Darksiders DXD

by MysticVegito

The Horsemen of the Apocalypse have expunged all those who would imperil the Balance over the eons. Now humanity is in peril as outside forces plot a premature Endwar that could potentially wipe out the Third Kingdom before it's time. Will the Council's enforcers succeed in rooting out the perpetrators before it's too late?

14. Chapter 14

~Broken Trust~

Four days had passed since Fury and Strife successfully subdued and reimprisoned Avarice, though not without severe consequences on Fury's part. While Rias and her servants continue to train vigorously for the Rating Game to come against Sona and her peerage, the Four Horsemen carry on with other matters, namely hunting down five of the Seven Deadly Sins and attempting to find the five remaining shards of the Armageddon blade, a weapon capable of shattering the Seven Seals when restored to its former glory. After searching far and wide across the Underworld, while on occasion dealing with either the devil renegades or a demon raiding party, War opted to continue his search on Earth. To do that, he commissioned an order to Sirzechs' maid Grayfia to teleport him to the Kingdom of Man and begin his search there. Currently they manifested in a forest valley somewhere on a continent named Europe, the rider being unaware of their exact whereabouts.

"Is this it?" War asked curiously as he surveyed his current location.

"It is. This is the ancient land of Greece, the domain of the gods of Olympus." Grayfia said formally before she turned around and looked at the rider. "This is as far as I can take you without drawing the attention of the gods horseman. From here on out you're on your own in the search."

"Then go back to the Underworld. Should it be threatened by a force that you devils cannot handle in my absence, then notify me with all haste." War said seriously.

"Understood." Grayfia bowed before she formed a silver magic circle beneath her, dematerializing on the spot and teleporting back to the Underworld.

With War now being all by his lonesome, he wasted no time as he donned his human disguise and summoned his steed Ruin from the ether. The moment he did the steed also donned his disguise, that of a regular, yet muscled crimson horse. And with that, the rider was ready to stride forth throughout humanity's kingdom without drawing unwanted attention on himself, not until he was close enough to the mountain of the gods ruling this realm called Greece.

The horseman rode for hours throughout the landscape of Greece, both through the wilderness and it's settlements. And after indeed drawing uncomfortable amount of attention from the humans in several cities he passed through and using their highways, he opted to travel only through the wilderness so such a situation wouldn't occur again. Sometime after the sun was set behind the hills and night sky slowly creeped in, as War continued to travel through the wilderness, he came upon the ruins of what appears to be a temple of a sort. When he was close enough, he dismounted from his steed and proceeded towards the temple on foot, while Ruin vanished in flames back to the ether. And in front of the entrance to the said temple, he noticed a large statue of a warrior woman, wearing an unusual attire and equipped with a spear and a shield with an emblem of an owl etched in the center.

"Greetings traveler." An elderly, cracked voice suddenly spoke.

War frowned slightly in caution when apparently the statue in front of him uttered those words, but moments later he noticed a small, frail yet cloaked person slowly appearing from behind the statue and making its way towards the horseman.

"Dangerous thing to travel the wilderness alone at night." An elderly woman spoke in almost welcoming tone.

"Danger is not unknown to me woman." War said bluntly.

"What brings you here to this ancient temple?" An elderly woman asked.

"A simple coincidence." War said casually.

"Coincidences are rare in this world sir, only fate." An elderly woman smiled a bit.

"Then is it 'fate' that I found a lone soul in these uninhabited ruins?" War asked in slightly accusing tone.

"I am but a simple caretaker of the once revered temple of the gods." An elderly woman smiled a bit, but her eyes are still kept hidden by her shroud.

"Caretaker you may be, but there is nothing about you that is simple as the rest of the humans I encountered. Reveal your true form old one, or suffer my blade for your attempt of deceit." War threatened in his usual, serious tone.

"You conceal yourself in a mortal shell as well. Reveal yourself first traveler, so that I may do the same." The elderly woman knowingly smirked a bit.

War raised his eyebrow at that. Apparently he is not the only one that can tell when someone is magically disguised. He thought about whether he should indulge this woman by revealing himself first or strike her down for her straightforward demands. But if she's truly the worshiper of the gods of Olympus, then it's for the best not to strike one of their followers down, not until he can meet those gods in person. The woman's eyes then widened in surprise as War's disguise burned in red and orange fire, slowly but surely revealing his true, yet terrifying form, hardly believing what she is seeing.

"Now it is your turn." War said simply.

After a moment or two of hesitation, the woman's shocked face disappeared as she started to grab her shroud. The moment she started to move it back, her entire body glowed briefly in bright, otherworldly green light before her true form was also revealed. She had the appearance of a toned woman in her mid-twenties, with her breasts about as large as Rias' or Akeno's, dressed in an attire in exact appearance like the one from the statue, consisting of a white clothing with golden breastplate and shoulderpads, strange set of equally golden boots and greaves that are apparently for decoration than practicality, and an intricate pattern of golden, metal lines along the sides of her face and hair, holding her pulled back, brown hair in place.

"You must be War, one of the dreaded Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It would appear that the legends are true after all." The woman said formally.

"Many know of the horsemen, but I do not know you." War said seriously.

"Then allow me a formal introduction. I am Athena, the goddess of wisdom." The woman now known as Athena said formally as she bowed slightly in greetings.

"Athena? You are of Olympus, are you not?" War asked curiously.

"Indeed, I am the daughter of Zeus, the king of the gods. But I'm afraid that not all is well in Olympus." Athena said grimly.

"How so?" War asked.

"Recently the gods have been afflicted with a terrible curse. An enormous, insectoid monster was sighted within the chambers of Olympus itself. But strangely enough none of the gods made the effort to defeat it and banish it from our realm on the mountain. With the gods incapable of mustering the will to fight such monster, it made Olympus its own realm on Earth. If it's not dealt with soon, I fear that it will spread its dark influence from the summit of our realm down on Earth, until all of mankind are succumbed to its terrible grip." Athena explained seriously.

"Sloth." War deduced in contemplation, mostly to himself.

"What?" Athena said curiously.

"You speak of one of the Seven Deadly Sins, which in this instance is Sloth, a Sin capable of draining it's victims of their will to act upon anything with its very presence, let alone muster the will to fight. You will take me to him with all haste if you wish to save your fellow deities." War said seriously, much to Athena's inner relief that he will help her save Olympus after all.

"Then I need you to follow me, there is a portal near my city that can take us directly to our realm." Athena said before she was about to depart.

"Not yet Olympian." War suddenly said.

"But why? We have to act now, the sooner we can eliminate this monster, the sooner we can save Olympus." Athena asked in confusion.

"The Sins can never be truly killed Athena. Even if their physical bodies are destroyed, their essence would linger and manifest again into their original forms to sow terror across Creation. To that end a special talisman was forged to capture the Sins and imprison them within, the Talisman of Sin. I need you to send one of your owls to my sister Fury, she is in possession of that talisman. If we are to imprison Sloth again, we will need her by our side." War explained in usual, serious tone.

"Unfortunately I do not have the knowledge of her appearance War, so I cannot send my owls without having an image of her likeness in my mind." Athena explained. The rider had a solution to that conundrum, though something that he loathed immensely.

"Are you capable of peering into an individual's mind?" War asked.

"I can to a degree, yes." Athena nodded.

"Good enough. I will allow you to peer into my mind and show you Fury's image for you to memorize. But be quick about it, I am not fond of my thoughts being intruded by anyone." War said in serious and slightly irritated tone.

"Understood." Athena nodded before she approached War. The rider bent forward a bit so the goddess can reach his head, while Athena's hands glowed with emerald green and placed them on his head near his ears, closing her eyes and finally entering War's mind.

To her surprise, the only thing that she can see in his mind is nothing else but a clear, yet terrifying image of his sister Fury, every other thought obscured or outright blocked for the goddess, making her feel as if her entire being was imprisoned in a tight container. This one is clearly not a fool, his mental fortitude is astonishing. In most of the minds that she peered, both mortal and immortal ones, she can easily read through their thoughts like turning a page from a book, especially the mortal minds. But this time, despite her subtle efforts to peer deeper into War's thought process, Fury's static image is the only thing that she was allowed to see. Any further attempts and that would most certain gain the rider's ire. Not willing to let that happen, she cancelled the mental connection between the two and backed away from the rider. With Fury's image now clear in her own thoughts, Athena summoned a spectral owl from thin air and immediately sent it to find Fury. Afterwards, she transformed into a large, white owl herself and flew in War's direction. The red rider then summoned Ruin, mounted his steed and galloped after the goddess, following her to a destination known only to the deity.

---

An hour later after War and Athena departed, elsewhere from Earth, on a red desert planet that the humans call Mars, Fury, her entire body covered in blood and gore of her victims sat in thought at the top of an enormous mound of corpses, both angel and demon, beast and soldier, the withered carcasses stretching for miles in all directions. Apparently the horseman was caught in the middle of a fierce battle that would had definitely occurred between the two forces were she not present. She had two reasons why she resorted to stop this conflict, one was to preserve the truce made between the two kingdoms eons ago, and two, she believed that a bloody carnage will clear the troublesome thoughts from her mind that she had of late, should they decide to engage her in a fight. And like the prideful idiots that they always are, they attacked the rider, giving her a satisfaction of the latter. Sadly, not even a good, old fashioned slaughter can erase her mind of the memories of recent events.

