Chapter 24: The Worst Genie's Wish

Even for someone who had lived and suffered in the pits of the Underworld, this was still quite the experience for Axel.

He had stepped through the swirling vortex on the beast and was sent through what could only be described as an insane drug trip. He felt like nothing and everything at once - just like when his consciousness goes to the realm of the God System Admin to receive power ups. Time was very much an illusion here; it seemed he swirled within himself and then broke apart while still existing.

Every thought was a million thoughts as if there were other tiny Axels that lived inside him and decided to have a TED talk about the point of existence.

In the human realm, only mere moments had passed. For Axel, it felt like hours.

"Huh?!" Axel's eyes burst open as he had no idea where or who he was for a moment.

His eyes shifted frantically around the room. It was a blinding white just like when he visited the admin. The familiarity put a sense of calm in Axel and served as an anchor back to the present. His glance shifted down to the sword in his hand.

"That's right...Conquest. Conquest. I'm here for him." Axel let out a soft sigh as his mental state finally settled.

He raised his sword up high. "Conquest, get out here!! I'm Axel! I'm kickass and I'm here to kick...ass? Ugh, that sounded better in my head." Axel said.

"So it seems." Conquest's voice rang out from all around him. His voice echoed within every part of Axel's being.

That's when the white background began to crack and then completely shattered - which gave way to what appeared to be a throne room. It was very well lit with a nice masterfully carved throne out of a beautiful antique wood; but most importantly, that Axel noticed, would be the books.

They were everwhere! About to overflow from the shelves on the walls, covering entire table surfaces, and were even pooled around the throne itself. Even the throne itself seemed situated on a mound of old musty books.

"What king of nerds lives here?.." Axel said as if appalled by the allure of knowledge.

"I do." Conquest's voice whispered in his ear. Axel immediately jumped forward several feet away and did a quick 180 degree turn to face his enemy.

What the fuck? Thought Axel. How did I not even so much as sense a drop of his energy behind me?

Axel's mouth involuntarily dropped open as he laid eyes on The God of Conquest. "Y'know...for someone with so many books...I thought...."

What Axel wanted to say he was ugly, but in truth it couldn't be far from the truth. Conquest was absolutely gorgeous. In fact, the best looking man that he had ever laid eyes on. Ever. He had luscious blonde locks that rested upon his shoulders and crystal green eyes.

His physique was the pinnacle of perfection when it came to muscle to fat ratio. Unlike all the other angels/archangels he had fought so far, Conquest wore no visible armor. Just a bejeweled red&white robe that flowed in the air behind him. He of course had no wings which was already known of Gods.

The most appetizing thing to Axel was nothing of the sort however.

"You thought....what?" Conquest asked.

It was his energy.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before. It was so calm and controlled that one could easily mistake it as a lack of power. But there was a deep abyss of power hidden within that rouse. Even for someone like Axel, it was hard to truly understand what he was feeling from the energy as he couldn't gauge where it started and ended.

This was the real deal.

"I found you." Axel said with a grin.

Conquest looked upon Axel with clear disdain. "You are only the 2nd human to ever enter a God's domain. You should count yourself lucky that you didn't meet a much worse fate by jumping in head first."

"What? Being forced to alphabetize your books for you?" Axel quipped.

"Always the jokes with you slayers. What you see around you is only a fraction of my collection. Between their covers lies the history of...everything. You are in the Realm of the God of Conquest, you are at my will."

Conquest snapped his fingers and the room around them dissolved. They were now on a snow capped mountain in a small clearing surrounded on all sides by mountain rock. Axel stood in this clearing not far from Conquest with his blade at the ready.

"I would rather you not sully my books with your blood." Conquest stated.

"You have no idea...how long I've waited for this moment." Axel said as excitement was oozing out of every inch of him.

"And you have no idea how little a thought I've even spared you." Conquest retorted.

I've been saving this move for this very moment, Axel thought.

< System warning. Your opponent's energy highly outclasses your own. Are you sure you wish to proceed with using this ability? >

"I'll die before I walk away from this." He spit out.

"And you shall, slayer."

< Fair enough. >

Axel took the initiative and charged at Conquest full force. Conquest had no weapon in his hand so he was going to take the advantage.

Conquest held out his hand as a small ball of energy appeared. "Holy Blight."

"Do it!" Axel yelled.

< Putrid Wing > + < Edge of Tomorrow >

Axel burst forward, which Conquest fully expected. He waved his hand and he multiplied into several. "I have mastered moves that you could only dream of."

"Kiiiiya!" Axel telegraphed as he swung his blade from low to high in a wide arc. He made a direct hit which slashed across every copy of the beautiful God. However, Conquest was not fazed in the slightest.

Such a shallow move is useless, Conquest thought.

