Chapter Twelve – The Beast Unleashed

Bálor roared.

Thunder rent the heavens in a hellish scream of rage. The sky blackened. The Earth quailed.

The Demon King charged.

The Death Eaters now saw him. Saw not the form of 'ittle Harry. But a manic, infernal, God!

His skin was the colour of the deepest shadows, his eyes were milky white as if blinded by some terrible blaze. But he saw. Saw not through the eyes of his body, but the single, evil eye which was now open at the fore of his brow.

Those who saw into that eye crashed from earth with a smiteful surge of power. Their souls dismissed to Uffern as the Demon King bore upon these mortals with inhuman speed. Bálor leapt forth in his charge, driving both his feet straight into the chest of Antoni Dolohov.

The man flew backwards.

Smash!

Dolohov's body smashed through the heart of the Lovegood's abode, the impact shattering stone, mortar and wood as Dolohov's body exploded in an eruption of gore.

'That was for Hermione!'

Bálor erupted to his feet.

The Death Eaters attacked.

Streams of green light streaked and flared towards Bálor. The Demon King slipping and dodging, his body moving with such grace and speed that his body seemed to break, streams of his frame leaving behind visual echoes of himself, the killing curses sailing right through them. Bálor spread his arms aloft and bore down upon a second foe.

The Death Eater quailed, shit and faeces running out down his leg as he stood paralysed with fear. The God smashed his fist into the mortal's face, breaking not only his frame, but destroying the very essence of his soul.

Bálor, gaze turned towards his flank, evil eye glinting and his smile malicious and depraved. Bálor leapt into the air, flipping gracefully into a ball before landing on his feet behind two Death Eaters. His arms gripped them like a vice around their throats, crushing their larynxes as he bowed their bodies backwards. The Death Eaters arms flailed desperately, Bálor's evil eye meeting Bellatrix as he used his ungodly strength to lift her companions clean from the earth. Bálor held the pair of humans suspended for an age, before he slipped his feet away and drove their bodies back down into Earth, breaking their frames and rending the very surface of the planet.

Some Death Eaters saw the true force they faced, and took flight, Bellatrix, to the rage of Bálor, being one of them as they disapparated in terror at the sight of the unhinged Demon King. Those that stayed behind to fight were more foolish than brave.

A masked Death Eater felt insanity claim him as all he could do was try and prolong his life. He charged Bálor. The Demon King gazed at this foolish man with malevolent intent, but he valued bravery, as such he would have a fitting end.

Bálor leapt into the air, body coiling around the form of the desperate Death Eater, spinning gracefully so he took his back, free arm now coiling around the man's throat, crushing his windpipe, before crashing his body to the earth in a flamboyant Slingblade.

The earth erupted upon impact with the Slingblade, Bálor sending the man's soul to the depths and reducing his corporeal body to little more than minute flecks of crimson gore.

One of the Death Eaters Bálor had previously struck began to stir, arching his broken body and attempted to crawl to safety.

The Demon God tilted his head curiously.

Did he really think he could flee?

Bálor charged the humbled Death Eater, the destructive God bearing down upon him as he unleashed a roar of fury. The Demon King lashed out his foot with merciless intent, crashing his foot into the man's face and ripping his head from his shoulders.

Gore splattered the earth mother, the soil drinking it like parched sand.

Bálor's body ran red with blood, his evil eye glinting putridly and his body absorbing the very essence of the souls he smote around him.

Streams of green energy suddenly streaked towards Bálor, the God turning to gaze languorously towards this new foe. His body moved with inhuman speed, so quick this foolish mortal could not even contemplate the pace.

His evil eye blinked.

Bálor began to flee.

The Death Eater felt sudden strength fill his soul as he chased down the insane God, sending streaks of death streaming for his back. His aim was wild and array, or was Bálor too quick? He did not know, all he knew was this the Demon King was heading straight for a dead end, and he allowed himself to feel the complete rush of triumph.

The Dark Lord would be so pleased with him!

Bálor did not seem to stop as he rushed headlong towards the wall of the Lovegood's now shattered home. Instead, he leapt into the air, feet scaling, scaling the walls like it was nothing more than a continuation of his flight. The Death Eater suddenly reeled and tried to retreat.

He had been suckered into a trap.

The King of the Demons suddenly twisted his body in a coil of flamboyance, arms spread wide like an angel of death as he turned a summersault before driving his heel straight into the brow of this foolish Death Eater, itself as graceful a whisper in the wind.

The buffoon's eyes paled, his world collapsed, and the force of Bálor's strike rent the very essence of his sanity. This whelp would not have the satisfaction of being dismissed to Uffern. No, he would exist in this world as nothing more than a broken wretch, blind, deaf and dumb, a babbling wreck of his former self, lost to the dregs of insanity and all who looked upon him would know: this is Yaxley, the fool who thought he could kill the Demon King.

Bálor stood in the centre of his wrath, seeing death and damnation strewn in his wake. Some of these people he had spared. Someone had to tell those fools that he had been reborn. Had returned to the world to continue the fight they had started long before this world had been even set.

His true eye found his consort and Cethlenn smiled in her acceptance of his rage. He knew she did not agree with his anger, did not wish for him to destroy and break these so-called innocent people. But a mortal had threatened his wife, his lover and his light, without her... Bálor did not want to think what would happen.

No, Bálor would break Bellatrix Lestrange for that threat. Be it now, or be it an eternity. Bálor had sworn a blood oath, and Bellatrix Lestrange was as good as dead. Was better off, being dead.

Cethlenn crossed the battlefield towards her lover, her eyes of deepest blue meeting the evil eye of her lord and husband. She was the only one who could gaze into the depths of his soul and not be torn asunder. She was the only one who could calm him, who could ease the terrible anger raging within him.

Cethlenn cupped his face with her hands, pressed her brow to the depths of that evil, disease ridden eye, and set forth all of her affections, all her love, all her goodness into the very soul of her lover. She began to sooth the very essence of his rage, soothing the destructive power of The Demon King.

Bálor's corporal form began to fade, Cethlenn also returning to The Realm when her task was complete.

Slowly all that was left were Harry and Hermione. The two mortals whose body's fate had decreed to be their vessels in this eternal war. Harry's body trembled with convulsions, Hermione panting desperately as her hands quivered at his cheeks.

His lips claimed her, hesitantly, desperately, seeking any contact with goodness, any sense of love as his body, his soul began to rent.

Ron and Luna rushed towards their friends, Hermione holding her lover strong as he looked around at the destruction he had caused, as he struggled to come to terms with what he had done

The young man, as all who bore the Line of Bálor, reacted as all who bore such strength.

Words of comfort, words of praise were passed towards Harry, though his young ears would not listen. Harry began to babble, breaking down as tears streamed from those bright green eyes... upon the crest of the hill overlooking the battlefield, one warrior observed in awe. And a man, who fancies himself a God… feels a very human chill crawl up his spine.