"Consider your next words carefully Fury, the survival of the vaunted Four Horsemen depends on it."

The words of the Lord of the Hollows echoed in her mind, and the images of those moments of conversation with the ancient one formed in waves through her thoughts again.

"Spare me of your ominous warning Old One, I will not be deterred from my task! The Seven will be destroyed, along with their designs for a world far more hideous than the Apocalypse we already know. Now speak your mind of what would you have of me or stop wasting my time and send me to Strife now!" Fury spat out angrily.

"Very well. As I've said, your battle with Wrath proved that your chances of defeating the Sins alone are slim to none. To improve those odds, you will need … this." The Lord of the Hollows said before he conjured an orb of molten fire in his hand.

"A Flame Hollow? For what purpose?" Fury asked in doubt as she eye the orb in the Old One's hand.

"Even i am aware there are times that sides must be chosen. Take this weapon, and know that I've chosen mine." The Lord of the Hollows said as he gestured for Fury to take the mystical power.

"And why would you choose a side now? You haven't bothered to make that decision after countless centuries that passed, yet for some reason you are doing that right now. What has brought about this change, Lord of the Hollows? Is the situation so dire that you are forced to take sides?" Fury asked as she folded her arms, her entire body language spelling doubt.

"My reasons for taking your side are my own, rider. Be content with the knowledge that i am not your enemy, and this flame hollow that I grant you is the proof of our alliance." The Lord of the Hollows said seriously as he levitated the fire orb towards Fury, allowing her to telekinetically hold it in her hand.

Long moments of silence followed as Fury glared at the Hollow Lord, eyeing him suspiciously for even the slightest sign of deceit. Reckless in nature she may be, but many mistake her recklessness for stupidity. Impulsive and rash yes, but definitely not stupid. Heck, even War can be considered as such by the ignorant due to his straightforward nature, yet his tactical acumen exceeds that of even their eldest brother Death. Same may not be said of Fury, but she is far above the base animal without a shred of intelligence that many believe her to be.

That said, the Lord of the Hollows does not appear to see her as stupid at all. He's just standing there patiently, waiting without a hint of fear of her refusal in his eyes. He wouldn't care much if she were to indeed refuse his offer, something that is very tempting to do right now. Alas, he did save her life, so it was a reason enough to at least consider his offer. As she inspected the Flame Hollow in her hand, she can certainly say that this power is unlike anything she had felt before. It felt… different. Overwhelming, hellish almost, far more primal than any ordinary fire the would-be pyromancers were capable of conjuring. And yet there is this sense of emptiness to it, as if her very soul is threatened to be turned to ash, just like the Lord of the Hollows did with those two soldiers that submitted their existences to his will. In the end, not willing to just stand there and ponder on its risks all day, she simply crushed the orb in her hand and absorbed its energies, and her entire being thrummed with the power of the flame, even igniting her hair to burning orange.

"You have chosen wisely." The Lord of the Hollows nodded in approval.

"Pray that it so, for it is your head on a pike should you deceive me with this 'alliance'." Fury hissed as she pointed at the Old One.

"Had I wanted you dead horseman, I would have left your carcass to wither and rot next to Wrath. Go now, lest you want your brother Strife's head on a pike first, courtesy of Avarice himself." The Lord of the Hollows said bluntly before he conjured a portal behind Fury, sucking her through it before the portal itself vanished.

Not long after that memory, she recalled Strife's words after their fight with Avarice, or rather the last sentence that ringed loudly in her head even now.

"Take all the power you want from him, but Death will always be a better leader than you'll ever be."

Fury's face grimaced in utter frustration as she clenched her right fist hard in front of her. What does Strife know of what kind of leader Fury would be? Certainly a more effective one than Death. While she does appreciate the individual autonomies that each the horsemen have, not entirely submitting to anyone's command, be it Council's or Death's, she would definitely not be the one to be absent from her duties for centuries on end. She would actually be a leader, unlike her eldest brother, coordinating the horsemen properly and not leave them to their own devices as Death constantly does, ditching them aside just so he can take matters into his own hands unless the Council deem it otherwise. Sure she's primarily deadset on that title for the power and privilege that it brings, but she would certainly be more a team player than Death could even hope to be, eldest sibling or no.

As for the Flame Hollow that she took from the Lord of the Hollows, what choice did she realistically had? On an offset that she did refuse his offer and carried on with her mission with nothing but her own powers and abilities, considering her miserable bout with Wrath, the future outcomes would most likely end up the same against other Sins. And next time, she might be dead for sure, to end up again as a dangling corpse hanging by a fraying thread, robbed of her desired prize or even a glorious death before her task was even half done.

Fury then snapped from her thoughts when she heard an echoy hoot, which rather confused her since there's no life to speak of on this planet, aside from demons and angels that chose this world for their battlefield for whatever reason. When she looked to her left in the sky, she noticed an emerald, ethereal owl flying in her direction. The horseman stood up and lifted her left arm, allowing the owl to perch on it. When it did and looked into Fury's eyes, the owl transferred mental images in her mind. The images she saw was that of her brother War riding through the wilderness near an enormous human city, following a large, white, jewel decorated owl that is it's mistress named Athena. And upon further mental knowledge that the spectral owl delivers, they apparently found another of the Seven Deadly Sins named Sloth, taking their realm of Olympus as its own. With its purpose complete, the owl flapped its wings and then disappeared into nothingness.

Now Fury frowned in determination as she looked towards the planet's red horizon. Penance to her brothers can wait for the time being, right now she needs to finish the mission the Council laid before her. And in the act, to finally fulfill her desire to be the leader of the Four Horsemen.

---

Back on Earth, after traveling near the steps of the Suicide Bluffs away from the mortal capital city of Athens, War climbed through a rather long series of stairs. When he reached the end of the stairway, he noticed some sort of monument at the end of a narrow pathway.

"Why did you lead me here Athena?" War asked curiously.

"This is where we find our path to Olympus itself." Athena said as she gestured at the monument in front of her.

And judging by its architecture, it seemed more like some sort of shrine, a large, ornate structure with a statue of Athena herself beside it, the shrine itself having two statues on both sides extending their arms to each other, while holding shields with an omega emblem etched onto them, the similar emblem carved on the center of the shrine. And at that point, War realized that it was more than just another shrine erected in the honor of the gods.

"Is this some sort of portal?" War asked curiously.

"It is horseman. To mortals it is nothing but a monument, a place of worship to the gods. But its true purpose is a gateway that will lead us directly to the halls of Olympus. Providing that the other side has not been discovered and sealed off." Athena explained before she proceeded to open the portal gate.

"I reckon that not all can enter this portal Athena, I doubt it can be that simple." War suddenly said in doubt.

"You would be correct War. Only those with a soul of a god are able to use the Hyperion Gate, but your soul is far more ancient than that of any mortal, god or even a titan. However, not all the gods are able to use it, only those who reside in our realm can make use of these gates. Given the situation at hand, I will allow you to make use of these gates until we destroy that monster." Athena said formally.

"Let us not waste a moment further then." War said simply as he walked towards the portal, followed by Athena. But before either of them would step through it…

"War!" A voice called out to him, prompting War and Athena to turn around and see who it was, a newcomer that the rider immediately recognized.

"Fury." War said as his sister approached him.

"I have received your summons. Is it true that you've found another of the Sins?" Fury asked curiously.

"Indeed, he resides in their mountain realm of Olympus, we were about to enter the portal and reach it." War said in usual, serious tone.

"You must be Athena, are you not?" Fury asked the woman.

"Yes horseman, it is an honor to meet you in person." She said formally as she bowed her head slightly in respect.

"Yes, I imagine it is." Fury said casually in slightly snide tone. With the infamous reputation of the Four, rarely if ever is an 'honor' for someone to meet with the Horseman of the Apocalypse, far from it. But as she turned towards her brother and opened her mouth to say something…

"Questions for later Fury, right now we have a Sin to defeat." War said seriously before he entered the portal, followed by Athena. Fury didn't really object as she too followed through.

---

When they crossed it, the horsemen gazed at an enormous spire city before them. Despite being veiled by dark clouds above, both of the horsemen were very interested, if not impressed by the architecture of these Olympians. Not as magnificent as the realms that the Makers constructed for angels and demons, but an intriguing sight all the same. Their mountain top realm was a collection of celestial halls, palaces, statues of the respective deities, gardens and mansions, each structure designed to the liking of a respective god, each one a magnificent sight to behold, structures that stretch across the mountain top to the very cliffs leading down to humanity's kingdom. The palace at the highest perch was far more lavishing to behold than the other ones, every inch of wall and column built in gold and marble, and at its very peak a statue of a god holding a lightning bolt in its hands and some sort of arena behind it.

"Not too bad Olympian. Not as grandiose as the angel realms, but a splendid sight all the same." Fury smirked a bit as she gazed at their kingdom, she can only imagine how it looks like when bathed in sunlight.

"Focus on the matter at hand Fury, we did not come here to gaze at the scenery." War said strictly.

"As if I can forget, the air itself reeks of Sloth's insidious presence." Fury said seriously as she scanned the massive realm before her.

