Far away, deep inside a cave plunged in total darkness, a gentle warmth enveloped a lying body covered with a soft bear skin. The body moved, then sat up as if after a simple nap: it was Erasa who had just awakened.
Erasa: "What... I'm not dead?"
She examined her hands, touched her head and chest, making sure she was indeed alive.
Erasa: "I'm not even hurt... Was it a bad dream? Maybe I never faced Boaz..."
Rising, naked, she walked toward the cave's exit. Outside, she discovered a breathtaking landscape: a sea of flowers stretched as far as the eye could see, a majestic river wound in the distance, and marvelous creatures-griffins, phoenixes, unicorns-populated this fairy-tale world. The sky was sublimely beautiful, inviting one to settle there for eternity.
Erasa: "Wow... it's magnificent here, where am I?"
A voice answered her:
You are dead, and now you are in paradise.
Erasa: "What? A demon can go to paradise?"
Exactly, welcome to the place where your eternal rest will be splendid.
Erasa, a bit lost, thought it was probably the voice of the absolute, of "God." She looked up at the sky.
Erasa: "So you took my existence into account to place me in paradise, me, a demon?"
Suddenly, a hand rested on her. Erasa turned and saw GAaron.
GAaron: "I'm the one who got you admitted here, hehe."
Erasa jumped, stunned to see him.
Erasa: "NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
GAaron: "Oh... Erasa, I resurrected you and that's how you thank me? Such ingratitude..."
Erasa: "And what else? You humiliated me in hell, you almost killed me... You know, I didn't need to be resurrected by a guy like you, you should have let me die for good, I would have preferred that rather than see you again..."
GAaron stared at her silently. Erasa continued, bitter:
Erasa: "...Really, what do you want from me, GAaron? You're worse than Boaz, a real monster..."
GAaron placed his hand on Erasa's head and took her in his arms. She wanted to push him away but listened carefully to his words.
GAaron: "I'm really sorry, Erasa. That day, I didn't plan to kill you, but given the chaos and your alliance with the demon who insulted father... Anyway, Erasa, forgive me. I'll do whatever you want, I will submit completely!"
Erasa, shocked, let herself go in his arms and burst into tears against his chest.
Erasa: "Are you... going to be quiet? Stop saying nonsense... sniff... You're a bad demon like the others, so what do you really want from me? To stab me later, GAaron?"
GAaron: "I won't hurt you. If you don't believe me, ask mom!!"
Erasa stopped crying, intrigued by the mention of Lilith.
Erasa: "Why are you talking about her? Is she here?"
GAaron showed a big smile.
GAaron: "Yes, she's here, actually!"
In the sky, Lilith appeared, her large wings spread. She descended toward them.
Lilith: "What are you two doing, and naked too?"
She snapped her fingers, and immediately, Erasa and GAaron were dressed in outfits perfectly suited to their tastes.
GAaron, delighted, asked:
GAaron: "Mom, how long have you been watching us?"
Lilith: "About twenty seconds. I was traveling through time to observe the origins of... you know who."
Erasa: "I wonder what you're doing here?"
Lilith: "You know, Erasa, the worlds don't belong to you. All demons capable of rising above the hell's shield dimensions can come into any world... Here, you are in the world of myths!"
Erasa: "The world of myths?"
Lilith: "Yes, a world reputed to be 40,000 times larger than the world of existence and where life is good!"
Erasa: "Mom, how many Worlds exactly exist?"
Lilith: "There are twenty, but often structurally less complex than the world of existence."
Erasa: "Really? How is the world of existence structured?"
Lilith: "It is composed of universes, included in multiverses, themselves included in giant dimensions which each contain a Delzluhud that encompasses the rest, all forming the world of existence. A Delzluhud contains an infinity of universes, which include past, future, present, alternate presents, undetermined parallel worlds, all encompassed in dimensions that constantly transcend themselves..."
Erasa, lost, mumbled to herself.
Lilith: "What's wrong, Erasa?"
Erasa: "I don't understand... If there are so many and infinite, they shouldn't be so small compared to other worlds, right?"
Lilith nodded.
Erasa: "How to explain that?"
Lilith answered mischievously:
Lilith: "The higher spiritual layer marks both a limit and a continuity!"
Erasa: "What do you mean?"
Lilith, playing the expert:
Lilith: "A higher spiritual layer is a particular spatial separation that isolates universes, multiverses, Delzluhuds, giant dimensions, and even worlds. Seen from above, it appears as a limit, but by entering it, one discovers infinite continuity. These layers, although everywhere, make worlds visible and smaller from other worlds, which are always infinitely vaster, like hell compared to here or the world of existence."
Erasa scratched her head.
Erasa: "I see... but how to move from one world to another with all these barriers?"
Lilith sighed:
Lilith: "It depends, the higher spiritual layers themselves have hierarchies among them, there are lower and higher layers. If you can discern a world according to your axis, then you could follow the layer at your level and then follow it, but be careful, this is not valid for all worlds..."
