Chapter 8 - The War of Heaven and Earth
"This is a favourite shared by many demons," the lord of the Nether began, a distorting laughter resounding from his form.
"BLOOD!" proclaiming the final word with a maniacal grin, Nemesis bisected the helpless Uriel vertically with one clean swipe, her blood spilling all over the ground in front of Solarin.
Solarin could do nothing but stare in silence. His eyes trembling from the pure, unadulterated rage boiling to the surface. There was no going back now…the armies of Heaven and Nether would clash with Earthland as their battleground.
This… I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!
"You…" Solarin glared with such ferocity it could have annihilated the souls of weaker beings. "WILL REGRET THIS, NEMESIS." The light god spat the name of his rival with so much distain that some of the observing demons felt pain.
The lord of heaven turned away, taking the mutilated body of his follower before dashing out of the palace.
"I will allow you to leave unharmed, Solarin. However, the next time we meet, there will be no such courtesies," the ruler of the Nether threatened, no… promised.
...
Fields of Heaven - Outside Empyrean
His presence was met by the Life God - Vitius, who stared at the body he carried in great shock. "My Lord… is that-"
"Yes." Solarin gave Vitius a hardened glare. "Let all of the heavens know: war has come, and the gods… SHALL DESCEND," his voiced boomed across the air and his power exploding in a massive golden pillar that could have been felt even in other realms. All his efforts to prevent an all-out war was for naught.
No matter what, there will be blood.
Skies of Earthland - Somewhere outside the Great Divide - Year X392
Outside the realm of heaven, in the entrance to Earthland, was a being clad in paladin style armour, followed by twelve other beings of equal stature with thousands of winged entities. The armies of heaven: angels, gods and all the races that lived in heaven answered the call to arms.
In formation, the army flew towards the entrance to Nether. Despite the entire force numbering just under ten thousand, each and every individual was capable of performing great feats of destruction.
All of these creatures that follow me… Solarin closed his eyes in acceptance. Will not live to see the next day.
Solarin glared far into the distance towards their enemy, knowing that Nemesis awaited him with an army outnumbering his own. The aura emitting from the angered god poured out in waves in response to his will. Words could not describe the rage felt within the lord of Empyrean; he held his tongue and sheathed his sword, but for what? His inaction was in hopes of preventing all-out war. Yet, here he was, with all the gods of heaven followed by the creatures that called the realm their home.
Clenching his fists in anger, Solarin began taking deep breaths to calm his mind.
I can't let my anger cloud my judgement; all creation, whether it be angel or human, rely on me!
Stopping mid air, Solarin turned with a hardened sternness befitting of someone with his stature. The army that followed slowly came to a halt in response to his action, all seemingly waiting for the light god to speak. Solarin materialized a glorious golden staff that emitted great power that seemed to eliminate all the surrounding shadow - even in places that light normally couldn't reach.
Raising it above his head, Solarin roared across the landscape.
"For decades, heaven has remained silent in response to the prayers for salvation. The realm of the Nether has forced our inaction, causing great atrocities to be committed against the mortals!" A cheer erupted as many nodded their heads in agreement.
"Nemesis takes his army of the damned and marches towards us with an overwhelming force of corruption, with means to lay waste to the precarious balance that has held the realms in harmony! At all costs… he must be stopped!" He swung his staff down, emphasizing his words.
"We have stayed our hands for too long! Nemesis has spat on the grace of Heaven, defiled one of our kind and repaid our mercy with blood!" his statement caused his army to go silence, yet every single soldier looked towards him with unwavering resolve. "No matter what happens… no matter how hard the rain falls, and how long the storm holds… eventually, all shall bow to the power of the sun!" The light god's declaration reignited the cheers, this time louder than before.
"We will not allow Nemesis to corrupt the realms gifted to us by our creators… the heavens shall descend upon Earthland and let all to know…" Solarin raised a fist into the air, his aura extending outwards.
"THAT THE GODS HAVE ANSWERED THEIR PRAYERS!" A chorus of cheers and battle cries once again erupted to the anxious forces of heaven. "Now, those that answered my call… ONWARDS TO VICTORY!" With a charge, Solarin flew away from the great divide, followed by all of his forces right behind him, a myriad of cheers and shouts filling the air.
"For Heaven!"
"For Solarin!"
"For Empyrean!"
"For Freedom!"
"For Hope!"
Shouts of glory were heard all around him; his unwavering resolve mirrored by each and every individual that took up arms.
Skies of Earthland - Somewhere outside the Great Canyon - Bridge between Nether and Earth
From the fires of nether, within the great mountains of dolor, poured out tens of thousands of creatures, each as grotesque and corrupt as the demons themselves. In the front, was a great hulking figure covered by spiked plate armor crafted from the most powerful of shadow irons - Umbratium. Behind him, followed seven creatures of equal stature where three bore great horns like a crown. One by one, the armies of darkness poured into Earthland, where each and every one was capable of great destruction.
Nemesis watched in excitement as he imagined his victory against the inhabitants of heaven and Earthland. There shall be no mercy to all that stood against him and his forces. The dark god knew that his rival would not surrender; the only way to truly become the victor of this war… was to take absolutely no prisoners.
Despite that, he knew that a good portion of the dragons would no doubt take the side of heaven in the battles to come.
When they do, I'll slaughter them without mercy.
Materializing his sword, Nemesis raised it above his head, his demonic voice rumbling across the landscape.
"Creatures of the Nether! We have lived in the fires and blood that stained our homeland while the creatures of other realms bathed in pleasures unbeknownst to us…" the demonic voice rumbled across the landscape as an orchestra of roars filled the area.