"And your talisman's strong reaction only confirms that fact." War said seriously before he glanced from the said talisman to his sister. "Athena and I will travel throughout the halls of this realm, and attempt to awaken her fellow deities from their stupor. You will go directly towards Sloth and engage him in combat. Should he prove to be too much to handle, distract him long enough for me to fight by your side."

"You need not worry brother, Sloth will be dealt with long before you arrive to aid me." Fury smirked arrogantly to War before she departed.

"The same way you dealt with Wrath?" War asked bluntly. Fury's face immediately scrunched in frustration as she stopped her advance and looked at her brother, feeling really livid right now. Noticing this, War started to approach his sister. "There is no room for arrogance in this venture Fury, so heed my words. If you cannot best that monster, distract him for me to arrive, so we can defeat him together. I would not have you die because of your foolish pride and thirst to prove yourself as the leader. Understood?" He said in very serious tone as his face was close to his sister's to emphasize his point.

Fury was really tempted to lash out at War for those remarks, treating her as if she was an amateur, but given the current circumstances and her defeat by Wrath, Fury merely nodded silently to her brother. A salt on the wound yes, but it would be stupid to make an enemy out of War if her bout with Sloth goes south, despite being the laziest of the Sins.

"Let us make haste then, before humanity is affected as well." War said before he started to climb the stairs.

"If it isn't already." Fury said snidely before she followed suit, even till this day not having high opinion on those hairless simians.

---

After climbing the long series of stairs, War and Fury went their separate ways, with Athena guiding War through the halls of their realm to find the fellow gods, and Fury going directly towards the throne room of their king called Zeus. As War and Athena were walking through one of its hallways, they noticed that every interior was half covered with webs and sacs, and the only sounds that can be heard are their footsteps, along with distant insectoid chittering and clacking. The insectoid creatures that did come to foolishly engage the ancient entity were quickly cut down, leaving naught but corpses in their wake.

"Is there any god among you that you are certain we can free to join our cause? Because Sloth's influence is not so easily broken." War suddenly asked as they went outside the dome building and walked across the small bridge leading towards the arena of a sort.

"I know of only one, whose fires of battle and bloodshed are not so easily dampened. Ares, the god of war, he will be able to help us." Athena said seriously.

"Then let us find him. Once his fighting spirit is stoked, we must return to aid Fury as soon as we can." War said seriously.

"Indeed." Athena nodded to the rider in agreement.

But as they continued to walk towards their destination, War looked up at Zeus's marble and gold palace with an ominous look on his face.

---

Meanwhile, Fury climbed another series of stairs leading inside the palace itself, foul ichor and blood staining gold and marble foundations as the horseman slaughtered her way towards the entrance. Finally, after what seemed an eternity of stair climbing, she proceeded to walk inside the building. The interior was completely repurposed to suit the Sin's environment, all covered in thick webs, dozens if not hundreds of egg sacs and an entire menagerie of insectoid creatures to boot. For the supposed laziest Sin out of Seven he sure didn't waste time in making himself comfortable, though this is all probably the work of his slave insects. Eventually she reached the throne room itself, and here she noticed a certain, massive green bug that she is all eager to squash.

"Fury. Fantastic." The creature said as the bugs beneath him turned his makeshift throne to face towards Fury.

And there he is. Sloth, the Lord of the Flies, the embodiment of absolute laziness itself. He's just as obnoxious to look at as he was in their previous encounter all those eons ago. But when she looked above Sloth, she noticed a grey-bearded old man webbed on the eagle shaped wall above, where only his unconscious head was left to stick out of his webbed constraints. That must be their king called Zeus. He's just as pathetic to look at, at least he could have put up more of a fight, though Sloth's influence over the others that are not the Horsemen is nothing to scoff at.

"Your day of reckoning is at hand Sloth. You will be judged in combat like all the others!" Fury stated as she pointed at the fat bug while walking towards him.

"Darling please. Do I look like I'll be fighting anything or anyone anytime soon?" Sloth asked in his usual, very lazy tone.

"You have no choice." Fury said harshly.

"There's always a choice darling. I choose not to choose, too much of a bother. I'd laugh at you, but it's too much effort. Don't take offense, you're playing your part well in our wee morality play. But really, why bother? It's the apocalypse, whoo." Sloth said mockingly while many enormous bugs surfaced from the ground, surrounding Fury, prompting the rider to annoyingly wave her hands to keep them at bay. "I'm completely over it. My sole concern is comfort."

"The only comfort you will receive is within the very prison you once resided wretch." Fury said strictly, but inwardly noticing that all this talk of comfort sounded very familiar to her usual habits.

"Perhaps, but then I wouldn't have as many minions as I do right now, as you can see. It's all they live for. You should try it, I'll spot you a few slaves if you'll just relax." Sloth suggested.

"I shall once you and your kin lie dead, your essences reimprisoned. I only hope the rest put up more of a fight than you!" Fury shouted in frustration.

"Let them stand or fall, it matters not to me. You understand it, don't you horseman? The futility of it. Why not join me? Take a load off and enjoy the nothingness. I bet you'd take to it quite easily." Sloth said in adequate satisfaction, at the fact at how easily Fury was swayed to join his everlasting comfort, as evident when his three slave bugs lifted Fury's seemingly paralyzed body off the ground, as if she is about to go to sleep.

"But I'm not!"

The sudden, defiant battle cry snapped Fury back to reality, but before she would act, three spears impaled each of the three bugs simultaneously, making the rider fall facefirst on the ground. When she looked up, she noticed a woman using a spear and a shield as her weapons of choice.

"You?" Fury said in slight surprise, recognizing the newcomer to be Athena.

"The rider warned me that you would be affected by this monster as well. Apparently he was right." Athena said ominously as Fury stood up, anger now plastered on her face.

"You speak one word of this to War and I will tear out your heart! Do I make myself clear?!" Fury seethed angrily, inching herself closer towards Athena to prove her point, but the goddess surprisingly remained unfazed.

"Transparently." Athena said in neutral tone before she turned her attention to Sloth. "But I would suggest you direct your wrath to that monster, so we can liberate Olympus of its foul presence." She said while more and more, large bugs spawned from the marble floor.

"I take it that the elder above Sloth would be Zeus, the king of the gods?" Fury asked curiously as she pointed at the god king.

"Yes. If we can awake him from his stupor, he would be of great aid to us against the Sin." Athena suggested.

"I do not need his aid, nor yours for that matter. Return to War at once, I can deal with it by myself." Fury said sternly as she pulled out Scorn.

"But we have to fight together if we are to defeat it, your own brother said as much himself!" Athena inquired. But her insistence only irritated Fury further. Losing her already worn out patience, she darted forward towards the enemy.

"Fury, wait!" Athena called out, but it was too late as Fury proceeded to whirl her bladed whip about, cutting down the enormous insects by the dozens. With no other choice, she begrudgingly joined the fight, finding her bloodlust to be as annoying as that of her brother Ares.

---

Meanwhile, War arrived in the throne room of the deity he and Athena were after, before he sent her to aid Fury in dealing with Sloth until he arrives as well. As the rider looked around the massive, web enveloped chamber, behind the sticky exterior he could notice to some degree that this throne room is very different from the other chambers Athena guided him through. From what she explained, each of the gods had their own throne room, constructed and furnished to their own liking. So in her brother's case, it consisted of the sets of braziers, crimson curtains, the effigies of the three-headed dog scattered about the chamber, along with may assortment of the weapons of war, probably the spoils that he obtained in many unknown battles during the lifetime of these Olympians. It was as if he entered the chamber of a demonic warlord, since they too have their chambers and throne rooms decorated in similar manner.

When he finally reached the throne itself and climbed a few stairs to reach it, he finally noticed an orange haired man, webbed onto the very throne that he would usually sit on. This must be Ares, the god of war himself. As he gazed at his almost unconscious form, and before he could give in to his thoughts that this was just another weakling easily influenced by Sloth's evil, he could hear his low growls of anger, subconsciously trying to fight off Sloth's influence, as is evident with the gritting of his teeth and his body occasionally squirming around, trying to free itself. Good, at least one Olympian yet holds a spark of battle within, and in this particular god's case, he's furiously trying to ignite that spark into a raging inferno. That is something War can indeed help with. With rage and anger ever burning within his own being, War plans to channel that anger to stoke the war god's own inner flame.

War closed his eyes, clenched his left gauntlet and gritted his teeth as he stood right in front of Ares. As he channeled his own anger and rage, hot air wreathed with black smoke emitted from the gauntlet, the eyes of the skull etched in the center slowly glowing with orange fire. When his anger has risen enough, War roared as he reared his gauntlet back, wreathing itself in flame before he roughly placed his palm on Ares' chest, making the god growl and groan loudly in anger. As War channeled that burning rage within the god, eventually Ares' hair started to ignite itself, a sure sign that War's method of reawakening his fighting spirit is working. Then Ares' eyes shut open, the explosion of the god's own rage burning away the webs and sacs across the entire chamber of his throne room, restoring it to its former glory. Free of the cocoon he found himself in, Ares placed his arms on the ground to prevent him collapsing on it, panting angrily before he started to regain his bearings and quell his rage, especially when he noticed that an imposing figure is towering above him.

