The eagle-type alien was destroyed by the sword array moment after calling the signal. At present no one in the Avenue could match the Pharmacist in sheer attack force. Her Domain fed off of slaughter, and the more she killed the stronger she became.
Many aliens from the surroundings came to heed the eagleâs cry. If it were not for Lan Qing and his army in the space around the planet, Lan Jueâs team could have twice as many Paragons and they would have quickly fallen. But as it was the situation was made easier by the beastâs reduced numbers. There were few enough that the Pharmacist was able to defend them by herself. She was unstoppable, and the path she carved was lined with the mangled corpses of her enemies.
Strangely, the vital crystals that emerged from the slain aliens vanished as soon as they appeared in flashes of pink light.
Under the Pharmacistâs guidance the team continued toward the far side of the planet.
Elsewhere, Zeus-1 was racing for another world, bringing the next team to its target. Mika was squeezing every bit of speed from the ship as she could. She didnât know the situation her boss was facing, all he knew was that her way of helping was to put pressure on the other planets under alien control.
Zeus-1âs systems were operating and overloaded capacity. So long as they held this pace, they would reach their destination in a matter of hours. Once they were free of Angelâs orbit they locked in to a trajectory, free from alien menace.
Mika turned her head just as Satan was approaching. Right away a chill came over her face. She defiantly turned her eyes back onto the screens.
âMika!â His deep voice intruded.
She didnât respond, as though she hadnât heard.
A biter grin spread across the former leader of the Dark Citadel. âDonât be angry with me, not now. Perhaps I wonât be coming back from this fight, and I wanted to use this opportunity to explain a few things.â
A slight change came over Mikaâs harsh countenance. Yes! This fight held the future of humanity in the balance. Her boss had accepted the most important and most dangerous task. So had her father.
Her features softened ever so slightly. Whatever their history, she was Satanâs daughter. His demonic blood flowed through her veins.
âWhat do you want to say?â She offered.
Satan responded with a sigh. âIâve made many mistakes, but few fill me with regret. I have come to understand what happened to your sister â who did it isnât important. Whether or not we win against these monsters, Europa is gone. The Citadels are gone. The chances are that I will be gone. I was hoping you might promise me to take over the mantle of the Dark Citadel.â
Mika paused. Eventually she turned her face back toward him. âTake over the Dark Citadel? I have no interest in commanding a group of sordid, evil men. As far as Iâm concerned the Dark Citadel shouldnât even exist.â
When Satan looked at her his eyes were bright, burning. âYouâre looking at it too one-sided. Sometimes that which you see with just your eyes isnât true. Sometimes whatâs most important isnât immediately visible. Youâre right, the Dark Citadel was filled with evil and compulsion. Do you think the Pontiff and the other hypocrites are any better? What theyâve done is far more evil than anything Iâve ordered.â
Satan made no effort to modulate his voice. The Pontiff, seated a short distance away, heard all. However he did not react, and sat in silent meditation.
Mika scowled. Her father was right, she knew a little of the dark deeds the Pontiffâs men had performed. The former Moonfiend Empress had shared them with her.
âNone of you are any good!â She seethed.
When she said it the surroundings Paragons looked at her with strange expressions. The Keeper outright laughed. She was probably the only person who would dare to say such a thing to these men.
Satan was not embarrassed. Instead his grin deepened. âYouâre absolutely right. But listen to what I have to say; the Dark Citadel commands the dark underbelly of the Western Alliance. Its soldiers are powerful, temperamental, and varied. Iâm not sure youâve considered how much damage they could cause if you simply let them loose in the worlds of man.â
Mika didnât reply, but it was clear she was carefully weighing his words.
He continued. âThey would cause turmoil, everywhere.â
âWhat could the âmightyâ Dark Citadel do, now?â She countered. âWhat is stopping governments and armies from exterminating the rabble?â
Satan sniffed derisively. âSo naĂŻve, child. You believe they hate us â you are wrong. What is light without darkness? Without us, many faiths throughout the human worlds would be rendered pointless. Whatâs more, you underestimate the world of darkness, its ability to repopulate. If there is nothing to control it, the darkness will grow and spread out of control. The chaos it would cause, while not comparable to the destruction these aliens have wrought, would nonetheless consume the worlds of man.â
âThe Dark Citadel was not created solely to wield power. It is a check against the spread of evil. It is built to manage it before it becomes unmanageable. Under my vigil the corruption of it is contained, and its deeds curtailed. So long as there is good there will be evil â it will never be eradicated. But, it can be controlled. Have you ever heard of these âsordid, evil menâ causing problems in the West? The Dark Citadel handles these problems before they arise. Our purpose is a service to mankind, which is more than I can say for our sanctimonious counterparts. Do you still think the empire I built is so wretched, now?â
Mika had grown up in the Dark Citadel, but this was the first time its mission was explained to her in such a way. She didnât know this was their purpose. For years sheâd wondered why the Citadel was allowed to exist, why it wasnât simply wiped away by other government leaders. At first she thought it was because of Satanâs strength, but now she understood the truth.
âYou see that the poison part of mankind needs to be retrained. If they arenât, think of what these monsters could do in the wake of this tragic time.â Satanâs disposition became imperatorial. âYou are my daughter, the blood of demons surges within you. There is no shirking your responsibility.â
Mika was silent. She quietly felt the weight of this responsibility settling on her heart.
âDo you think Iâm strong enough to command their respect?â She asked.
Satan smiled. He knew his words had struck a chord.
âThey will respect you â not because of me, but because of who you are, and the man you call your boss. Humanity faces a storm of apocalyptic proportions, and if we lose then there is nothing fret over. Survivors will scatter to any dark corner they could find, every man woman and child fending for themselves. But if we defeat them there will come a period of recovery. During this period much will change, not least of which the disappearance of the Western Alliance. After all, its most important planets have been all but demolished. Who do you think, in this situation, will pick up the pieces? The Northâs cowardice has struck a mighty blow to their image. You can bet the East will take advantage of the power vacuum. Much of what had belonged to the West will come under Eastern control, or perhaps they will come to some agreement with the North. Already your boss is a commanding voice in the world of Adepts â for all of mankind, in fact. With his support, there is nothing you wonât be able to accomplish. I am sure his accomplishments will one day surpass even Jue Diâs. What do you have to fear, with such a mountain of a man at your back?â
Mikaâs anger flared. âI will not cause the boss any trouble.â
Satan chuckled at her. âThis isnât causing any trouble, child. Youâre preventing it. Do you think he wants to see the dredges of society run amok?â
âThere is the Hades bloodline,â she countered. âIâm sure they would want to take control.â
Another chilling sniff was her answer. A flash of yellow light lit up the Paragonâs eyes. âAfter so long do you think the Hades bloodline has what it takes to manage the Citadel successfully? If that were to pass the chaos would be felt throughout all the Alliances. Do you suspect that is what Skyfire Avenue wishes to see happen? Rather than put such an important task in the hands of amateurs, donât you think theyâll support a family with a history of achievement? With your Talent you need only give yourself to the demonic blood and becoming a Paragon would be easily accomplished. Once you cross that threshold, there would be no reason the dwellers of the darkness would not follow you.â
Mika paused. Uncertainty filled her heart.
Satan did not try to convince her further. He rose to his feet. âThink about it. Motivating the strength of your bloodline may affect your character, but you and your boss have been together a long time. With his abilities, Iâm sure he would be able to find a way to help you.â
With all said, he turned away and returned to his seat.
A realization suddenly came over Mika, and she snapped her head around.
Were these going to be his last words?