"Solarin and his followers intend to stand in our conquest but… our forces shall reign supreme!" Nemesis slashed his sword, causing a great amount of darkness to shoot into the sky, blotting out the sun for the shortest of moments.
"The scales of balance shall forever remain in our favour… for the shadows of conflict will rain upon the realms!" The dark god raised his fists, eliciting a response so filled with bloodlust it could have choked a lesser being.
"It does not matter how powerful the light shines… for the greatest light casts the largest shadow. The fires of Nether exists within each and every one of you! Use that power and show our enemies the meaning of fear!" he shouted, causing a symphony of anxious cries.
"The fuse of war is lit! The realms will bleed and the darkness of Nether shall forever blanket all of creation!" His declaration was met with unbridled vengefulness in each and every one of his soldiers. "Let death come to all who oppose us! Let the blood of angels stain the skies red! Let the fires of hell burn all that dare betray us… for the Nether will ascend from the depths of damnation, to let the world know…
"THAT THE GODS HAVE COME TO CLAIM THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE," Nemesis proclaimed, causing the roars of his armies to get ever louder; roars of wyverns, cries of shades and bellows of his fellow gods erupted all around in a symphony of destruction that could be heard for miles. "Now… my army of the damned, KILL THEM ALL," he flew towards the heavens, followed by the waves upon waves of tainted creatures right on his tail.
The skies bellowed with roars from creatures of every shape and size; some fought for glory and riches, some fought for power, but the demons… only sought blood.
All over Earthland
A farmer far east looked up in the sky to see gigantic monstrosities littering the sky.
…
Children playing outside a small village to the west stop to look at beautiful winged entities gracefully fly across the clouds.
…
Animals that rested peacefully in the forest could do nothing as they were preyed upon by the jaws of the damned. Forests were burnt to the ground and the living fell in despair as creatures unheard of even in their deepest nightmares made their existence know.
…
"Mommy, what's that?" A small child questioned her mother, pointing towards the great horned creatures that headed the beasts of corruption.
The mother could do nothing but shake in fear; her mouth agape and her heartbeat erratic. "Come…here…sweetie, let's go to mommy's room okay?"
"Okay!"
…
With Solarin
There was nothing that could describe the feeling felt by the Light God as he was flying his way through the Nether. The landscape around him blurred from one scene to another as he and his army tore through the skies. Suddenly, he saw five massive auras within a field of thousands.
Dragons? With humans?
Solarin narrowed his eyes, his mind recalling their cruelty against Earthland's inhabitants. As he neared the settlement, he noticed the dragons picking up humans one by one before swallowing them whole. Damn those savages! Angered, the God of Light rushed towards the scene, followed closely by his army.
In an instant, five condensed beams of light pierced the chest of every dragon, forcing them to drop any and all humans being held before gagging on their own blood. Solarin flew above the five dragons, eyes filled with contempt staring down the beasts who stared back in shock.
"Remember well, before the light fades from your eyes," his voice rumbled, a potent aura surrounding his form. "That the judgement imparted upon you are the consequences of your actions." The dragons all fell to the ground in a heap, eyes still wide from their sudden demise. Solarin observed their bodies, his thoughts trailing towards his… unexpected visitor.
These five had barely a fraction of the power held by the one that came into heaven…
As soon as the dragons laid unmoving, a myriad of cheers and cries echoed throughout the air. Shouts of gratitude and happiness traveled to the skies as Solarin stared down at the ant-like figures far below him, focusing his hearing.
"Thank goodness… it's finally over," spoke a man dressed in ragged clothing stained with blood.
"Mommy? Are the monsters gone now?" A squeaky yet innocent voice reached the ears of her mother.
"Yes… yes they are." Tears of joy ran from her cheeks as the sorrow bottled within finally flowed free.
"The Gods… they came," spoke a bearded elderly man as he pointed towards the glowing figure in the sky.
Solarin descended to just above the houses within the village, catching the attention of the inhabitants below. "Do not celebrate prematurely, mortals." His voice rumbled, silencing all murmurs and gossips within the populace. "For the battle is not yet won. Leave the village and hide yourselves if you wish to survive."
"Please, may we have the name of our saviour?" Solarin looked towards the voice, seeing an old woman dressed in plain clothing.
The light god remained in silence, pondering about whether or not to reveal his name, before speaking. "My name is Solarin, Lord of Heaven." The moment he gave his name, he returned to his army waiting from above. Little did the God know, that his actions today will spur the creation of a group known as the followers of the sun.
Making his way towards his position at the head of the army, Solarin turned to face his followers. "Nemesis draws near, prepare yourselves." The creatures of heaven stood strong, their will unwavering, all the gods understanding the risks of battle… and the consequences should they lose. With a silent charge, Solarin accelerated towards the East, for the calm before the storm came to an end.
On opposite sides of the same realm, the lords of creation came together in the skies of Earth. One fought for conquest, and the other fought for balance. There would be no promises of glory, no parley, or exchange of words. This following battle would be remembered for ages, for it shall be carved into the realm itself.
Faster.
Solarin accelerated towards the ocean of auras that rushed against him. He knew he was outnumbered; his only advantage was that he bolstered five more gods within his ranks. Nemesis, Diablo, and Embrius; the great three would doubtlessly be the spearhead of his enemies' charge.
Closer.
The two armies were in view of each other; bystanders freezing in awe to see the fields of light and darkness on the verge of clashing. To the humans below, the confrontation between the two armies were both beautiful, and terrifying. Beings of all shapes and sizes, each with enough power to reshape the land, flared their auras to shower the skies with a myriad of lights. The few dragons that watched from below in silence begun to realize, that with the entrance of the powers that ruled their realms, the final battle had begun.