"You are Ares, are you not? The god of war?" War asked curiously. The war god said nothing as he stood upright, at that point War noticed that his entire armor is also carved with an effigy of a three-headed dog, most notably his shoulders and chestplate, while his greaves and gauntlets were wrapped in chains.

"And you must be War, rider of the red horse." Ares said, cracking his neck before he chuckled slightly. "I heard legends of the dreaded Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, it is an unexpected pleasure to meet with a warrior unlike any other on this day."

"Set the pleasantries aside Ares, we have a Sin to purge from your mountain realm." War said seriously.

"Agreed. That bloated insect will pay for its trickery." Ares said in utter contempt.

Almost on cue, War and Ares noticed that a wave of enormous insects of various shapes and sizes charged towards the duo.

"Let us deal with his minions first." War said as he drew Chaoseater from his back and readied himself.

"A simple nuisance." Ares said as he conjured his own sword, wreathed in fire, and then he and War charged at the horde of insects.

---

At the same time, back in Zeus' throne room, Fury and Athena continued to dismember the grotesque insects to the last.

"Well' it isn't even work, is it? It's just a game, a silly, pointless game. One neither of you will ever win." Sloth taunted with adequate amount of mirth in it, but this time neither Fury nor Athena paid any attention whatsoever to his taunts as they continued to dismember his minions.

The black rider noticed that Athena's fighting style is very methodical, relying more on technique and skill with a spear rather than brute strength. Each thrust and slash of her spear is lethally precise, piercing either the head or the torso of the insect's bodies, while she used her shield to deflect their blows instead of outright blocking their attacks. It's similar to Death's fighting style, focused on exploiting the enemy's weakness and taking full advantage of it, instead of needlessly taking the full brunt of their might like War often does.

Athena cut down three more enormous insects before she threw her shield like a frisbee, darting towards the bugs, hitting them hard and bouncing at the other insects, hitting them by the dozens. While it did, Athena spun her spear about before she threw it high in the air. When it was high enough, it immediately multiplied into many spears and darted down towards the insects, impaling dozens of them at once, killing them on the spot. After those kills, her shield returned to her, catching it when it was close enough while the multiple spears dematerialized and reshaped back into a single spear, with the goddess claiming it before she took up the phalanx stance.

As soon as Athena retrieved her weapons, Fury finally had enough as she unleashed a cone of crimson fire in front of her, immolating the insects holding the throne above Sloth, the weight of the stone slab crushing the bugs with its weight, added by Sloth himself. As for the said Sin, this is where he finally decided to act as he shattered his makeshift throne to free himself.

"You owe me a throne, but I'll settle for your head." Sloth cackled menacingly as he towered above Fury and Athena, its staff at the ready.

"Then come and take it, if you can muster such an effort." Fury mocked as she smirked at the sin.

Not long after her taunt, the swarm around the duo suddenly started to wail, shriek and squirm as their bodies set themselves on fire, outright explode or twist themselves until bones cracked from the deformed states, hundreds of them dying where they stood. And when they turned around, they noticed who was responsible as the newcomers entered the chamber.

"Your time has come Sloth! You will rue the day that you've been set free from your prison." War proclaimed as he and Ares approached Fury and Athena.

"What a bother, two horses to squash instead of one. Our time could be spent on so many other things! Like sleep." Sloth said in annoyance. But to his frustration, neither of them are paying attention to what he's saying.

"Ares?" Athena said in surprise.

"Surprised to see me Athena? Your disbelief does not suit you." Ares smirked in tease as he and War stood next to Fury and Athena, much to the utter annoyance of the said goddess.

Suddenly, from its sickly red pustules, Sloth unleashed a swarm of plagued corpse flies, directed towards the four. Fury immediately used her Flame Hollow and unleashed a torrent of flame, while Ares conjured his warhammer and used the hound carved side of the weapon as a flamethrower to spew out fire from it. Their flames combined incinerated the swarm, causing a stalemate between two channeling sides. During it, Sloth raised his staff upward, something that Fury and Ares noticed. Right then when Sloth swung his weapon, the two combatants dashed backwards before it slammed on the ground, still channeling his swarm of flies, with Fury and Ares doing the same to keep the poisonous pests at bay. Athena threw her spear right above Sloth and the spear itself magically multiplied again, sending down a rain of spears that either impaled or cut through Sloth's hideous flesh. When the volley was over, Sloth noticed War jumping high in the air, swinging Chaoseater overhead, but Sin reacted quickly as he cancelled the swarm of flies and parried War's sword with his staff. In that moment, Fury and Ares entered the fray, along with Athena. The two horsemen and gods clashed with the Sin, striking one cutting blow after another, while Sloth swung his staff in attempt to hit them, but they managed to avoid every strike so far. But when they ceased their fight for the moment, Sloth chuckled sickly as his wounds started to heal, quickly sealing the said wounds as if they were never inflicted to begin with.

"This monster can heal its wounds?" Athena said in surprise, while Ares growled in frustration.

"Yes, all the more reason that you do not drop your guard." Fury said sternly, not letting her sight from the blobby Sin.

Sloth then flapped his wings and started to buzz above them, his small wings lifting his impossible weight. As he plummeted down to crush the four combatants with his weight, the two riders and gods dashed backwards, letting Sloth crash into the marble floor. But when he did, the landing was so seismic that it sundered the ground beneath them, the marble floor tearing up into fissures, spreading until it enveloped the entire middle of the mountain top, while the shockwave forced the four combatants to shield themselves from the impact while it completely demolished the throne chamber, its debris collapsing and flying all across Olympus, crashing into the constructions of the other gods. Athena noticed Zeus being blown off as well along with the debris, so she quickly dashed to her father's side and caught him, dropping his cursed form on the ground near Sloth and the others. When she did, she noticed that nothing was left but the shattered foundations of where Zeus' palace once stood.

"For tedium sake horsemen. If you're going to make such a noisy mess, the least you could do is momentarily entertain me!" Sloth cackled before he lifted himself off the ground again, hovering above his opponents.

"My thoughts exactly!" War shouted angrily in defiance as he prepared for an immediate counterattack.

First he finally made use of one of his abilities named Stoneskin, completely enveloping his body in volcanic rock, greatly increasing his strength and endurance. Then he materialized the Tremor Gauntlet in his right hand, clenching it hard while electricity sparked around it. As soon as Sloth started to plummet down again, War charged forward at frightening speed and lunged towards the Sin, the Tremor Gauntlet thrumming with electric energy. When he was close enough, War punched Sloth so hard that a thunderous blow of his gauntlet echoed across all of Olympus, sending the Sin plummeting down towards the seemingly labyrinthine gardens below, with War and Ares quickly following suit.

As for Fury, she now decided to opt for a more impactful tool of destruction. Athena didn't expect what came next as lightning suddenly struck Fury from the heavens, momentarily blinding her. And when she opened her eyes, they widened in shock as Fury's hair turned bright yellow, electricity crackling around her body, threatening to disintegrate anyone foolish enough to touch her electric aura. She thought that only Zeus and select few gods among other pantheons were capable of wielding such power over the storm, but apparently the horsemen can as well. As for Fury, amazement was not the emotion that she felt as she clutched her electricity enveloped right hand, vividly remembering her encounter with the Lord of the Hollows himself after the argument she had with Strife, when the former used the portal to force her into his realm.

---

"Welcome again Fury." The Lord of the Hollows greeted her in neutral tone.

"It's not like I had a choice in the matter. Do you kidnap all your guests?" Fury gritted her teeth angrily, feeling really livid after recent events.

"You would not be so disrespectful if you knew the true power I give you." The Lord of the Hollows said in slight annoyance.

"You're lucky I don't peel your face from your skull right now demon! I now caused a chasm between myself and Strife because of YOUR ACCURSED POWER!" Fury roared angrily at the Hollow Lord as her eyes turned to flaming crimson, threatening to turn into her Havoc Form and go berserk on him.

"Nonsense." The Lord of the Hollows said in same, neutral tone, slightly quelling Fury's anger. For now. "You alone have chosen this path Fury. I may have offered you my power, but it is you who had ultimately accepted it, and took it as your own. You made the choice to have faith in our alliance, no matter how fleeting it may be. A faith that I intend to reward accordingly. Your battle with Avarice proved that you value your mission above material possessions. You are now ready for stronger tools of destruction." He explained as he conjured a yellow, electric stone orb in his hand, gesturing it for Fury to take.

"Keep your precious toy! You have caused enough damage to me by bringing me here to begin with. Now send me back!" Fury seethed in anger as she waved her hand in demand.

"Were it not to be so, you wouldn't be breathing right now, let alone reprimand me for the powers that you accepted of your own free will." The Lord of the Hollows said in neutral tone, not affected at all by Fury's all too predictable, angry outbursts. This time Fury is clearly hesitant to take his 'gift' like she did with the Flame Hollow. "You and your brothers are right to doubt me, and I will not spout lies to justify my actions. But I can assure you that we share a common goal, the defeat of the Seven Deadly Sins. Take this Storm Hollow horseman, you will need it for the battles ahead." The Lord of the Hollows said as he again gestured for Fury to take the power from him.

