what?' he wondered.

And a soft voice entered his mind.

'Focus, Astaroth. Focus on the essence. It is yours, to begin with. Take what is rightfully yours to claim.'

He recognized this voice.

It was Nemus.