Despite the dissonance of shouts and battle cries, Solarin heard a deafening silence as he led the charge against his adversary. Tens of kilometers were the gap between opposing forces; but to the greatest powers within the three realms, it was but a hair's width.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH," Solarin bellowed, his aura flaring to heights he had never reached before, his body convulsing with the sudden influx of power. The distance between him and his army widening as the God of Light charged forward.
War.
It was not something to be glorified. Yet, songs would no doubt be sung about the heroics of individuals on all sides. What did it mean to be a hero of war? To be memorialized on pedestals and texts; but for what? Genocide? Murder? It didn't matter. For history was whatever the victors would make of it.
Blood.
It was all he could see when their armies crashed together. Thousands of angels, demons, and creatures from all sides fell within seconds of the clash. Solarin himself was occupied with hundreds of beasts all swarming him; all lusting for the glory that came with taking his head. He could not turn to see the condition of his allies; as any distraction, hesitation, or misstep could lead to fatal injury.
The combatants of nether, coming in all shapes and sizes fell by the hundreds, their bodies burned by holy light or disintegrated by the power held within his staff. Auras all around him disappeared, whether it was the ones that followed him, or the ones that fought against him. Solarin knew that within minutes, the foot soldiers would all perish, leaving the generals to fight each other.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see fields of dots fly towards the battle from every direction, some being felled by each other in their charge. Each one had power that could rival if not surpass his own soldiers. Solarin widened his eyes; Dragons.
Were they nearing a final confrontation as well?!
Of course! Had Solarin won, there would have nothing to stop himself from purging every single dragon that terrorized Earthland. If Nemesis won, it would be the same for those that stood with the humans. This battle would have decided their fates. Savage beasts as they were, they were prideful. If they were to die, then they would gamble everything.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Solarin held up his staff to protect himself from hundreds of coalescing spells. Damn! The already disadvantageous state of his army would be further emphasized by the new arrivals.
What if the newcomers were on the side of the dragon that once intruded heaven?
Would they fight with me? Or against me? If Solarin was resented due to his actions, then it was likely that the incoming dragons would form the third side in this war. No matter what, everything will be decided in this single battle. No doubt untold millions would perish, but he had hope.
Dragon, demon, angel, and human… could we one day, live in peace?
Solarin snapped out of his futile thoughts as the new forces drew closer, dozens of sonic booms resounded all throughout the atmosphere. However, it did nothing to affect the fighting. It would be mere seconds before the impact, a four-way battle between the greatest collection of power seen since creation itself.
Five…
Solarin began a countdown in his head, all while evading claws, swords, and streams of fire.
Four…
The silhouettes increased in size; the shapes of their wings became visible. Widening his eyes, he reflexively moved his head to the side, out of the path of a condensed blade of black fire. A small singe appeared on his cheeks.
Three…
He was confident all of his forces were prepared to defend against the newcomers. Now, he had to do his part in eliminating as many enemies as possible. Firing massive streams of light towards his foes, he incinerated dozens of demons instantaneously.
Two…
He noticed his army, which once stood at over 10,000 strong, now sported just above half that number. Letting loose another powerful blast at the aggressors, Solarin burned another group of attackers to the ground.
One…
His eyes darted to both charging forces; there was not enough time to differentiate friend from foe.
Solarin grunted in pain; in his momentary distraction, a stray demon was able to pierce his shoulder with a blackened spear. The light god looked at his attacker, only to widen his eyes as he came face to face with one of the great three.
Diablo…
Jumping back while ripping the spear from his flesh, Solarin cauterized the wound with the light, allowing his natural healing to take affect.
Zero…
Absolute chaos; that was the only way he would describe the scene around him. Before, there was a clear line between enemy and ally. As soon as the dragons hit true, a cacophony of roars and screams resounded all around. Blood splattered from every side, fountains of red erupted towards the ground, dying it. Any of the combatants, holy and unholy, that were unable to recover from their own surprise were devoured without hesitation.
In just minutes, the total participants of this battle dwindled down to a quarter of its original strength.
Amidst the turmoil, gods and dragons found themselves in deadly duels. There was no longer the issue of being surrounded on all sides for a thousand became a hundred, a hundred became ten, and ten became one.
Solarin focused his senses, and saw a singular aura standing out amidst the sea of lights.
Nemesis…
With no hesitation, he flew straight towards the aura of the greatest being within Pandemonium. When the battle first began, their entire army could have fitted within a sphere ten kilometers wide; now, the remaining forces were spread all over the land.
Landmasses sank into the ocean while the oceans itself evaporated as duels of conflict became desperate bids of survival.
Within the chaos however, none would notice a predatory black dragon murder and absorb its own kind.
The distance between him and Nemesis, which stretched for more than a hundred kilometers, was bridged within moments. Solarin narrowed his eyes in disgust as Nemesis ripped off the wings of a brown dragon, before using his claws to crush its spine. Steeling his resolve, the lord of heaven charged at speeds that would make hypersonic travel seem like slow motion.
Solarin saw Nemesis turn to face him, a black aura rivaling his own exploded from his form. He launched a powerful fist towards the dark god, only to be met by an equally powerful elbow strike, causing a shock wave to radiate from the two beings, annihilating kilometers and kilometers of land. Gold eyes rose to meet the black in their exchange, their feelings shown to each other within the brief contact between them. With just one strike, the two gods understood. Regardless of how they were in the distant past, this battle would end when one of them ceased to exist.
Light and Dark rushed each other; thousands of kicks, punches, and maneuvers occurring within the span of seconds. The skies shifted back and forth from day to night as the opposing forces fought for dominance. Streams of shadow and brilliant flashes emitted from the two. Each stray spell being powerful enough to completely rearrange the landscape.
Elsewhere
In another side of the world, Vitius - The God of Life, was locked in a duel with Ankhseram - The God of Death. The spectral shade sapping the life out of the world itself as trees withered and regrew from the conflict between life and death.
