Child Of Skies and Child Of Seas

Southern Edge of South America's Settlements.

Present Time

Hecate stared out at the sea, her expression calm and composed, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere around her. War loomed heavy in the air, thick enough to choke on. But while others trembled with anxiety, Hecate remained untouched. After all, she had lived her entire life as an experiment—tormented since birth. Suffering and fear were old friends by now.

Still, even by her standards, the situation was grim. To put it lightly, the enemy was monstrous.

These lizards were a different breed entirely—far more dangerous in direct combat than the rat legions ever were. Their scales were impenetrable to standard Memories, their fangs constantly dripping with corrosive acid. They shared that acidic trait with the rats, sure, but that's where the similarities ended.

The rats were a plague, focused on poison, infection, and rot. But the lizards? They were walking catastrophes. All about destruction, ruin, and decay.

And some of them, horrifyingly enough, could breathe fire.

Lich had been diligently recording everything in his tome. By now, that cursed book was less a journal and more an encyclopedia of nightmare creatures.

According to him, only the demon-class lizards possessed the ability to unleash those hellish flames…

"Bloody hell..."

Hecate grimaced as another explosion rattled the ground beneath her feet. The sky was a smear of smoke and ash, and the distant roars of monsters filled the air like war drums.

If she were the general, she would've already drowned those bastards in the sea. No hesitation. No mercy.

But alas—she wasn't.

Klaus, in his infinite wisdom, had chosen to entrust command of the army to his spirit, Hassan. As if he deserved it more than her.

How's that fair!? she fumed inwardly. I'm his daughter! And Hassan? He's the Nether's son! That's right, the spawn of a bloody demon! Just because he's a spirit now doesn't mean he's not a byproduct of darkness!

Her fists clenched, the frustration bubbling. I should be leading the army. Me! I'm the daughter of the Smiling Man!

Well… at least Hassan had the decency to address her as Princess. That felt good, admittedly.

Princess Hecate of Chaos Ascendancy.

Now that had a nice ring to it.

She smirked, arms crossed as another shockwave rippled through the air.

Sounds cool as fuck.

She shot a sharp glance at Hassan, her sea-green hair whipping in the wind, streaked with ash. Her armor was dented and smeared with green lizard blood, her whole body a testament to brutal combat and stubborn survival. The resentment in her eyes was crystal clear.

The Darkest Knight stood tall and silent, as imposing as a monument of war. His entire form leaked dark smoke and black liquid like a cursed furnace, and his crimson, flaming eyes burned with unwavering intensity.

Noticing her gaze, Hassan turned his head slightly and nodded with solemn respect. But behind that quiet gesture, his thoughts stirred with something far more personal.

So young, yet already so brave…

My lord's daughter will become a great warrior far sooner than he expects. That glare, such fire in her eyes. Yes... she already thirsts for battle, for recognition, for valor.

He paused for a moment, admiring her stance, her bloodstained armor, her unwavering will.

Indeed… she is already a remarkable warrior, burning with the fierce flames of glory. Good... very good.

Soon, Hassan composed himself. There was a battle to win.

The lizards were pouring in through the Magellan Strait, swarming toward the defenses and hammering at the barriers Lich had created. Three had already fallen. Only one remained.

Still, they had served their purpose. While the legions of rats had been eradicated, the barriers had delayed and confused the incoming lizards, just long enough to avoid a worst-case scenario. If both species had struck simultaneously, they'd be fighting a tide of infection and destruction.

Even with the narrow success, the cost was steep. People were dying. Soldiers were being ripped apart, crushed under talons or dissolved by acid breath. And Hassan... Hassan didn't like it. He was forged in war, baptized in blood but what kind of leader would he be if he enjoyed seeing his men torn to pieces?

Still, he had no choice. Sacrifices had to be made. He needed to pull the beasts west, to lead them into a kill zone and finish the battle with as few casualties as possible.

It wasn't the lesser lizards that troubled him, though. Those grotesque footsoldiers were nothing more than fodder. It was their leader, the corrupted Devil, that gave him pause.

But even that wasn't what truly worried him.

Devils, no matter how twisted, couldn't command lesser Nightmare creatures. Only Tyrants and higher could do that.

Which meant one thing.

The Devil was just bait.

The Tyrant was still out there, waiting for opportunity.