However, a second image of Axel came from behind him and did the same exact slash! Even though it looked almost transparent, the pain was very much real from his sword. It struck in the exact same spot.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Conquest demanded. Several more copies of Axel followed one after the other and performed the exact same move. Conquest tried to escape out of it but the build up of unholy energy along the edge of Axel's blade was starting to affect his movement. Evasion was not an option anymore.

"Gahhhh! What the hell was that?! I have no knowledge of such a move!" What Conquest didn't know, was that Axel had been gifted a different connection to the One Core than most of the other slayers. This allowed him access to abilities that the Queen herself had concocted and wouldn't be found in any of Conquest's books.

< + Devil's Gambit >

"Thereeee it is!" Axel exclaimed as he charged from behind Conquest. He had slipped away during the follow up attacks of Edge of Tomorrow to prepare this big next move.

Devil's Gambit was exactly that. It allowed him to either triple the power of his next strike or it would severely drain that much of his energy leaving him a shallow husk. The percentages of either choice was completely unknown so there was no option but to go on gut feeling when using it. Which is why it has always been Axel's potential ace up the sleeve.

Axel wasn't going to wait for the gambit results however. He had already went into his swing and would find out when he made contact.

"Come on!!" yelled Axel.

"I won't fall for the same trick twice, boy." Conquest raised his hand and grabbed the edge of Axel's blade with a soft *tap*. It was like he had completely shut down the momentum with the easiest of motions.

< Gambit result: Success! >

Axel's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning and it wasn't just all underwear this time.

Conquest's face began to change as the sword had suddenly started to push back against him. This doesn't make sense! He thought. I'm...I'm losing a power struggle? To a HUMAN??

The triple power increase to Axel's blade swing was all that it took. His sword ripped through Conquest's hand and then right through his chest in one clean cut. Neither of them could quite believe that it actually worked to that extent.

Conquest fell over onto the icy ground and took his hand to his fatal chest wound in disbelief and in utter despair. He was Zadall, the Great Scholar who had done the unbelievable and rose to the name of God of Conquest despite his shortcomings. He knew everything about everything, but somehow...lack of knowledge had been his undoing.

Axel looked down at the wounded Conquest - he didn't know what to say as he just stared down at him. The first fleck of Conquest breaking off and evaporating into black energy was all the answer he needed.

"Wow. That...was a lot easier than I thought it would be." Axel said in disappointment

"You...wouldn't have been able to do this to me if I hadn't-" Conquest started.

"But, oh well." Axel said, cutting him off. "The sooner I get some God cores the sooner I can take the throne. So thanks I guess, for being so easy." Axel said smugly.

Conquest's eyes widened. T-the throne? That's what he's after?! He thought in disbelief.

Conquest tried to pull himself up to an upright position. His pride had been stripped away in that last attack and he was not deluded enough to think that he would survive whatever that last attack was. But he still had a duty as a God to do for his brethren.

I have never heard of his kind even have an inkling to take over the Heavens, Conquest thought as he felt himself slipping away. So why him? Was this that bastard Queen's ploy this entire time? No...this is bigger than I thought it was. One thing is for sure however.

Conquest forced himself back to a standing position as Axel awaited the proud God's end. I can't let this boy go untethered, he thought. With his current power and if he takes my core, he'll be a serious threat. The others and myself included are too proud to just take it at face value that a human could pose a challenge. To protect them..I must...

Axel could feel himself trembling with excitement as he watched Conquest take his last few moments. "Power....it's finally within my grasp. Going through all the riff raff was worth it!"

Conquest held up his still intact right hand with his fingers in an odd type of formation. "I won't let you have your way, boy. Blessed Sealing: 4 fold!"

A bright white light shot out from Conquest's entire body, channeled through his finger tips, and shot straight into the unsuspecting Axel.

"Gah!' Axel fell over onto the ice clutching his throat. I-I can't breathe! He thought desperately to himself. My body...it's not listening to me!

Four rings of light wrapped around Axel's entire body and then sank into his skin, becoming apart of him. Trails of black energy were escaping from his body and escaping into the air.

"What..what are you doing to me?!" Axel yelled as it felt like something really bad was happening to him, but he didn't quite know what yet.

Conquest simply chuckled to himself as more of his body had vanished. "I'm giving you what you want, Axel. I will die. You will consume my core I'm sure and gain my power. But...you won't be able to use a drop of it."

"What the fuck did you say?" Axel spat out as fury began to wash across his usual smug face.

< System Corrupted. System Corrupted. System Corrupted. >

"System corrupted?! What-" Axel asked, confused.

"Actually, you may find it hard to use any unholy energy at all. I may not be the most powerful God, but my knowledge is second to none. I know all about your God Core System and your Admin. I also know exactly how to break it." said Conquest. After the last syllable escaped his lips, his body completely vanished into black energy and was no more.

"Wait you son of a bitch!! What did you do to me?!"

This is where Axel's journey truly started toward the path of the King of the Heavens.