142 The Dance of the Living and Dead

20th of December, 1110. Nubara valley, outside the Trunsoest Empire, near the cannel connecting the northern and southern continents.

The sky was bright with the dimming sun adorning the heavens, letting out weak rays, providing the only source of warmth to troops of soldiers marching troop by troop, company by company huddled together bravely and assiduously towards their damnation.

Its receding light reflected their drawn swords, turning them from white to pale orange. The golden tips of the flag carried by the leading angels appeared to be on fire. The flags, bearing the Trunsoest empire's emblem, were waving brilliantly against the dark background.

The metal armour of those winged beings were laced together with cords of brilliant hues. The horses clamped nervously at the bits of their bridles, the tension and fear palpable.

The angels on silver horses came to a halt in the middle of the Nubara valley after a 10-day march. Thousands of men and women stamped on the snowy ground one last time, their sabaton-worn feet sinking lightly into the snow.

There was no one in sight, just a vast expanse of blemish-free white. It appeared ethereal, and yet this beautiful sight did not calm the men and women's hearts.

The ferocious masks covered their faces, hiding the rivulets of sweat trickling down, despite the cold, at the unknown that awaited them.

They were as motionless as the statue, their eyes fixed on the expanse of white. Outwardly, many looked tough and brave, but their true feelings were another matter. Hatred, tension, and fear were almost palpable in everyone's eyes. Their bodies were trembling like cobwebs in a strong wind.

As the unknown approached, the darkness of despair corrupted their hearts. They could hear a slight rumble of the ground; something terrible, something that every living being fears, was awakening deep within.

It was Death...

Rumble!

The earth shook and then roared. Cracks appeared throughout white valley. A dark and thick stream of water rushed out, emitting a gloomy aura. Skeleton hands grabbed the air as the dead crawled their way into the world of the living. They were thousands upon thousands of them, rising from a surging dark river, and as they emerged, the empire's army became jittery and began to pull back, as the clanging of dropped weapons could be heard from the ground.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" A angel in silver armour with the emblem of the balance scale engraved upon it, demanded. "The dead are no match for us."

With his order, the disorder in his ranks vanished, as the soldiers stood their ground, seemingly with a new found resolve, overcoming their fear and dread.

The sky had darkened. The shadows grew thicker. A harsh war horn rang, rattling the hearts of the living. And, as the dead formed their ranks with their swords, axes, and spears, an enamours chariot rode out of the dark river, withering everything in its path. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold and was adorned with scenes of agonising death.

Azik Eggers, the former Emperor of Bayam, was at the helm.

Azik Eggers wore a deep black robe embroidered with golden lines. On top of his head was a bird-shaped crown that radiated pure terror. It shimmered in pale flames, reached into living minds, and ignited their worst nightmares, their deepest fears, rattling them to their souls in abject terror. Only the authority and power of the silver armoured angel kept them from fleeing in dread.

The Death Consul's eyes were indifferent, without a hint of emotion. As shadowy horses neighed, the chariot came to a halt in front of the army of the dead.

With a deep pale fire igniting within his obsidian dark iris, he swept a glance at the army of living, making everyone grab their weapon with sweat trickling down their backs.

Azik Eggers tightened his grip on the reins and rode slowly towards the living, as if he intended to follow the ancient laws and state his demands. The living angels' grip on their weapons loosened.

He then declared coldly, without any warning.

"Charge." A flood of pale fire erupted from his charging figure, transforming into a massive feathered serpent with colossal wings that seemed to cover the entire sky.

A burst of twilight erupted from the ranks of the living, forming a massive board-sword. It rose to the sky as if held in place by an invisible hand, tearing the space in its region and precisely piercing into a descending feathered serpent.

A painful cry erupted as a storm of orange twilight and pale fire erupted from the clash, capable of incinerating everything in its path. The chaos, however, had no effect on the living as order shrouded them, negating it.

Under the twilight and death, the armies of the living and dead clashed. As the scorching sea of scarlet liquid stained the white snowy valley, Nubara valley exploded in absolute chaos.

Above the whirlwind of chaos and disorder, in the sky, a phantom of a twisted structure slowly emerged from the spirit world, dimming the eternal sun in the sky by just its presence.

The structure was in the shape of an inverted pyramid, with infinite layers stacked on top of each other, swirling into the thick and still darkness.

As if sensing the emergence, an enormous hand extended out of the eternal night, covered in dark hair and thousands of meters long, holding a dark scythe shrouded in silent darkness.

Then it swung the scythe at the phantom, obscuring the sky and earth in night.

With an earth-shattering roar, the phantom of the inverted pyramid was split in half. It was rolled back into the spirit world, crumbling.

The armies of the living and dead still fought with all their might as the night receded away into obscurity, completely oblivious to all that transpired, just like the rest of the world....

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Few minutes earlier. Twilight Kingdom.

Inside a majestic palace bathed in dusk, three divine beings were present at a long twilight table.

"Are you two serious about this?" Looking at the Aucuses and Lilith, a sunset giant asked, his chin supported by his long hand.

"Yes, Badhiel." Lilith nodded firmly, gripping Aucuses' hands snugly.

"Well.." Badhiel drawled, then fell silent, as if at a loss for words.

"Whether you like it or not, we're going to marry." Lilith said, her head held high.

"Marriage?" Aucuses was taken aback.

"Sometime in the future." Lilith stated. She then glared at him, noticing his still stunned expression. "Right?"

"Yes." Aucuses briskly nodded, his gaze shifting between Lilith and Badhiel. "Obviously."

"So, Badhiel, do you have anything to say?" Lilith had a satisfied expression before turning to face her 'son' and asking again.

Badhiel chuckled. "I was just taken aback, you know. I thought you were both just messing around. But now, mother, I am relieved that you have found someone you truly love. All I can give you both is my blessings for a happy future."

Lilith brightly smiled, as she nodded in joy. "That's more than enough, son."

"We will send you the first invitation." Aucuses immediately added with her, earning himself yet another glare.

Badhiel shook his head with a slight smile, seeing this.

However, something interrupted them. The waning dusk in the twilight kingdom dimmed even further, attracting all of their attention.

"It's Salinger." Lilith frowned, her eyes closed. "He is trying to descend."

"Right away?" Badhiel's expression darkened, his long hand reaching for the hilt of his sword.

"It seems so." Aucuses chuckled. "He truly lives up to his rumoured madness."

He continued, looking at Badhiel, who was getting up for battle.

"Sit down, Badhiel. Amanises is on her way here. She will take care of him."

As if to confirm his words, the waning twilight returned to its previous state with an aura of tranquillity filling the twilight kingdom….

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