Devil in Shepherd's Robes

Ch 19: To Push Forward

His reasons were his own, and Aberlain knew that not a single creature alive within Yggdrasil could see eye to eye with him. A threatening and overwhelming presence is what he commanded, only to be feared and obeyed by the masses. His pursuit was a noble one at heart, yet as he moved towards his goal of total control with heavy footsteps, the nobleness of it seemed to fade from the eyes of others. To control all of Hell one must rule with an iron fist, no exceptions. The demons running amok within the fiery pits of Yggdrasil were just as ruthless and cunning as he. To rule a land of madness, one must succumb to a greater madness themselves.

It was a necessary sacrifice in his eyes, to become the symbol of hatred within all of existence. If he were to bring forth order, he would need to unite the masses against a singular overpowering threat. The King of Hell, he deemed himself, is what would cause the armies of Hell to unite once more. Under the leadership of the previous king, his weak mindset allowed himself to be slain by mere demon foot soldiers. Ever since that day millennia ago, Hell had forever placed themselves on the losing side of this eternal war. A weak ruler brings nothing but pain and torment to their people, and Aberlain refused to be anything but in total control.

He scoured the lands below him, and noticed a small flashing light signaling to him from the rooftop of a nearby building. It was still dark out, but the city lights shone brightly as if to fight back the night into submission. Humankind had truly surpassed the infrastructure of both Heaven and Hell alike, leaping forward several eras above each respective realm. Aberlain watched as a helicopter sped through the city airspace for a few moments, before landing upon the same rooftop as the small flickering light. The time had finally come for this world to know the truth, humanity had been in the dark for far too long. He would see to it personally that the war ended within his lifetime, and to do so, he would traverse towards his goal by any means necessary.

As he walked away from the window of CEO Ryan Bailey's office, rolls of yellow tape stuck upon it as if it had been shattered, he made his way toward the elevator doors past the receptionist area. Everyone had gone home for the night beside a lone janitor humming to himself as he sat upon the receptionists desk. Walking past the janitor slowly, he looked down at the human man sadly. It was never his intention to mix others up into this mess of a world, but it was just how it had to be. The world was a cruel and unforgiving place which seeked to destroy all beauty from within. Innocence and peace were a foolish and unattainable notion for the weak to cling to, only to have those notions ripped from their hands by a force such as Aberlain. The only way forward is to travel through the marching of time with your head held high, ready for every punch reality throws your way. To live is to fight, and to fight is to live. This was the motto he lived his life by, and had brought it upon himself to be alone with this struggle. If the King of Hell could shoulder the entire burden of war thrust upon him and him alone, then he would do so.

There was no greater destiny than to unite the world under a common goal. Every demon, human, and angel alike would fight against the likes of Aberlain. To achieve his perfect plan, the steps necessary would be just as cruel and unforgiving as reality was to all its inhabitants. The embodiment of evil shall live within the heart of the Rootlord, corrupting him until the day he goes mad. If his sanity was the price to pay for salvation, so be it. It was a worthy cause to give oneself to, and this he knew.

If only his daughter and the demon E had never made themselves into a threat, his plans would have moved along smoothly. His daughter had been a long time concern of his, seeing just how powerful she'd grown over the years. There was no telling when she would turn against him and destroy all the hard work he'd prepared for this day to finally come. He knew what he was doing was seen as an act of malice, but it didn't matter anymore. May would never allow her own father to destroy the world for the sake of unification, she would do all in her power to stop him. If that was the case, Aberlain knew in his heart that she would succeed.