In a secret facility hidden deep in the middle of nowhere in the United States, workers rushed about with palpable urgency.
One man, dressed in the uniform of a military general, stood tall before a massive screen displaying multiple live feeds from locations around the country.
"Sir?" a worker called.
"What is it?" the man asked, his gaze still fixed on the display.
"It's about the stone creatures, sir," she reported. "There have been no further sightings since the ones we tracked abruptly broke apart."
"Is that good or bad news?" the general asked.
"I… am not sure, sir," she admitted. "While it appears the threat has been eliminated, it makes no sense why the caster would suddenly end the assault at such a stage."
"Maybe we got lucky," the general said. "Gods work in mysterious ways, after all."
"I'm not so sure, sir," the worker commented. "Considering the overwhelming advantage he displayed after their change, I don't believe we're in the clear yet."
The general was quiet for a moment. "I understand," he finally said, eyes still on the screen where one feed showed Tundra and Tremor standing motionless. "Keep an eye on our two divine friends, and report any other disturbances, whether in New York or not."
Suddenly, without warning, the ground began to shake violently. Workers stumbled around, but the sensation was strange. Instead of simply losing their balance, it felt as though the ground had lurched toward them, slamming them flat onto the floor for several moments.
Sirens wailed throughout the facility before the situation finally returned to normal. Workers scrambled back to their stations, answering calls and scribbling frantic notes.
"What the hell was that?" the general demanded, his tone sharp with urgency.
Every operator's eyes were wide, their calls filled with requests for immediate explanations.
The general approached the nearest worker. "Report."
"It's a call from Bermuda, sir," the worker said. "They're reporting multiple satellites crashing back into Earth's atmosphere."
"What does that mean?" the general asked. "How is that even possible?"
But before a response could be given, another worker called for the general's attention.
"We've just received similar reports from several European countries regarding aerospace distortions, sir," the worker reported. "They're asking how to proceed."
As the general turned to address them, a different voice broke through the noise.
"... do you copy?" another worker called out, one hand gripping a microphone while the other clutched a phone. "I repeat, does anyone copy?"
"What's going on?" the general demanded, his gaze shifting between the room and the screen where the gods still stood motionless.
"It's... our connection with Canberra," the worker explained. "Multiple alarms were triggered there, but we can't confirm anything. No one is responding."
"What?" the man exclaimed. "Call a neighboring city, then. Try Sydney or Melbourne."
"I already did, sir," the worker said, eyes downcast as they continued dialing. "I even tried cities farther away, like Perth. But it's almost as if... we've lost connection with the entire region."
The general's eyes widened, the shock plain on his face. He stood frozen, the world around him blurring as others rushed about in urgency.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, The End hovered in silence, his feet never once touching the ground beneath him. More striking, however, was what surrounded him.
He stood at the heart of pure calamity, a devastation stretching farther than the eye could see. A strange, dark purple substance coated the ground, mingling with an ominous, swirling fog. The sun was gone from view by dark clouds, leaving the horrors around him shrouded in shadow.
Moments earlier, The End had landed upon Earth, the force of his arrival powerful enough to shift the planet itself. Yet even that was not the most terrifying part.
His presence alone, combined with the momentum of his fall from Higher World, had unleashed total destruction across the entire area, despite never coming in contact with the ground.
He inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of ruin before exhaling. A smile spread across his face as his pale white pupils swept across the wasteland.
"Nothing is truly more enticing than fresh destruction," he said, his gaze alight with amusement.
After a moment's satisfaction, his eyes turned toward a specific point, his attention piercing far beyond the shattered landscape.
"Now then," he murmured, "it is about time I retrieve thee."
Meanwhile, in Under World, Quinn's eyes widened, horror etching itself across her face.
"Oh... my gods," she whispered in disbelief.
"What?" Riley asked, stepping closer. "What happened?"
"He's arrived on Earth, hasn't he?" Shade asked.
