Chapter 513 – A Battle of Lies (Part 1)

Throughout Enorian history, the Gods always had a tangible presence. Sure it may have varied from time to time, but divinity flowed through the mortal realm and, unlike Earth, there was never any doubt as to the existence of the Divine. At times they ruled directly, lording over the mortal realm directly, but more often than not they kept their distance, directing events via servants or more inconspicuous methods. Sure Avatars existed and were used frequently for a more hands on approach, and many could say that they met a God, but there is a wide chasm between the mere approximation of Divinity that is an Avatar and the real thing. Pure Divine power directly from the source was a truly awesome thing, not even Akagi would deny that, but it was also dangerous. Even for a world that was not structurally impaired, the appearance of a deity in all its glory would result in collateral damage. Mortals unprepared to witness such an event would melt as their bodies vaporized from the sheer presence of a God, and the very world itself would quake in awe of their awesome power. Thus, when not one but six Gods descended, even reality itself struggled to bear such a colossal weight.

And for a moment, it seemed like it wouldn't as the sky above began to split open.

*BOOM* *CRACKLE* *CRASH*

As the swirling white light from the wound in reality created by the Gods' appearance continued to grow, more and more nearby soldiers were atomized by the incredible power of the descent, and those who weren't immediately destroyed fled as quickly they could, abandoning everything in a desperate attempt at survival. The Gods cared not for mortal fodder at this point, and were unconcerned about backlash from collateral damage given that they assumed there would be no mortals left to care. Enoris heaved, bent, and creaked as the awesome power of six members of its pantheon channeled onto a comparatively small point. White lightning filled the skies across the planet, high winds threatened to flatten structures even hundreds of miles away, and the weave that held this bubble of reality together screamed as individual threads began to snap under the strain.

"Heh... Hehehehehehehehehe." Akagi cackled with glee as she watched the enormous power of the Gods flow forth from their entry point, the overall amount of Divine power growing higher and higher with each passing second. She'd dealt with Gods several times until now, but this was something on a completely different level. The Demon's body began to tremble, not out of fear rather out of anticipation. The power Akagi sensed from just six Gods gathered together made her want to jump in and fight immediately, and her mind practically screamed at her to go all out to satisfy her lust for battle. For someone like Akagi, a certified battle junkie who, ever since becoming a Demon Lord, had found little in the way of excitement from fighting, this was practically a dream come true. For these opponents wouldn't break with just a single blow and in a world where everything may as well have been made of glass that was truly something she appreciated.

"It's just too bad that I can't actually go all out, since doing that would implode this entire world." Akagi laughed as she calmed herself, forcing down the part of her that wanted to explode with power and jump straight into the fight. The restraint was not a matter of mercy. It was arithmetic. Too much power, released in the wrong place, and Enoris would come apart around them. The Gods knew that too, and if they wanted to succeed, they would have to fight within those limits as well.

That thought made her smile even more. "Perhaps, one day, I'll tap into everything I've got. “Though even I don't know how much there really is." She grinned, her razor-sharp teeth sending chills down the spine of her two royal companions.

"Father, we need to go, now." Ariel moved quickly, sensing how out of their depths they were, tossing her stunned Father onto the back of her horse before mounting it herself.

"Not going to wish me good luck?" Akagi commented as Ariel cracked her reins, white light flooding the battlefield as lightning slammed into the ground nearby and etched deep scars into the land.

{Ohhhhh, I can FEEEL that!} (Akagi)

"Such a thing feels wasted on you." Ariel said before kicking her horse and taking off at full gallop, her Father giving a polite departure where she would not.

"Perhaps, though luck always has its part to play in any battle no matter how prepared one is." Akagi said as she focused her full attention on the pillar, which began to contract as the divine power condensed within.

{Its time.} (Akagi)

{Please, be careful. You have no idea what the Gods have up their sleeve.} (Yumi)

{I will, and on that note, since I'll be taking this battle seriously, I'm going to disconnect you from the outside. Time dilation will be set to zero, as I need to ensure my ability to access every last drop of my power if it comes down to it. I doubt I'll need it but...} (Akagi)

{That's fine, just... Promise me that you'll win.} (Yumi)

{I can only promise to try. And take care of Miji, she still hasn't acclimated to being in there yet and seems stressed. I put her to sleep to help her out and given that she'll be sticking around in there for a bit its best that she has you at her side.} (Akagi)

{I will. Be safe... And... I love you.} (Yumi)