This time Fury was really on edge to just burst her entire being in flames and use the Hollow Lord's own weapon against him in an ironic twist, especially when she opened a chasm between herself and Strife solely for taking this power from him to begin with. Alas, she can't place the blame entirely on the Hollow Lord, not really. It was mostly her ambition to be the leader of the horsemen that caused her to come to such decision, not even bothering to think of the consequences back then if it means completing the mission at hand and finally achieving her goal. Also, the Old One didn't lie about it's powerful properties, in fact it made her bout with Avarice far easier than it would have been without using its power. So ultimately, in this particular instance at least, she can only blame herself for deciding to take this power and causing a dispute between herself and Strife.

"I am severely tempted to lash at you for this cursed power that you offered me. But, although I hate to say it, I am the one to be blamed for accepting this power from you. So no use washing my hands when I already got them dirty." Fury said in contempt, mostly towards herself as she telekinetically took the Storm Hollow from the Old One and absorbed it's power, turning her hair bright yellow and imbuing her with its namesake power.

"Interesting. Your words only solidified my decision to grant you this gift." The Lord of the Hollows said in genuine curiosity.

"Why not just grant me all of your 'gifts' so I can finally be done with you? I detest this place now far more than I originally did." Fury gritted her teeth in frustration.

"Begone." The Lord of the Hollows opened the portal behind Fury, sucking her in before it disappeared. The Old One couldn't help but chuckle a bit, amused at the subtle changes that are occurring within Fury, a sight that dare say is refreshing to see.

---

As Fury snapped back into reality, she glanced down at War and Ares standing against Sloth. Although web enveloped much like the rest of Olympus, this massive, lush, almost labyrinthine area is what Ares and Athena recognize as Hera's Gardens.

"You're still here?" Sloth said before he sighed tiredly. 'I'd be aggravated, but frankly that takes up too much energy." He said as he slowly got up, while War and Ares also readied themselves for another bout.

"For your sake, you better muster the energy to fight, let alone talk." War threatened. But apparently Sloth didn't listen to what he said, which only aggravated the rider.

"Yes, well… that fight was terribly exhausting, wasn't it?" Sloth said now in sleepy tone before he started to yawn, almost in mockery. "Time for a na-"

He was interrupted when War punched Sloth straight in his face with a Tremor Gauntlet in a thunderous boom, sending the Sin's bloated body flailing backwards, crashing through multiple, vine-covered walls until he eventually stopped at the end of the gardens.

"You can slumber for the rest of eternity, when you are imprisoned back into the Talisman!" War said angrily before he charged forward. At that moment, Ares roared in anger and pain as from his back, six spiky protrusions erupted before he quickly conjured his flaming sword, along with a battle axe in another hand and joined the battle.

Up at the mountain's peak, Fury continued to stare down at the battle below in surprising contemplation. Although Fury was really tempted to leap down straight towards Sloth and enter the fray with her brother, she stood still in place instead, having this sense of caution that she had not felt in untold millenias.

"The Universe has many faces, your survival depends on what you've learned here."

The Lord of the Hollows' words echoed in Fury's mind, before she glanced from Zeus' unconscious form to Sloth below, currently engaged by War and Ares with vicious abandon.

"You must open your eyes towards more than that which gazes back at you from the mirror."

The longer she paid attention to the battle below, she started to be aware that this battle is not as one sided as she believed it to be. It's absurd how powerful the Sins have become eversince their release. First Wrath, then Avarice, and now Sloth. No matter how forceful their blows might be, Sloth just seems to shrug them off everytime they hit him. Even now, with War and Ares swinging their weapons and dealing noticeable wounds on their enemy, the Sin thinks almost nothing of them, despite his façade of having no energy to do anything. Maybe at that point when she realized their increase in power would explain this sense of caution that is currently gripping her being. In hindsight, perhaps taking these powers from the Lord of the Hollows wasn't such a bad idea after all, it certainly made her bout with Avarice far easier than she would have anticipated. And now that she came this far, when she took another power from the Lord of the Hollows, she might as well put these 'gifts' to good use, while she still has the energy to do so.

Not only that, but she noticed that Ares and War started to tire out trying to beat Sloth. Not surprising in Ares' case, but she was rather shocked when she noticed her brother having a hard time down there. Chaoseater is supposed to grant War near limitless supply of energy, providing he can feed the blade with carnage and havoc of battle, but just like in their last bout with Sloth eons ago, his influence can quickly tire even the likes of the horsemen, thus he needs to be defeated swiftly. And that is what Fury intends to do. She first turned towards Zeus, who was currently attended by Athena. Much to the goddess' confusion, Fury pulled out Scorn from her hip, but instead of a bladed whip the weapon shaped into a viciously sharp lance. Then she started to approach the slumbering king of the gods, while the storm clouds gathered above them, thunder occasionally rumbling within the clouds.

"Step aside Athena." Fury commanded in neutral tone.

"Why? What do you intend to do?" Athena asked in cautious tone.

"It is time to see if this old man is worthy of being called 'King of the gods.'" Fury stated as she gripped Scorn in her hand.

Immediately after did she raised her lance high, the storm clouds rumbling all across Greece. Across the said country, waves of lightning can be seen traveling through the clouds, moving towards a single point which is where Fury herself stands, using her lance as a lightning rod to attract the celestial power.

"I've become so bored I don't even have energy left to taunt you. Kill you, yes, but no more taunting." Sloth said in his usual, seemingly energy drained tone.

That said, Sloth unleashed a swarm of corpse flies from his red pustules again, directed towards Ares, but the god of war immediately conjured his warhammer and used it like a flamethrower again to spew fire from it. This time Sloth used the opportunity to smack Ares aside with his staff. Ares quickly managed to stop himself using his six spiky limbs and a sword to drill through the ground, before he rebounded into the fight. In that moment Sloth used his wings to fly above War, attempting to squash the rider with his weight. War however, still empowered by his ability Stoneskin and utilizing the Tremor Gauntlet, he caught the Sin with ease, holding his tremendous weight above him before he tossed him forward, the Sin's bloated body sliding through the vine walls and concrete. When he stopped sliding and slowly got back up, Ares did an upward slash with his sword, leaving a large cut before he used his limbs like spider legs to climb onto the Sin's back, while War drew back his Chaoseater and attacked Sloth.

Back at the mountain peak, Fury continued to channel lighting from every direction across Greece. Now realizing what she intends to do, Athena quickly made a great distance from the rider and waited to see what will happen next. Eventually the waves reached their destination, and dozens of lightning bolts struck Fury's lance all at once, thunder booming and rumbling all around them, while lightning flashed violently, with all of Olympus illuminated with yellow flashed of light. Fury gritted her teeth, trying to harness and focus the enormous, celestial power she gathered, and the moment she did, she flipped the blade of the lance and plunged it on Zeus' chest in a thunderous boom, but not hard enough to penetrate his skin. Much like with Ares, Zeus has been freed of Sloth's influence, Intense lightning wreathing through the entire being of the Olympian ruler, the skies roaring with lightning and thunder, heralding the return of the king of the gods himself. Eventually the skies settled down, but still continued to rumble, while Zeus reigned in his power that exploded outward when he suddenly awakened, panting as his vision became less and less blurry.

"Lord Zeus? Are you feeling well?"

A familiar voice asked him, turning his head to his right to see who it was.

"Athena?" Zeus asked as he slowly started to recognize the goddess next to him.

"Good to see you again father." Athena smiled warmly.

"I hate to cut this heartfelt reunion short, but there's a battle to be joined down below." Fury said bluntly.

"Who are you?" Zeus asked curiously.

"Fury, currently trying to be as courteous as I can be while we have a Sin to defeat." Fury said in utter impatience, frustration and annoyance.

"She is one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, spoken by the Biblical religion in fear and awe." Athena said formally.

"The horsemen?" Zeus asked his daughter in curiosity, while Athena silently nodded to her father. Then the king of the gods turned his attention down below when he heard the clamor of battle, noticing a massive insect fighting Ares and another warrior beside him.

"Yes, I remember. That enormous insect affected us with his influence, preventing us from fighting back. I will incinerate that bloated maggot for its insolence." Zeus said angrily.

"The reason why I chose to break Sloth's influence on you, rather than entering the fray myself." Fury said in neutral tone before she also looked down towards Hera's Gardens. "Unfortunately we cannot defeat it individually. Even with the current power the three of us possess, Sloth continues to shrug off our attacks, despite our combined assault, as if they were never inflicted to begin with." She then glanced at Zeus. "That is why I need you, to combine your powers of the storm with mine. Together, we will unleash an attack that will bring Sloth to his knees once and for all."

"Very well Fury. Let this creature fear the might of Olympus!" Zeus said sternly. The black rider nodded silently before she raised her lance high again, while Zeus raised his right arm.

Both Zeus and Fury started to summon as much of the electric energy as they can muster, the combined effort manifesting the storm clouds again in the process. And this time, due to the colossal amount of energy required for their attack to be effective, the thunderstorm did not only envelop all of Greece, along with the Aegean Sea and it's island of Crete, but the neighboring human nations as well, like Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, southern part of Serbia and even the western coasts of Turkey. Like before, waves of lightning rushed towards Olympus itself, and wave after wave of lightning struck at both Zeus' right palm and Fury's lance, both of their vessels of electric energy eventually thrumming with thunderous power.

Something that Sloth, Ares and War noticed from below.

