Chapter 147 - Devouring the tail

Rimuru, Velgrynd, and Ciel stood at the very center of Citadel. It was both nostalgic and not at the same time, as if returning to a home after many years yet at the same time never having left.

Rimuru inhaled deeply, his eyes staring directly at the 'sky' of Citadel. The very barrier and space of the fortress he owned was cracking.

The invaders were pressuring the entire system, pushing it to the brink of collapse. Cracks and fissures began to appear in the sky like broken glass, seemingly showing gaps beyond.

Each gap poured heavy amounts of miasma, like a shattered dam that flooded Citadel's planet in a deep, viscous dark energy. It spread across the structures and land, destroying everything it came across.

Finally, a loud cracking sound resonated, and a large hole opened directly into Citadel.

Velgrynd took out her materialized azure blade.

Ciel, for her part, did not take out any weapons whatsoever.

The two women stared at the intruders, both in their reptilian forms.

A familiar black, humanoid reptile stood in front, his presence alone irked Velgrynd. Beside him stood the main creator and father of all the snakes.

"Scorch Dragon Velgrynd!" Apophis shouted loudly, an arrogant smirk spreading across his face. "I'm not as weak as before. I have been blessed by Father with the strength of my fallen siblings. You can't beat me anymore!"

Velgrynd rolled her eyes, spinning her blade in her hand. The sword shifted into an azure spear. Planting it into the ground, Velgrynd took a small step back and threw it at Apophis.

Apophis grinned as he created a small portal that swallowed the spear.

Velgrynd raised a brow, silently admitting that he had indeed grown stronger. Though she was also much stronger than when they fought before. But she wouldn't say that, especially not before battle.

"Angel," the larger of the humanoid snakes called out in a deep voice. His naginata-like scepter pointed at Ciel. "At last, we meet. Your interference has long vexed me, costing more than just simple ire."

Ciel remained silent, her eyes focused on the obsidian-scaled anthropomorphic snake. She took out her shield, Aegis, but nothing else, as she readied for battle.

Rimuru placed his blade, Rakshasa, on his shoulder. He looked at Ouroboros with narrowed eyes.

"You're not here for me?" he asked, his tone mocking and challenging as he addressed the sentient snake cryptid.

Ouroboros, for his part, chose not to take the bait. He straightened his scepter and turned to the silver demon.

"Regrettably, my grievance is not for you, Silver Deity.'" Ouroboros said, shaking his head slightly, almost disappointed that he wasn't about to fight Rimuru himself. "After hundreds, thousands of years, 'that being's' patience has waned and unraveled."

He licked his lips as they curved upward. The smile plastered on Rimuru's face showed how much he enjoyed hearing that.

Then Velgrynd, Ciel, Apophis, and Ouroboros all disappeared in unison, leaving Rimuru as the only one left in the Citadel. He glanced briefly, noting that the battles between the pairs had already begun.

Velgrynd couldn't help but be bored as soon as the battle started.

Sure, it was true that Apophis had grown stronger. With all of his siblings' abilities, they had basically all become his. Even Ouroboros' signature portal and special domination had been inherited.

Still.

Apophis roared as his sword engulfed in wind, and flames burst as he swung toward her. Velgrynd grabbed the sword by the blade and snapped it in two. Holding the other half with no handle, she thrust it at him. He teleported away, appearing hundreds of meters back.

Velgrynd exhaled in exasperation. She expected to at the very least see something new. The only difference between this Apophis and the old one was his durability and resilience.

Other than that, he still stood no chance against the Scorch Dragon, especially one whose ultimate skills had been evolved by Ciel into Cthugha.

As a massive amount of miasma surrounded her, they morphed into sharp spears the size of giants. Apophis smirked as he fired the barrage at Velgrynd at high speed.

Velgrynd moved her body with ease. With fluidity and minimal motion, she dodged each and every volley. She outstretched her hand and fired a scorch blast filled with her acceleration.

Apophis barely had the time to sense and process before the heat reached his body. Even when he activated the portal ability to teleport to safety, he screamed as his body felt the burns searing his skin.

"Ghahh!" He hugged his body as the scales melted away, revealing bare flesh. He glared at Velgrynd, who played with an azure spear in her hand, glowing brightly.

Apophis felt his body being pushed back at great speed. Then the pain finally arrived as he found the spear deeply embedded in his chest.

The spear glowed as it grew hotter and hotter in temperature. As the speed they moved increased, so did the weapon's heat. As a mythical-grade weapon made by a True Dragon herself, its durability was quite high.

Apophis filled his body with miasma, seemingly wanting to absorb the blade before it destroyed his body. To his surprise, the miasma as well was burned easily as his chest began to be engulfed in flames.

Even his very soul felt the intense scorch.

He slammed into a small moon in space, the spear completely embedded in his chest to the hilt. He grabbed at it, pulling it out, when he saw her.

She was standing in the vastness of space, looking at him with disdain like trash.

"Scorching Apocalypse."

With those words, the moon he was in began to rumble.