"Yeah... And hopefully, I'll be able to say that back to you one day and mean it from the depths of my heart." Akagi said quietly as she closed her eyes and centered herself, shutting down any unnecessary parallel minds and concentrating everything on this fight. While she might not intend to use her full power in this battle, and was more interested in stalling until Kana defeated Rehael, the Demon was also taking no chances. This would be a fight against four Gods in all their glory, and Akagi had to be prepared for anything since, until now, she could only guess as to how strong they actually were. There was always a chance that they had something up their sleeve and there was no room for error in such a fight. Her usual teasing, amusement, the urge to throw herself at the strongest thing in sight, all of it was pushed to the edges of her mind. She was still enjoying herself but Akagi was simply no longer allowing said enjoyment to make decisions for her. "Now to see if my gambles pay off."

As the vortex continued to contract, six distinct energy signatures emerged; two of which Akagi already recognized as her collaborators. Each member of the Pantheon were extraordinarily powerful beings, though one of these six particular were far and away more powerful than their present peers, and the Demon figured that even the weakest of the six could easily mop the floor with every single Returnee, Silfana and Halifax combined; such was the gap between mortal and Divine. It was not a wall one could climb. It was an entirely different order of existence.

Then, just as she was analyzing her opponents something flashed toward her at incredible speed.

*WOOSH*

"Coming out of the gate swinging?" Akagi laughed as she batted away another beam of white energy which arched upward before detonating behind her with a massive blast that shook the foundation of the nearby city. A second beam followed immediately after, though like with the first Akagi easily flicked it aside with two fingers. After being reflected it tore upward into the clouds, where it burst like a miniature sun. "What? Not even going to have some witty banter with me before we get to the throw down? At least let me monologue for a bit before we start. After all, I am the villain and we all know its impolite to-"

"That arrogant attitude will be your undoing." Esquire interrupted her as the vortex exploded outward, revealing the six Gods within. The Goddess of Death floated at the front of the formation, two smaller scythes held loosely at her sides. The blades edges looked less like metal than a narrow absence in the world around it. She had fired the opening shots, and her expression suggested that she had learned something from Akagi’s response.

"Maybe, but then again maybe not. I suppose we're just going to have to wait and see who's the arrogant one." Akagi said as she took the sky to meet the Gods. "Aren't you also being arrogant in assuming that such a weak attack would do anything to me?"

"That attack? Let's just call it a greeting." Esquire replied, wanting to avoid getting into a verbal back and forth like the Demon desired given that she could sense Akagi's attempt at manipulating her with her words.

“I look forward to the actual attacks.” Akagi smirked.

"Oh, don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. Just give us a moment." Esquire said, her eyes lowering a fraction.

Akagi studied the six figures as she drifted closer. Esquire had a cold, almost delicate beauty, but loneliness sat behind her eyes like an old wound. The huge man beside her, muscular enough to make his work overalls look rather small, had to be Hilare, God of the Forge. Akagi had expected a craftsman to carry a hammer or some divine instrument. Instead, Hilare’s hands hung loose at his sides, fingers curled as if he were waiting to test the strength of a piece of metal. Though the lack of a weapon, however, was more concerning than a relief.

"So... That's the Demon Lord, huh?" Marret said, unimpressed by Akagi as she expressed her disappointment. "The last one seemed tougher."

"Don’t mistake a quiet surface for a shallow pool." Hilare cautioned her against looking down upon the Demon, his gaze never leaving Akagi’s hands. “She’s concealing her strength. And she wants us to notice that she’s concealing it.

{But still, its odd. I never imagined that a Demon Lord's energy could be so calm. Is it truly just a facade or...} (Hilare)

The Forge God's words intrigued the Demon as she sharpened her focus on him. That he was so quick to understand the situation told her everything she needed to know about the man. He would be the most dangerous foe, if for no other reason than the fact that he good instinct and the intelligence to use it.

"Indeed, she is dangerous. In many more ways than you can imagine." Cheofla commented. "If you want to even have a hope of standing a chance, you'll need to keep focused and not let your guard down. A single slip-up could prove fatal." She said, adopting the grave tone of someone offering hard-won advice.

"Indeed, you recall what happened the last time a God took things into their own hands and assumed that nothing could harm them." Teirea said, referring to the God of the Hunt who'd gotten himself annihilated with ease. "Not to mention, this Demon Lord is not alone." He said as Zo and Ro appeared next to Akagi, thunder and lighting crackling as they warped in.