…
Elsewhere, Diablo - The God of Sin, fought Staterius - The God of Order. Neither side gave in to the other; the only thought within their minds was how to kill their opponent. Shock waves emitted from their battle, reshaping the landscape and saturating it with their magic.
…
A Great Fire Dragon sporting a single scar on his chest faced Embrius - The God of Fire for the second time. There were no words or banter exchanged between them, for this was war. Blasts of flames erupted all around, both combatants pushing their wills to their limits to establish sovereignty on the fires that danced in the skies.
…
Within the uppermost reaches of the atmosphere, an ocean of thunder clouds rotated around Ventus - The God of Wind, Ventia - The Goddess of the Sky, and Susanoo - The God of Lightning. Winds that would shame even the most powerful of hurricanes screamed across the air, while herculean sparks of lightning filled the skies.
…
A dragon with pitch-black scales decorated by dull blue markings flew above an ocean with angel-like wings. Its adversary was Eris - The Goddess of Chaos. Despite their statures, both sides were equal in strength. Massive claws swiping the smaller goddess while great beams of blue energy bombarded the powerful scales of the dragon.
With Solarin
Throughout his hundreds of years in existence, the God of Light had never had a battle this intense. Even if he had fought with his fellow gods of heaven, he would have never pushed himself beyond this limits for the simple purpose of eliminating an opponent. His senses sharper, more acute than ever before; the blood boiling within his veins flowing quicker and quicker, while his bones shook with every strike exchanged with his rival. Despite the stakes of their battle, and the raw emotion spilled from their guts, Solarin was able to feel an unfamiliar euphoria arising from deep within.
For centuries, Solarin reigned himself in. Never feeling strong emotions for he believed that he could not be impartial to balance itself unless he himself was in balance. It was only recently, due to the events that transpired prior to the war, that he began feeling anger, sadness, hatred, and even fear. It wasn't fear for his life, for he knew that with his strength, there was only one being that could truly challenge him. Yet, the idea of not knowing what's to come, not being able to predict the rampaging change in this era, that… was absolutely terrifying.
Solarin grunted as a powerful fist dug into his midsection. The air in his lungs escaped forcefully through his lips; his eyes reddening in shock as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Multiple sonic booms resounded across the skies as his body was launched from one continent to the other in mere moments; the landscape blurring from forests, oceans, deserts, all within a blink of an eye. Nemesis' armoured-clasp form chased him from the distance.
Using his magic to right himself, Solarin sent a powerful shock wave behind him, launching him to meet the dark god. It was right before their incoming clash that both sides felt an explosion of power. An aura resembling both a god's and a dragon's raised exponentially, peaking to heights even greater then their own before dying out completely.
What was that? That was the thought that lingered on both minds before they returned their focus to each other.
They continuously delivered devastating strikes to vital spots. Heart, kidney, liver, and spine. Each god endured hundreds if not thousands of strikes every second in hopes of winning their battle of attrition.
For the briefest of moments, time seemed to slow down as the debris surrounding the gods froze in mid air. Their fists traveling ever-so-slowly towards each other. One towards the jaw, and the other towards the chin. Solarin could perceive the instantaneous contact within fraction of a fraction of a second as his fist struck a bead of sweat that dripped from his bangs. His eyes stared into the blackened holes of Nemesis' helmet, causing feelings of centuries past to surface from the depths of his subconscious.
Despite his changeless exterior, Solarin felt sorrow grip into his angered heart. Doubt began to cloud his resolve; he began to reminisce to the time when he was but a mortal. An image of a black-haired boy flashed into existence beside the hulking mass that Nemesis had become.
What made us, so different?
It was surreal; before he ruled the heavens, before he ascended, before he became an angel… he remembered the day their paths diverged.
We were shown the same love…
He remembered his birth parents; they gave Nemesis and himself a life of comfort - away from the pains and tragedies that would come to befall them.
We shared the same pain.
An image of a huge infernal that burned down his first home came into his mind.
So why… did things turn out this way?
Time began speeding up, he could see himself reflected from the lifeless eyes that stared back at him. Their fists struck true; the same pain once again shared by the two gods.
A massive shockwave radiated from the rulers of light and darkness, the space around them rippling from strength put into each strike. Their bodies rocketed away from each other, hurricane force winds surrounding them as they shot through the air. Resolve shaking and will melting; a lone tear fell from his weakened eyes.
Nemesis threatened to destroy the balance between the realms, therefore it was his duty to stop him. Yet, he remembered of what he once was. A human, one filled with emotion, love, hatred, sadness, despair. The same emotions that bombarded his mind as he continued to soar through the skies.
Nemesis… if you win, would you be willing to end my life?
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar power that once again erupted from beyond the horizon. The aura felt similar to the explosion that he felt seconds before; however, it was more complete. Its strength above both Nemesis' and his own. The light god snapped out of his daze, sadness replaced with shock, and despair replaced with fear.
What is this monstrosity?
Within an instant, the massive presence began extinguishing hundreds of other auras. The doubt was still in his heart, but Solarin knew that whatever appeared would pose a far greater threat to the balance of the three realms. He looked back towards Nemesis in thought; if he were to leave and fight off the new enemy, would Nemesis take the chance to kill him?
Looking down, Solarin gritted his teeth, he had to decide, and he had to decide now. Giving one last glance towards his opposite, Solarin rocketed towards the new adversary. He wanted to have faith, that even with differing ideologies, that Nemesis would defend the realm that he sacrificed so many to conquer.
