LIGHTNOVELONLINE Vol. 4 – Chapter 50
Hi guys! Emperor93 here!
First of all: HAPPY EASTER!
Second, for those who don’t know, there’s a little surprise for all of you in Chapter 3. I hope you like it.
Now let’s not waste any more time and enjoy!
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***(Third person's POV)***
South of Thirus, in the middle of the sea, there is a remote and virgin island. It is nothing special if not an excellent place to build a holiday home or make it a tourist destination: white beaches, a crystal clear sea so clear that you can see the coral reef that is located a few tens of meters offshore. In short... a little paradise.
But now...
"If you wanted a slow and painful death... just say so." a young man said coldly
Graeval is the one who discovered this little paradise. More than once he has crossed these beaches and immersed himself in these crystalline waters together with his wife, the ex-Demon Queen Lilith Stilno. But today, he had come here with the intent of escaping from a figure who was following him and who turned out to be a God who was attacking his life... and that of his family.
The confusion he had felt turned into an icy calm. The pain he felt became a mere nuisance. His eyes as gray as ice, which had turned golden as he had begun to use his powers, now shone with blinding white light, and lightning bolts continued to generate from them, expressing the anger he felt, his night-blue hair began to move as if they were immersed in the water and had turned into a lighter blue.
A single punch was all it took. A single punch, in which all of his powers had been concentrated, struck the stomach of the mad god. That blow was enough to make the divinity go around the world and seriously damage his internal organs, the landscape behind him was crippled. A canyon tens of meters deep and thousands of meters long was created due to the powerful shock wave unleashed by that single punch. The incandescent walls due to the kinetic energy released were cooled by the saltwater that settled in that scar.
In 42 seconds, the God had completed the entire tour of the world and in the same instant in which he found himself behind Graeval, Graeval had turned and had crushed his head on the ground, making him kiss it. That simple blow generated the same effect as a small meteorite hitting the earth's crust: a crater with a diameter of several tens of meters was created by the force used.
His old nickname, 'God/Demon Psyker' was not given to him for nothing. Some time ago, he had told to the hero Jack Lingxin and his wives that 'the last time he fought with an iota of seriousness he ended up leveling and destroying enough area to build a populous city.' It's a half-truth: that territory had turned into a lake several tens of meters deep and its depths were the grave of the creatures who had forced him to become serious. The land around it was nothing more than a wasteland, whose sand was a mixture of bones and flesh burnt and pulverized, while the weather was so unstable that it could rain or toxic red water or acid rain, and the lightning would strike the land, torturing it even more than it already was.
Simply put, his victory had changed the entire battlefield and according to experts from his former world, it was believed that it would take decades for that ground to be stable again.
As he moved his foot away from the God's head, he kicked him in the stomach making him stand up. Graeval's fists become incandescent to the point that the very air around him caught fire, and he began to hit him. Compared to the first punch, these were much less powerful however, with each blow, the armor of the deity melted like snow under the summer sun.
Although he had suffered the weight of those blows, the God... no Shidohr, had not let himself stop, and in the furious fight, a few punches he had managed to avoid or parry it. However, they still made themselves heard: even if he technically could not be wounded with weapons built by mortals, he was surprised to find that the blows of this man had considerable weight.
What the...?! Shidor began looking at the half-melted armor. How can he melt the Lafite with simple fire?
Lafite, a divine-made metal alloy. Only the Gods can produce it and it is even more resistant than adamantium, which in the world of Aphy is considered to be the most resistant and valuable of all minerals. Shidor was not a blacksmith and therefore he could not know it, but to allow a divine craftsman to be able to work that alloy, it must be worked using the heat of the sun and after processing, not even the temperatures used to forge this product could refund the metal... yes... 'the same temperatures'. Perhaps, due to his divine nature which allows him to fight even in the fire itself, he may not know that at this moment Graeval's arms and fists are reaching if not equaling the temperatures of a white dwarf*. Despite the high temperatures, Graeval is still trying to contain, albeit with difficulty, this heat to prevent everything around him from becoming a land of fire or risk evaporating the sea within a few seconds.
