Keuriseu had been quiet for too long.
Too still.
Too calm.
Benjamin knew something was wrong the moment the purple glow slid across Keuriseu's eyes like ink.
Astaroth surfaced.
He didn't explode out of Keuriseu's body this time —
he settled into him.
Smiling.
Listening.
The ground trembled.
Not demons.
Not Morvath.
Not Ashen.
Something OLDER.
Astaroth lifted his head sharply.
The air thickened with celestial authority — crushing, divine, ancient.
Benjamin whispered:
"…what is that?"
Astaroth chuckled.
"Ohhhh… something delicious."
He stared toward the horizon.
And then—
Two figures dropped from the sky like meteorites made of marble and wrath.
BOOOOOOOM—!!!
The King Guardian landed first — wings like carved storm clouds, cracks glowing white-hot.
The Queen Guardian struck the earth beside him — her hair stone-tangled, her eyes burning with sanctuary-breaking fury.
Debris flew.
The world shook.
Astaroth shivered like someone had poured cold silver into his spine.
"Now THAT… is art."
Benjamin pulled a blade of blue fizzling light.
"Astaroth—please—stay back."
Astaroth didn't even hear him anymore.
He stepped forward, possessed and fascinated.
"Ancient stone flesh…
sleepers of the old heavens…
carved before the first human drew breath…"
He licked his teeth.
"This power isn't celestial.
It isn't demonic.
It's primordial."
Keuirseu's voice fought from underneath:
"—Astaroth—STOP—"
But Astaroth only smiled wider.
The Queen Guardian turned her head.
Locked onto him.
Her stone expression shifted.
Recognition. Then disgust.
"You," she thundered.
"You are the devourer."
Astaroth bowed, elegant and theatrical.
"I prefer connoisseur, but yes."
The King Guardian slammed his fist into the ground, sending cracks shooting for miles.
"You are forbidden to stand upon the same soil as Sanctuary."
Astaroth's grin sharpened.
"I wasn't planning on standing…"
He rose into the air, black-purple fire humming around him.
"…I was planning on testing you."
Benjamin yelled:
"KEUIRSEU—FIGHT HIM—!"
But Astaroth had too much control.
He leaned forward, speaking to the Guardians like they were prey on a plate:
"If she — the little fallen princess — is awake…
then you must be the parents."
The Queen's wings flared violently.
"Speak of my daughter again," she thundered,
"and I will grind your bones into the dust."
Astaroth's pupils dilated with delight.
"Oh, I hope you TRY."
Lightning cracked overhead.
The King Guardian's voice deepened, ancient enough to shake matter itself:
"You have no place in the age to come."
Astaroth whispered:
"Yes.
That's why I plan to take it."
The two Guardians lifted into the air—
Astaroth lifted as well—
Three ancient forces colliding—
And Benjamin stepped back, realizing:
This wasn't a fight.
This was a war between Titans.
—A battle between Primordial Hunger and Ancient Creation—
The air split open.
The guardian KING charged first — stone wings slicing the atmosphere, each beat a shockwave.
Astaroth met him mid-air, teeth bared, purple fire streaking from his palms.
BOOOOOOOOM—!!!
The impact cracked the clouds open like glass.
Keuirseu's body jerked under the force — his consciousness flaring for a second —
"STOP—ASTAROTH—PLEASE—!!!"
Astaroth shoved him back down like slamming a door.
"Not now, boy. I'm eating."
He rocketed higher.
The QUEEN Guardian appeared behind him with terrifying speed.
She backhanded him so hard the sky bent around the blow.
Astaroth plummeted.
CRASH—!!!
He smashed into the ground, carving a burning trench through dirt and stone.
Benjamin staggered back, shielding his face from flying debris.
"KEUIRSEU—FIGHT IT—NOW!"
Astaroth stood, cracking his neck.
"Mm. That was… appetizing."
White energy rained from above as the King Guardian dove again, fist glowing like a newborn sun.
Astaroth dodged narrowly, leaping up the side of a collapsing building.
He twisted mid-air and grabbed the King's arm—
—then sank his nails INTO the stone flesh.
The King roared — shaking mountains.
Astaroth hissed:
"You carry MILLIONS of years of souls… embedded in your bones…"
His eyes dilated like a predator.
"I. Want. THEM."
He bit into the Guardian's arm.
STONE SCREAMED.
The Queen shrieked — a cosmic sound — and slammed Astaroth with an energy beam that turned half the city block molten.
Astaroth let go, smoking, charred…
Then laughed.
"Oh… YES. That's the power I want."
He lunged again.
Their fists collided mid-air—
KA-THOOOM—!!!
A shockwave flattened buildings for six miles.
The King punched him so hard Astaroth cratered the ground again.
The Queen landed, stomping her heel into the crater—
Astaroth caught her ankle.
"Got you."
He yanked her down with enough force to crack the earth open.
He pinned her, teeth at her throat.
Keuirseu's voice ripped through:
"NO—DON'T—DON'T HURT HER—DON'T KILL—PLEASE—!!"
Astaroth froze.
Just for a moment.
He snarled:
"Do NOT interrupt me when I'm feeding—"
The Queen used that opening—
WHOOOM—!!
She exploded with blinding ancient light.
Astaroth was thrown into the sky like a meteor.
Keuirseu broke through again—
for one heartbeat—
His eyes flickered their soft human blue.
He grabbed the sides of his head, screaming:
"PLEASE — STOP — THEY'LL DESTROY YOU — THEY'LL DESTROY US BOTH!"
The King Guardian appeared behind him, stone sword raised—
—aiming to END Astaroth entirely.
Keuirseu forced control just long enough to scream:
"WAIT!"
The sword paused an inch from his throat.
Astaroth surged back.
He seized the King's wrist and twisted—
Stone cracked.
The King growled in agony.
Astaroth whispered like a lover:
"Such old souls… just let me taste them…"
He leaned in—
—but the Queen speared him from behind, driving him down through two buildings.
Dust and lightning erupted.
Benjamin moved to help—
Astaroth roared from the rubble:
"STAY OUT OF THIS, BLUE BOY!"
The King lifted into the air, gathering a celestial beam.
The Queen gathered another.
Both aimed at Astaroth.
Together, their combined power could erase him from existence.
Astaroth smiled up at them, bloody and ecstatic.
"Yes…
YES…
FEED ME THAT LIGHT—!!"
They unleashed it.
SKY-TEARING, EARTH-SCORCHING, REALITY-WARPING LIGHT.
It engulfed him.
The world went white.
Keuriseu screamed inside the blast — a sound of desperate terror:
"STOP—YOU'LL KILL US—STOP—PLEASE—!!!"