Somewhere along the coast of the Southern Continent
A great black dragon rampaged across the realm, obliterating all of creation. Angels, demons, dragons, everything that existed fell to the power of the divine beast. A single sweep of its powerful wings could create shock waves that rearranged the landscapes around it; its speed allowing it to move unseen to all but the most trained eyes.
Within seconds, the beast of apocalypse annihilated thousands of creatures regardless of their side, for its allegiance was towards no one but itself. Its breath turned lands into oceans and oceans into craters as the water evaporated from its sheer might.
Its power was unlike anything since the era of the Primordials; it surpassed even the greatest of gods.
Conclusions of Duels between gods and dragons - moments prior to Acnologia's awakening
In the duel between life and death, Vitius - God of Life, has successfully struck down Ankhseram - God of death. However, despite his defeat, the ascended shade will extend his life by attaching his weakened spirit to the soul of a child bearing his curse.
…
Within the struggle between chaos and discord, Dragon vs God, a decisive victory was attained for the black dragon as he struck down Eris - The Goddess of Chaos and devoured her whole. His decision forced an evolution on his body, which had not begun to ascend. The power that ravaged his veins assaulted every fiber of his being, constantly breaking and reforming his bones, muscles, and magic. However, through this attainment of great power, his sanity would be sacrificed… becoming nothing more than an apocalyptic force of nature.
…
Between the battle between Sin and order, Diablo - God of Sin, brutally eviscerated Staterius - God of Order. The battle was hard fought, neither side surrendering despite their injuries. However, despite the closeness of their struggle, it would be the demon god that emerged victorious in this duel.
…
The Greatest of the Fire Dragons, one who fought against those that would see humans as nothing but sustenance, became the second of his kind to prove himself superior to a God. The infernal battle, one that reduced all life and land to ashes, would end with the defeat of Embrius - God of Fire. It would be this victory that allowed the dragon to absorb a portion of the power held by Embrius, allowing him to ascend to the realms of divinity. Despite his defeat, Embrius, one of the great three, was able to escape back to the Nether with his life, abandoning the war effort completely.
…
High above within the atmosphere, the storm began to calm as Susanoo - God of Lightning, attained victory against the twin gods of air. Ventia - Goddess of the Skies, was able to escape with her life. However, her twin elder brother - even if its only by three minutes, Ventus - God of Winds, was slain in battle from a devastating blast from the opposing god. Susanoo, who was too injured to give chase, allowed Ventia to escape with her life. He eventually retreated back to the Nether himself, abandoning the war effort.
…
Moments earlier, the Light God abandoned his battle with Nemesis to combat the arising threat.
How could something of this magnitude exist?
Solarin grinded his teeth in frustration; a heavy toll was already taken on all sides; millions of lives were taken within minutes of the battle. Soldiers, civilians, and even creatures that had nothing to do with the war became victims of their struggle.
Humans, animals, and those that called Earthland their home were slaughtered in the billions for simply being at the wrong place at the time. No, it was simply the wrong time, for there was nowhere in Earthland that could provide safety in this war.
Seconds later, Solarin finally got an accurate sense of what exactly he was dealing with. The power of the beast that seem to flicker from place to place was immense. Its irregular movements were difficult to follow, even with his eyes, and if its destructive power was of any indication, he would not be able to beat him.
Not alone.
What was he supposed to do? Even against odds this overwhelming, he could not simply give up! If there was the slimmest of chances, he had to try!
As soon as Solarin was in plain sight, the dragon god abruptly ceased its mindless carnage, instead focusing directly at the approaching challenger. Solarin braced himself, if he made a single mistake… then it would be all over. Nearly instantaneously, a large black figure appeared in front of him, a titanic claw balled into a fist already inches from his body.
Wha- *Crack!*
The light god had no time to comprehend what just happened as he was devastated by the beast's attack. Multiple shock waves radiated from his body as he soared through the air at great speeds. With great effort, Solarin righted himself in the air, wiping a stream of blood from his busted lips.
Solarin gritted his teeth as the black dragon readied another charge. What!? He widened his eyes; he was able to see the movements of his opponent quite clearly this time. It barely moved at a fifth of its original speed when it first attacked him.
Of course!
Remembering the explosion of magic he felt during his battle with Nemesis, Solarin concluded. The dragon had just recently ascended, which meant that its power was still in imbalance. If he wanted to defeat the beast charging him, then he could not allow it - under ANY circumstance - to master its abilities.
Attempting to capitalize on his opponent's momentary weakness, Solarin rushed forwards in a burst of speed, his fists infused with concentrated light energy. The speed of his adversary remained unchanged; it seemed that its power fluctuation would be in his favour just for this moment. Smiling confidently, Solarin prepared to dig his fist into the beast's abdomen.
With all his strength, the god thought he could down the beast at its weakest with one shot. Smiling from the satisfying crunch, Solarin widened his eyes when he felt the heart beat of the beast rumble against his fist.
What no! Solarin scoffed, jumping backwards to avoid the counterattack.
Too slow.
With its original speed, the black dragon accelerated towards Solarin, ramming him head on with its armoured scales.
"Graaah!" Solarin grunted in pain, spitting out blood from the heavy blow he took straight to his stomach.
The dragon continued its inconsistent strikes, forcing Solarin to on dodging and defending the swipes from the dragon. It's pattern… it's too irregular!
The speed and strength of each strike was different; one could crack Solarin's bones from blocking and another could be endured without much damage. The Light God was stuck in a dilemma, if he chose to counter, he could easily be opening himself to another life-threatening blow, but if he did not attack, then he would have zero chance of victory. However, he could not afford to risk the outcome of this battle on chance alone… but if he couldn't rely on luck, then how would he win?
Solarin blinked.
Horrible mistake… as soon as he opened his eyes, a giant claw completely engulfed his vision.
What unnatural speed!