Shidor had time to finish asking himself that question that spears that seemed to be made of crystal fell on him. He parried some or destroyed them but the very few that managed to hit him in the places where his armor could no longer protect him did not seem to cause any physical damage but felt like he was being hit by hammers. Tired of suffering, he stepped forward with sword in hand and charged the opponent. Seeing him coming, Graeval used his powers to create purple blades of psionic energy above each of his arms.
The two opponents exchanged several blows, hurting each other and while Shidor made expressions tinged with frustration and anger because he could not find an advantage against the opponent, Graeval's was expressionless and cold, almost like every emotion of him had been removed.
After Graeval drew Shidor’s umpteenth lateral thrust, icy winds gathered around the opponent and their strength was such that they lifted Shidor off the ground. At the same moment that Graeval walked away, Shidor found himself inside a tornado made up of winds and shards of ice that continued to hit and haunt him. When the tornado dissipated he was several dozen meters high and a blinding blue light generated above him. He looked up and saw Graeval holding a huge blue sun that was immediately thrown at him. He was hit by that blow that definitively melted his armor. As he was hurled towards land, the sky thundered and a giant purple lightning bolt struck him causing an even faster descent into the sea below. When the water came into contact with the sun and lightning, there was an explosion of steam so powerful that the wind generated bent all the trees on the island that was near the beach.
A mist of steam rose, so thick it was impossible to see through. Silence fell for a moment and Graeval stared at where Shidor had fallen with his eyes still white and darting.
Suddenly, he recreated the same blade of psionic energy and moved his arm. From the cloud, blasts of burning red fire met him but were repelled by the blade. Immediately afterward, several shadows emerged from that cloud, hurling themselves at him. Soon, those shadows were revealed to be clones of his opponent. Without batting an eye, Graeval noticed that those were mere illusions but all of their attacks still had the power to cause physical damage. They were illusions... and at the same time, they weren't.
Graeval's expression did not change. He raised his hand and from his palm were generated many green spores that went to settle on three of the five clones.
“!! Gah! BLUEEERGH!!! " vomited blood and pus one of the clones
Although the other two had not experienced any particular effects, the last one saw the flesh blacken and the internal organs began to rot as if it were a decaying corpse... no, now it was.
But it wasn't over. Graeval began to utter what seemed to be incomprehensible words and nonsense phrases despite the constant attacks of his opponent and his clones.
Shidor had never underestimated an opponent. His teacher had always repeated it to him. He always told him "The day you underestimate someone will be the day of your death." Since Graeval was a mortal, he had thought that there was no need to worry too much and so it was instinctive to underestimate him. And yet, despite Graeval's displays of strength and power, he was persisting in that error... he persists in underestimating the only mortal who should never be underestimated. His pride in being a mighty God of War was the shovel that was digging his grave.
Those sentences uttered by Graeval seemed nonsense, but in reality, they were curses of death, all aimed at Shidor and his clones. Those condemnations... those words... were a means that influenced one of the three fundamental things for life... went to affect the soul and in this case, the ability of a deity to not suffer damage from an object or person whose mana is less than theirs.
Shidor had not realized this and persisted in the attack, unaware that the protection derived from the divinity had weakened to the point that even a mortal would now be able to hurt him.
Time seemed to slow down around Graeval. All the clones perished with a swipe of the psionic blade. Not the original. The real Shidor found himself with Graeval's hand around his neck holding him steady and falling at high speed towards the sea. As soon as Graeval's toe touched the saltwater, there was another burst of steam. After this cloud also dissipated, the warm waters of the sea had turned into ice... another island made entirely of ice had been created alongside the pre-existing ones.
