Nezaphine
The flames of transcendence flickered and fluttered as they engulfed my chosen avatar with unyielding power. It was good that he made the correct decision to accept me into his heart. Resistance urges the flames to burn one's soul, and the longer the resistance, the faster and hotter the flames burn. It would continue until the bearer of the pain had their soul consumed and turned into kindling for my use. The young Primordial, Nadivo de Monrozal, was no longer, and from his ashes rose a new man, Constantine!
A being far more suited for the grand ambitions that he harbored within his soul. He was young and weak, allowing those unworthy of their position to end his life. However, even in death, he cared deeply for people. It was that deep-rooted regret that summoned me. As I witnessed the completion of his rebirth, a smile crept upon my face. The pleasant aroma of smoke and ash could only further amplify the glee that I felt.
'The world is beginning to shift. I believe my boredom will begin to alleviate soon enough. What a splendid time to hold the reins.'
"Having fun, Neza? I see that you are taking to your new role with uncharacteristic haste."
A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts, and my smile left along with their last syllable. My blood ran hotter than usual, and my flames erupted into bright azure. That voice was condescending, but it radiated power and authority. It was the voice of a woman who believed she could do whatever she wanted and control whomever she pleased. With a glance over my shoulder, I could spot the purple flames consuming the molten rocks around the room. It spread like a miasma, effortlessly devouring every ounce of decoration that I left unscathed by my previous wrath.
The world around began to warp and shift as the flames undid my conjured realm. This was a trick that few could achieve, but the woman responsible would be the only one brazen enough to perform it in my presence.
"Witch," I spat.
As the world around us shifted to one of falling ash, the purple flames rushed in front of me and combined. They rippled and roared until fading away, leaving one sole figure. That same disgusting ash colored skin with her overbearing, yet powerful purple gaze appeared like a thief in the night. Her gray X-shaped pupils peered over her nose as the massive goddess crossed her muscular arms. Her black cape floated with the falling ashes while she flashed her dangerously sharp teeth.
My temper came to a boiling point, and with it, my hand raised in her direction. Blue flames sparked before immediately consuming the figure in a hellish wave of soul-searing madness. I didn't give her a chance to reply or act, but as expected, she chose not to anyway.
"You've grown stronger, little one, but a change of color simply isn't enough," The Goddess said.
I drowned out her voice and focused my power to incinerate this witch once and for all. However, despite my flames blasting her with enough power to completely eradicate Panchis, the figure before me remains unbothered. Instead, she began walking towards me. Her blackened figure in the sea of flames drew closer, until she was close enough to reach out and grab me.
My feet moved on their own as I pushed myself backward to create distance between us. With my flames petering out, I was able to witness the full display of the damage on her body- which was none. Despite all of my firepower and my intent to kill, not a scorch mark was present on the body of the recipient. The only difference was the arrogant smirk she had plastered over her heinous face.
"Why are you here, Witch?!" I barked, but the woman didn't flinch.
"You're still calling me that? Aren't you over a millennium now? Using such childish names was only adorable when your age was a century."
My fingers began to ignite with a raging blue flame as I narrowed my eyes at her mockery. This witch knew exactly what to say to get under my skin, but it mattered not. I'll burn her to gray hide into proper ashes, so she could join the pathetic flakes that float around her realm.
"Why have you brought me here?!" I snapped, pointing my flame-tipped fingers at her.
"To congratulate you on your promotion. It takes a lot of courage to go against your elder, Neza, so I wanted to be the first to congratulate you. That means, I'm here to warn you," She said smugly.
"I am Nezaphine now," I corrected, earning obnoxious laughter from the woman.
"I'm sure, he'd be honored-"
Kaboom!
Balls of blue flames exploded against the woman, casting a large plume of smoke from their impact. I couldn't allow her to finish that taunt, not this time. This witch doesn't have the right to speak about him, I won't let her.
"Watch what you say, Witch-"
My words faltered in my throat as a surge of mana exploded from the smoke. I cast a barrier of flames, hoping to deter the blitzing figure, but I was too late. I couldn't brace myself as a fist plowed through the forming fire barrier and nearly took my head off. The impact of the missed punch rippled a shockwave behind me, displacing tons of the collected ash on the ground.
I quickly erupted my fire all around me, but it proved to be pointless. The massive goddess in front of me was far faster than I was. Her hand shot out with blinding speed, and she gripped my head in between her monstrous fingers. The pressure she emitted could easily crush the skull of even the toughest of our race, and that angered me. I attempted to break free from her grasp by burning her wrists, but it was to no avail.
'This shouldn't be possible! She-she should be weaker by now. I-I'
A roar of pain escaped my mouth as the woman began lifting me by my head. Her sharp teeth flashed her disgusting smirk, and we were soon on eye level. That grin she wore sickened me. She was always like this, but things should have been different. Her pantheon toppled ages ago, and her mortal followers are few. She should have been reduced to ashes, but each time I've encountered her, it has been like this.
She could kill me if she wanted to, and she was more than pleased to remind me every time. Despite slaying Panchis and incorporating his power, I couldn't understand how the distance between our strengths was still so vast. It doesn't make any sense!