The ruler of the heavens simply stood there, dumbfounded. He was surprised at his own reaction from seeing the claw. A sudden wave of despair and hopelessness struck him as an astronomical pressure and killing intent assaulted his form. He could only stare at the infinitely sharp talons as if it approached in slow motion, his quickened perception only prolonging his impending destruction.
*Crash!*
He was snapped out of his daze by the emergence of a massive armoured figure that slammed into the dragon with his shoulder, causing a great gust of wind to radiate from the point of contact. Fortunately, the new arrival was able to interrupt the blow meant for Solarin.
The withering fire within the Lord of the Heavens was reignited by the presence of his new comrade. His Ox-like horns on his helmet, the tattered green cape topped off with a full set of celestial armour, and the unmistakable mustache that extended outwards towards his hands.
Caelestus?! A small grin stretched across Solarin's cheeks; his hope rekindled as their chances of victory had just improved by his arrival.
There's only ONE family capable of bringing him outside of the Celestial Realm!
Solarin's grin widened from cheek to cheek. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you here right now!" The appearance of his friend, one who stood among the highest of gods, made him forget about the rampaging dragon, just for a moment.
The larger spirit smirked in response. "I'm sure we'll have lots of time to converse later, but there's an angry black dragon coming at us with force!" His smile became a frown, his eyes focused and body tensed.
"ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARR!"
A thundering roar bellowed towards the two gods as the black dragon blitzed them.
With a newfound confidence, Solarin and Caelestus met its charge head on, with Caelestus defending against the brunt force while Solarin delivered numerous attacks to where the scales would be weaker.
Almost immediately, the dragon overpowered Caelestus in a direct engagement. It lashed at Solarin with its tail, causing him to cross his arms to protect himself from the blow. Following its assault, thousands of particles began gravitating towards the dragon, converging in its open jaw before focusing into a condensed sphere of chaos energy.
Shit!
It fired as soon as it charged, a massive blue-white beam of immeasurable magnitude arced towards both gods. Not even a second passed before the beam struck true; however, to the two gods, it seemed as it were an eternity.
Impossible! Solarin widened his eyes, gritting his teeth in pain from the destructive force on his body. The light god glanced towards Caelestus, seeing the struggling spirit king hold back the beam with his sword.
Despite their efforts, they were being pushed back by the increasingly powerful ray. More and more magic was being poured into the attack, both Solarin and Caelestus quickly losing ground as a result.
If this continued… then we won't make it! Sweat poured down the Light God in waves, burns appearing on his arms as the enemy shredded through his defences. Spirit and God could not move, for all their efforts were in keeping themselves from being struck by the overwhelming force.
Closer.
The beam pushed them further and further back. Their defenses nearly broken and their bodies tiring from the strain of resisting with such force.
I refuse to lose my will, NOT AGAIN. Solarin felt his power exploding like a raging infernal as he pushed back with all his might. Just for a second, it seemed that they were gaining ground, but that was all it was… a second.
Magic… was a power known to be influenced by feelings; what was known to be an art mastered with discipline could be strengthened through will. However, no amount of will would be able to push back the monstrosity that was the incarnation of Armageddon in front of them.
AUGGGGGHHHHH! Solarin's eye went completely bloodshot as he strained himself to the absolute maximum.
*CRACK!*
Once again, their imminent destruction was interrupted by new arrivals. One of shadow and one of flames. A great horned figure cloaked by darkness combined his strength with Solarin and Caelestus, successfully pushing back the beam.
From the side, a Fire dragon emitting an ethereal red glow blasted the berserk beast with a massive spume of flames, all with a black tinge.
Nemesis…
Solarin's face scrunched in ambivalence, he was relieved the dark god came to fight with them; however, he was still concerned about his goals. Whatever it was, it could come later, their current objective was to take down the black dragon.
Nemesis, Caelestus, and Solarin all shared a silent look, nodding at each other. All of them wordlessly agreed to put aside their past feuds so they can focus their efforts in taking down a common enemy.
Solarin's eye glanced towards the red dragon currently breathing a steady yet magnificent blaze towards the black dragon.
To think… another of their kind would ascend. It was peculiar. Dragons have never ascended in history, until now. Not just one, but two had made it to godhood. Fortunately for them, one of them was on their side… for now it seems.
Abruptly, Nemesis charged towards the black dragon, quickly followed by Caelestus and Solarin. All of them were ready to unleash oblivion on the one that would destroy without purpose. Vengeance, justice, balance, hatred. It didn't matter why they were fighting. The only thing that did, was the defeat of their enemy.
God, Demon, Dragon, and Spirit all fought together. Their only goal was to slay their adversary.
Thousands of punches, slashes, kicks, and attacks were performed by the four deities. Each strike weakening the dragon little by little. None were enough to be decisive, but their constant onslaught proved too much for the black beast to counter attack.
Seconds later, much of their magic have been expanded. The black dragon was covered in a massive dust cloud as the four deities surrounded it from all sides. Neither said a word; they were all waiting for the result of their efforts. Would they celebrate Victory? Or would they die in defeat?
As soon as the dust cleared, they were giving their answers. Four pairs of eyes widened at the sight that befell them.
Acnologia, the dragon that withstood a brutal offensive from four gods of the highest class, remained standing. Blood was flowing down the numerous cuts and lacerations, a gaze of pure rage boring into the four deities.
"DAMN IT!" Solarin bellowed in frustration as he recklessly rushed the dragon.
"Wait!" Caelestus tried to reason with his comrade. However, he too was lost for action. They gave the dragon everything they had, if it was unharmed, then they truly would not be able to defeat him. The spirit king widened his eyes in realization. Unless… the dragon was forced into Limbo. Normally this would be impossible, but with Solarin and Nemesis, it could be done.
