"You are wasting your time." The repugnant entity said as it sat in the same mind space as Ulysses, both sharing a body, a circumstance which the latter was most unhappy about.
He said nothing though, listening on as the disgusting monstrosity continued to speak.
"Just like my father is, so am I. Eternal. You should know this."
"I do." Ulysses admitted with a casual nod.
He held no expression on his visage and his gaze focused on the mindless beast were devoid of any emotion.
It was almost as though he didn’t wish to regard the creature as anything more than a waste of space.
"So what’s the point?" Naturally aware of Ulysses’ thoughts towards it, The Everlasting continued regardless. "Why waste your time when you know that I’m just going to come back?"
Ulysses stayed silent, not because he didn’t wish to respond but because he saw no reason to do so.
Why should he explain himself to this intruder?... Why should he even accept that there was something speaking to him?
He wished to completely ignore it.
Of course, it was easier said than done.
"Answer me!" The Everlasting bellowed. "Why must you keep up this foolish struggle!?... I thought given enough time, you would understand that the best thing to do is to accept the will of the father, yet here you are doing yet another foolish thing. Aren’t you tired?"
Finally, Ulysses responded. "Yes, actually. I am tired, but not in the way you think."
"I am tired of your existence, I am tired that I have to share the same space with you, I am tired of your ramblings... I am tired of you. So no, I will keep on with the foolish things."
"Even when you know it’s pointless?"
"As long as it gives me a bit of time away from you, I will do whatever it takes." Ulysses coldly replied, revealing his malice towards the entity that wished to take his dreams away.
"You will suffer as well."
"I don’t care." Ulysses remarked, shifting his gaze to look above, there, he could almost make out the branches made out of bones extending downward.
Then, he dropped his head down and closed his eyes, muttering softly. "Whatever it takes."
He was placed on a makeshift altar made out of black and white light.
A radiant white light from above illuminated his naked figure which had multiple lacerations.
There was an arcane symbol etched on his stomach with two intersecting triangles facing opposite directions with a goat’s head at the center.
On his chest was an X that has an extra line through its center, with a similar design on his overturned wrists and the upper part of his foot.
His eyes had been gouged out, his tongue cut off and blood continuously trailed down from all seven orifices.
One would expect him to be dead, yet he was not, to be in pain yet he remained still.
Beside the altar, a woman stood with a veil over her head, chanting in deviltongue and causing the aether to swirl about her.
At some point, he began to tremble, his mouth frothing as his body turned red.
Finally, the woman finished and out of the man’s stomach, two Devils, much to the surprise of the woman, made an appearance.
One was Xistora, the Devil of Sloth and the other was Vessina, the Devil of Gluttony.
The woman hesitated before remarking. "Lady Vessina, you are here?"
She said this simply because she had initially planned to make a deal with Xistora.
Yet surprisingly, The Devil of Pride answered the summons as well.
Xistora return, I will handle things from here.
Vessina calmly said, not bothering to explain matters.
Xistora yawned, her actions making it quite clear that she could care less why Vessina has decided to show up.
Alright, I’ll be off now.
And just like that, one Devil was gone, leaving only Vessina behind.
You wish to make a bargain?
"I do." The lady replied.
For some reason, she couldn’t help but feel tense as she stood before Vessina.
And what do you offer?
Following that, Vessina returned to the Infernal Palace with a dim light orb that emerged from the man following her as well.
The lady gasped as she took a step back, having been engulfed by a power that was beyond what she could handle.
Immediately, a black and white circle appeared on her head and she regained herself.
At the same time, the man bound on the altar began to heal at a ridiculously fast rate, until he was whole again, completely without blemish.
Then, with an anxious look on his face, he asked. "Did it work?"
"Yes, yes it did." The lady said before inquiring. "And you?"
The man looked down at his hands, his eyes hiding a hint of disappointment as he remarked. "I bought myself some silence for a time."
"Good." she said. "Now we wait."
"You two will stay here." The dark haired lady said, speaking softly to her two bonds.
One of the two bonds, a cat the size of a tiger, spoke up. "Let us come with you, you will need us."
"Yes, Mistress." The flaming fox agreed with the cat. "It’s not right that you head into combat alone."
"You won’t be of much help in what’s about to happen. In truth, I may not be as useful as well, but I must go. Promise me you’ll remain here?"
The two Spirits exchanged looks before ultimately agreeing to her demand.
"We promise you, Mistress."
"Good." The dark haired lady nodded in satisfaction before adding. "And I promise, once this is all over, we will one day head into the Spirit World to get the justice you deserve."
"Be careful mistress."
Soon after, the dark haired lady left her bonds in Confluence to join the others in Eternal Night.
Then, she considered trying to open a Spirit portal, to try and reach out to the Witch of Fables.
Alas, the chances that Ifrit or Decad could be waiting at the other side, left her unable to do so.
And so, with a resigned sigh, she joined the others.