"That's... not all," Quinn muttered before suddenly collapsing to her knees.
Her reaction sent a ripple of panic through the demigods, several of them rushing toward her.
"What's going on, Quinn?" Tyler asked.
"It's in... Australia," Quinn said, her wide eyes staring ahead in shock.
"Where in Australia?" Klaus asked.
"All of it," Quinn answered, sending a wave of disbelief through the room. "Every single human dwelling on that continent... has been killed."
"What?" Shade exclaimed, stunned.
"How the hell did that happen?" Siren demanded, tears forming in her eyes as her palms covered her mouth.
"It was him," Quinn confirmed. "He fell from Higher World... landed right in the center of the continent. The impact... even knocked Earth off its axis."
"She's right," Iris spoke up from the side, her gaze fixed upward, her glowing purple eyes heavy with grief. "I can see nothing but ruin."
Tears slid down Quinn's cheeks as her hands slowly clutched at her head. "Every one of them..." she murmured, "all their pain, their fear... I felt it all. Like they suffered before they died."
Link glanced at his sister, his digital face displaying quiet concern. "You need to sever your connection with everyone back on Earth," he urged. "If you don't... I fear you might lose your mind."
But Quinn didn't respond. Her eyes remained wide, her shock unbroken.
"What the hell do we do now?" Tyler asked, his voice heavy. "All the gods have been killed, part of humanity has been wiped out, and Trent..."
But he stopped, unable to finish his words.
Soon, Tyler let out a resigned sigh. "I think this is it," he muttered. "Even justice can't save us now."
"It is not too late to remain hopeful," a voice called from the doorway.
The demigods turned to see Nekro enter, his expression strained. A few armored demons knelt on either side as the god slowly stepped into the room.
The End lingered in the wake of his destruction momentarily, his gaze fixed in the same direction. But as he moved his foot forward, the entire location began to shift, transforming from a catastrophic wasteland to the front of a home in a suburban neighborhood.
The End hovered forward over the front steps, arriving at the front door of the house. As he continued to advance, the door began to emit a strange, dark purple glow before suddenly dematerializing, vanishing from sight and leaving behind a purple residual essence that soon disappeared.
Upon entering the house, his gaze quickly fixed on a woman who turned back in shock. It was Natalie, and The End had just stepped into the Walker residence.
Natalie stood in the living room, her attention caught by the sudden disturbance at the entrance. The sorrow in her eyes was evident, having just heard Sol's final words only moments earlier.
Her eyes were still red from intense crying, but as they turned toward the door, they fell upon the presence now standing before her.
Glancing at the stranger, a flood of conflicting emotions swept through her. "S-Sol?" she asked, shock evident in her eyes.
Natalie noticed a strange physical resemblance between the stranger and her husband, which caught her off guard in the moment. However, from the aura this being radiated, along with the strange white-pupilled black eyes he possessed, she knew this was far from the man she had married.
The End's gaze locked on Natalie, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Not quite," he said as he began to hover deeper into the home.
Natalie's expression shifted from concern to horror in an instant, and she screamed at the realization of his presence. She backed away slowly, stumbling onto the sofa, her horrified eyes shutting as she placed her hands over her face in fright.
The End regarded her with amusement, the smile still fixed on his face, before turning his head elsewhere. Shortly after, he began to move away, the entire house silent as he slowly hovered toward the staircase that led upstairs, leaving Natalie in the living room with her terror.
Arriving at the walkway, he continued forward until he reached a door. Just like the front door, the dark purple essence slowly consumed it entirely, reducing it to nothing as he passed through. And upon entering the room, he found Olivia seated on the other side, her eyes immediately locking onto the divine being.
The moment Olivia saw The End, her eyes widened. "You!" she exclaimed, rising to her feet in fear. "You're... him."
"Yes, I am," The End said with a smile as he slowly hovered closer.
"H-How did you get here?" Olivia asked in shock. "What are you doing here?"