"What a bother." Sloth sighed tiredly before he flapped his wings and lifted himself in the air, about to and stop them.

"Coward! You will not escape!" Ares shouted angrily as he bolted upward, quickly followed by War.

Ares sliced upward through Sloth's massive belly, but just as any other wound it regenerated. This time that wound was a distraction as Ares and War levitated momentarily above the Sin before both of them plummeted towards their foe. With Ares' warhammer and War's Tremor Gauntlet, they both slammed their weapons hard onto the Sin's back and sent him slamming on the ground. Ares landed on Sloth's back and immediately sliced his wings with his flaming sword to prevent him from flying off again, while War landed in front of the Sin and switched back to Chaoseater, plunging the sword into the ground and using his signature ability, the Blade Geyser, to conjure copies of his sword and impale through Sloth's flesh, pinning him in place.

This was the moment Fury needed. As Zeus finished empowering her weapon, adding his electric might to her own, Fury threw her lance towards the sky. When it reached above Sloth, Fury telekinetically stopped the weapon, pointed the blade of the lance down before she swung her hand down as well, and Scorn bolted towards the Sin. War and Ares noticed Fury's weapon descending from above, so they quickly made some distance before it could hit them as well. With a speed of lightning and roiling of thunder, Scorn hit its mark with a thunderous boom. Sloth roared in utter agony as his entire body was electrified, a beam of yellow lightning spiraling through the clouds, shooting all the way to the atmosphere. When that spectacle was finally over, the beam slowly subsided until it vanished, along with the blinding light. Fury, War, Zeus, Ares and Athena noticed that Sloth stood in place where Scorn struck, utterly paralyzed by Zeus' and Fury's attack, the sound of fizzling flesh the only thing that can be heard. The Sin finally collapsed on its back, now utterly defeated, while Fury, Zeus and Athena glided down towards Sloth and landing next to War and Ares, who also stood in front of the vanquished Sin.

"Congratulations. You must be so fulfilled. What change do you think killing me will enact… on this sad crusade?" Sloth said tiredly while Fury approached the Sin, along with War, Zeus, Ares and Athena.

"Are you begging Sloth? Muster up a little dignity." Fury smirked in mockery while she picked up Scorn that dropped from Sloth when he lied on his back.

"Sweetheart, I let slaves wipe my ass with the wings of angels while I enjoy a morning tea." Sloth said bluntly.

"How vulgar." Athena grunted a bit in disgust.

"Dignity is a myth, like the Balance you fight for. Aren't you exhausted?" Sloth said while Fury pulled out the Talisman of Sin.

"Yes, but even the most grueling fight is less tiring than taking no action at all." Fury stated before she finally made use of the Talisman, green waves of lightning and energy enveloping Sloth, just like with Avarice. The same spectacle of condensing occurred before Sloth was also absorbed into the Talisman, finally ridding humanity's kingdom of his filth.

"Most exercise he's had in a millennium." Fury smirked as she looked at War while flipping the Talisman and putting it back on her hip.

But her smirk disappeared when War was suddenly glaring daggers at his sister. It took a few moments for Fury to realize that that disapproving, almost angry gaze was the same one that Strife had when he discovered that she attained her powers from the Lord of the Hollows. Apparently she will receive the same, headaching dose of scolding from War as well when all this is done and over with.

"You fight well horsemen, your fighting skills are impressive indeed." Ares complemented as he, Zeus and Athena approached the riders.

"You are not so bad yourself Olympian, your combat approach is very similar to War's." Fury smirked in amusement.

"You have our gratitude for ridding that filth from our home in Olympus." Zeus nodded to the riders.

"You can repay us by attending the faction meeting in the Underworld in two weeks. The Devil King Sirzechs made a mention that you will be in attendance." War said in neutral tone, trying his best not to lash out at his sister in front of these gods.

"Indeed. With the rise of this organization known as the Khaos Brigade, it is in the interest of our pantheon to be in attendance as well." Zeus said seriously.

"Then we shall meet again at that time." War said.

"Should you happen to run into another of the Seven Deadly Sins, do let us know." Fury stated.

"We will horseman. Farewell." Zeus nodded. With that, Fury and War made their way back to the same portal where they entered this realm in the first place. While it was disappointing that they didn't run into another shard of the Armageddon Blade, reimprisoning another of the Seven Deadly Sins is still a feat in and of itself for today.

---

Eventually, after what seemed an eternity of walking, they finally went back to the Suicide Bluffs. And as soon as the gates of the portal finally shut behind them…

"Speak Fury! What is the meaning of this?!" War suddenly barked angrily. Fury could only grunt in frustration, it's surprising that he held back his own frustrations as long as he did.

"This is what gave us the edge to defeat Sloth and reimprison him." Fury said angrily as she gestured at her yellow, lightning hair.

"You meddled with the Lord of the Hollows! Did he hollow your soul and made you his puppet, dancing on his strings even as we speak?!" War shouted angrily.

"I have already been reprimanded by Strife of all people, I don't need your voice to be as annoying to hear as his." Fury waved her hand in annoyance. But that gesture only infuriated War further as he grabbed her arm with his right hand.

"You will open your ears until they bleed Fury, it is the least of the punishments that you deserve for what you have done." War seethed angrily.

"Punishment?!" Fury barked angrily as she immediately yanked her arm from War's grip and also glared daggers at her brother. "Then pray tell War, how do you expect us to defeat the Seven Deadly Sins, who are now far stronger than they were the last time we faced them?!"

"Together Fury, with our powers combined!" War shouted angrily.

"And you have seen firsthand how pitiful those results were against Sloth! And if we struggled against a pustule-riddled filth like him, what chance do we have against the other Sins in combat?!" Fury shouted angrily as well.

"Has the Lord of the Hollows damaged your resolve, along with your pride?! We would have defeated the Sins the same way we have in the past, the horsemen fighting side by side with the powers bestowed upon us by the Council!" War scolded angrily.

"You are a fool if you think that we can defeat them in a similar manner! Just like us, they learn from their mistakes, and they make remedies for them by not repeating them, case in point in our battle with Sloth, and the battle I had with both Wrath and Avarice!" Fury retorted angrily, but War kept his same, stern, angry face. "Despise these powers if you will, but were it not for them, we would not had these in our possession." She said in softer tone before she pulled out two shards of a certain weapon they are after.

"The shards of the Armageddon Blade." War said in slight surprise.

"Yes, hoarded by the Collector himself. Make your choice brother. We either fight as one, or die as two. And I would much rather prefer the former." Fury said seriously, without a threat or demand in her voice as she put the shards back in her back pocket.

Now the riders had an intense, silent staredown at one another. Fury started to guess what her brother will do next, while War had a really hard time not to lash out at his sister even further. Much like Strife, War was really livid by her all too reckless decision, now he doesn't even know if he should trust her judgment by taking these repulsive powers from the Lord of the Hollows. But, in spite of that fact, these powers have proven to be rather effective against Sloth, and Avarice as well, judging by the prize that she claimed from him. And if what she says is true, along with the fact that Ophis is still out there somewhere, no doubt causing havoc with her minions in the Khaos Brigade, they will probably need all the help they can get if they are to preserve humanity's kingdom from all these threats, along with the Balance.

"I still do not approve of the powers that you acquired from the Lord of the Hollows, and I do not think Death would approve either. But given the severity of the mission at hand, I suppose we should make use of your newly acquired powers, at least until the threats to the Balance are eliminated." War said in serious, yet reluctant voice.

"At least you are more reasonable than Strife was." Fury said in neutral tone.

"Not reason, but necessity Fury. Were it any other situation, you would receive the same scorn from me like you did from Strife. Prove me wrong sister, prove to me that your decision was not as foolish as I thoroughly believe it to be." War said sternly.

"Such discord."

A voice suddenly said above them. The moment they looked up, a blinding light shone down at them, prompting the riders to shield themselves from the light.

"You can only imagine my disappointment, but such a thing can be expected from the primitive brutes like the Nephilim." A masked, angel-looking figure said smugly as she hovered above them. Fury and War knew that this was no angel whatsoever, but something far more dangerous and sinister.

"Pride, charming as ever." Fury commented bluntly.

"Your final hour has come Pride." War said sternly.

"Boldly said, but as you are now, you are not worth my time." Pride said in rather unimpressed tone, as if they were annoying insects to be swatted aside without a shred of care.

This infuriated Fury as she charged at Pride, Scorn in hand. But when she jumped up and whirled her bladed whip at the Sin, she only managed to hit her protective bubble. She attempted to hit her again, but she only managed to hit her energy sphere.

"Please. Don't even bother." Pride said in annoyance.

"Are you not one of the Great Seven Deadly?! Fight us instead of cowering, you pompous, pathetic excuse of-"

"Your taunts are a waste of breath horseman, no more an annoyance than a buzzing of a fly." Pride interrupted Fury as she sighed a bit in annoyance.

"Then a ringing of steel through your skull will certainly draw your attention." War said sternly, his anger fueled by Fury's reckless decision regarding her Hollow powers.

"Is that so red rider? You should probably make that effort on your eldest brother instead." Pride said curiously.

"What do you mean?" Fury asked angrily.

"That what I said Fury. It is your brother Death who is the most deserving of the sword cleaving his head in two, especially for the deed committed to the youngest of the Four that lead him to his demise." Pride stated as a matter of factly.

