Lloyd sought out King Zarius to report on Cyra's progress, feeling a sense of pride in his sister's improvement.
"Father, I've been training Cyra, and she's shown some promise," Lloyd began.
King Zarius raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? How much progress has she made?"
Lloyd hesitated slightly, knowing that Cyra's advancements might not sound overly impressive. "Well, the first time we sparred, she lasted about 57 seconds. The second time, a minute and 20 seconds. And just now, she managed to hold out for 3 minutes."
King Zarius shook his head, his expression flat. "I expected more. I thought she'd last longer than that."
Lloyd defended her quickly, voice firm. "But, Father, she's improving. That's what matters. She gets better every session."
King Zarius was silent for a moment, his face unreadable. Then he finally spoke. "Very well. Continue training her. You may also enlist Dracoโs help. Iโll test her myself after a while."
Lloyd nodded, bowing. "Yes, Father."
โโโ โโ โโ โ โโโ
After that supposed failure, Cyra had trained much harder โ both on her own and under Lloyd's watchful eye. And with every session, she improved more and more, much to her trainers' delightโฆ especially King Zarius.
To him, every step forward Cyra took brought him one step closer to Heaven's eventual destruction.
Just as King Zarius had instructed, Lloyd and Cyra followed him through the dark corridors toward the training hall where her next test would take place.
As they walked, Cyra glanced at her brother and asked, โAm I really going to spar with Father?โ
Lloyd let out an exasperated groan, clearly growing tired of the question.
โCyra, yes! For the thousandth time, yes! Now focus. Father isnโt exactly known for going easy on people.โ
Cyra rolled her eyes, โItโs technically the eighth time Iโve asked.โ She waved a hand dismissively. โAnd I donโt think Fatherโs going to be that hard on-"
Lloyd cut her off sharply. โHe's going to be hard, Cyra.โ
She scoffed, โHow do you know?โ
Lloyd raised a brow and gave her a pointed look. "I've been training under him for almost five centuries, and thatโs your question?โ
Cyra fell silent for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak again, but then quickly snapped, โFine! Iโll prepare myself even more!โ
Lloyd facepalmed, muttering, โJust remember everything youโve trained for โ and take this seriously. You know how Father is.โ
They both entered the hall, and Cyra teleported onto the battleground, where King Zarius was waiting. He stood with his back to her, gazing out at the dark, ominous landscape of Hell beyond the palace walls. The faint glow of infernal rivers reflected off his skin as his eyes gleamed with a quiet, dangerous excitement.
A sly smile curled at the corner of his lips as he sensed Cyra's arrival.
"Ah, Cyra," he said, his voice smooth, almost playful, but sharp beneath the surface. "I see you're ready. Letโs see how much youโve improved, shall we?"
Cyra nodded. Outwardly calm, but inside, tension curled in her gut. She tightened her fists, taking a firm fighting stance, locking her gaze onto her father. This was her first time sparring anyone besides Lloyd or Draco.
King Zarius chuckledโa low, unsettling sound. "Letโs begin."
With barely a signal, he lunged at her, a blur of motion. Cyra immediately teleported out of range, reappearing behind him and launching a punch. But King Zarius shifted, his body moving with terrifying precision, avoiding her strike by mere inches.
She pressed forward with a rapid chain of strikesโpunches, kicks, teleportations from every angle. But no matter how fast she moved, King Zarius seemed to be everywhere at once, blocking, dodging, deflecting each attack effortlessly. His eyes glinted with faint amusement, as if watching a child playing a game.
Cyra pushed herself harder, increasing her speed with every move. She teleported rapidly, darting across the arena, trying desperately to break through his defense. But it was like attacking a mountain. She couldn't land a single hit.
King Zarius didnโt retaliate โ not fully. His hands moved, occasionally grazing past her strikes, getting dangerously close, but never making true contact. The truth was obvious: had he chosen to strike, even once, she would have been on the floor instantly.
Finally, King Zarius stopped, lowering his hands. "Well, well," he said, with a hint of amusement. "Faster than I expected. But stillโฆ" his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "a long, long way to go."
Cyra held her stance, not breaking eye contact, her determination unwavering. "Iโll get better," she said. "Iโll surpass you, Father."
King Zarius laughed, his voice echoing through the hall like a low thunder. "I look forward to it."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Cyra alone to reflect.
Lloyd observed his sisterโs session from the sidelines, emotions twisting inside him. He was proud of Cyra for standing her ground against King Zarius โ even if she hadnโt managed to land a single blow. But he knew the truth. Their father hadnโt even scratched the surface of his true strength. If King Zarius had used even one percent of his full power, Cyra wouldnโt have lasted more than a second.
