Nahrun spun to the side, an elegant sword materializing in his hand. The sword glimmered in all colors, like the glittering sparkle of a diamond as light fell upon its silver, metallic surface. G.o.dmetal. It met Somnus"s sword and sparks exploded from the contact. The powerful blow caused a cascading explosion that launched skywards, forming rings of vapor as it climbed higher and higher, finally obliterating the clouds covering the moon, and the glimpse of Heaven above them.As Nahrun was forced back by the impact, another G.o.ddess rushed at Somnus with a silver spear, appearing at Somnus"s side and stabbing towards him. Somnus turned around to half-face the G.o.ddess and gestured with his hand towards her. Her spear got lodged in Somnus"s barrier, but the look of confusion on her face betrayed the unorthodox nature of Somnus"s defences. It wasn"t like the Protecta that the G.o.ds used. The tip of the spear became difficult to see, as if a haze was surrounding it; Yet, it did not s.h.i.+mmer. It was as if the spearhead no longer existed in this world. The G.o.ddess found herself unable to move, and shock soon became panic.
Then the G.o.ddess disappeared beneath the black halation of Somnus"s sword, and all that remained when it pa.s.sed through the s.p.a.ce where the Elven G.o.ddess stood was dust and ash.
[Six targets remaining.]
[Deploying Mana Collectors.]
[Combat Mode: Configuration C.]
A torrent of mana spilled forth from the wing blades that materialized into the world, being dragged into real s.p.a.ce from the adjoining dimension where the Herald of the End existed. Aeon… Somnus began to realize how different of an existence that machine was, compared to the other Heralds and Divinities of this world. It was an anathema—the ant.i.thesis of creation.
[Limiters released.]
[OPCOM: Annihilate all enemies.]
The halo above Somnus"s head widened, opening a rift into the Void as it spun in malevolent revolutions. Its original shape was maintained, still resembling a flattened crown with irregular sawtooth edges, but the cracks became more obvious as it grew into a disk that was easily two meters across. Black ash fell from it like snow and whatever the ash touched blackened and faded away.
[Harmonics.]
The collapsing echo of Somnus"s blow against the G.o.ddess blasted into the Information Dimension, obliterating the soul of the G.o.ddess.
The world trembled as another ultimate existence was snuffed from the world. Another standard—another concept—slain and broken. By now, Somnus understood that annihilating the souls of G.o.ds was like killing a piece of the world. And he did not care.
"What have you done?!" Furia shouted at Somnus, her expression living up to the intent of her name. She was more like a G.o.ddess of Wrath and Fury than War, and Somnus could somehow understand the nuances of her domain. She was the G.o.ddess of Vengeful War, not War itself.
Even though she was right that Somnus was just a minor deity, from his point of view he was a true Divinity. A man-made G.o.d of Destruction, the superior version of whatever nature or will could conjure up the tasteless joke that stood before him.
[Initiating spell sequence.]
"Listen," Somnus said, closing his eyes. "The world thunders as the end approaches. It is heading our way. All things above and below voice our hallowed name: Destruction."
"He is chanting!" Nahrun shouted. "Stop him!"
"Here we shall rend the promises broken and sever the bindings of Fate," Somnus continued as a G.o.d rushed towards him, clad in black and gold armor, and then the other G.o.ds followed.
"Gather now, instruments of the End, and bestow light upon the eyes blinded to Prosperity," Somnus said pointing his finger at the gathered G.o.ds who were all rus.h.i.+ng towards him until that moment, but then decided to stop and chant their own spells.
[Combat Mode: Configuration D.]
[Deploying Funnels.]
[Target locked.]
Somnus"s wing blades arranged in a circle in front of him, acting as amplifiers. Each spindle-like blade was criss-crossed with red lines and they emanated a black halation just like Somnus"s sword.
"Grant the hollowed human hearts their only wish and restore balance to this distorted world: [Cataclysm]."
An echo blasted out across the field, like a whirring that was becoming progressively higher pitched until it faded out like the flutter of a thousand wings. There was no beam, no widespread destruction, there was just that sound that left the G.o.ds confused and dumbfounded.
[Target destroyed.]
[Mission accomplished.]
[Disengaging Apotheosis Engine.]
Somnus"s halo faded out, sinking back into Aeon"s fractured dimension. The wing blades remained, hovering defensively around Somnus as he strode forward, towards the G.o.ds.
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"The moon…" Aiunia spoke, pointing skywards as she lay on the ground, covering the hole in her stomach with one hand. "The moon…"
Everyone, including the humans and monsters, looked skywards to see the harrowing sight. The moon was broken in half, shattered like a dinner plate, pieces...o...b..ting the central motif of destruction.