"Whatever lies you intend to spout from your mouth, it will not turn us against each other!" War declared sternly.

"No? Not even the time when he allowed the angel Hadrimon to kill you with a Grand Abomination known as Black Mercy?" Pride asked inquisitively.

At that, War's eyes slightly widened in shock. The flashbacks of that morbid day rushed in his mind, when he and a large contingent of angels rushed away from the cavernous cover, back at the Ravaiim's necrotic homeworld, to deliver the cylinder of Ravaiim blood away from the renegade angel Hadrimon. Only to be cut down by the Grand Abomination known as Black Mercy, a ranged weapon capable of killing it's victims even from a mere scratch of its fleshy tooth projectiles.

"Your own brother deceived you War, in his pride and arrogance he took it upon himself to take the true blood vial and escape with it, leaving you and the angelic soldiers to die. If you do not believe me, why don't you go and ask your elder brother of that day? I'm certain he would be most eager to provide you with his own answer." Pride said as smugly as ever.

Fury did not believe a word that Pride spouted about Death and his supposed treachery. She refused to believe such a thing. But when she glanced at War, who gritted his teeth at the seemingly accursed memory, she had a sliver of doubt in her mind at the certainly of her denial.

"Now both of you be kind and scurry back to the hole you were born from." Pride said smugly as she waved them off, like shooing pestering stray dogs.

"Not until I tear your head off, along with that grotesque mask of yours!" Fury seethed angrily.

"And now you tire me horseman." Pride sighed in annoyance. "Perhaps when I am the only Sin left standing, you might be worthy of an audience with me, let alone be given such an opportunity. Though it is highly unlikely, given your primitive origins, I still encourage you to surprise me. Until that time…"

Having her say, Pride emitted another flash of blinding light, and when it died down, she vanished as quickly as the light itself. When it did, Fury noticed that her brother is just standing there in uncomfortable silence, and seemingly trembling in anger while gritting his teeth.

"War? Tell me that you are not possibly considering her lies." Fury said seriously as she approached her brother.

"Are they lies Fury?" War said in frustration.

"Don't be stupid brother, of course they are! Death can be insufferable, that much cannot be denied, but he would never throw away our lives as if we were yet another waste of lifeblood." Fury scolded angrily.

"If so, then Death will not hesitate in giving me his own answer on the matter." War said sternly before he started to walk away, but was quickly stopped by Fury as she placed her hand on his left pauldron.

"Wasn't it you who just said that this was her ploy to turn us against each other?! She knows that united the Sins do not have hope of winning against the horsemen, so she seeks to divide us instead." Fury said seriously.

"You were not there Fury!" War barked angrily as his face inched closer to Fury's, prompting her to instinctively take a step back. "I failed to deprive the enemy of the Ravaiim blood, and paid for that failure with my life! If what she says is true, if Death is truly responsible for sending me to my own demise, he will pay for that deceit with his own." He said in dead serious tone before he departed.

"And what about the mission War? Surely you out of four of us would not abandon your duties so easily." Fury asked strictly.

"Do I look like I care about the accursed mission right now? Do not anger me anymore than I already am sister." War seethed angrily, his body trembling a bit at the level of rage he's feeling right now, on the verge of transforming into a Chaos Form from the sheer rage he felt. But before that would happen, he left, this time not stopping for nothing.

The situation must indeed be extremely severe if War would choose vengeance over duty. This would not exactly be the first time for War to tread down that path, but such a thing was so rare that she can't remember the last time he behaved like this. However, what made her curious, if not concerned is that his wrath is now directed at their eldest brother. Now she couldn't help but postpone her mission for the time being and follow War, all too curious to hear what Death has to say to his supposed crime on their youngest sibling, Seven Deadly Sins be damned compared to this curiosity.

---

Meanwhile, having finished with his own business, Death stood at the cliffs overlooking the wastelands of the land far away from the Gremory territory, seemingly gazing in thought.

"Hello Death."

A voice suddenly snapped the rider from his thoughts, prompting him to turn his head to see who it was. Then his eyes widened slightly in shock as he noticed a little, black-haired girl, donning a gothic lolita outfit, smiling, if not smirking at him from above while sitting on a rock. It was not the appearance itself that shook the Reaper, but the very impactful presence that this being exudes. This sense of nothingness, this void that he feels in his chest, as if she wielded the power of the Abyss itself. After a few, brief moments, he realized that this empty presence could only belong to a single, extremely powerful and equally dangerous entity.

"Ophis." Death said grimly.

"So you became a Council's lapdog? You would have been far better off being exterminated with the rest of your kind than serve those glorified slabs of volcanic stone." Ophis smirked.

If it was anyone else Death would have already killed her for that remark and give her soul to Vulgrim to chew on it. But since this is the Ouroboros Dragon itself, he can't afford to do anything foolish.

"Instead of an old man, you decided to take the appearance of a little girl. Why?" Death asked curiously.

"Who knows? Was it a simple change in appearance, or for the shock factor at the realization that the leader of the Khaos Brigade is a little girl? It would probably be the latter." Ophis shrugged.

"What do you want dragon?" Death asked impatiently.

"Seems that all these eons haven't taught you even a sliver of mannerism. Perhaps I should visit your siblings instead, I'm certain they know more of courtesy than you." Ophis said in neutral tone while maintaining her smirk.

"If you so much as touch them..." Death growled in low tone as he clenched his fists hard, his orange eyes glowing in an all too apparent anger.

"You'll do what, put a scythe through my chest? Don't be ridiculous Reaper, with your strength you might as well use it to pick my teeth." Ophis said with an unamused face, more as a matter of fact than an insult, completely undeterred by the rider's rage.

But for Death, after that mockery, added by an apparent threat to his kin, he immediately assumed his Reaper Form, flew above Ophis and bolted towards her. When he was close enough, he swung his scythe Harvester down, intent on cleaving her in two. However, Ophis remained perfectly still in place, and with a simple, left index finger she stopped Death's weapon in his tracks, the tip of his scythe hitting the tip of her index finger, the collision sending an intense shockwave all around them, shattering the ground beneath them for many miles. Although not apparent by the black void beneath his hood, Ophis knew that Death was shocked to say the least, at the fact that she stopped his blow with a mere finger, keeping the Harvester in place. Even now as he made the effort to force his scythe down, his weapon didn't even budge. He knew that his reckless attack would be blocked all too well, but not with this ridiculous ease.

"How cute." Ophis said, keeping her mocking smirk before she raised her right hand, bent her middle finger and flicked it towards Death's chest.

The force of that simple flick knocked Death out of his Reaper Form and sent him flying like a projectile for miles in the direction she flicked him towards, down to the wastelands below. After what seemed like many miles of flying backwards, Death flipped back a few times, pulled out his dual scythes and drove them into the ground, carving almost a two mile long line before he finally stopped himself. When he did, he stood in place for several long moments, trying to process what just happened.

"By the Creator. She did all that… with a simple flick?!" Death thought as he growled a bit in frustration, for the first time in countless centuries genuinely shocked.

When he finally regained his bearing and looked up, his eyes widened a bit when he saw Ophis casually standing right in front of him, making him leap backwards on instinct and immediately take his fighting position, holding his scythes in reverse grip.

"For all of your power granted by the Council, you are still no match for me." Ophis stated as a matter of factly, with not a shred of pride or malevolence in her tone. It's almost as if she is disappointed at how weak Death was compared to her.

"Perhaps. But I'm certain that Samael would like to have a word with you regarding that fact." Death said grimly.

"Don't take me for a fool Reaper. The Dragon Eater's interests are solely his own, and saving you from my wrath would hardly be the case." Ophis said, her face now being more serious, making Death ready himself for a possible, yet losing battle. "Fortunately for you, I did not come here to fight. Not that you would had hope of winning even if I did. No, I simply wanted to give you something, something that you and your brothers are in search of." She said before she conjured what appeared to be shards of a broken blade, two of them to be specific.

"The Shards of the Armageddon Blade?" Death said in surprise.

"Indeed, gathered by the Khaos Brigade for their selfish purposes. And now, all yours for the taking." Ophis said before she telekinetically dropped the two shards at Death's feet. However, Death was hesitant to pick them up, concerned that this might be some sort of trap on Ophis' part.

"Why would you give them away so easily Ophis? When you know that the restored blade has enough power to kill even the likes of you." Death asked curiously as he sheathed his scythes.

"Unlikely. The Armageddon blade was forged for the singular purpose, and that is to destroy the Seven Seals. Potent as the Maker's weapons usually are, especially with the use of their precious Forge, it is still not enough to kill me." Ophis smirked.

"Whatever your schemes may be with the Sins, it doesn't matter now. Three out of Seven have already been defeated, and the other four will soon follow. You will not succeed in threatening the Balance, neither with them, nor with the Khaos Brigade." Death stated seriously.

"You think that I'm the one who threatens your precious Balance?" Ophis said before he let out a muffled, mirthless chuckle. "You horsemen are amusingly blind to the Council's lip service towards the very concept of Balance."

"I would not mock the Council and the Balance so lightly, lest you incur their wrath-"

"Through the enforcers like you? Need I make another demonstration as to how your strength means little against me?" Ophis said flatly.