Stillโฆ she was improving. Faster than most would believe possible.
Lloydโs gaze narrowed as his thoughts turned. Cyraโs Devil side was progressing at an astonishing rate โ at this pace, she could very well reach his level in less than two centuries. A terrifyingly fast climb for someone her age, even by Supernatural standards.
But that wasnโt what worried him.
Her Angel side.
That part of her remained almost untouched. Their mother โ the only one who mightโve guided Cyra through mastering it โ was long gone. And no Angel would ever dare set foot inside the palace, much less teach a Nephalem child hidden deep in the heart of Hell.
Even if any Angel were willing, bringing one here would risk revealing Cyraโs very existence โ a secret buried carefully by King Zarius himself. Only those within these walls knew the full truth, and Lloyd suspected even fewer truly understood why.
After a moment of silent thought, Lloyd made his way toward the throne room. The massive black double doors opened without resistance, swinging wide on silent hinges. Inside, King Zarius sat atop his towering obsidian throne, deep in conversation with Alpert โ one of his most trusted servants.
Alpert stood tall and lean, his crimson eyes sharp as ever. He wore the formal Devil servant attire: a sleek black suit with crimson trim, embroidered with intricate silver patterns that shimmered faintly under the dim lighting. His jet-black hair was slicked back, exposing a pronounced widowโs peak and a sharply defined jawline framed by a meticulously groomed beard.
As the doors opened, both men turned their attention to Lloyd. Alpert dipped his head slightly, eyes gleaming with polite curiosity. "Your Highness," he greeted smoothly.
Lloyd gave a brief nod, keeping his gaze locked on King Zarius. "I need to speak with my father," he said plainly, his voice steady.
King Zarius gestured casually, his expression unreadable. "Very well, Lloyd. Weโve finished here anyway." He waved a hand toward Alpert. "You may leave us."
Alpert bowed deeply, his gaze flickering once more toward Lloyd, as if briefly sizing him up. "Yes, Your Majesty," he replied with his usual calm, before silently slipping out of the throne room and sealing the doors behind him.
"Father," Lloyd said, his voice measured. "I need to speak with you about Cyra's training."
King Zarius looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What about it, Lloyd?"
Lloyd hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Her Devil side is progressing rapidly, but... what about her Angel side? Who will teach her about that?"
King Zarius replied in an "as a matter of fact" tone, "I've already thought of that, Lloyd. Have you ever heard of Zelthur?"
Lloyd frowned, confused. "No... who is he? Can he help Cyra?"
King Zarius said, "Heโs an Angel โ or rather, was. An exiled one."
Lloydโs eyes widened. "Exiled? Why?"
King Zarius allowed a rare grin to tug at his lips. "Zelthur was banished for delving into forbidden knowledge. He sought to understand both the Light and the Darkness. He believed that true power came from mastering both realms, and that Angels should no longer deny the existence of Darkness within themselves."
Lloyd blinked, stunned. "He tried to merge Angelic and Demonic power?"
"Precisely," King Zarius said, his voice low. "He performed secret experimentsโon himself, and on other Angels who followed him. But his obsession with balance and 'perfect unity' was considered heresy. The Council deemed his studies too dangerous. Queen Zoya herself ordered his exile before he could spread his philosophy any further."
Lloydโs mind reeled. "So he's... a traitor? A corrupted Angel?"
"Some might call him that," King Zarius said. "Others might call him... enlightened. Either way, Zelthur walks a path few dare even to look at. And that makes him uniquely suited to guide someone like Cyra โ someone who was born straddling both realms by nature, not by choice."
Lloyd nodded slowly, taking it all in. "I'll inform Cyra. And... may I observe his sessions with her? I want to see firsthand how this 'enlightened' Angel trains someone like her."
King Zarius gave a small shrug. "If you wish. You know your sister better than anyone. You can help her refine whatever... unorthodox methods he might use."
Lloyd bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Father."
King Zarius simply hummed, watching his son leave the throne room.
ยปยปโโโโโโโ-ใโใโโโโโโโ-ยซยซ
King Zarius: "Lloyd, Cyra might surpass you one day."
Lloyd, sarcastically: "Great, just what I need. A rival."
King Zarius: "Cyra's a Nephalem, Lloyd. She's not going to be your rival, she's going to leave you in the dust. You might want to start practicing your 'yes, sis' face."
49Please respect copyright.๏ผฐ๏ผฅ๏ผฎ๏ผก๏ผฎ๏ผก3BerUZIXHl
[A/N]: Thanks for reading! ^^
ns216.73.216.158da2
and then Add to home screen.