Chapter 16: The Lord of Darkness

More gods than usual had gathered around the table suspended above the stars. The Festival of the Gods had already been underway for several days, and its most striking challenge, the battle royale, was at its peak.

“Oh… that young god has promise.”

“Has it already been confirmed that he’s the new god of war?”

“It has. You can see for yourself.”

“He has composure, cunning, character, and, above all, a thirst for conquest. Helux was very shrewd to make him swear loyalty before ascending himself.”

“The member swears loyalty, the leader swears protection; that’s how the pact that forms a faction is truly sealed.”

The image manifested in the endless cosmos showed Aren sheathing his sword after single-handedly wiping out a group of demigods.

“The demigoddess accompanying him ascended as well, it seems…”

“What did she become again? A lesser goddess tasked with gathering the souls of the finest warriors fallen in battle?”

“Yes, though of course it will only apply to mortals who worship the god of war.”

“Correct. The true master of souls has yet to be decided,” declared Zorovan, straightening in his seat.

Beside him, Mevis gave a silent nod.

“In that sense, I don’t know whether it was such a good idea for Helux, the new god of the sun, to snatch those two youngsters away,” Zorovan continued.

It seemed as if Aren and Vilkie had been trying to find someone, but time ran out. They began to glow, and a moment later vanished from the battlefield.

“Mmm, yes, that’s true,” another god remarked. “And let’s hope it gets settled soon. The two candidates for god of death have been wreaking havoc in the battle royale…”

“Don’t even mention it,” a goddess cut in. “The Crimson Calamity eliminated the other two candidates for god of war at the same time.”

“Although, in my opinion, young Aren would have earned that position either way,” another of those present pointed out.

“And not to mention the other candidate…” Zorovan sighed, stroking his beard. “Lirien, Eryndea is full of fierce rivals…”

The image shifted and now showed an alliance of demigod factions battling a tide of steel and bone.

***

“Watch out!”

Stolen story; please report.

“Noooo!”

Clank

Thunk

“There are too many! We have to fall back!”

Clank

Clink

Clink Clank

“Aaaaaagh!”

“There’s a battalion behind us… They cut off our path!”

“No… no, it can’t be… I can’t die here! I’m the future god of wind!”

Swish!

Shhk!

“Aaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Percus, we have to escape!”

One of the men among the few pockets of demigods still left amid that sea of death grabbed his companion by the shoulder and urged him to come with him.

“Ionas… you were alive,” his weary companion replied. “Escape where? This is the end…”