"I was not referring to the Four Horsemen." Death stated. Ophis could only tilt her head a bit in confusion, like an ordinary child would. "You are foolish to believe that we are the only enforcers that the Council send to punish the wicked. There is a being in the Council's service far more dangerous than all of the horsemen combined. A being simply known as the Keeper of Oblivion."

Ophis' eyes widened at that, not even trying to hide her apprehensiveness at the one place that even she dreads to end up. And if there was an emotion to be put on her face, it would most certainly be fear, something that Death recognized in adequate amusement.

"So you know of him, and the purpose of that title? Good. Not even you, for all of your might and power cannot stop yourself from being erased from existence in Oblivion. So if I fail to stop you, be it today or in days to come, either Samael or the Keeper will most certainly succeed where I couldn't." Death said grimly.

"Very convincing horseman. True, only select few beings are a real threat to me. But as of now, there's no need for me to make any attempt on your lives or your vaunted Balance, when the Council themselves are doing that job adequately well." Ophis said in same, neutral tone.

"Enlighten me Ophis. Why would they want to dispose of us, when we have served them faithfully for eons?" Death asked curiously. It was very hard for him to believe in such a thing, that the Council are scheming against their very enforcers, but he is curious as to what the Ouroboros Dragon has to say to that matter.

"'Faithfully' is quite a skewed concept in your case rider. I couldn't care less for the reason behind their decision, but it is something that can hardly be ignored. Isn't it odd that among your other tasks, the Seven Deadly Sins have been released as well? Stronger than they were before, might I add, left to be taken care of by your siblings, Fury and Strife?" Ophis said flatly.

"The Sins that you released from their prison." Death stated accusingly.

"Nonsense. I wouldn't even know where to find their prison, let alone release them. And why would I bother to free the entities that have no sense of obedience even amongst themselves?" Ophis said.

"And you expect me to believe that you are innocent in this matter?" Death asked skeptically.

"Whether you believe what I'm telling you or not is your problem, horseman. But I'd suggest that you hear my words. The Council is going against the very Balance they claim to uphold, and you are caught in their conniving schemes. If you value your lives, i suggest you act soon if you are to put a stop to their plans." Ophis said in same, emotionless tone before she started to walk past Death.

"Why would you tell me all this dragon? What do you gain from it?" Death asked as he turned sideways and looked at her back.

"I only wish to return to the silence of the void that the Dimensional Gap brings. My warning was simply a gesture of good will." Ophis said as she looked up at the sky, almost in thought.

"A 'gesture' that usually goes in the benefactor's favor." Death said bluntly.

"Believe what you will pale rider, but I've already had my say. As I've mentioned, it is ultimately your decision if you heed my warning or not." Ophis said, her expression about as empty as her emotions.

"If you are so fond of the Dimensional Gap, why did you abandon it to begin with?" Death asked curiously.

"I had my reasons rider. But when I attempted to return there, I discovered that it was taken from me by the Great Red." Ophis said simply.

"The Great Red? The Dragon of the Apocalypse?" Death asked in surprise.

"The same." Ophis said flatly.

"If so, then why don't you fight the dragon and take back your home?" Death asked.

"Unfortunately the battle between beings such as ourselves would collapse the Dimensional Gap, thus there would be no real victor between us if our home was to be destroyed, and us with it." Ophis stated flatly as she turned sideways and looked at Death.

"So that is why you lead the Khaos Brigade. You would use them as means to drive the Great Red out of the dimension, so you may return there." Death said in realization, close to shuddering at the thought of the Great Red emerging in the Underworld to cause unimaginable chaos, or worse, on Earth.

"Well deduced Reaper. Yes, those power hungry fools are willing to follow any of my commands so long as I grant them power, which is something I always have in ample supply." Ophis smirked before she turned her back on the rider. "Well, it was amusing talking with you Death, but I must continue my work to reobtain my silence. Until next time horseman." She said before she disappeared in smoke of iridescent colors. Death couldn't help but sigh a bit in relief, not feeling this apprehensive since the Grand Abomination crisis.

That was indeed a strange turn of events. He thought he was about to fight a losing battle against the Infinite Dragon God herself, but apparently there will be none of that, at least today. Now he can say with utmost certainty that Ophis is definitely not a foe to be trifled with, alongside other immensely powerful beings like Samael and Great Red. At least he got the answer to the reason of the dragon's presence back in this reality, it simply wishes to return to the Dimensional Gap where it apparently made itself at home. However, that is hardly making him feel better because the stakes have risen farm more than he anticipated. Bad enough that the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins are still out there, but now he has to stop Ophis from bringing the Great Red into this reality. If she succeeds in casting out the Dragon of the Apocalypse, then not just the Balance, but all of Creation would be threatened. And this is something he must not allow.

---

A/N: Yea, it was never really clear in Darksiders 3 as to when they fought the Seven Deadly Sins the first time, so I made a lorebending liberty to place that battle sometime between the events of Genesis and novel The Abomination Vault, hence how Pride knows about the horsemen's events in novel itself. I also imagined the conversation between Death and Ophis in this chapter like the ones in Darksiders 2, where you choose each dialogue option and then they have conversations depending on which dialogue you chose :D

-It is ON Well, considering this guy's gimmick, he's antithesis of everything the Balance supposedly represents, cycle of life, death and rebirth and all that, so he's understandably a hated character among the Council and the horsemen. And you're welcome, hopefully later chapters will come at a faster pace.

-muddin2900 I never left, just took a break lol. There's more chapters to come, don't worry.

-Imaginary Guy117 haha, thanks. There's yet more stuff for the horsemen to do, and with one drama after another stacking up, it will be a while before the four of them would be in the same room without killing each other :D And yea, definitely recommending Darksiders 3, especially if you're a fan of the franchise.

Yea, that revelation would be a shocker for Kuroka, that's for sure, considering her caring nature for her sister. Likewise :)

-Gamelover41592 Pretty much, yea :D

-DOOMRAIDER Yea in some regards the devils are more subtle with their schemes, but the majority of them are indeed no better than demons. Even though their society cut their ties with Hell and became their own faction, masquerading as humans and whatnot, at their core they are no different than them, in some aspects anyway. In this story's instance, i imagined their society to be like Imperium and Chaos type of situation from Warhammer 40k, where there are those who are loyal to Devil society and strive for peace, while there are those who hide in the shadows, waiting for the right time to come to rejoin forces of Hell, like Katarea Leviathan did. And yea, they only help others if it's in their personal interest. Another good example would be Rias herself, if it wasn't for Issei, her servant, bolting towards the church to save Asia, she wouldn't give a damn about fallen angels trying to steal Twilight Healing from Asia. The only reason she intervened was because her servant was threatened, so it was in her interest to intervene, otherwise who gives a damn about Asia, or whatever they do for that matter, so long as they are not involved.

Hmm, that seems like a great idea. I mean, I doubt Death would have access to the Oblivion Portal whenever he likes, since only the Council can sentence criminals to Oblivion, but I can definitely see him bluffing very convincingly about it :D

-jeremiahkelley93 Thank you.

-Guest We'll see.

-Izou Kada She's yet to be aware of that sad fact.

-The-Quiet-Sigma Yea, for the most part. But considering I still haven't read the light novel, and I'm honestly too lazy to read it, my interpretation of the deities would probably be different than what most DXD fans are used to, like the Olympians have their appearance, voices, personality etc. from God of War franchise, with a tinge of DXD traits here and there.

-Greer123 You're welcome :)

-Inferno999 haha, you're very much welcome yea, that's what most people expect, but it yet remains to be seen will I bring back the loli girl or not.

Well, relationship between War and Rias would probably be more like Kratos and Pandora at the beginning stages rather than Vegeta and Bulma, he would mostly see Rias as a child rather than a woman to have any sort of love interest with. It would basically be like "I trust you War." And he goes. "You shouldn't" :D

-rick12 Basically yeah, solidly summed up.

-nantono Brutality!

-yesbos21 Probably, but we are yet to see how will Kuroka react when she finds out the truth.

-Gundam-Knight-Chris Glad to hear, hope future chapters keep you invested as well :D

Yeah, those are exactly the vibes I got from Strife as I played through Genesis, he's jovial, laidback and throws modern quips like Deadpool, but also contemplative and sometimes serious like Dante, while also enjoying the thrill of the challenge. And that's the kind of combo that makes me love Strife far more than his almost grizzled interpretation in Darksiders 3. And yea, Strife will be in quite a pickle with Kuroka if that info were to reach her lol.

-Zhorvak Yea, that's a layer of personality that I like about Strife, much like Death he has the same 'was it worth it?' question after the slaughter at Eden. And it's no surprise that he would question his sibling's decision when she is fraternizing with someone as dangerous as the Lord of the Hollows, since most people don't know what kind of person he really is. As for Death's actions, that remains to be seen.

-Guest Well, killing Koneko and Saji wasn't exactly for the sake of Balance, but to make an example of them to Rias and Sona, so we'll see how will that front end up when Strife finds out.

-EC3 Sorry but I'm currently not planning for it's sequel, especially when I am yet to finish this story as well.

Once again, thank you all for faves, favorites and reviews, i wish you all a happy new year in advance and happy holidays. I'll see you all next year in the next chapter :)