117 Fated Events
Anthea's power had cleansed Styx's, the dungeon wives', and all the surviving residents' wounds.
Styx stood amongst the field of gold and stared at the goddess he once fell in love with, his thoughts deeply conflicted.
"You are willing to speak finally."
"I have always spoken. You just couldn't hear me."
"…I won't apologize."
Despite his statement, Anthea was neither mad nor upset. She simply smiled at him, the same as she always had.
"There was never any need to."
"…I also won't return to the way things were."
"That would be impossible, regardless."
"Why did you save me?"
"Because I love you."
"…I betrayed you. Are you not angry, or upset?"
"I have never been either of those."
"…Then why did you kill me?"
"I didn't."
"What?"
"You betrayed your Authority and broke your concept. You killed yourself."
"…?"
At this moment, the world around Styx and Anthea completely vanished. Aura, Spider, the dungeon wives and all the dungeon residents were gone.
Instead, an endless field of white tiles spread out infinitely. Giant marble pillars reached to the heavens and atop of them, fuzzy, indistinct figures stood.
Everything was filled with static and colorless, whilst Anthea and Styx retained their original images. It was as if the two of them had stepped into an old black and white film recorded on a VHS tape.
The figures looked down upon the two and spoke. Styx couldn't physically hear what they said, but heard it with his heart instead.
Anthea, you have revived.
"That is only natural. The more of me comes together, I would naturally awaken."
It is your fault.
It is all your fault.
Do you not feel guilt?
You destroyed everything.
"I have never regretted my decision."
You gave a god's power to a mortal.
Did you not know what would happen?
We warned you, but you did not listen.
Styx looked at them and frowned.
"What is her fault? For making me immortal?"
Silence.
Styx tried to speak again, but no matter how hard he tried, his mouth wouldn't open. He didn't panic as he knew this was the kind of power gods wielded. He silently glared up at them defiantly.
Anthea, it is time to return.
Do not do anything foolish again.
"Do I have a choice? I cannot defy my Authority."
Styx felt an overwhelming sense of dignity as another giant pillar appeared, Anthea vanishing from his side and reappearing atop of it, her figure as fuzzy and indistinct as the rest of them.
The gods atop the other colossal marble pillars then turned their attention to Styx.
Mortal, with Anthea's recovery, you too have resurfaced.
It was expected.
A pitiful soul tied to the earth.
A soul willing to be pitiful.
God's authority was never meant for mortals.
It was inevitable.
Your actions brought ruin to everything.
It was inevitable.
You can no longer destroy everything.
It was inevitable.
Return.
Styx gasped as he returned to the field of wheat which replaced the earlier battlefield covered in blood, fire, and brimstone. The chirping of birds returned and everything seemed to be full of life.
"Darling, are you okay!?"
Therina rushed to his side as his avatar collapsed on the ground whilst covered in sweat. He had so many questions, but his mind was shutting down from an information overload. The only thing he saw before his core darkened and his perception blacked out was a system message.
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[
I will always love you.
]
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~~~~~
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In the heart of the Neth'rite Demon Kingdom, the current demon king, Ickre Palanthes, knelt in his own throne room.
The ceiling, made from countless bones, skulls and pieces of flesh wriggled and came alive. It twisted and moved and formed an enormous face with eyes that contained hellfire in them. A thick stench of blood pervaded the entire capital whilst an evil aura blew down its streets.
"Demon god, your eminence! Your presence is too honored to bestow on myself!"
"Enough. Pass the message to all fighting divisions. The enemy goddess has been deeply injured and can no longer stop us. Attack with full force and secure new land for the demon race. The goddess will be taken care of by myself."
"Your command shall be honored, your eminence."
The face retreated back into the ceiling and the atmosphere within the capital returned to its usual gloominess.
Demon King Ickre Palanthes stood upright, his previous humbleness replaced by endless cruelty and bloodthirstiness.
"All demon commanders to the war room immediately! Be late and be fed to the Hydra!"