In the center of this island, in a deep crater, Shidor was stuck in what looked like an icy prison, forced to suffer that bitter cold, and his grimaces of pain expressed the damage suffered by the crash against the ice and the pain that resulted from being in contact with such low temperatures. Graeval’s death curse... would have lasted for a long time.
***(Daenas's POV)***
"...-and for this reason, I wanted your opinion." Aphy said
"Umu. I understand."
While I was enjoying my cup of tea, Aphy was exposing her problem to Xalan. Xalan is another God of War nicknamed the "Triumphant Sage". He is an old acquaintance of mine as I had repeatedly asked for his help during events that had happened in the world that I had to administer. As if that were not enough, he is also the eldest God of War and appointed by our sovereign Fiemis "Exarch of the Warriors", a title that gives him full authority over the other Gods of War.
Of medium height, wrinkled, long-bearded, and bald, he looks like an ordinary old man who needs his cane to walk.
In addition to appearance, he considers himself too old for his role but it’s all scene: he is the author of the extermination of numerous Fallens and is still considered to be the best. According to some rumors, he responds only to Lord Fiemis and this, combined with the fact that he has hunted and killed tens of hundreds of Fallen, has earned him the respect, reverence, and fear of other deities. Despite this, he is always well-liked among the Gods as a father figure to some, and a mentor to others given his millennial wisdom.
Aphy knew that more than once I had sought his advice and so she asked me to contact him to confirm his suspicions.
Xalan took a puff with his old pipe as his expression was thoughtful. Afterward, he exhaled
“*Fuuu* From how you described the situation to me, it seems natural to think that there is a Fallen at work. But... I still find it difficult to confirm it."
As I thought. The events described by Aphy, such as his false divine message received by the Papessa of her world or the crazed dark spirit merged with the Mornfiend, make it natural to think that it was the work of a Fallen. However, such events could not necessarily have been generated by one of them. They may have been invented or discovered by mortals themselves.
After all, it is well known that greed, thirst for knowledge, and envy have always been the... predominant 'qualities' of the living being. Now let's be clear, there is nothing wrong with wanting to seek knowledge, but there are some things... some mysteries... that is best left to remain so.
As I have already told you, the Fallen are a threat to the delicate balance of the universe and must be exterminated without mercy. Not surprisingly, this is the main mission of the Gods of War and it has been since the dawn of time that this war continues without ever seeing an end... to the point that some believe that despite their intentions, the Fallen are still necessary for that balance. But whatever the truth is, the fact remains that this confrontation war ended.
“I could understand the false message, but the case of the dark spirit? There has never been any precedent from what I remember." Aphy said doubtfully
"*Fuuu*... You must know young lady" Xalan began exhaling. “that mortals always know how to surprise you. If only they want to, with time and effort, they can accomplish what we believe is impossible for them. For example, some mortals whose physical structure is not suitable for flying, have managed to build tools that allow them to do so even for a short time."
Xalan refers to the technological advances that every mortal civilization slowly makes. As I said earlier, the thirst for knowledge is not an evil thing, but it is a double-edged sword as it can bring both hope and death. In this case, even the fusion phenomenon between a spirit and a Mornfiend could be considered a 'technological success' achieved by the demon civilization. However, even this is not completely acceptable as spirits are still creatures that possess a fragment of divinity. It is, for this reason, that spirit magic, for civilizations capable of using them, is considered an art as difficult to learn as it is powerful since spirits are very independent and above all capricious. However, they always honor the agreements they make, regardless of the person or situation.
"*Sigh!* I understand..." Aphy said disconsolately "So it really could be just a coincidence."
“Even if...” I interjected “don't let your guard down anyway. You know that the Fallens are sneaky."
"I understand."
"Hohoho. Well, although I don't think they'll target your world that easily, young lady."
"How can you say that?"
"Simple. Shidor, my protégé, is your boyfriend right? " he said stroking his beard “That undisciplined brat has become a God of War through and through. I would not exaggerate in saying that he could become a worthy successor."
