The giant white marble doors remained closed as the white-hooded figure stood before the High Council. Many of the council members were still trying to figure out who was behind the hood. Their voice sounded familiar, but none of them could quite place the face or name. Gnoth stood up from his seat, angered by the stranger's presence.
"The only debts that will be due will be the fines I place upon you," Gnoth said, his voice filled with irritation. "Now leave at once."
"I see the power has corrupted your mind," the hooded man replied. "You throw your status around as if it has meaning."
Gnoth snarled at the response. He had earned his position as High Elder through years of service, and to him, this was more than an insult. Anger continued building inside him as he listened to someone he considered nothing more than an ordinary civilian speak to him as though he were a child.
"You dare insult me?" Gnoth said. "I will have your tongue for that!"
Gnoth pressed the security button on his wrist. Nothing happened. He waited a few more moments. The guards should have answered and opened the doors by now. Gnoth looked down at the communicator on his wrist, confusion replacing his anger for the first time. The hooded man watched him.
"What is the matter, Gnoth?" he asked calmly. "Does your status not grant you power?"
In that moment Gnoth finally remembered whose voice that was. Memories of a white-haired man who wore black armor and wielded red cosmic energy surfaced. Gnoth looked up at the hooded man, visibly shaking as he realized who stood before him.
"How... how... how did you...?" he said, trembling.
"Unlike you, I have power," the hooded figure said, his tone sending shivers down Gnoth's spine.
Then the hooded figure finally removed his white cloak. All the council members gasped in horror as they saw Valak standing before them. Valak simply smiled at them as his eyes glowed a deep red.
"Tricking the stupid is quite easy," Valak said before continuing. "Your arrogance blinds you. Pride killed your only chance of stopping me."
"What are you talking about?" one of the members asked.
"If you had swallowed your pride and joined forces with the Arcadians," Valak said, walking toward Gnoth, "your numbers would have been too much for us to handle. However, celebrating their defeat was your biggest mistake."
"There is only one of you. We have the entire Angelic military here," another member stated.
"How foolish do you think I am?" Valak said with a small chuckle. "I did not come alone."
An hour ago.
Valak and Morveth stood on the bridge of the main cruiser. Beyond the giant windows, the Angelic planet was visible. Valak had calculated every move with precision and executed them perfectly. Now he was in the endgame of his grand plan. One more pillar had to fall.
"What is the plan?" Morveth asked, his eyes fixed on the planet.
"We will knock on the front door," Valak answered.
"Knock on the front door? Their defense system is far too advanced to just walk right up to the planet and knock," Morveth replied.
Morveth then noticed Valak smiling. Was Valak really crazy enough to force his way in? Or was this a part of his plan? Those questions ran through Morveth's mind. However, he had seen that smile from Valak before. It was the same smile he wore when invading Arcadia. Morveth finally understood that Valak wasn't a madman. He always had a plan and was steps ahead of everyone.
"You clearly have a plan," Morveth said, smiling as he gazed out toward the planet again.
"Their advanced systems are their weakness. They rely heavily on them, which makes them blind to their own arrogance," Valak explained. "That will be our advantage."
In the next moment, Valak raised his hand, and red energy gathered around it. He then clicked his fingers and the red energy disappeared. Morveth looked closely at the planet, but nothing had changed. He looked back at Valak, confused, then turned his attention to the planet again.
"To us, nothing has changed. To everyone on the planet, we don't exist," Valak explained. "I have altered their reality. All their defense systems had been manipulated to recognize the same conditions they had detected before."
"An illusion?" Morveth asked.
"In a way. This entire section is now in a pocket dimension, which I control. The sky will remain a peaceful blue to them while we hide under it," Valak continued to explain. "Once we are in position, I will expel the dimension, and then we will strike."
The demon fleet began its descent into the planet's atmosphere. Morveth and the other demons watched as the giant robotic systems remained still. Not one of the systems detected that an entire fleet had entered the airspace. Below them, the capital was still celebrating, while the invaders hovered above unnoticed.
Back in the present, every council member's face fell. Valak's eyes glowed brighter as he raised his hand. Red energy gathered around it as he snapped his fingers. A bright red flash filled the chamber and swept across the city, temporarily blinding everyone caught in its path.
As Gnoth's vision returned, he heard engines roaring and lasers firing. He turned toward the window and saw the entire Demon fleet in the skies above the capital. Outside the building, the festive atmosphere in the streets gave way to panic. Civilians were grabbing family members and running in fear as the Demon fleet began its invasion. Lasers rained down from the fleet as it attacked the capital.
