"Twisted Obedience

Elarion stroked Cael's face softly.

"You will die endlessly and be reborn. Are you prepared for a hell of suffering?"

Cael laughed, pushing Elarion's hand away.

"Just do it. I wouldn't ask for more—if it's with you."

White waves of radiant holy mana surged from the corpse of an angel, gathering in Elarion's palm. As he touched it, it twisted—turning into something black, intense, unholy, and grotesque. He pointed it at Cael.

"With this, a new Seraphim is born—the Seraphim of Destruction, who will shatter the realms of the gods alongside us."

Elarion hurled the corrupted light at Cael. As it struck his body, Cael collapsed to the ground, screaming and vomiting. Through tears and ragged breaths, he extended his hand.

"I can keep going. Don't stop—please."

Elarion laughed unconsciously, hurling another blast at him.

"That's it. Don't surrender to pain—make it your drive."

Cael's skin began to rip apart, black light engulfing his body. His screams grew louder until his body finally exploded—only to rapidly regenerate. A dark aura surrounded him as he rose to his feet. The air around him had changed. Six wings unfurled from his back. Elarion clicked his tongue.

"I thought you'd become a Seraphim... but instead, you turned into a Cherubim. What a waste."

Cael dropped to his knees, eyes cast downward.

"I'm sorry, Master... for disappointing you."

Elarion took a deep breath and sighed.

"No need to apologize. It's the fault of those weak angels."

He pointed at the angel leader, whose face was filled with shock.

"Punish him."

Cael grinned, carving glowing black words into the angel's forehead with a finger of cursed mana.

{Dear gods who delight in mortal suffering—

I, Cherubim of my new master Elarion, once your puppet,

will purge you all with him.}

He thrust his spear into the angel's heart, soared into the sky, opened the Gates of Heaven, and hurled both spear and corpse into a column of the heavenly palace. It dug deep. Then, Cael closed the gate as angels began flying toward him.

Cael descended, landing beside Elarion.

"What now?" he asked, tilting his head.

Elarion scratched the back of his head.

"I didn't think you'd end up like this," he muttered with a smile.

Cael giggled, pointing at the elf who was still tangled with Terra.

"What about them? Should I kill them for doing that in front of you?"

Elarion walked behind the black elf and flung him away.

"Stop. They're already gone."

The elf, naked and panting, his eyes clouded with lust, looked at Elarion—who was still in the form of the goddess of beauty. The elf clung to Elarion's thigh, breathing heavily.

"J-just once more... no, just a minute is enough," the elf moaned, tightening his grip. "Even with you is fine, Master..."

Elarion looked down at him with disgust and fury, voice icy and commanding.

"Cael. Punish him—without letting him die."

Cael severed the elf's hands, ruthlessly kicking his crotch.

"How dare you touch Master's body?"

The elf groaned in agony as Cael shoved his hand into his chest, ripping out his heart. He encased it in layers of mana while it still beat, the elf shrieking in torment as Cael squeezed it.

"Lowly creature. You don't deserve to even look at Master."

Cael scowled, glaring down as he crushed the heart further.

"Where's your apology?"

The elf clawed at the ground, words trembling from his bloodied lips.

"I-I'm... s-sorry..."

Cael released the heart and smiled.

"Let's play a game."

Elarion clapped his hands and whistled.

"Yay! I love games!"

He pulled Hadeon to sit beside him, ruffling his hair.

"Watch and learn, little boy. This is what happens to those who disobey me," he said with a wink.

Hadeon swallowed hard as Vael slowly pulled out the elf's nails one by one. The elf's screams echoed through the sky. Cael huffed playfully.

"Hey, don't be so loud—I can't explain the game properly."

He threw the elf at the fur-man and Terra, then thrust a spear into his chest, pinning him to the ground beside them. Sitting down next to the fur-man, he whispered:

"Aren't you jealous? He got to enjoy her while you were tied up, forced to watch."

He leaned in closer.

"You want to do it too, don't you?"

The fur-man nodded. Cael stroked the black elf's body, shifting his form into the image of a god of beauty. He released the fur-man from the threads of light. The beast pounced immediately, ravaging the elf without restraint. Cael mused aloud:

"Take him. Wait... is he supposed to be a man or woman right now?" He tilted his head, smirking. "Whatever—you can do anything you want to him or her."

Elarion watched with a twisted smile, wiping imaginary tears from his face.

"That's my boy. I'm so proud of him."

Cael's body tensed, breath caught in his throat as he whispered to himself:

"Master praised me... I'm so happy. I'll do even better now."

His gaze turned to Terra, whose body had healed, but whose eyes were vacant. She simply stared, unmoving.

"Are you just going to sit there and watch—after what that elf did to you?"

She said nothing. She only smiled through her tears.

"Kill me, please. I've lost my master, my dignity... My power, the thing I once took pride in, was nothing compared to all of you."

Cael laughed and yanked her hair, slamming her head into the ground hard enough to crack it.

"I don't care. Maybe I wasn't clear enough—take revenge on him."

He pulled her head back, glaring into her face. She spat blood into his eyes. Cael froze. Elarion chuckled quietly.

"She mocked you."

Cael's hand lit with mana as he grabbed her face, but Elarion stepped in, gently poking his cheek.

"You can't."

Cael looked confused but released her and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry for my arrogance, Master... but why did you save her?"

Elarion ran his hand across Terra's face, his gaze tender.

"I love those eyes... Look at me more."