The End's smile widened as his gaze remained on her, recognizing something she did not yet know. "Thou knowest not, dost thou?" he said. "Thou knowest not what thou truly art."
Watching The End advance menacingly, Olivia stumbled backward, shaken by the words she had just heard. Soon, The End stretched out his left hand, and chains began to materialize in his grasp, linking to a shackle that formed around Olivia's neck.
"No," Olivia grunted, her hands clawing at the shackle in an attempt to remove it.
"Struggle not, my other half," The End said suddenly, before turning his attention away. "Now... let us prepare to behold the beauty of destruction."
"Nekro," Shade said, recognizing the god's presence as he entered the room.
But as Shade watched, Klaus suddenly walked past him, heading directly toward Nekro with urgency.
Nekro glanced at Klaus, noting the sorrow in his eyes as the demigod stopped before him, staring in silence.
"Why?" Klaus asked. "Why does that bastard look like my father?"
Nekro looked at Klaus in momentary confusion before realization struck. "You were the first mortal being to ever set eyes upon his third-dimensional presence," he explained. "Because of that, he took form in that dimensional plane as your greatest fear. I would assume this is why he appears that way now."
Klaus stood in quiet confusion before the truth sank in. "My greatest fear," he muttered in realization, "was my father being a treacherous god among the pantheon."
Seeing the demigod's grief, Nekro placed a hand on Klaus's shoulder. "I am so sorry for your loss," he said softly before turning toward the others. "And that includes all of you."
Nekro's gaze softened. "My siblings... were the best thing my villainous creator ever made," he murmured. "I hope they found peace before their demise."
Shortly after speaking, Nekro suddenly exhaled and leaned forward slightly, one hand moving to his head in mild exhaustion. The demigods exchanged startled looks at the sight.
"Father?" Ash called, stepping forward in concern.
Nekro raised his hand in reassurance. "I am fine, my son. It is only a mild strain. It will pass."
"But how is that possible?" Siren asked. "I thought gods can't get strained."
Nekro took a moment to compose himself. "Naturally, our infinite power prevents us from experiencing such a thing," he began, "but now that my siblings are gone, I alone bear the burden of keeping reality intact. That strain will take time to normalize."
"But your strain isn't just from that, is it?" Iris asked, noticing with a glance that there was more to it. "There's something else."
Nekro's gaze softened again, confirming her suspicion. The other demigods moved closer as he began to explain.
"After I was told about the situation in Higher World," he said, "I descended to confront Limbo and confirm whether he was still imprisoned. I suspected he might have had a hand in The End's escape, which was why I had to leave you all here to approach him."
The room remained silent as Nekro continued, his tone calm but heavy.
"I demanded an explanation from him," the god went on, "and as expected, he kept everything to himself. But then it happened--the weight of reality suddenly pressed down upon me. That was the moment The End removed the seal that had concealed the meeting room."
Klaus remained silent, already sensing where the story was leading regarding the imprisoned god.
"Noticing my weakened state," Nekro continued, "Limbo took the opportunity to fight back against my power--the same power that kept him bound and imprisoned. And with that... he shattered his shackles and broke free."
The demigods looked on in disbelief, struggling to comprehend how the situation had worsened yet again.
"But that shouldn't be possible," Quinn said from the side, her hand still pressed to her temple. "He shouldn't be that strong, even if you were fatigued."
"You are correct," Nekro agreed. "He was not supposed to be. But somehow, he was. He broke through the prison and regained his infinite power, and I was too powerless at that moment to stop him. Before he left, however, he said something strange: that I should 'give his thanks to one of the half-breeds for his escape.'"
At his words, the demigods exchanged shocked glances at the implication. But in the corner, X--who had been silent for most of the time--reacted with even greater shock, understanding those words far better than the rest.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, The End emerged from the Walker residence, his left hand gripping a chain that connected to Olivia, who hovered beside him.
