Defenses Up [Reformation War Event]

Trial: failed.

While the skies turned as black as our daring protagonist hopes of winning, the expectations of that The Demon Queen possessed for the male quickly faded and the amusement could almost be seen washing away from her. Had she become THAT powerful? It was a sobering thought as she honestly expected more of a kick from one of Truth's fabled angel's. With burning flashbacks of the clash she waged against Kakine still whirring in her head, Mana had to wonder if she really had any further threats to concern herself with. Everyone was so --- beneath her.

Oh well. Problems of the privileged and powerful mattered not in this game she played. For now, it seemed that the unfortunate angel hadn't much up his sleeve in terms of tricks. So, it was time to end this short lived charade of cat and mouse and just put an end to their tango across the dance floor of mayhem.

....switch...

In a clap of thunder and lightning, The Royal Queen was already upon the boy and she observed his bleeding body up close and personal. It was a pathetic sight and one that made her face scowl with contempt. For this scene she played witnessed to was enough to dissolve the cheery and playful demeanor which once filled every corner of her face. As without a proper challenge, Mana was left to boredom and the internal urges of satanic chaos and strife were left unfulfilled.

It -- was painful -- to be denied her pleasure.

Imagine you starving and yearning for something to fulfill your empty embodiment. You find substance, yet it fills you with nothing and ceases to absolve your unending hunger. You eat, and eat, and eat, and EAT, AND EAT, AND EAT -- yet nothing relieves you of the craving. You are only left with agitation and dismay for the cruel reality of it all.

That's the position The Queen was in at this moment. Without proper conflict to feast off of, this feeling would expand further and seek to obliterate her whole. For was the embodiment of Eris; a greek goddess of chaos, lunacy, discord and all things strife and destructive. If she were to not fulfill her alignment as the vessel of disorder, then she knew the consequences it would far on her body quite well.

Therefore, while life was indeed a game, Carter wasn't wrong in the fact that the personification of discord herself had internal dilemmas and struggles to cope with. And, while it was not the whole of Mana's reason for arriving in this forsaken land, it certainly played a part. For while her power was great and seemly infinite, it was not one easily mastered or tamed.

Without invoking her designed purpose -- the madness, strife and struggle within would swallow The Queen whole and send her into the darkness of cold death.

She was Mana Asthavon: The Queen Of Unending Strife. Her subjects, her kingdom and claim to power were all but an empty. Even the ones whom she loved were all but a swallow farce. Without a claim to her own heart, she was a lost soul stripped of everything who wandered aimlessly from conflict to conflict; always seeking to devour the the turbulent spirits of those she slays to quell her maddening curse with finite pleasures, goals and intentions.

So as her eyes set back to the cold reality ahead of her, the time for fun games and play was over. If this was the miserable show she was given, then it was time to end up and finish the first phase of her interdimensional operation. Henceforth, she'd seek to take him up on his offer and pierce her frigid claws into his warm, beating heart.

With eyes closed following that lethal action, Mana focused into her satanic prowess over the construct of death through her DE Energy. Under the palms of her hand would his spirit stay neatly tucked within his being. For while this was a mortal wound to most, The Queen had no intentions of letting him die so easily. Not here.

Instead, she'd open her eyes -- and address the situation at hand.

"You're quite the failure yourself, Angel."

This voice -- was different. Lost was the manic vixen who spoke in southern tones; but found was the speech of a beast who was truly the ruler of demons. Every word bled a sense of coldness, power and dark atmosphere into the space around them. The heavens themselves seemed to become filled within shades of night with every breath taken. Indeed, The Queen of Demons meant every bit of what she uttered.

"Take a look in the mirror: you are on the cusp of death -- and for what? All for the urge of adhering to some ridiculous notion that you are a savor the light from Truth? You are venturing down the pathway to hell -- for the word of a god too cowardly to even finish his own battles. One who is too impudent, incompetent and frail to save you in even your darkest moment...."

A pause -- then action.

The clenching of her claws into his heart would signify the transference of a seal. This was a cluster of ugly demonic energy potent enough that only one with a grand mastery of magic could hope to unbreak. The intention was to have it nag, eat and devour the soul of Carter for his weakness. Not in terms of power, but in mentality.

What she saw before her was a miserable child too far caught up in the act of angel to realize something: he lacked his own will.

While one could argue the same for Mana -- she was birthed cursed.

Carter -- wasn't.

He willing gave his soul to the abyss of light and let it lead him down the path of near destruction.

Therefore, her darkness was being infused into him to teach the boy a lesson: he was a slave to his holiness as much as she was to her satanic nature.

This revelation was shown in the fact that the boy hadn't even the self-preservation to escape, flee and train to become stronger. Nor did he have the will to even so much as fight against the monstrosity of her nature. Instead, he was willing to sacrifice himself and help lead to the death of so many countless others in the future because of his bondage to that element of light. Innocents could have died on this day, but his death spelled the end of countless many to come in years past this event.

Thus, for this naivety, and for the denial of her pleasure, The Queen sought to punish him and have this potent sphere of taint induce constant strife within his body. It would burn at his entrails, claw at his mind and push his body to the brink until two things occurred: the first being that light within the boy dimmed, greyed and came back to reality upon accepting this knowledge.

Following that, by forging his own will in the ashes of his delusions, Carter was to become freed of his "holy" bondage and allowed to use his angelic prowess for his desire and his desire only. And second, with that realization and resolve, the unlocking of strength was to come next so that he may to face her again when he was tenacious to actually be considered a threat to her will and power.

Failing those two things, this seal would kill him one year from today.

All the while, The Queen would personally gorge above his conflict and use it to fulfill her own empty embodiment.

"...as now you are a slave to my game, Monster Of The Light. Leaving your mortal vessel behind to become an angel has cursed you and I'll have you realize that yet before I snuff the last bit of light out from your eyes."

With those parting words, The Demoness would seek to drop The Forsaken Angel to The Earth and allow his heart to return back to him with it's unhinged path unveiled. As it was clear as crystal that he was not going to slay her this day: she was The Queen of Monsters -- and The Queen of Monsters would not perish to another monster.