Chapter 133: The Beginning of the End
Leodero, the Lord of Storms, mounted his horse and rode towards Trier, heralding the tempest in the brightest sky. The continents were cracking and the oceans were surging in his path.
The eternal sun in the sky was dim. Its light is weaker than ever. The god of the sky could feel it, and the anchors of his sworn brother were quivering. It was all slowly but surely collapsing on itself, sounding the symphony of Aucuses' demise. It was heavenly to his ears. His oceanic blue eyes glinted with excitement.
Humanity. It was the catalyst for the demise of the Aucuses. Despite wielding such great power and authority, he spent the majority of it on his insignificant and puny angels.
Why did he do that? Leodero reflected. Compassion? Kindness?
It was ridiculous. Gods should not have such feelings for their angels. They are, above all, divine beings. Angels are nothing more than ants that should crawl under their feet, expressing only the utmost obedience and loyalty.
However, Aucuses appeared to think otherwise. He looks after his angels as if they were members of his 'Family.'
That thought disgusted Leodero. A bolt of lightning struck the sky, illuminating his path and striking down on the ocean. It set off a wave that reached the stormy sky, rolling towards the southern continent.
Time really changes everything. Aucuses, the white angel, changed to 'this'. It truly astounded him to see the once indifferent and proud white angel transform into this frail being.
And, indeed, at the start of the united empire, his power dwarfed even that of Sasrir, True Creator. To put it mildly, his rise was meteoric.
But, in the end, what difference does it make? Here Aucuses was, weak and frail. His anchors were trembling. His strength was fading. And ironically, it was his own actions that brought about his fall.
He had the Hermit Uniqueness. And it could have easily swayed Artisan's position to join his side in this war.
Despite knowing this, Aucuses granted it to a puny woman under him. And all he got out of it was Artisan's hatred. Nothing more and nothing less.
Then, he invaded the Southern Continent so brazenly for another one of his angels. Yet again, he gained nothing from it, other than the offending mad Salinger. As for the uniqueness of Chained, it was actually more of a threat than an asset.
Aucuses' actions were utterly ludicrous. For his angels, he consciously made the worst possible choices. The consequences were now coming back to bite him in the back.
The worst of the consequences was Amanises' choice. In the beginning, she wasn't explicitly leaning on either side. However, in the end, she made a logical decision, siding with them after coming to the realisation of the situation of Aucuses.
It was truly satisfying to see his angry yet helpless expression after Amanises struck his archie's hell.
It was his humanity. It was truly his undoing....
Leodero rode the black horse and marched towards Trier. Avalon, the divine kingdom of Aucuses, to be specific.
The war has already begun. The gods of both sides are about to face each other.
Leodero is aware that there are still some unknown factors in the war.
Sasrir. Cheek. Trunsoest.
Their participation in the war is still in question. He is, however, fairly certain that Sasrir will not participate in the war of gods. It was just a gut feeling.
Even if they do take part, it will have no effect on the main battlefield. He, Artisan, and Herabergan had made adequate preparations to prevent any interference in their main battlefield.
This was a golden opportunity. Aucuses was in his most vulnerable state. Nobody wanted to blow this opportunity. They even put aside their differences just for this purpose.
Today truly marks the end of the Eternal Sun.
Now, Leodero wasn't going to besiege Aucuses alone. After all, a wounded tiger is the most dangerous beast.
And, the one who is joining him wasn't actually Herabergan.
It didn't surprise him that much when the dragon said he didn't want to fight on the main battlefield unless absolutely necessary.
It was known fact that the dragon of betrayal was never one to take chances. He was far too cautious for his own good.
This didn't really matter to Leodero because he didn't give a damn about their agreement. He had no intention of waiting for a "fair" fight with Herabergan. The sun's uniqueness was his and his alone.
However, Leodero could still understand Herabergan's trepidation. Aucuses was a menacing opponent, whether weakened or not.
However, he was not overly concerned. He will be triumphant in the end. It didn't matter even if Aucuses had any last cards up his sleeve.
His absolute confidence was due to the one who is joining to besiege Aucuses.
It was none other than...
The stormy heavens were suddenly swept away in the middle, revealing a beautiful woman dressed in a layered black gown with countless sparkling specks of radiance like the stars.
Amanises, Evernight Goddess!
"Aucuses is moving his divine kingdom to astral world above Trier." Amanises said ethereally.
"I noticed.." Leodero said solemnly. "Let's set off and slay Aucuses. I have been waiting for this day for a long time, almost a life time, maybe."
Amanises nodded silently. The darkness thickening around her and the crimson moon gleamed brightly behind her head.
Then, they took off to the astral world, heralding the arrival of the night and storm across the material world.
The Eternal Sun shall fall into the abyss of storm and darkness and be forever extinguished.
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In the bone cathedral, Amon looked at the divided sky, adjusting his monocle.
"Who do you think will triumph, my zealot brother?" He asked, turning to face Adam, who was praying in front of a massive cross.
Adam stood up from his genuflecting position and opened his eyes. He turned to face Amon.
"Who do you believe?" He returned the question.
For a split second, Amon looked up at the stormy sky through the window of the bone cathedral.
"Aucuses." He eventually responded.
Adam gently smiled, his gleaming eyes looking up at the astral world, witnessing all that was about to unfold....
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In a realm filled with infinite light. Aucuses rested his head on Lilith's lap, eyes closed and arms crossed.
"It is beginning." Lilith leaned in and whispered in his ear.
Aucuses opened his dimmed eyes and said, caressing her cheek. "It is, indeed. The beginning of the end."
"I'll hold Herabergan off." Lilith said. Aucuses smiled and rose to his feet with Lilith.
He nodded and continued asking, holding her hands. "Do you not wish to say or ask anything? We made a promise to each other. And I am willing to answer any question."
"No…" Lilith smiled, pressing her finger against his lips. "I already understand..."
She tightened her hold on his hands, lighting kissing him on his lips. "I will be there in the ramen shop after the war. Now go, Aucuses. The time is neigh…"
Aucuses beamingly smiled. A golden flame erupted and shrouded his figure, burning his casual clothing to ashes and revealing white armour with golden, glinting streaks beneath. His iris became vertical, gleaming brightly in the golden light.
"Wait for me.." Aucuses kissed her lips passionately before turning back and walking into the infinite expanse of light.
Lilith stood there in silence, her firm gaze fixed on the disappearing figure of Aucuses, watching him leave for the war....
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