The king's voice echoed throughout the palace which rapidly become abuzz with activity.
~~~~~
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Along the borders of the human and demon kingdoms, the previous occasional skirmishes which constantly kept each other in check, rapidly changed.
The demons began sending out countless Third Step rankers and begun to overwhelm the human defence forces. There were even several dozen Fourth Step demons mixed amongst them.
Along the southern section border where there was previously very little conflict, an enormous demon army marched in the night, their eyes like endless embers across the mountains and plains. The demons were weaker than humans individually, but they were a horde type of exotic race in which the weaker subspecies of demons ate little food and proliferated very quickly.
The south-eastern dungeon cities of the Maple Dragon Kingdom had no time to prepare before they were instantly overwhelmed by an endless scourge of demons. The cries of humans sounded out throughout the night as they were slaughtered and offered in gruesome sacrificial rituals.
Nobody was safe, and nobody was prepared, as the face of the war shifted so suddenly.
~~~~~
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News of the sudden invasion reached the royal capital via emergency contact, a form of instant communication which burned through a lot of mana rich gems just for a single message. The royal palace was overwhelmed as one after another emergency message of distress came in.
"What is going on!?" King Wallanther XII slammed his fist on the corner of his study table, breaking corner of the table that was carved out of a single piece of a thousand year old heaven branching tree.
The military general who entered with the pile of emergency messages quickly answered.
"It's war. Those demons have set their mind on all out war with us. They have launched a devastating attack without us having any time to prepare… and… the number of Fourth Step demons is very different from what our intelligence on them reported."
"How did we not see this coming in advance!?"
King Wallanther XII's voice contained an undeniable dignity and demanded answers.
"My apologies, sire, but it all happened so suddenly and without any forewarning. They have clearly been holding back for hundreds of years, leading us to not know their full capabilities."
"Muster the troops immediately and make counter measures. Where is the army that was sent to eradicate the illegal dungeon lord in the south that attracted the goddess' ire?"
"They won't be returning for another several months, sire."
"The southern region of the east border is the most dire circumstance. Send them a message and command them to immediately depart for the border and push back the demons. That is 30,000 Third Step royal guards. It is not a force we can do without… These damned demons…"
"I will handle it immediately, sire!"
The military general rushed out of the room as three adolescents rushed into the room.
"Dad, what's going on!?"
The crown prince, a mere teenager, asked his dad with worry filling his eyes.
Another worried person was the young Princess Zoerina, thirteen years old and had just reached adulthood.
"Father… are we going to be okay?"
"Of course, Zoe. Those demons will not know what's coming for them."
Despite his strict personality and regal countenance, he was still a father and especially doting on his daughter, the young princess who was not only already growing into a stunning beauty, but had been born with the strongest royal bloodline in several generations.
Zoerina held a picture book in her hands whilst looking up at her father with teary eyes.
"Father, can you read the book to me again?"
Despite that his daughter was fully capable of reading by herself, she had always asked her father, the king, to read her this book whenever she was worried or had a nightmare since she was five years old.
"Of course, come here."
King Wallanther XII sat the young Princess Zoerina on his lap whilst the crown prince also took a seat to the side to listen.
"Once upon a time, there was a princess of the sun. She sat atop a tower which pierced the clouds, allowing her to cast her brilliance on all the lands. Jealous of her beauty and sunshine, the evil demon king in the kingdom of darkness invaded the tower and captured the princess of the sun."
"The kingdom of the sun was cast into darkness as even the sky wept. The people of the sun were helpless, but one day a young man determined to save his kingdom stepped forth. Wielding a blade of light itself, he set out to save the princess."
.
.
.
"With a body of scars, he beheaded the demon king and finally rescued the princess of the sun. He returned home a true hero and finally wed the princess of the sun, becoming the prince of the moon beside her. They then lived happily ever after."
Princess Zoerina had a giant smile on her face as she celebrated the marriage between the princess and the hero.