"*Ugh*" Aphy made a troubled expression "I never accepted him as my boyfriend."
"But you can't deny you reap what you sowed." I intruded, looking at her in exasperation
“Don't put yourself in it too Daenas. I beg- "
“LADY APHY!! LADY APHY!!! " someone screamed from the distance
One of my sister's subordinates open the door violently and immediately fell at our feet. When he looked up, I saw that there was only one emotion in his eyes: despair.
"It’s a little rude of you to come in here like this." Aphy scolded him "What happened to get in here like that?" she asked, taking a sip of tea
"IT'S TERRIBLE! GRAEVAL!!! " he began screaming in despair "A DIVINITY HAS UNLEASHED THE WRATH OF GRAEVAL!!!"
“!!! *COUGH* *COUGH*" Aphy coughed " WHAT?!!! "
“THE CLASH IS CAUSING HUGE DAMAGE TO THE PLANET!!! YOU MUST INTERV-!!! "
Without giving him time to finish the sentence, Aphy ran to her office. Before she ran out of the room, I could see that Aphy was pale for worry... and so am I.
"Graeval? What is a Graeval? " Xalan asked bewildered
“Ha-hahaha. I'll explain it as we catch up with my sister. I think she will need our... no, your help."
***(Aphy's POV)***
When my subordinate walked in like that and he told me what was going on, I ran at full speed to my office. On the image of the planet, I am describing, a red dot shone eerie on an island in the southern sea of Thirus. Another subordinate of mine immediately brought me some documents and I quickly read them, confirming what my subordinate had told me.
"I have to depart immediately!"
"Calm down young lady." Xalan said entering with my sister "I don't think your intervention will help."
"But if this continues, I don't know what could happen."
"Since when do you worry about a mortal... a little too special?"
"I'm not worried about him!" I stated as I headed to the desk "I'm worried about the idiot who made him angry!"
"......I'm not following you." Xalan said lost
"Then come with us and you will understand!"
"Why me too?!" my sister asked surprised that I put her in the middle
"The damage caused is not something I can repair on my own and if the fight continues, I won't even be able to contain it."
When I made that statement, my sister opened her eyes full of surprise.
There were no more exchanges and in a rush, I took both Daneas and Xalan's hands and brought them to my world. As the light faded, my body shivered.
That island was a small paradise discovered by Graeval long ago with white beaches, a crystal clear sea, and a lush forest, bursting with life and colors. I used to go there a few times when I wanted to take a little break or be alone.
Black clouds filled with lightning and thunder topped the sky, dark smoke rose from burnt trees, some had been vitrified and still, others reduced to piles of gray ash. The white beaches now looked like ash, with pools of lava and stalactites poking out here and there. The sea was dark, with some pools of some liquid, greasy and with flames burning in it, other pools were green and looked unhealthy, while dead bodies of fish and corpses of aquatic monsters were carried to the blackened beach. A strange wind was blowing... it was cold and hot at the same time, permeated with the smell of blood and rot. A powerful thirst for blood permeated that place and when I turned around I saw it
"Oh shit!"
Graeval's blue hair floated as if he were underwater, in his left hand the torso of what must have been a man: he had no arm and both legs were absent, his face disfigured, blackened, and burned. In his right hand, he held a sword that I had often seen.
"That sword...!" Xalan exclaimed in surprise "Shidor!" he exclaimed
"M-m... mas... ter... h-h... hel-"
The voice was Shidor's. But it was weak and dying.
Graeval raised Shidor's sword and slowly brought it around his master's neck. But he quickly pulled it back to parry a blow that Xalan struck to try to save his pupil. Then I saw them: Graeval's eyes weren't the usual golden color. They shone with white light and lightning flashed from them. Those eyes of him... were furious... cold... merciless. I am a divinity, but in my heart, I pray- no, I begged to never see those eyes again.
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