"I have a few more questions," I said to Armando before turning into my human form.
The moment I did, a slight pressure settled over my body.
'This planet's gravity is insane!' I thought to myself. I hadn't felt it in my reaper form, but now, in my human form, I was more vulnerable to its pull.
"Anything, my king," Armando replied.
"Tell me, are there other reapers in the universe besides the two of us?" I asked him.
"Yes, my king, there are thousands of reapers scattered across the universe, but I only know the locations of two others," he answered.
"Where?" I pressed.
"In the Alpha and Beta Regions," Armando replied. "One planet is ruled by the powerful Terrifaísteio, and the other by Neró, respectively."
He spoke with a deep respect when mentioning Terrifaísteio.
"How powerful is this Terri-fo-kio-?" I stumbled over the name, unable to pronounce such a godforsaken word.
"Powerful, my king. Very powerful! It would be wise to remember her name. Even with our combined strengths, we cannot hope to defeat her. There are only a few reapers who could match her: The legendary Reaper and Thanatos, for instance. Thanatos is the reaper who rules above all others," he said, knowing my intentions.
'There are reapers out there that even Armando fears! I thought to myself.
"What makes this Ter-terfascist so powerful?" I asked Armando, not bothering to learn her name.
"Terrifaísteio rules over a planet with over 80 billion inhabitants. With so many souls at her disposal, she has grown immensely powerful over the past 3,000 years," he explained.
"Point towards Neró's planet and tell me how far it is from here. Be as specific as possible," I commanded.
Armando turned, pointing in a particular direction, and said, "He resides in the Beta region, a little over 70,000 light years in that direction. He's fairly weak compared to the others."
"Azrael, go, but do not engage," I said aloud.
"Yes, master," Azrael replied, bowing before taking off.
The ground shattered beneath him as he took off, moving faster than the human eye could follow. He seemed to be even faster now than before. He could most likely cross that distance within the day.
After watching Azrael disappear into the distance, I turned back to Armando. "What about a planet with 8 billion inhabitants? How would a reaper from such a planet compare?"
"That reaper would merely be an insect—one easily crushed, not even worth mentioning," he responded, his voice carrying a note of certainty.
"Is that so?" I mused aloud, before spreading my senses to scan for all life on Asími.
'There are over 20 billion lifeforms on this planet!' I thought to myself, absorbing the magnitude of the numbers.
'Armando ruled this planet with an iron fist, striking down anyone who dared defy him. This planet was different from Earth. The inhabitants here were aware of the reaper's presence, and no one was protected by Theós.
But perhaps the biggest difference was that, unlike Earth, Armando didn't draw power from the remaining lifespans of the living. Instead, he drew from their complete lifespan. If someone lived to be 100 years old, Armando's strength would grow from the entirety of that 100-year lifespan,' I thought as I listened to the conversations echoing around the planet.
"Well, it just so happens that I come from a planet with nearly 8 billion inhabitants," I said to Armando, offering a small smile.
Immediately, Armando kneeled before me, trembling. "My king, I meant no offense. If you wish to kill me, my life is yours to take."
'He's just as extreme as Azrael! Asking for death seems quite over the top. At least his loyalty is unquestionable,' I thought to myself.
"Don't be so dramatic," I said, my voice calm. "You have over 20 billion Asimians on this planet, yet I was still capable of defeating you. Population is not the deciding factor."
"I don't understand, my king," Armando said, his voice cautious. "Realistically, it should not have been possible for you to have acquired the strength to defeat me in just 3,000 years."
"What happened 3,000 years ago?" I asked, intrigued by his words.
"This was when we were all created and assigned planets by Thanatos," he explained.
'So, that's why we could hold our own in a fight with Armando. Unlike Cain, all the other reapers were created only 3,000 years ago, while Cain, on the other hand, had been around for much longer... but something doesn't add up,' I thought to myself, still deep in thought.
"Who is Thanatos?" I asked Armando.