Olivia struggled desperately to remove the shackle around her neck but found no strength to break free as they descended the steps and moved onto the street.
Only a few feet from the house, The End abruptly stopped, sensing something. "Thou art here," he muttered, turning his gaze to the side.
There, a god knelt on one knee, bowing with noble respect toward his creator. Long black hair cascaded down his face, partially concealing a massive shackle bound over his eyes and around his head. His deep black suit of armor was accented with dark blue and purple patterns along select portions.
"I only aim to please," the god said calmly, head still bowed. "I welcome your triumphant return, Father."
In the Facility, X rose from his seat and began walking, his sudden movement drawing the attention of the others. He continued forward until he stopped directly in front of one of the demigods: Arthur.
Arthur glanced up in slight confusion before the hunter struck.
X seized Arthur's hand, yanking him forward with surprising force and slamming him to the ground. In an instant, he had the demigod pinned, using his body weight to subdue him with incredible speed.
"What the..." Mia called out in shock. "What are you doing?"
She watched her brother ruthlessly force Arthur onto his chest.
X's left hand pressed down on the demigod's neck while his right reached for his holster. In one swift motion, he drew his sidearm and aimed it directly at Arthur's head.
The demigods glanced in utter confusion, unable to understand what was going on.
Arthur instinctively tried to fight back, ready to activate his Hardening ability and throw X off him, but a certain sensation stopped him. The cold barrel of the weapon pressed against his skull carried a strange, overwhelming warning, and his instincts screamed not to resist.
"Speak," X ordered, his tone sharp and commanding. "Now."
The way X carried himself made it clear that he knew something the rest of them didn't.
Arthur lay frozen for a moment, then his eyes widened as a memory surfaced. "I met him," he said quietly. "I met him before. It... was me."
Lance, standing nearby, stared in shock. "Who?" he demanded. "And what is the meaning of this?"
Arthur kept his eyes down, unable to face his brother. "It was during our first visit to Under World," he confessed. "When we were given the option to explore briefly before regrouping for the Queen's residence, I heard a voice call out to me."
The other demigods listened intently, exchanging confused glances.
"I was startled at first," Arthur continued, "but curiosity got the better of me. As I followed the voice, none of the guards along the way reacted to my presence, which only made me more suspicious. Eventually, I came to a door that opened as soon as I approached. Inside... I saw him: the imprisoned god."
Arthur's voice softened, Soul Slayer still trained on his head. "I didn't know who he was, but he told me there were things the gods had kept from us--truths they refused to share."
"And because of that, you conspired against us?" Lance asked, his voice laced with disappointment.
"No," Arthur said firmly. "I realized the situation was beyond my understanding, so I left. I do not know how my presence helped him escape."
Nekro studied him in silence, then his eyes shifted, as though reliving the memory himself. He saw it all: the way Limbo had concealed Arthur's presence from the guards, and the entire moment the god had spoken to him.
"Your hair," Nekro said suddenly, drawing everyone's attention as his gaze drifted. "I made sure for years that Limbo's power remained suppressed to an infinitesimal level using my own. But I never knew he had been secretly gathering his strength over eons, in quantities too small to detect."
Nekro stepped closer, understanding the situation more clearly. "Limbo used this power he had gathered to pluck a strand of hair from your head discreetly, before you left," he explained to Arthur. "With it, he reformed a link with divinity, and that alone was enough to grant him a means of escape over time."
Arthur's gaze dimmed, the weight of his failure plain in his eyes. "I have failed you, brother," he said. "I have failed our father's memory. I deserve every consequence."
Having witnessed the moment through Arthur's perspective, Nekro understood exactly what had transpired. "At ease, son of Flage," he said at last, his attention shifting to X.
X shot a glare his way before finally getting off Arthur. He took a steadying breath and slid his sidearm back into its holster.
Arthur rose slowly, shame written in every movement, his gaze still avoiding his twin brother.
