Auzule Bali

I did the first thing any sensible person should do when facing a being that smiled so comfortably while facing off with a Creator God. Appraisal.

The very first time I was appraising something before engaging. It went to show just how much this dude disturbed me.

[NAME - Auzule Bali]. [RACE - Original Lie Netherling]

[Title - Son of Ozdane the Sixth, Harbinger of the Nether, First guard of the Accursed gates, God Slayer]

[BEING - Devil]. [LEVEL - 35] [SACRILEGE]

After what was considered his failure to bring in the head of a rather famed God, Bali has eternally assigned to guard the accursed gates. Ready to enact his vengeance and blow the great horns on the day its seals finally crack.

[PERKS] - [Lie Affinity] - [Silver Eye] - [Beyond]

[Lie Affinity]

Lies are useless against such a being. Truth is a must. Yet to twist and to deceive is a dish Devils are prepared to serve. With utmost sincerity too.

[Silver Eye]

Hold of heresy. Capable of sullying even the most devout with the smog of Nether. Effective only on those with divine touch or divinity.

[Beyond]

From the Nether deep. Improves movement skill on nether realms. Returns being to its home plane with but a thought. Able to move at teleportation speeds as long as movement is concerned. - 30% outside the nether realm.

"God slayer!" I whispered.

Bali paused then sighed. His head shook as annoyance filled his eyes.

"Trust me that was just a fluke and those gods weren't even powerful I swear. It was just a few hundred High gods. Nothing major. Maybe one or two creation gods but that was just me being lucky I assure you" there was a slight hope in his eyes as he gazed at me his palms placed together in a pleading fashion.

"Just... one or two.. he says" I nodded disbelievingly. 'I guess my victory streak was bound to end soon'.I grimaced at the Devil that kept staring at me with a frozen sheepish smile showcasing all his astonishingly white fangs.

"So, you are not jittery in the boots?" his eyes ran down to my legs " Right?" It took everything to not squirm.

'Why the hell did this guy unease me? Molliwag was bigger and had more fangs. The Elf had been deadlier. But I had faced both. This guy makes me wanna run.'.I quickly focused on the devil and Origin Lie netherling in his name.

[ORIGIN LIE NETHERLING]

The first true race of the nether. Makes them an even fiercesome race with the hidden titles Children of the Nether and Nether born granting them nigh immortality on their plane.

[DEVIL]

Once a ∆¶•°¶. Their astute perfect imperfections have corrupted their cores to what they are now. Twisters of truth and haters of lies. An irony personified.

"No.., I'm not "I sassed barely realizing I spoke out.

My answer seemed to relieve him immensely though.

"Good. Good. I feared I broke you. No fun to fight a scared girl.". He clapped with glee then stretched out his arms in a flourish.

" So, if you don't mind shall we?.' I exhaled as I readied myself.

"If, you somehow manage to slay me. You get a boon. Sound good. Right. That should be motivating enough. Then let's begin?" he tapped his foot getting impatient and excited.

'A boon?' It was clear he didn't realize that this space was currently a dungeon. Which begged the question if the boon was part of the system's normal rewards or not.

A prompt answered my query.

[MISSION]

[An Old Feud]

The gods have been slighted one too many times. Put the Devil in its place. Show the might of the divine.

[Rewards] - [Unascertained]

[Failure] - [Loss of five levels. Devil kill mark. Gain negative title - The Sullied]

'That answers that. Wait to list out the results for failure. Still, it leaves one last query. How does one kill a God slayer?'.One look at him and I was able to see the sight of his wings burning brighter. Like water, the silver flame flowed from his wings and condensed in front of him into a huge bastard sword which he ogled lasciviously. His eyes moved to me and I took a step back just as he moved.

No, he vanished.

Right before he struck, I had the answer to my question. You don't slay a God slayer. You run from one.

My arms barely rose to block as a tingle on my nose had me scared.

BANG.

I lost the ground, the room turned in my eyes. My body hit the ground and I rolled several feet before stopping. My senses luckily didn't waste time in clearing up the confusion and settling the location of up and down for me. I rose on shaky legs as I faced him standing right where I had been a moment ago. His smile was stretched even wider as he nodded encouraging at me.

"YOU SURVIVED. GOOD, GOOD. THIS WILL BE FUN". he boomed.

"F*ck" I cursed. He was too fast. And legit scary. Here I was in yet another fight for my in-game life. How annoying. It was only thanks to his peculiarity that I was still holding on to my precious unsullied record. I exhaled.