His limbs were sealed as the moon melted and covered his body. Like quicksand, he fell deeper and deeper to the very center of the moon.

At the very middle, he found himself face to face with a small orb flickering brightly. He squinted as the speed of the flickering escalated, until it seemed to stop blinking altogether to anyone who could see.

"No... no... wait!"

He pulled, his hands still being covered by the moon itself, only his upper body facing the orb directly. Even teleportation or portals became useless as activations were being dispelled by Velgrynd.

"Ahhh!" Apophis screamed for the last time as he was covered in a bright light.

The moon exploded, sending shockwaves through space as various chunks of rocks scattered.

Velgrynd nodded to herself as she found his corpse floating, burnt to a crisp.

"His durability is astounding. Not to be completely wiped out by that."

Velgrynd fired one last breath, erasing his very existence before leaving.

....

..

....

Ciel floated in the vastness of space, her eyes calm yet analytical as she faced Ouroboros.
With a silent breath, she brought her shield to the left. A loud clash of metal echoed as Ouroboros's scepter collided with her Aegis. He had suddenly teleported to her side, but she was ready. She quickly extended her arm and fired a beam of disintegration magic.

Ouroboros blocked the holy magic with a portal, redirecting it beneath Ciel. She swiftly maneuvered aside, raising her shield once again in defense.

The space around her fell silent. She stood firm, her expression unreadable, waiting for the next strike. As expected, several portals opened in her vicinity. From them, blades of various kinds thrust forward, all aimed at her.

Ciel activated her barrier, much to Ouroboros's surprise, as it managed to block the mythical-grade weapons. Her arms transformed, now covered in shell-like armor resembling the natural exoskeletons of Insectars.

She discarded her shield and launched herself into one of the portals. The environment around her shifted to a barren world.

Ouroboros, caught off guard, wore a confused expression as she slammed her armored fist into his chest.

He blocked with his obsidian scales and gripped his scepter, aiming to pierce her neck. As the blade connected, her body vanished like a fading illusion.

"Curious," he muttered as several clones of the seraph appeared, surrounding him.

"Illusionary spells, is it?"

All the Ciels charged simultaneously.

Ouroboros reacted with precision, moving swiftly between them, using his portals to jump through space as he sliced each illusion apart.

In one of the clones, he felt resistance. It wasn't just an illusion, this one had substance. As he locked eyes with it, he noticed blood seeping from her side as she struggled to keep his scepter from plunging deeper.

Snakes began crawling from the scepter, coiling around Ciel's body, locking her arms and winding around her neck, their venomous faces near her ear.

"This seems to be where your tale ends, Angel."

The snakes' eyes glowed ominously as they bit into her neck.

Her skin darkened, veins protruding and shifting in color. She gasped, her body flailing violently, resisting the venom threatening to consume her.

Ouroboros watched with delight, reveling in the downfall of one he long sought to eliminate. She heaved, choking, her eyes turning bloodshot as crimson tears streamed down her cheeks.

Her eyelids began to close, most of her body now tainted by the serpent's venom.

"And now,... to witness my creator lay waste to the Silver Deity," Ouroboros murmured, waving his scepter to open a portal.

A beam of scorching breath burst from the portal. Reflexively shielding his face, he barely registered the impact as a fist slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward through space.

Tumbling, he caught himself, steadying midair. His eyes widened.

The angel, still alive, unscathed, stood before him.

In a blink, perhaps even faster, she was upon him, gripping his head.

Ouroboros felt sluggish and weak. Panic surged as he raised his scepter, activating a barrage of spells to create distance.

Ciel's barrier held firm as she countered with multiple blasts of scorching magic.

"Such abilities..." he muttered, dodging as he teleported behind her. He swung the blade toward her neck, another illusion.

"These can not be..." he muttered again, confusion creeping into his voice.

He fired several dark energy blasts, enough to obliterate planets, but the black mist covering her body devoured them.

Ciel emerged from the haze, her fist crashing into his face. His obsidian scales shattered, the pain rupturing through his insides.

Ouroboros opened a portal and escaped, slamming it shut behind him. He fell onto a forest world, clutching his chest with a groan.

Pain. Something rare. Something he hadn't felt since Rimuru.

"You were herald as support weren't you not?" he muttered, dazed.

His entire body became encased in ice; the temperature drop seeping into his scaly body like frostbite. He twitched and clenched his muscles until the incredibly tough encasement of ice shatter.

A massive magic circle formed above. Disintegration beams rained down like divine judgment. He teleported away just in time, watching the world collapse under the devastation.

Gritting his fanged teeth, he tightened his grip on the scepter and began whispering incantations to himself.

Ciel appeared once again, her presence like a storm's calm before destruction. Ouroboros opened his eyes and glared at the anomaly standing before him.

"Devouring Serpent."

A massive serpent, the manifestation of his aura, materialized behind him. Its eyes glowed red, and purple mist poured from its mouth, consuming the space around them.

Ouroboros's body twisted, shifting into his true form. A colossal snake, larger than any aircraft, towered before Ciel.

