Demonheart Boxset 1: Book 1-3

by J. J. Egosi

  Michael stomped forward, hurling a punch towards Lucifer’s face. Lucifer caught it with ease.

  “I suggest you reconsider. There’s far more to having power than simply abusing it.”

  “That’s what you think,” said Michael.

  “That’s what I know. With the two of us, we can”—

  “We can what?” Michael cut him off. “We can return these former races, just to enslave them? Tell me, how would that make us better than the humans?”

  “I never suggested such a thing. I desire to give the races free will. Yes, we’d rule over them as dual overlords, but we would force no ideals over them. The world is essentially theirs for the taking.”

  “Sounds too good to be true. A lot like those false promises of prosperity and moral ambiguity you mentioned before!” said Michael.

  “Humanity’s left you bitter and untrusting, hasn’t it, Michael?” Lucifer asked. “Keeping secrets all to yourself.”

  “Enough trying to turn me to your maniacal ways!”

  “Just what are you telling me; that the world is better off with humans? Surely not,” said Lucifer.

  “That’s not what I’m saying at all. Fuck humans.”

  “Then, why not”—

  “You can talk about free will all you want, but at the end of the day, it’s guided by power. And power is an aggravator of evil. Something that has only taken a temporary haven in the humans, it’ll find a new haven elsewhere soon enough,” said Michael.

  “Excuse me?!” Lucifer said, taken aback.

  “If not the humans, then some other race will plague this world,” Michael said, aiming a punch to Lucifer’s stomach.

  Lucifer caught this punch, as well, with his other hand. He twisted Michael’s fist towards the ground, stopping him in place as he scowled with malice from his defiant words.

  Lucifer replied, “That is ridiculous! You’ve lived so long among the humans, you’ve forgotten the true nature of power. Under the right command, we can save this world from itself. Don’t you understand?”

  “Especially when it’s you who rules with me.”

  “Things like evil and power are not exclusive to humans.” Michael gritted his teeth. “And I don’t care about ruling omniverse. I just want a peaceful life with my friends. If I can become rich, too, even better.”

  “And your allies say I preach delusion.” Lucifer smirked.

  “Besides, if we destroy the humans, we’ll just end up going for the next race to cross us. My friends are right. We’ll wipe out one after that until there’s nothing left. Is that what you want? To rule over an empty kingdom on the mountain of your slain subordinates?” Michael shouted emphatically.

  “Michael…” Isabella said, lost for words.

  “I’m incredibly cynical and distrustful. That’s just how I am. While I try to see the good in everything, I can also see the bad. Yes, humans are terrible, but their terrible nature could be hiding the less negative qualities of other races just waiting for the opportunity to flourish in the wake of humanity’s demise. And as bad as humans are, another race could be even worse. You’d have only yourself to blame for enabling them once the humans are gone! We’d be digging this world into its own grave, don’t you see?”

  The girls looked at him and smiled.

  “He’s certainly wiser than he leads on,” Alexa said, wide-eyed.

  “His past as a god becomes more convincing with every word he says,” Ursula added.

  Lucifer grinned. “Well, as the creator god, you’ll have to make some sacrifices. Even if it means wiping the slate clean and starting anew.”

  Michael sneered. “I figured you’d say something like that. And I don’t care. You want to know why?”

  “Humor me,” said Lucifer.

  “I have a life of my own. That’s what I’m fighting for. I don’t care what you do with the titans, the dimensions, or the humans. Let them fight until their death, for all I fucking care. I just want to be left alone to live as I please. I do not need power or all that shit. I just want peace.”

  “I see now.” Lucifer grinned. “So, it’s not that you want to stop my endeavors. You just don’t want to get involved. Spoken like a negligent parent.”

  Michael looked at him, coldly. “Look at it however you want. I may be a god, but I have no interest in acting like one. Good or bad, I just want to live as I please.”

  “How selfish,” Lucifer said with a sneer. “Tell me, is that lifestyle worth it to you or are you just accustomed to living a life of mediocrity and don’t feel like achieving something greater?”