While amidst his thoughts, the Celestial Spirit King glanced at the Fire Dragon to his right.
We'll have to rely on him to buy us time…
Exiting his thoughts, he gritted his teeth in anger. Is this what we've come to?! Have we become so weak we need to sacrifice another to win?! Damn it! Dragon or not, such a way was dishonourable. Enough had been claimed by this war… but, he couldn't think of another way! There was no helping it, it was either that, or everything; whether they were from the Heavens, Nether, Earthland, or the Celestial Realm, will perish.
The dragon continued its relentless assault on the four gods; each blow delivered emitting a shock wave that resounded all throughout the air. The skies were cleared of clouds from the dragon's powerful strikes. Only the dragon, whose attacks had both the strength to pierce scales and the divine element of a god, could damage the black beast.
"How much time do we need?" Solarin spoke, seemingly coming to the same conclusion as Caelestus. Even half a minute of uninterrupted preparation could be too much to ask for, considering the speed and strength of the black dragon. Even if the dragon of flames had mastered its ascension, the gap between those two was clear as crystal. Even a single direct hit to the dragon of flames could mean its fall.
"If we use all of our remaining strength, while I direct it into a seal, we could cast it in - AARGGH," The celestial spirit's words were stopped by a massive black and blue beam that struck him in his chest. The black dragon had already thrown the other dragon off of him, now putting his focus towards the planning gods.
As Caelestus flew back towards the open sky, Solarin and Nemesis charged the dragon, following a serpentine path so both of them could not be targeted at once. The gaps between the three drew closer and closer, only for a black tail to swat Nemesis straight into the valley below, cracking the earth from horizon to horizon.
Damn!
Solarin continued his charge despite its strength. If he were to turn his attention away, he would immediately be punished for it. With all his senses focused, Solarin managed to dodge two claw swipes at him before charging his own spell at the dragon's midsection.
Almost simultaneously, the fire dragon, who now have multiple wounds all over his body, flew right behind the beast and made multiple rings of flame to bind it in place.
*BOOM!*
A deafening explosion with Acnologia at its epicentre radiated outwards. The dragon, although with no noticeable damage, seemed to have the air knocked out of it for the briefest of moments.
Solarin was not confident he would land the strike; the beast had been avoiding him and counter attacking every time he made a move. But it was as if, it didn't even register his movements.
Wait… The ruler of heaven widened at his own revelation. The energy fluctuations might have become far less frequent in a short amount of time… but what the dragon doesn't have, is control. Focusing his senses, he saw that the magic radiating off the black dragon was indeed inconsistent. A massive amount of excess energy pouring off of it every second.
I can see its pattern now, now was their chance!
"CAELESTUS, WHATEVER YOU PLAN TO DO…" An aura larger than any he had before began to engulf his surroundings. "DO IT NOW!"
His words rang true as the old spirit king immediately sheathed his sword and began frantically drawing hundreds of symbols.
"Quick! Give me as much magic as you can!" Caelestus shouted back, a magic circle forming from ground to sky as the other two pumped their magic into the spell.
Instinctively, Acnologia saw the danger in whatever the three gods were planning. Yet, he could not move… why? As he looked back, he saw the red dragon that had been attacking him holding his arms and wings tightly, forcing him in place.
How dare he… The dragon of apocalypse began clearing his mind at a quickened pace, the animal-like instincts replaced with barely contained rage.
HOW DARE HE… No matter what, he will kill all those that had forsaken him! He would make the red dragon that would dare lay his claws on him suffer. He would devour him until there was nothing left.
A great fire began building up from his stomach, the anger, the grief, the despair from before. All of it came back to him, from when he saw dragons took away everything from him, from his victory against the god. All of his power, all of his strength… he would not allow his vengeance to END HERE!
I AM THE DRAGON GOD… ACNOLOGIA!
"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR," A great deafening roar escaped Acnologia's pitch black maws as a resounding shockwave slammed into all four of his adversaries.
All the power that had been locked deep within had its chains unshackled. The strength and speed that only his instincts could access, was now his and his alone.
With another angered screech, Acnologia broke out of the fire dragon's grip as if it were a twig, all while using his dragon roar. The red dragon stood no chance as it became engulfed by the blast.
Acnologia pulled back his attack, not because he wanted to spare the dragon… but he would make sure to devour his essence before leaving him an empty shell to die slowly. He moved far faster than he had ever before, opening his jaws to clamp down on the shoulder of his falling foe.
In mere moments, Acnologia devoured the majority of his essence, not bothering to savour the final bits and pieces. He had done what he wanted; he left the dragon with an inch of his life, knowing that it would fade away into nothingness slowly… and painfully.
Die.
Once again, an immeasurable rage began building from his being, quickly blanketing his mind that he had only just regained.
DIE.
"DIE!" The sound that left him was far more terrifying then a simple word. It was as if multiple voices all layered with a roar to create the inhuman monstrosity of a sound.
Acnologia turned his gaze to his other opponents. The three that struggled with his power even before he fully evolved. Now, there would be no hope for them as he would condemn them all to the same fate.
Even with just the thoughts of killing and torturing, Acnologia's jaws began to resemble a sadistic smile as he began to charge towards his opponents.
His eyes gained tunnel vision as he neared the three gods. Saliva began to drip out of his mouth as he imagined devouring them over, and over, and over again.
A great flash of light…
Then darkness.
Moments earlier
"Don't Focus on anything else! Put EVERYTHING you got into the spell!" Caelestus shouted, his spell quickly nearing completion as the circle he drew resembled a crescent moon. If this kept up, the spell would be completed in mere seconds. They could only hope that Acnologia would remain.
To their dismay, the dragon broke away from the red dragon with great ease. The magic that surrounded the beast seemed to flow consistently, signaling control… and that, was horrifying news.