"Thanatos is the reaper who oversees all the others," Armando explained. "He's the one who assigned planets to us reapers and is powerful enough to keep us all in line—even the reaper of legend. Rumor has it, he's existed far beyond 3,000 years, dating back to the very beginning. He's also known as the Guardian of Death, but no one is certain if he's a guardian or a reaper."
"What about this reaper of legend? How powerful is he?" I asked, wanting to know more.
"He's more of a mystery than Thanatos himself," Armando continued. "All I know is that his strength is second only to Thanatos, and even Thanatos addresses him with respect. As far as I know, only Thanatos knows the location of the legendary reaper."
"You once mentioned that entering another reaper's territory is taboo. How do you know all this if you've never left your planet?" I pressed further.
"It wasn't always like this, but I know all this from Kitsune. She was my helper," Armando replied. "Only the helpers can travel back and forth to report to Thanatos."
"Where is your helper now?" I asked.
Armando paused, staring at me nervously before responding, "The last time I spoke with her, I had sent her to report to Thanatos about your arrival on Asími."
"Call her!" I commanded.
"Kitsune…" he called out, but nothing happened.
"What's wrong?" I asked, sensing his unease.
"I don't know, my king. Kitsune always appeared when I called," he said, worryingly.
'Just like Tailed Lilith! Could this helper be...' I thought, but my thoughts were interrupted by Armando.
"Perhaps she isn't responding because you possess my source now?" Armando suggested, his voice tentative.
"Kitsune…" I called out, and almost immediately, a purple fox with a six-foot furry tail, similar to Tailed Lilith's, emerged from a storm cloud and materialized before me.
The fox wasn't ordinary; it had purple lightning crackling along the fur of its body, and its size was imposing—about six feet long and four feet tall. It locked eyes with me before glancing at Armando, who was still kneeling before me.
Without warning, the fox swiftly coiled her purple, furry tail around Armando's waist, then vanished in a streak of purple lightning. It all happened so fast that neither of us had time to react. She immediately disappeared from view.
'Wow, that fox is fast!' I thought, watching in awe as traces of purple lightning flickered in the direction they had gone.
"Kitsune," I called again, and just as quickly as she had disappeared, the purple fox reappeared before me.
She started to look around in a panic.
"ᛁᛞ-ᛞᚨ ᛗᚢ-ᚾ-ᚨᚴ (How did I—?)" The fox began, her voice feminine yet commanding, before I cut her off.
"I called you here. Long story short, I defeated Armando, and now I have full control over him... and apparently, you as well," I explained.
"Reaper of Earth? Impossible!" she snapped, her voice rising with disbelief. "The bond between a reaper and their helper is etched into the soul itself. You have no power over me. And how could Armando fall to the likes of you? You won't be able to run away this time! Thanatos will hear abou—!"
"Shut up," I cut in, irritation seeping into my voice.
She went silent instantly, as if some primal instinct demanded it.
"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" I said, raising my left hand, revealing crackling purple lightning dancing around it.
Her eyes widened in horror. "How can you have that power?"
"Armando gave it to me himself," I replied as the lightning began to fade into my palm.
She turned to look at Armando, sorrow washing over her face.
"No…" she whispered. "You're just a slave now?"
"The choice to serve my king was mine," Armando said calmly. "This is not enslavement—this is devotion. Kitsune, that missing piece within me, is finally filled. I feel complete."
"Give him back his soul!" she shouted, tears slipping down her face.
"I think you're failing to grasp the situation you're in," I said coldly.
My death aura surged outward, blanketing her in an oppressive force that weighed on her soul. "Your former master has fallen—and now he serves me. You would be wise to do the same."
Kitsune, like the tailed Lilith, was a helper—but unlike the tailed Lilith, she could travel freely between realms, delivering messages directly to Thanatos. That made her dangerous. If Thanatos learned of what had happened here, I would face consequences I'm not ready for.
I withdrew the aura's pressure, staring into her shaken eyes.
"Submit!"