  “Quiet!” Michael roared. “I’ll live my life how I want. So, stop acting as if you have me figured out when you don’t!”

  “Oh, you and I both know that’s not true. I know you grew up in the Asmodai household and that you were abused until the end of your days there. I know you drown your sorrows in beer and hard liquor. You may have recently quit, but we both know it won’t last long. Also, I know you’re a total lecher,” said Lucifer.

  “What?” Michael exclaimed.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t lust after your friends. I know you can’t resist having lewd, perverted, and depraved thoughts about the girls you call your friends. How pathetic. You turn down their advances, just to fantasize about them later. Wake up, you fool! The opportunity is right in front of you. It always has been. The women. Power. The peaceful lifestyle as a ruler of a world without conflict. Stop making excuses for yourself and make the world your own! Nothing comes easy, and if you really want what you say you want, you must fight for it!” said Lucifer.

  Michael smiled. “You’re right.”

  “Wait, he is?” Isabella asked.

  “Not about much, but he is right that things in life never come easy,” Michael replied. His body began to glow a bright white. “Even a peaceful life is never devoid of conflict. With that sentiment in mind, take this! Lightwave of retribution!”

  A burst of claymores encased in lightning hurtled from the misty clouds above. Everyone watched them descend, in awe.

  “Finally, an actual attack. Well, I guess I should try, as well.” Lucifer pointed his blade towards the ground.

  “Go! Darkwave of annihilation!”

  From the soil came a barrage of darkened daggers from the shadows. The two waves of blades crashed into each other, destroying everything on impact as everyone fought to retain their balance from the rippling impact.

  “It seems like our attacks were evenly matched,” Michael said, peering over his arm.

  Lucifer smirked. From the ground came the eruption of his next assault. No swords. Rather, a slew of narrow inky hands.

  They latched towards Michael’s ankles, seeking to drag him down. He refused to let such a fate befall him. With a swing of his scepter, he unleashed a slew of bright discs with serrated edges. Like saws, they sliced through the field of hands reaching towards him. Their ink splattered across the grass.

  The girls watched from the sidelines, stunned as Michael maneuvered his way through Lucifer’s defense until his scepter reached a fist’s distance towards his opponent’s face. The demon king struck back with his swords once again. Together, they found themselves back at one another’s necks.

  Sweat rolled down their faces. A different sword blocked each of Michael’s swings. Beads of sweat rolled down Lucifer’s neck as he grinned with elation.

  “Yes, it appears our little discussion has strengthened you. As you grow in power, your memories return. Tell me. What do you remember from your days as the creator god?” Lucifer said with a smile.

  Michael stared at him blankly. “Honestly, nothing. I still can’t remember much else about my time before this life.”

  “Well, it sounds to me like you need a little more motivation,” Lucifer said, lunging his blade towards Michael. Michael blocked the sword with his own.

  Michael and Lucifer thrust their way into the sky, sending a burst of dust flying. The battle raged, getting mightier and more des
tructive. They matched each other, blow for blow, spell for spell, and blood for blood.

  “Motivate me all you want. It’ll be your undoing, as it only makes me stronger,” said Michael.

  Lucifer grinned. “We’ll see how strong you are without your sword!”

  With a violent swing of his shadow blade, Lucifer made a clean incision through Michael’s blade. Michael watched in disbelief as the fragment tumbled to the ground.

  “My sword. No,” he said with dread.

  “Did you honestly think a cheap piece of iron could withstand the will of my shadows?” Lucifer asked.

  Michael trembled with terror as he stared at the remains of his sword. Gritting his teeth, he shattered the remnants with his lightning.

  “Not at all. Fortunately, that wasn’t the only weapon in my possession.”

  He manifested a golden scepter in his hand. Its glow was so blinding, Lucifer shielded his eyes for a moment before they could readjust.

  Lucifer smiled. “Very impressive, indeed. Don’t forget, I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. You have a long way to go before you can defeat me.”