With her venomous lips, the witch spoke, "You're as hot-headed as ever, but I have no time for your games. You may have thought it wise to step into Panchis' shoes at the time, but I am here to remind you of your place."
"I will not be this weak for long, and once I become stronger, fate will burn you for what you did!"
The witch blinked before erupting in her toxic laughter once more. Each second of that unbearable sound forced me to lash out at her. I kicked and punched at her, but her long arms kept her safe from any of my fire-laced blows.
"Fate will burn me? For what? Doing what comes naturally?" she asked before shaking her head. "All have ambition, Neza. The difference between us and him is power. We had the power to act on our ambitions, and he fell short. I feel no pity for his failure, nor am I impressed that you slayed a coward."
"I don't need your admiration! What I need is your death!"
"I'm aware, and that's the ironic thing. You inherited his ambition, but you also inherited his flaw." The witch's words came out resentful, but the tightness of her fingers reinforced her outlandish justification. "I didn't come here to bicker with you, but I am here to inform you that your plan will not work."
"I don't know what you're talking about," I spat, shifting my gaze away from her overbearing eyes.
"Should I inform the others that you've broken the accords? We aren't supposed to get involved like you've just done."
I narrowed my eyes before lashing out toward the woman again. Her hypocrisy knew no bounds.
"You'll have to tell them about yourself if that's the case! You and that brat both tampered beyond the lines of the accord! If the others knew-"
The witch growled before slamming me to the ground. The ash gave way, and the ground underneath splintered into fissures. The impact was stunning, with several of my bones rattling from the recoil. Her eyes were fearsome, and I was helpless as her hand gripped my throat and lifted me.
"I have a feeling that you and that brat will keep your mouths shut about that. Considering only one of us three is unteachable."
"You might be, but... your pet isn't..."
"So, he did clue you in. Normally, I'd look the other way, but your actions just now put you and me in direct conflict."
The anger in her eyes brought a shiver down my spine, but I forced a wide smirk on my face. She was right about that. For centuries, I've been desperately attempting to force a confrontation with this witch. Every time, she had defeated and dismissed me. In our previous encounter, she threatened to kill me in our next encounter. For the last century, I've increased my power and toppled my predecessor to become the new Chief Goddess of the House of Embers.
When it was time for me to confront that witch again, an unexpected ally poked his head from his hiding hole. That so-called "Patriarch of Heroes" from the Branch of Light appeared and informed me of the witch's actions.
"Valdus has told me about the pathetic dog that you've pushed your eye into, Witch. After all this time, you decided to act with another avatar, but you're sadly mistaken if you think I'll stand by and watch you grow any stronger than you are!"
The Witch clicked her teeth and raised her fingers toward my face. Her eyes were blazing with fury, but I could sense that something was holding her back. She desperately wanted to pluck out my tongue and eyes, but she couldn't. That frustration on her face brought me pleasure far beyond the suffocation she now inflicted upon me.
"You will depower that Primordial immediately or I'll-"
"This isn't a millennium ago. You may be stronger than I am, but look around us, you have no influence or power to command me. Choking me-" The grip around my throat tightened, and breathing, much less talking, became obsolete. My ignited fingers bore into her wrists as I desperately attempted to break her hold.
With each second that went by, her grip tightened with incredible force. I was certain that this woman was insane. She knows that she could no longer kill me. The accords forbade the killing between Chief Gods and Goddesses in different pantheons. However, as life slipped out of my body, I was hit with a coldness that was foreign to burning blood. My flames began to flicker and burn out the lack of oxygen.
I could see the blatant disregard in her eyes, almost as if she was taunting her to call her bluff. There was a part of me that wanted to. I desperately wanted to call it, to challenge her, but she knew what she was doing. She was choking me so that I couldn't.
"I can't have you interfering with my return to power, and you know that," The Witch growled.
I glared at her with the fierceness of a raging wildfire, and to my expectations, the Witch relented. Her grip loosened, and she dropped me to the ground. I gasped and my lungs fought for air, but even as I collected it, I knew this was far from over. However, as I recollected my dignity and stood from my lumped state, I continued my glare. My eyes ignited around the corners as I smugly looked at her.
"I guess you're not the only one untouchable now," I said, igniting my fingertips in orange fire. "You may be stronger here, but down there, my Constantine will burn a hole through your plans. They'll meet soon, and when they do, you'll be all alone again."
The Witch's expression went slack, with her unbearable gaze lifting in the distance to her throne. Whether she had now manifested it or it was there all along, I had no clue, but I did watch her begin approaching it. Her cape fluttered with her movement as the muscle-bound monstrosity sat in its seat.
"Is that so?" She asked, leaning back against the broken back. Her gaze shifted upward briefly before she glared at me. Her magical aura blasted, surrounding the area in a thick purple mist. "Well, Nezaphine, time will tell in this regard. If you intend to work with Valdus against me, then know this... You have chosen the wrong side for my ascension!"
Her power was overwhelming again, and the mist she generated was only held back by the blazing blue flame I emitted from my entire body. This was the full force of my power, desperately trying to cast its light. Regardless of her words, I didn't falter. I stepped forward and braced myself against her sheer magical might.
"No, Sine, your ascension will never happen! That I can guarantee!"