I had to capitalize on this. Somehow.

I glanced straight at Bali his creepy smile trying to get to me. Shaking myself mentally I spoke.

"Your strength is unparalleled Bali. I may call you Bali right?" I began. He squinted probably wondering what I was driving at.

"Indeed. Bali is fine."

"Well, Bali. I am Hildelith. Creator Goddess of.... the universe. " I hesitated unsure if giving out my universe name would get endangered it in some way.

"At this moment I am powerful but unskilled." I feigned sadness making an aggrieved expression. Not like I had to work hard for it. My lack of skill did bother me.

"It would be troubling if you defeated me like this. I note you wish to have the true victory of slaying me at my best." I halted.

Bali paused his arms slacking and his smile drooping.

"Indeed, indeed. Very bothersome. Unworthy of a true feat. Must amend. How to amend? " his eyes wandered ferociously about before fixing back on me. My heart kept thumping like mad.

"I reckon the esteemed goddess has a solution."

I hesitated mentally plotting out how to sway him into agreeing. In the end, it was rather easy.

"Of course. Your attack just now showed me my faults. Unlike my various siblings, I am always ready to admit my errors. If Bali could be so kind as to allow me the honor of polishing my blade on his skills then..."

"Siblings," he murmured.

'Got you'. I internally smirked.

"Pardon," I muttered fighting to keep my victorious smile off my face. While I knew next to nothing about Devils, in the course of this entire conversation I had already pegged Bali as prideful and a perfectionist.

In what, one may ask?

Himself. The very fact that he sat at this very gate for who knew how long awaiting its opening just become he failed to kill some god showed it. If his statements about killing Creator gods could be believed then he also found it annoying that the gods for some reason had been weak.

Which meant he wanted to have the title or honor of slaying a creator god under his belt. But true titles came when the work was done at its fullest. Meaning he had to face me at my best.

If that wasn't a temptation for his perfectionism enough, then the fact there were supposed siblings was good bait. Siblings to a creator God had to be creator gods too right? His reaction proved my thesis correct.

Which brought me to his pride. It was a great feat to have flushed an entire horde of devilings away with a wave from just my palm. Yet Bali had commented that I would die like it wasn't a question or probability but fact.

He either trusted his strength that much or his pride just wouldn't let him see himself as the weak one. Equal maybe but definitely not weak.

One thing I was banking on though was the fact that all the creator gods he had managed to kill had been weak or not at full strength before he managed to slay them. Something that must have scratched his pride. Scratch that it must have done a number on him.

It was a certainty as I watched his eyes twinkle while considering my plan. Or it's probably just the glee of knowing there were more of me out there. How sweet to know my kind is loved. I barely repressed a shudder.

"I accept. Bali will let Goddess Hildelith strike true and good for as long as she needs while also attacking. Until I deem you equal to or greater, only then shall your head roll. The goddess will also have to tell this Bali how she arrived here. Do you accept?".

I had never been one for contracts. Yet I had a feeling like dealing with the devil was not a good thing.

'Just have to make sure I slay the devil then'.

"I accept".

[Contract formed]

[Contract between Devil Auzule Bali and Creator Goddess Hildelith Fearghal]

A thin line formed between me and the Devil in form of a silver and golden thread. Once it had forged itself within us both it sizzled away.

"There. Done. Now goddess. Come at me. Don't hold back either."

'A sly smile rose inconspicuously at the corner of my face. Unknown to Bali I had just numbed his desire to kill me. As much as he would attack at full strength he would always withhold at the last moment to keep me alive long enough to get me strong, and gain his title while also learning how to leave the gate and find more creator gods.

I on the other hand had no such qualms. Such were the terms. While not binding in that way it was something that would subconsciously activate for him each time he could actually kill me.

"A prideful man might just be a good thing" I hummed as I prepped my blade. I exhaled my eyes igniting in golden light as energy filled my body. My skin took on the familiar form of an Argat.

My roar was fierce and determined as I leaped at him.

'Off with his head'. I thought.

We clashed. The ground shattered a chasm forming beneath us. The wind made the pond of primordial waters splash like a turbulent sea.

Bali pushed off my blade but not enough to detach, just to slide his blade with a screech down my blade and with the momentum spin an attack to the right of my neck.

I defended. And I learned. Mentally I smiled. What could the great Harbinger show this humble goddess? I wondered as our auras exploded outwards. Bathing the lair in the golden and silver lights of our equivalent energies as both clashed.