  “What, are you going to dispatch another one of your minions on me?” Michael said, sending a lightning burst enchantment at Lucifer’s face.

  Lucifer flew around it and looked at him with a sly grin. “Oh, Hecate? She was the worst combination of weak and arrogant, wasn’t she?”

  He sent out a dark beam attack at Michael, hitting him successfully in the face, nearly knocking him out of the sky.

  “How could you say that? She loved you! She may have been psychotic, but she gave her life away for you!” Michael shouted, pushing harder.

  “A pawn may fall here and there, but never lose sight of the king,” Lucifer said, pushing back.

  Michael gritted his teeth, both from the pressure of the dark magic beam pressing him towards the ground and the callous words from the one who cast it.

  “You fucking hypocrite!” he shouted, sending light beams towards Lucifer.

  “I didn’t say pawns were useless. Quite the contrary, I never would have found you all so easily if not for you capturing her titan ring. Furthermore, only weak mortals would use such weak constructs as hypocrisy to define a man. Call me what you will, but I’m the destroyer god, first and foremost,” Lucifer said, pushing Michael with his blade.

  Michael looked straight into Lucifer’s eyes as he pushed back with his sword. “Whatever accolades you think you have with that title, I’ll match them and raise you the largest ass-kicking you’ve ever gotten.”

  He blasted Lucifer in the face and watched him fall from the sky. Lucifer landed with a thundering thud that sent bursts of energy flying. The shadows writhed with his collapse.

  Michael flew down to the ground and walked towards Lucifer’s unconscious body. The girls removed their barricade and ran towards Michael with shock and excitement.

  “You did it! That was amazing!” Ursula said, hugging him, tightly.

  “You defeated the demon king!” Isabella shouted just as jovially.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Michael said, looking over at Lucifer’s body.

  “What do you mean? He’s out cold,” said Isabella.

  “I doubt it. The destroyer won’t go down with one attack,” said Julianna.

  “She’s right. Let’s take a look,” said Alexa.

  They cautiously approached Lucifer. He then struggled back up with a groan. They watched intensely as his crow mask cracked, revealing his face. As the pieces fell, Michael and the girls looked at him in stunned silence.

  “No way. This must be some mistake!” Michael said, “Why does he”—

  Lucifer brushed the black hair away from his crimson eyes. “Oh, this is no mistake, Michael. The face you see is your own. Because I am you.”

  Michael froze in shock with no logical words to come out of his mouth as he stared into a mirror image of his face.

  Chapter 8

  Star Crossed Rivals

  “

  Tell me this is some sort of spell,” Michael said, still in disbelief.

  “I’m afraid not, for not even the strongest demon could perform an enchantment powerful enough to replicate what you see before you now. What you see is the truth,” Lucifer said, smiling.

  “And what is the truth? That you’re some sort of copy of me?” Michael asked.

  Lucifer looked at him, pondering over the question. “I think it would be best to say you and I are twin brothers. Born from the same chaos that was this omniverse before it became what you see today.”

  “You and I are brothers?” Michael said. He didn’t think he could get any more stunned.

  “Indeed, we are,” said Lucifer.

  The girls watched their exchange, utterly mesmerized.

  “Just when I thought this couldn’t get more absurd, Lucifer tells us he’s brothers with Michael? Ridiculous!” said Isabella.

  “This doesn’t surprise me,” Alexa said, calmly.

  “What? Are you saying he’s telling the truth?” Isabella asked.

  “I’m saying there are some legends from my home dimension, albeit rather scarce, that depict these gods as having a special bond, not unlike that of a family. I don’t think this is some sort of coincidence or act of magic. No, I think they are, as he said, twin brothers born from the same chaos,” said Alexa.

  “No way!” said Isabella in disbelief. “I’ve known him all my life as just my brother. Now, he’s so much I never knew him to be. The archangel, a god, and the brother of this sadistic asshole. Who is our friend, really?”

  “It’s alright.” Julianna patted her on the shoulder. “He’s still our friend.”