The sickening roar that followed was unprecedented, the volume and magnitude of it alone was enough to blast all three of them with a powerful shockwave.
This power…it's overwhelming! Beads of sweat travelled down the side of his chin as Solarin's heart beat faster and faster. Glancing at the demon god, he saw Nemesis with an emotionless expression.
Just what are you thinking?
Immediately after the roar, the eyes of all but the dark god widened as they witnessed the next scene. Right in front of them, the black dragon let a huge blast of magic escape from his maw, putting burn marks on almost every inch of the other dragon's body. The red dragon was for sure unconscious, but it did not stop there. Stopping the descent of the defeated creature, it gnawed on the side of its neck, absorbing its life force, before finally letting go.
Absolute beast!
As soon as the red dragon began to fall, the black beast turned towards the three. Within its eyes, they could see intelligence; no longer was it driven by pure instincts, yet the sickening sadistic grin that was facing them did nothing to calm the image.
It began charging, faster than ever before, its killing intent oozing out to its surroundings, promising pain and suffering to whatever and whoever it faced.
"Now!" The spirit king exclaimed as the final symbol of his spell completed; he used up all the power given and within, pouring it right into the seal. The magic circle compressed in an instant, before exploding in a gigantic flash of light.
Gradually, the light died down, the overwhelming pressure in the air disappearing with it. No longer were the skies filled with killing intent, no longer would the realms be plagued by a beast of destruction. For as the light died down, there was no sign of the black dragon.
The three gods could only stare in silence at where their opponent was earlier. There had been no struggle, no final words, or even a body. All the blood that was spilled was theirs; yet, it was their victory. What was a complete one-sided battle ended in an instant. Despite the disappearance of their foe, they asked themselves again…
Was it truly over?
Perhaps it was, for now.
It was considered a miracle to even open the seal to limbo; but despite the difficulty, none of them believed it was impossible for the black dragon to break through on power alone.
Nobody knew what would happen to it in the invisible world of dreams, nor if escape was possible, but in their deepest instincts they knew. It was not a matter of how… but a matter of time.
"It's quite surreal isn't it…" Solarin and Caelestus both turned to the surprisingly gentle voice. It was unlike the low demonic rumble that he normally spoke with. Yet Nemesis simply stood unmoving, watching the destruction all around the realms, seemingly deep in thought.
"All I wanted to do was conquer the realms, bring them all under my rule." Turning towards the other two gods, Nemesis released a low chuckle, one not unlike Solarin would do himself. "Seeing all this, it seems pointless to continue this war."
Solarin was not surprised Nemesis shared the same sentiments as himself, but he wasn't expecting the dark god of all people to admit it first. Was he thinking about this through their entire battle? Solarin narrowed his eyes, giving the demon another glare.
From what he understood, Nemesis wanted to become the tyrant for all of existence. Certainly, he could have continued the war; for as it is now, he had more military strength than heaven. If he pressed another attack, Nemesis would have likely had been the victor.
After another look of the surrounding destruction, Solarin had come to a decision. "When the gods entered the realm of the mortals," he began, glancing at both Caelestus and Nemesis before continuing. "It only served to make it bleed. Billions of souls are no longer in the realm of the living."
The respective rulers of Nether and Heaven looked at each other, both coming to the same decision.
"The gods… should no longer step foot into the mortal realm."
"Agreed."
With a conflicted mind, Nemesis made his way back to the Nether, where he would soon seal up the entrance, to prevent another conflict that could lead to mutually assured destruction.
As Nemesis left the remaining two gods, Solarin and Caelestus both gave the destruction caused by the war another stare. There was nothing left to be said, for the two gods simply gave each other an understanding look, before returning to their own homes.
Conclusion of the great war
Out of over 10,000 that entered the war with Solarin, 9,852 lay dead on the ground all over Earthland. The various creatures that survived either returned to heaven or made Earthland their home… no longer desiring to be a part of the gods' plan any longer.
Hundreds of beings that did not return to heaven found refuge with the mortals, many of them thanking them for fighting against the dragons, while others faded into history.
…
From the forces of the damned, numbering just over 30,000, 29,201 lay dead on the ground all over Earthland. The majority of the forces all returned to the Nether, not seeing the novelty of living in the mortal realm. Those who did not return, found refuge in their own elements, often in solitude with little contact as the mortals still remembered and fear them.
…
Out of the 13 gods that descended from heaven, only 6 remain. Vitius - The god of life, Ventia - The goddess of the skies, Aquos - The goddess of the oceans, Kemokemo - The god of nature, Stellia - The goddess of the stars, and Solarin himself - the god of light, ruler of heaven.
From the 8 gods that came from the bowels of the Nether, only a single one had perished. The god of death - Ankersham was mortally wounded by Vitius - The god of life. Yet, in his dying breath, he attached his soul to a certain black-haired boy that bore his curse from tampering with powers not within his own understanding…
…
Heaven or Nether, the gods decided that their presence should never once again be in the mortal realm. Despite this decision, this unspoken law would relax over the years, where in time, Solarin himself would step foot in Earthland once again.
…
Of the various creatures from the Nether and Heaven that remained in Earthland, their existence would soon become known as legends. From beautiful mystical entities to beasts only known through mythology. Yet in time, their existence will soon be known to the rest of the world.
…
Of the dragons, many have suffered from the gods, as well as from each other. Those that remained; some returned home to the Nether, and some were granted entrance to heaven for their noble actions in the conflict. The dozens that chose to remain in Earthland, found respective homes in their elements, and some would traverse through time and space, so they could defend the world once again from the apocalypse.
.
.
.
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Chapter 8 finished! Next chapter: A Father's final words
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