Hellhound At Supernatural Academy-Chapter 38: A world of Darkness

An astral form is the state a being takes when it sheds its earthly tether and transcends into a higher existence. This grants them full access to their powers. When in astral form, they cannot be touched or harmed by any being that is not also in astral form. It has been over a millennium since I took on my astral form, and frankly, in my current human state, I don’t know what it would be like.

Leto, in his astral form, was clad in white armor and brandished a golden spear. The white wings etched on his back seemed to have grown larger, creating powerful winds with every flap. He levitated high in the sky, with his hands held out, eclipsing the sun as he embraced the world.

"Let this sinner feel the wrath he has brought upon himself. Guide him to the place he belongs, whether heaven or hell. Oh Lord, though I am not worthy, I shall carry out your rightful judgment."

The air crackled with power as energy swirled around him. His eyes, a golden hue, gazed down at me.

Raising his golden spear into the sky, he swung it down, releasing immense power that split the earth in half. I, being in the eye of the attack, barely dodged by assuming my hellhound form.

"A black dog? What are you exactly?" Leto asked, still confused. "You are an enigma to me, Sin. I can never tell who you are—what you are. That foul scent you emit tells me you’re not normal; you might very well be some type of demon variant, one of Lucifer’s failed toys that hasn’t been eradicated yet."

To be fair, he wasn’t far off; it was a very good guess.

The sky transformed into a purple hue, interspersed with flashes of bright white and golden lights as trees began to wither to dust. The air crackled with energy as particles danced in the wind. Time itself seemed to warp, creating a distortion that rippled and shifted. Once torn apart, the earth returned to its natural beauty.

"You remember when I showed up at your dorm after you tried to kill me?" he continued. "That was when I decided you needed to be taken care of for good. You shouldn’t have been able to move after I used time dilation, that alone told me you were a cosmic threat. If you were a normal entity, you would have withered and died moments ago along with the plants and trees, which begs the question: what are you?"

Transforming back into my human form, I released an explosion, but the blast froze in the air as he glided out of the way. This time, instead of releasing the energy outward, I channeled it within myself, essentially using my body as a bomb. A swirling mass of orange and red energy erupted within me, expanding in all directions. The heat radiating from me was so intense that it incinerated everything it touched, turning the landscape into molten rock.

A powerful shockwave followed the explosion, flattening everything in its path. The earth itself exploded as a result of the force, and I watched Leto’s body incinerate before my eyes. Yet, a new world was created in its place, and above it Leto soared, still unharmed. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised he wasn’t dead; I had even expected that to be the case.

"How many duplicates of yourself are there?" I asked.

"I’ll show you." Within seconds, the sky was filled with millions—no, innumerable copies of him. "I can create an infinite number of duplicates, all with the same essence as me."

"So where is the real you?"

"You don’t get it. These are all me; I exist as all of them. I am time. There’s no way to defeat me; all your struggles are pointless."

"Tch. These are nothing but cheap tricks. You see, I also have a time ability, though it’s a bit different from yours."

"Oh really? We’ve made sure that only angels possess these powers. What you’re saying is impossible. You’re just bluffing to stall the inevitable."

"It’s the truth; I do have a time ability."

"Then show me! What is it? Time dilation, chrono storm, temporal distortion, time duplication? What is it? I have them all."

"No, it’s none of those; it’s something far more powerful."

My body, morph as I assumed my astral form, becoming jet black being engulfed in orange and red flames. I could feel the energy rising from within me, making me tens of times stronger than before. The heat radiating off me melted everything in the vicinity, turning the ground into magma. The forest was alive with flames due to the heat emanating from me.

"You even possess an astral form. Tell me, what are you?"

"You wanted to see my time ability," I said, ignoring his questions. "Well, I’ll show you. It’s called: ABSOLUTE ZERO."

Absolute zero is the lowest temperature possible. In this state, molecules and atoms are at a complete standstill. Thermal energy is directly related to this because, at absolute zero, thermal energy is at its minimum, and substances exhibit no heat energy. My ability enables me to control all forms of heat energy.

The area swirled with orange and red particles as I began to absorb all the heat energy. With me as the epicenter, everything began to freeze, even the particles in the atmosphere. The world darken as thick layers of mist covered the earth, blocking out the sun. Everything was frozen solid; the world turned to a giant ice crystal.

All of Leto’s duplicates began falling from the sky, most shattering upon impact. Their heat signatures were completely gone, showing no signs of life. Because of my astral form, I was still able to maintain all my senses. In this form, temperature was non-existent to me.

All of his copies were utterly destroyed except for one, desperately clinging to life. I could sense that his life force was not yet depleted, but he was still incapacitated. Destroying this final clone would mean his death and my victory. I readied my fist and plunged my hand into his icy chest, ripping out his heart, killing him instantly.

Before I even got the chance to ravel in my victory, footsteps echoed through the darkness. That’s impossible; no one should be able to survive here.

"You kids are such troublemakers," a voice said bitterly, echoing through the darkness "You’re pests; I’ll enjoy killing you."

"Who are you?" I asked, still not able to see the figure.

"Who, me? I’m the Black Horseman who measures the scarcity of this world, the one who watches over the have-nots. Indeed, who am I?"

"Black Horseman? No, you’re him. You’re Famine."

Why?! Why is he here?! Moreover I recognize that voice; that’s...