  “What I want to know is how twin brothers came to be so different? Our Michael is so sweet and Lucifer’s so gross,” said Ursula.

  “Whatever happened, that face definitely goes better with blue eyes and white hair,” said Alexa. The other girls nodded in agreement.

  Meanwhile, Lucifer looked at Michael with a devious grin. “So, would you like to pick up where we left off?”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Michael said, raising his scepter.

  “Good, because I think it’s time I stop holding back.” From his shadows, Lucifer forged a scepter identical to his. Michael’s eyes widened.

  “Surprised to see I carry the same weapon?”

  Michael sneered. “Not in the slightest.”

  “Very good. That means you’re getting it now.”

  Lucifer surprised Michael with a swing of his scepter, slicing his neck open with the end. Michael vomited blood as blood gushed through his fingers covering the wound.

  “How did you?” Michael said, dropping to his knees.

  “That’s the power of a destroyer god. My speed is otherworldly. I wouldn’t expect a weak little god with amnesia to understand that,” Lucifer said before repeatedly stabbing Michael in the chest and stomach with the end of his scepter.

  Michael could no longer hold back his screams, as the pain became unbearable. “It’s a good thing you’re immortal. Otherwise, my fun would have ended a long time ago.” Kicking Michael while he was down. “Unfortunately, that means there’s no end to the level of pain you can experience. And every ounce of it, you’ll fucking feel!”

  “Stop it! You’re seriously hurting him.” Against her fear, Ursula rushed towards Michael, ready to help.

  “Don’t worry about me,” Michael whimpered as he attempted to stand up straight. “I can handle him on my own.”

  “I don’t care,” Ursula refuted. “This battle needs to end before”—

  “Before what? You’ll take his spot?” Lucifer asked.

  Ursula looked at him, unsure of what to say before stepping back.

  “That’s what I thought. Your lives are only temporary, whereas Michael’s suffering can forever endure. Would you give up your life to keep Michael from taking any more damage, assuming I was even that generous?” Lucifer inquired with a smirk.


  “That’s enough!” Alexa shouted. “Don’t pick on her!”

  “After all, what’s to stop me from killing you all, dead, or making you my servants? I’m clearly the superior one here, and your pathetic friend knows it. He should concede,” Lucifer exclaimed.

  Tears rolled down Ursula’s face.

  “It’s alright, Ursula. Michael will pull through,” said Isabella, holding her in a comforting embrace.

  “I hate feeling so helpless. He’s in so much pain and we can’t do anything,” Ursula whimpered.

  “That’s not true,” said Alexa.

  “What?” Ursula wondered.

  “Alexa’s right. We can still believe in him. Remember. They’re gods, so they are immortal. In other words, this battle only ends when someone yields. As long as Michael can push forward, he’ll rise above that prick of a twin brother,” said Julianna.

  “But, what if he can’t?” Ursula suggested. The eyes of the other three sharply turned towards her with worry.

  “What if he hurts himself so bad, falls into a comatose state?” Ursula asked.

  “Ursula…” Alexa began with a lachrymose stare. “…I don’t think he”—

  “We know he lost his memories when he entered a long sleep, but we don’t know how the sleep began,” Ursula continued.

  “It was because”—

  “Because a winner couldn’t be decided,” Alexa said with a fearful gaze before Julianna could finish her sentence. The words Lucifer said about the battle he and Michael had long ago were even more haunting now.

  “Are you suggesting”—Isabella’s eyes widened.

  “If Michael pushes himself, he’ll lose all the memories he’s finally gained back. And we’ll lose the person we’ve come to know.”

  Despair dropped like boulders down to the bottoms of their chests as they watched the battle continue. They shared in the hope of the battle coming to a swift end.

  The four of them looked at each other, nodding. Michael fell on his back, full of punctures from the scepter. Lucifer looked down and grinned.

  “It seems our battle is finally over. Oh, well. If you can’t get up, I’ll take this little nap of yours as your resignation.”