He stood still, watching the battle unfold across the churning sea. His soldiers were doing their part—pulling the lizards' attention, herding them toward the western edge of the land.

Not yet... not yet...

His eyes narrowed as he gazed solemnly at the waves. Then, slowly, he raised his hand.

Behind him, a soldier lifted a long, blackened trumpet and blew into it. A deep, thunderous sound echoed across the battlefield like a war cry from the abyss.

Everything froze for a moment.

Then—Hecate leapt from the cliff.

A wicked grin stretched across her face as she dove straight into the sea, accelerating with unnatural speed. The moment her body struck the water, it erupted outward like a cannon blast. Towering waves exploded into the air, hurling nightmare creatures skyward.

As they fell back into the sea with furious screeches, the water beneath them began to swirl.

At first, it was just a ripple.

Then a spiral.

Then a growing vortex.

The whirlpool widened rapidly, churning with terrifying force until it engulfed a hundred-meter radius, pulling everything into the deep. Lizards screamed in fury and panic as they were dragged below, limbs flailing, scales tearing against each other.

A dark grin lingered beneath the waves.

She was just getting started.

Hecate watched from beneath the waves, eyes glowing with fierce concentration as the abominable lizards thrashed violently, struggling to escape the pull of the vortex. She couldn't hold them forever—the strain was building—so she poured more essence into the churning maelstrom, warping the water into something even more disastrous, more unforgiving.

Then—without warning—she forced the entire swarm to the surface, erupting from the depths like a geyser of monsters. Around herself, she formed a dense, shimmering sphere of water, solid and unbreakable. The moment it stabilized, she began lowering its temperature rapidly.

Ice. Thick, brutal ice.

And in the same heartbeat, a bolt of lightning tore down from the heavens like divine wrath.

It struck the water with violent finality.

The shockwave was instant—a deafening, blinding burst of force that expanded in all directions from point-blank range. The sea exploded with steam, light, and thunder.

When the chaos cleared, she saw them—charred lizard corpses floating lifelessly on the water's surface, their once-impenetrable scales now cracked and blackened.

Hecate grinned from within her icy cocoon, her seagreen hair floating around her like seaweed.

"Hah... Science is cool after all," she muttered smugly to herself, "even if Klaus is a pain in the ass."

If she hadn't known that water resists vertical movement of electricity—that most of the current remains near the surface—she wouldn't have been able to set up such a perfect assist for Belial.

Now, with the lightning strike complete, the water was scalding hot. Hecate immediately began lowering its temperature, condensing and freezing it with precision. She understood what had just happened—while the Awakened lizards had perished instantly, the Fallen ones were still alive, though temporarily paralyzed.

The electricity had already scrambled their nervous systems, caused violent muscle spasms, and possibly even cardiac failure—depending on how powerful Belial's lightning had been.

This entire strategy had been Klaus's design. He had drilled its effectiveness into them long ago.

And sometimes, she really couldn't help but be amazed.

His sheer cunning, his ability to dissect a threat, adapt instantly, and engineer the most brutal path to victory—Klaus wasn't just a Conqueror in name, he was one in every damn sense of the word.

That's why the entire army knew the lizards' weaknesses. That's why this strategy had worked so flawlessly.

Dad's cool, i guess...

Not to mention, lizards aren't immune to electric shock. In fact, due to their thinner skin in many areas, they could be even more vulnerable than humans.

In heated water, their metabolism kicks into overdrive. Enzymes start working faster, but prolonged exposure to high temperatures? That starts to cook them—literally.

And now, they were hit with a sudden wave of cold. Their overheated systems began to shut down. Metabolism slowed drastically. Blood flow dropped. Muscles stiffened or outright locked up.

Unlike humans, they couldn't adapt fast—they didn't sweat or shiver. The heat damaged them, and the cold sealed that damage in.

As Klaus once put it:

Electricity + heat + sudden cold = death combo.

Hecate laughed gleefully beneath the water, the sound muffled but full of triumph.

Above her, Belial stood on the rocky cliffside, smirking with quiet pride—his lightning blade resting lazily on his shoulder.

***

Well… the kids are cooking, literally I guess. How was it? I think this fight was pretty cool, for real.

Let me know your thoughts about the fight, or if there's any way we can improve this fanfic, in the comments. I really enjoy seeing what you guys think, it helps me understand if you're enjoying it or not, so please do drop a comment!

Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy!

(Mundane humans are still colder!)

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