"Those troublesome Twins..." Esquire sighed, displeased with the Twins appearance. "We really should've killed them when we had the chance."

"Those two will be easy. Allow me to tear them apart so that we can focus on the real threat." Korex said. He held a flaming glaive in one hand, its fire streaming along the blade without consuming the shaft. His stare was fixed on Akagi t.

"Yo! Korex buddy! How's it hanging?" Akagi smirked. "I know that our last play-date was canceled a bit prematurely, but I'm ready to pick back up exactly where we left off!"

"Please no... I mean, I shall make you pay for the torment you inflicted upon me, Demon Lord." Korex said, trying to act tough. Though this attempt at recovering his dignity ultimately fooled no one.

"Boss, what did you do to make a God freak out?" Ro asked quietly.

"We probably don't want to know, bro." Zo shook her head.

"I just subjected him to the endless torment of fluff and adorable stuffed animals." Akagi snickered. "It was truly something to behold!"

{Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah...} (Ro x Zo)

In response to Akagi's provocation, Korex’s glaive flared. The fire surged several feet up the blade, then crawled along the air itself, leaving a burning line that hung between him and Akagi.

There it was. Anger made visible, and a weapon that was became more dangerous because its wielder was losing control. Akagi filed that bit of information away, content that it would prove useful later.

"If those two are here as well, that complicates things." Cheofla said to Esquire, playing her part well. "We anticipated fighting just the Demon Lord. While those two are nowhere near as powerful as a true Primordial, they'll be annoying distractions that could make dealing with her difficult."

"Yes..." Esquire thought for a moment before agreeing. "Let's start by isolating the area as we discussed."

"Cheofla and I will quickly dispatch the children. That way, you can focus on the Demon Lord." Teirea threw off his shirt and flexed. The ground gave a low, unhappy groan beneath the weight of his power.

{Man is fucking JACKED. Don't let Naomi see him!} (Akagi)

Even as the banter continued Akagi was tracking the Gods' formation. Esquire stood where she could threaten several approach routes with her scythes. While Hilare had placed himself close enough to intercept a charge. Korex was already leaning forward, impatient to attack and Marret had begun to fidget, her expression tightening with each passing second.

They were not standing like a group eager to unleash their full strength. They were standing like a group trying to control where the fight would happen. Akagi gleaned much from that small bit of information. Their formation and stances could mean caution, It could mean discipline, or it could mean that the battlefield itself mattered. Akagi figured that guessing would do nothing, and that the only way to find out would be to wait and watch, which was something she was more than happy to do.

"I don't like the idea of splitting up, even for a brief time." Hilare thought that their only chance was to keep together and fight as one.

"And I understand that, but it's either that or we risk fighting the Demon Lord and the Twins at the same time." Cheofla said as she summoned a large white staff. At its tip, a crystal sphere enclosed the symbol of her authority a great tree whose branches spread in every direction. "All you four need to do is hold out until we're done." She said before swinging her staff and in that instant, the world folded. The city, the broken earth, and the wounded sky vanished. In their place stretched an endless forest, its trees rising above rolling green hills beneath a sky too perfect to be natural. The transition was so clean that the wind did not even pause; it simply changed direction.

{Oh, good. They even brought their very own coffin. Too bad I didn't bring the shovel.} (Akagi)

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<Elariel POV>

“The removal of the hand wrapped so firmly around my neck.” Elariel said quietly as put a hand to her throat, noting with great pleasure the absence of Akagi's power that once bound her. “It has only been a few months, but it feels like an eternity since that restraint was placed on me.” She sighed taking a minute to let stress release from her body.

Elariel returned to her domain just as Esquire and the other Gods incarnated, figuring that she wouldn't be noticed during the chaos. So far there was no immediate attacks on her person, her Angels had reported that the other Gods were quite busy and hadn't kept an eye on her for some time, though she guessed that the moment she stood up from her throne a clock would begin ticking. “I need to do whatever I can do make this work and quickly. I may be doomed regardless of whether or not Akagi destroys this world, but if at all possible I'd like to give its people a chance at survival.”

{Before I go poking around in Hilare's Domain I need to see if I can find Reflia. I can sense her energy nearby so she must be in her domain, but I don't like that I can sense Gale's so close as well...} (Elariel)

“I suppose I just have to play it by ear then.” Elariel said as she stood up, ready to challenge fate.