Two behemoth serpents coiled around her, exhaling a venomous breath capable of melting worlds. Their massive bodies squeezed inward, intent on crushing her with sheer weight and pressure.

He activated anti-magic fields, layered restrictions, every precaution to ensure she couldn't escape.

His eyes gleamed, convinced of his triumph.

But then he shivered.

Ciel looked up at him, her expression calm, even slightly mocking.

He roared, opening his vast snake mouth. Fangs the size of mountains dripped venom that hissed into steam. He dove, planning to devour her whole.

And he did.

Delight filled his monstrous eyes, until agony struck.

He screamed, writhing, as his body felt like it was burning from within. It was as though his blood had become acid, his soul poisoned.

"Have you realized yet?"

The voice made him freeze.

He glanced down, recognizing the horrifying truth. His own fangs were buried deep in his flesh, venom pumping into his system.

Ripping free, he stared at Ciel in disbelief and fury. "What have you done to me?!"

"An illusion," she said matter-of-factly. "Though only the last part was completely false. You could say... you were daydreaming through it."

"How..." His body trembled as it continued to deteriorate. "Such skills... even now... It can't be.."

"Ah." She nodded slightly, understanding his confusion. "Raphael. Israfil. Uriel. Azazel..."

He blinked, confused by the sudden naming.

"Raguel. Belphegor. Belzebuth..."

Realization struck. He froze, shivering in terror.

"Haniel. Abaddon. Luna. Samael. Morpheus. And Belial."

Ciel's voice was cold as she looked into his pitiful gaze. "I used all of their abilities respectively. I have more stored, but it seems this is the extent of your durability."

"How... how is this possible?" he rasped, his voice cracking with fear. "To have such a collection in one vessel.. truly a frightening anomaly."

Ciel tilted her head, almost bored by her own answer. "Simple. I kept a copy and incorporated them all thanks to Astarte: Lord of Heaven. One of its main abilities is evolution. With what remained from Uriel as the base, I acquired Shub-Niggurath: Lord of Harvest and connected it with Master's Nameless Mist."

Her eyes, which briefly held eagerness to explain, reverted to a cold monotone. She raised her hand toward him.

"Do not worry. You will not die yet, not until you've paid the price of hunting my Master."

Ouroboros, driven by desperation, summoned one final portal to flee.

She snapped her fingers.

The portal closed before he could reach it.

"Did I forget to mention I also obtained a copy from yours?"

Ouroboros closed his eyes, hoping this was all a nightmare.

"Oh, this isn't the nightmare just yet."

Her voice echoed in his mind.

"I'll make sure to send you to one. Eldritch Nightmare."

His body went limp. His eyes rolled back, blood leaking from every orifice of his head.

Occasional convulsions wracked his frame as his brain turned to mush.

...

In the deepest part of the sealed space where Ivarage quietly slept, something began to stir. With the death of its children continuing to rise, they all returned to their rightful parent.

With Ouroboros' death, the being it had unconsciously created, meant to eliminate the silver primordial who was the main reason for its imprisonment, was no longer needed. Its eyes opened slowly as the accumulated power the sentient serpent cryptid had gained over thousands of years began pouring into the world-destroying dragon.

A being of power rivaling even the creator, Veldanava.

It opened its eyes again, slowly, as the emotions of its children's deaths began filling its once-empty mind. Though it was a non-sentient creature, the anger, vengeance, and pain that its children had felt stirred something ancient within the sleeping monster.

At first, it was only a small movement in the sealed world. A minor thing. A slight twitch of its immense body. Something that had never happened since the day it was imprisoned. It had always remained still, indifferent to the countless beings who stood guard or launched attacks against it.

Their efforts never even registered. Not a scratch. Not a tremor. Not even an itch.

But now, with its lethargic state gone, something inside had begun to burn.

An image formed within its awakening thoughts. A silver-haired demon. A figure who had opened the gate that led to its imprisonment. The one who had allowed its seal to be cast. A face etched in the brief flash of a moment that marked the start of its confinement.

Its eyes turned toward the cracked walls of its prison. A gap in dimensions, still lingering, created by the powers of its child. The gift of spatial domination it had once given to Ouroboros now made complete use of, especially with the guards having fled the sealed space.

The emotions it had inherited; the fury, the sorrow, the thirst for vengeance began to reshape its very existence. The being that is ancient and long forgotten was now reborn.

A celebration began.

A ritual no one could have expected.

The Halloween Carnival had begun.

All for her arrival.

The Evil God.

A/N: Iva-chan finally awakening. I wonder what I'll do with her.

No joke, I kind of enjoyed Ciel's battle. You don't really see the ultimate skills in action once they got mixed in to Shrub Niggurath. This was a good application for me, most of the mental and illusions from Azazel, Belphegor, Morpheus. Abaddon for the punches, Samiel for the poison, Belzebuth the black mist, etc...

If you haven't noticed, the entire chapter is suppose to be about Ciel vs Ouroboros and Apophis is just extra words to reach the minimum count. (Full transparency lol)