"He… destroyed the moon?" A G.o.ddess asked.
"No…" Nahrun whispered as he fell to his knees. "He destroyed…"
His words were drowned out by the horrifyingly loud crash that suddenly resonated through the sky above them. The clouds opened up and the flaming wreckage of Heaven fell from the sky, raining down orichalc.u.m and argentmetal spires. The very gates of Heaven fell in front of Somnus, their substance being denied by the principles of the world and as a result faded into nothing before his very eyes.
"What have you done, you monster?" Nahrun asked, so thoroughly dumbfounded that it even usurped his rage and fury. "Do you even understand the consequences of destroying a Heavenly Bastion?"
The wreckage of wors.h.i.+p fell all around them, pouring from the skies which flashed between golden, eternal daylight and the darkest of nights. The induced paradox was so deep that their very surroundings switched between the gardens of the Alfar Heaven and the blasted wasteland in the middle of nowhere. But it would all come to an end soon, as the Elven Heaven came to an end.
Somnus grasped Nahrun by his robes and lifted him off the ground, looking the king of the Elven G.o.ds straight in the eye. "What I have done is given freedom to the mortals you looked down upon. You who call yourself divine are nothing more than an imposter—an ent.i.ty elevated by the distorted system of this world," Somnus said with a dark smile on his lips.
"You—" Nahrun began.
"I!" Somnus began, raising his voice. "I am a true Divinity—the pinnacle of mortal creation—War itself. No divinity can be higher, no throne may be raised above those of humanity"s manufacture. You are nothing. Your heaven is nothing. Your legacy is nothing."
Nahrun"s eyes widened.
"Behold," Somnus said, grasping Nahrun"s jaw and forcing him to stare at the skies—the death of his Heaven. "That is the consequence of your hubris. That is what happens when you challenge the principles of the universe."
"No, Somnus," Nahrun said. "That is the true consequence of tearing down the pillars of Order."
The king of the G.o.ds pointed at the blackened night sky that dawned over the dawn of the Heavenly vista. Somnus did not immediately understand Nahrun"s point, but it became ever increasingly clearer.
It was not the night sky that he saw above. It was nothingness itself pouring into the world through the cracks in reality. It was like the Void itself, but even the emptiness of that element and dark place had its own mana. The thing gnawing away at reality had no such signature.
"Why do you think this "distorted system" made us divine beings, Somnus?" Nahrun asked, tone mockingly incredulous.
"Input discarded. Irrelevant."
"Don"t look away from this, Somnus," Nahrun said. "You know why. That creature behind you—in your shadow—is an Outsider. It doesn"t belong in this world. That thing in the skies—the Silence—also does not belong in this world. We exist to keep them outside."
Somnus put Nahrun down as he glared at what the G.o.d called "the Silence". The other elven G.o.ds gathered around Somnus, glaring at him. Some of them had expressions of sorrow, others of pure rage and fury.
"We never asked to be wors.h.i.+pped. We never asked to be divine. But it happened. Like you bestow power unto your followers—enough to slay even us—we bestow a fraction of ours upon our kind. If you hate us for this, then why do you not also hate yourself?"
Nahrun"s words caused Somnus"s jaw muscles to tighten. Slowly, the Ashborn Knights and Deathbringers came to surround the Elven G.o.ds, with the intent to rescue their surrounded leader. From their perspective, the situation looked dire for Somnus because they did not realize that the Elven G.o.ds had lost their will to fight.
"How do you stop it?" Somnus asked.
"The Silence?" Nahrun shrugged. "I don"t know. We can try rebuilding the Bastion, but it might be too late now. We don"t have the knowledge we once did. So long as the Heart of the World keeps beating, and mortal hands can usurp the will of the world, that thing will always exist—the Counterbalance."
"The Heart of the World?" Somnus asked. "Define unknown term."
"Magic. Mana. The source of all life. The Wheel itself," Furia responded.
Somnus smiled. "Where is it?"
Nahrun"s eyebrows furrowed at the strange question, and then his eyes widened. "You cannot be thinking—"
"Define location. Comply," Somnus said, interrupting Nahrun.
"You are insane!"
Somnus chuckled and stepped away from Nahrun, heading towards the Elven Gateway. He glanced towards the Deathbringers and uttered a simple command. "Kill them."
A barrage of sustained fire from the eager Deathbringers illuminated the night, and the humans wielding the abominable weapons lived up to their name once more, slaying even G.o.ds.