Erasa nodded.
Erasa: "Mom, you really are well informed."
Lilith: "I lived before even the concept of existence, so all this holds no secrets for me, hahaha!"
Erasa smiled at her mother and looked for GAaron, but he had disappeared.
Erasa: "But... where did GAaron go?"
GAaron suddenly appeared behind her shouting:
GAaron: "Boo!"
Erasa, surprised, screamed:
Erasa: "Haaaaaaa!!!"
GAaron burst out laughing.
GAaron: "Hahaha, you should have seen your face!"
Erasa, half amused, half annoyed, replied:
Erasa: "You... you're going to pay for that!"
She chased after him, GAaron laughing heartily, while Lilith watched them, arms crossed, a tender smile on her lips.
As they ran, GAaron and Erasa suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. Their eyes met for a moment, then they burst out laughing together. Lilith watched them with a motherly smile, happy to see her children having fun together. But suddenly, she remembered something she had forgotten.
Lilith: "Hey, you two, come a little closer!"
GAaron and Erasa approached their mother.
GAaron: "Yes, mom, what do you want?"
Lilith: "We didn't come to get you, Erasa, but we noticed your attachment to humans."
GAaron: "Yes, that's true. And we have things to show you that will be useful and expand your know-how."
Erasa: "So... you spied on me? Why do this to me?"
Lilith: "GAaron didn't spy on you, but I did... I mainly wanted to see what you planned to do in the world of existence upon your arrival. Note that I have the right to observe my children whenever I want... Actually, I have too many rights."
Erasa: "Mom, how could I not sense you from where I lived?"
Lilith: "Thanks to an old demonic technique, one you possess yourself but failed to detect nonetheless..."
Erasa: "Pff, that's not fair!"
GAaron: "Life is unfair."
Erasa: "Yeah, that makes you credible, primordial demon... Mom, did you also see my fight against Boaz?"
Lilith: "Of course, in the spatial void."
Erasa: "Damn, I lost. I'll massacre him when I come back; he won't get away!"
GAaron: "You know you can't enter the world of existence alone, right? Since you can't perceive worlds under your existential axis."
Erasa: "How do I acquire the necessary level?"
Lilith: "I'll show you. But first, a fleeting question: do you really think that if you had the chance to kill Boaz, knowing everything about him, you would do it?"
Erasa: "But yes, of course, in the worst possible way!"
GAaron: "Erasa, do you know that Boaz wants only one thing: to die, that's all he asks for."
Erasa: "What?"
Lilith: "We explored his past, his memories based on his ideas. His life wasn't easy. If he became a sorcerer, it's because he had no other choice. You and he have much in common, especially in your ideals, notably regarding humans."
Erasa: "Impossible, Boaz is omnipresent; he said so himself, we can't explore his past."
GAaron: "Yes, thanks to a key technique called omnipresence erasure, which is also of a higher level..."
Erasa: "Omnipresence erasure?"
Lilith: "Yes, it's a technique that erases an individual's omnipresence. Once done, one can see their past, future, present, parallel worlds, and others in creation..."
Erasa: "That's an abusive technique... How to master it?"
GAaron: "You must first have the ability to be omnipresent!"
Erasa: "Damn..."
Lilith: "Among us demons and beings of hell, primordial demons for example have an additional existence. The difference with omnipresence is that you can't stop an omnipresence erasure, but you have almost the same existence capacity. We used this technique not to kill him, but to observe his past linked to this timeline version."
Erasa: "I see. Mom, could you take me someday to see his past too?"
Lilith: "Of course, but the priority is a bit more delicate right now."
Erasa: "Uh... Do you have something planned?"
At these words, Lilith teleported them to a mountain.
Erasa looked around and saw some special plants, different, even rare in this world, because of their reddish glow.
Erasa: "What are we doing here?"
Lilith: "You'll see, he will appear soon."
Erasa didn't understand but remained calm.
In the distance, a huge lava lake bubbled. Suddenly, a massive black dragon, covered with spines on its back, emerged. Its size seemed undefined, stretching to the mountain peaks. Its tail finally appeared. The dragon let out a powerful roar that shook the region for kilometers.
Dragon: "Grrrrraaaaaaaaahhhh!"
Erasa: "But... he's going to disturb the other inhabitants of this land."
Lilith: "Don't worry, he lives alone in this small region, and anyway, he's not really a symbol of happiness in the world of myths."
Lilith approached the dragon.
Lilith: "You can take a more suitable size, right?"
The dragon then transformed into a small thirteen-meter dragon.
He approached the demons.
Dragon: "What do you want from me?"
GAaron: "Answer, we saw you in his past, you know him very well. You will confirm what we saw and even add what we might have missed, since we skipped several eras."
The dragon burst out laughing.