"It is not your fault, son of Siege," Nekro said. "It was Limbo's influence that granted you an audience with him."
"But it was my curiosity that led me there," Arthur countered.
"That is also true," Nekro admitted, "but the pantheon shares the blame for keeping knowledge from you demigods. Had you been told everything, especially about the presence of an imprisoned god, you would not have been swayed by his call."
Arthur fell silent. He wanted to take full responsibility, but Nekro would not allow him to shoulder all the blame. At last, Arthur turned to Lance, noticing the sadness in his brother's eyes.
"I am sorry, brother," he said quietly.
"I have known you all my life," Lance replied softly as he stepped closer. "I know when to hold you accountable for your mistakes. This is not one of those times."
"The past no longer matters," Nekro said. "What matters now is The End's presence and what we do about it."
"But how are we supposed to stop him?" Rose asked. "Especially now that he has three gods on his side."
"I... am not certain," Nekro admitted. "But we must not give up."
"But I don't understand," Link said. "From what Zenith told us during that meeting, I thought his mere presence could wipe out all existence."
"The greatest display of power is control and mastery," Nekro explained. "He cannot claim to be the greatest being in existence if he cannot even contain his own presence."
"But why?" Mia pressed, frustration etched into her voice. "Why give us false hope?"
Nekro's gaze softened. "You already know the answer," he said. "The End is focused on one thing alone at this moment: his entertainment."
Silence settled over the group until Quinn stepped forward. "Only a fraction of him was released," she said. "Does that change our chances?"
"It only limits the amount of his being in this reality," Nekro replied. "It does not diminish his capability."
"I figured that was the case," Quinn muttered softly.
"So we're screwed," Tyler muttered, voicing what many of the demigods felt.
Nekro could sense that most of them had already lost hope, and he wasn't sure if it could be restored.
Klaus saw it too. His father's words were the only thing keeping him moving forward, so he understood why the others had no motivation. But before he could speak, another voice cut through the gloom.
"Is that it?"
The demigods turned to see Lance rising from his seat, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"Are you all just going to give up?" he asked. "Simply because of the nature of the opposition?"
"And what exactly are we supposed to do?" Tyler shot back. "He's already killed most of the greatest powers in existence."
"And that is enough to break your spirit?" Lance challenged. "Enough to stop you from fighting for your own survival?"
"Do you honestly think we can win with these odds?" Piper asked calmly from the side.
Lance sighed. "What I think doesn't matter," he said, his expression unreadable. "My father fought for my survival. Our fathers... fought for all of ours."
His voice softened. "This pain is all we have left of them. I don't care what the odds are; whether our doom is inevitable or not, I will not trample on the memory of the gods by losing hope. And neither should you."
Tyler's gaze softened, memories of his father stirring. "I guess... you're right," he admitted quietly.
Nekro gave a faint smile at Lance's words. "Well said, nephew."
But at that moment, his expression shifted, sensing an unexpected change that began to unfold.
Back on Earth, Tremor and Tundra stood in silence, awaiting the arrival of The End at their location.
"This… is the world for which the others lost their lives?" Tundra asked, his white eyes scanning the area with sharp focus.
"They have been stained by mortality," Tremor replied. "Most pitiful."
"Perhaps we should have prolonged our onslaught upon these creatures for longer," Tundra said. "I doubt Father would have--"
Before Tundra could finish, a faint but unfamiliar force brushed against his senses, causing both him and Tremor to turn toward a specific direction. After a moment, a wide grin spread across his face. His eyes widened in sudden realization, and a low chuckle escaped him.
"This presence," he said. "It is thee, is it not..."
A beam of light tore open the skies, descending and bathing a vast radius in its brilliance, where the gods fixed their gaze. Moments later, a figure dropped into its center, crouched low and concealed by the blinding glow.
And as they rose, Tundra's grin remained, his recognition instant.
"...Flage!"