Dragon: "Hahaha, who do you think you are? Entering my territory and disturbing me for an insignificant past."
Lilith: "Listen well, little dragon. You have Lilith before you. I advise you not to play with me."
Dragon: "Sure... and I'm God while we're at it."
He changed form, adopting a combat stance with huge paws.
He attacked the demon family but was instantly teleported. He didn't understand what had just happened.
Dragon: "What?"
He saw Lilith behind him, smiling.
Dragon: "Why are you smiling?"
Lilith: "Just because I can do whatever I want with you, and you can't do anything about it. I wonder what torture I'll inflict on you."
Dragon: "Tell me where we are!"
Lilith: "In a dimension I just created to make you understand who you are facing. You're quite insolent, you slug."
Meanwhile, Erasa searched for the dragon.
Erasa: "Mom, where is he, this dragon?"
Lilith: "Don't worry, darling, I'm just teaching him some manners."
Erasa: "Uh? I don't understand."
Lilith: "I am everywhere and nowhere at once, especially since existence and non-existence are my playgrounds. Nothing is impossible for me. I transported him to a special place."
Erasa looked at Lilith with admiration.
Erasa (thinking): If only I could become like her...
Lilith: "You will, I promise, you just have to be patient."
Erasa: "Huh? You're reading my thoughts?"
Lilith: "Of course, like you and all demons."
In the other dimension, the dragon attacked Lilith with his mouth full of curved teeth.
Lilith, arms crossed, stretched out her hand. The dragon froze in midair.
Dragon: "Did you stop time? Impossible, time techniques don't work on dragons. What did you do?"
Lilith: "Hehe... I simply solidified space, a basic attack for my children. I made this space so solid it's impossible to move. If you want, I can also stop time, but I prefer to use my children's techniques to humble you."
Dragon: "Hahaha, your children? Make me laugh and prove it."
The dragon thought: (That makes no sense, space-affecting attacks have no effect on dragons... how... she...?)
Lilith removed her technique and stopped time around the dragon. He was paralyzed, unable to move, speak, or even breathe.
Lilith: "I only use attacks specific to my children. Sorry for you, but the laws don't apply to us. We decide what happens, where and when. I wanted this time technique to work on you, and it does. You can't do anything about it. But I have something more fun, you'll understand... Weak demons attack history and destroy it, but the strongest can change and manipulate your being at will."
She released the dragon from the time block. He rushed at her.
Dragon: "You see, time technique is useless, hahaha!"
Lilith transmitted to him what happened when she blocked time. The dragon stopped dead, terrified.
He understood Lilith possessed terrifying attributes, able to modify any history, event, or scenario, and the dragon could not resist these attacks.
The dragon turned away and tried to flee.
Dragon: "I must escape quickly, quickly, quickly! If she could change existence's events, like many beings I devoured, I'd have no problem devouring her, because I'm immune to that kind of magic. But she has a far superior ability, she can literally change my being!"
He tried to flee but in vain: Lilith was everywhere. She appeared on the dragon's head.
Lilith: "Don't want to play with me anymore, slug?"
Instantly, the dragon transformed into a slug and fell onto Lilith's hand.
Lilith: "Look at you, such a powerful dragon reduced to a simple slug! Sorry, I'm going to turn you into a cute little kitten."
The slug became a kitten.
Lilith: "Awww, he's so cute! No, I prefer you as a disgusting old rat!"
The kitten became an old rat.
Lilith: "Hahaha! Look at yourself in your true form!"
She mocked him.
Back on the mountain, the rat was in Lilith's hands, accompanied by Erasa and GAaron.
GAaron: "Yuck, mom, what are you doing with that rat?"
Lilith: "That's the dragon from before, transformed into a rat."
Erasa: "A transformation technique? Pfff, how can such a basic technique work on dragons?"
Lilith: "No, Erasa, a simple transformation can't affect this dragon. Such techniques are ineffective against him. Mostly, I used techniques and skills to which dragons have natural total immunity, to give him a psychological shock by making him realize he was nothing to me."
Erasa: "That makes no sense. What kind or type of technique did you use then?"
Lilith: "A technique far beyond transformation... A technique mastered by great demons capable of changing your being into whatever they want."
Erasa: "The ability to change the being? Is that possible? Fascinating, I want to master it."
GAaron: "If you surpass the stage of simple hyper demon, there's a chance, by becoming a better hyper demon, to reach the being at about 60 to 80% success. But a primordial demon masters this skill very quickly since he..."
She was quickly interrupted.
Erasa: "I see. I hope to evolve fast. But for the dragon, do you have no information to extract?"
Lilith: "It's no longer useful. We will check ourselves with time, whether in the past or the future."
Erasa: "Mom, could you restore him to his original form? I find it unfair to leave him like this, knowing we disturbed him."
Lilith: "Of course!"
Lilith threw the rat to a dizzying height. On falling, he regained his dragon form.