Gnoth looked back at Valak, puzzled. He couldn't believe that the Demons had got through the heavy planetary security system. Not a single notification or warning had been sent. The only question running through his mind was how they had done it.
"But how?" Gnoth asked.
"Like I already said. Unlike you, I have power," Valak replied.
Valak's hand rose once again, but this time it was pointing directly at one of the council members. In an instant, his body was covered in red energy. The horror on the member's face was enough to make the others move away from him. In the next moment, Valak closed his hand into a fist, crushing the council member. The victim's arms shattered under the pressure, and his legs broke like toothpicks. His screams echoed through the chamber as blood splattered everywhere, staining the white marble walls and floors bright red.
The remaining council members screamed in horror and ran straight for the door. Gnoth stood there, staring at the remains of the council member. The others pounded on the door, begging for help.
"Now you understand the true hierarchy," Valak said. "Your title is nothing more than a word when you stand before a god."
Gnoth slowly turned toward him. Beneath his fear, something else had begun to surface: the realization that this catastrophe might not have been inevitable. He thought of Oldol and the alliance he had proposed, remembering how quickly Gnoth had dismissed the idea. Had his pride blinded him to the danger? Could they have prevented this if he had listened?
Valak seemed to read the regret on his face. "You're finally beginning to understand, aren't you? You had a chance to change the outcome, but you were too concerned with protecting your position to recognize the threat in front of you."
Gnoth swallowed, then forced himself to meet Valak's gaze. "Answer me one question. Why? Why turn against the people who looked after you? You served the Angelics. You fought alongside us. We gave you a place among us, and now you come here intending to destroy everything we built. What could possibly justify this?"
Valak's smile faded. He regarded Gnoth in silence, and when he finally spoke, his voice carried none of the amusement it had before.
"You still don't understand. You believe that because you gave me a position, you gave me a purpose. You believe that because I fought your wars, I owed you my loyalty." Valak stepped closer, his crimson eyes fixed on Gnoth. "But we were never people to you. We were weapons you could send into battle to clean up the mistakes you made. When we suffered, you called it duty. When we questioned you, you called it betrayal. And when we were no longer useful, you expected us to disappear quietly."
Gnoth shook his head. "Whatever wrongs you believe were done to you, this is not the answer. You will destroy innocent lives. Entire civilizations will suffer because of you."
"Civilizations that continue to repeat the same mistakes," Valak replied. "Kingdoms rise, claim the right to rule and destroy anyone who threatens their position. The Angelics are no different from the Demons, the Arcadians, or any other power that has ever claimed to bring order to existence. They all become consumed by the same corruption, and they all insist that their actions are necessary."
"So you intend to kill them all?" Gnoth asked, his voice trembling. "Every civilization? Every world? Everyone who refuses to follow you?"
"I intend to remove what is destroying existence," Valak answered.
"And you believe that makes you any better than us?" Gnoth questioned.
Valak looked at him for several seconds before answering. "I don't need to be better than you, Gnoth. I need to be willing to do what you never could."
Gnoth stared at him, horrified by the certainty in his voice.
"The universes are collapsing beneath the weight of the systems you created," Valak continued. "You keep trying to repair something that was broken from the beginning, and every attempt only allows the disease to spread further. You call it civilization. I call it a virus."
"And you believe you are the cure?" Gnoth questioned again.
Valak's crimson eyes brightened.
"No," he replied. "I know I am."
Moments before.
Andreia and Zether walked down one of the long corridors within the Angelic Capital, unaware that the city they had sworn to protect was moments away from descending into chaos. The corridor was quiet, its polished floors reflecting the pale light that poured through the glass panels lining the walls. Everything changed when a brilliant red flash swept across the corridor, bathing the walls and ceiling in crimson light. Both Orions stopped in their tracks. The energy was unmistakable, and they had felt it too many times before to mistake it for anything else.
"Valak," Zether muttered, his amber eyes narrowing as he turned toward the nearest window.
Andreia looked outside as the first explosions echoed throughout the city. Demonic warships had appeared above the capital, and their weapons were already firing upon the streets below. She and Zether immediately rushed toward the exit, knowing there was no time to waste. The moment they reached the streets, a blast struck the building across from them. The explosion tore through its lower floors, sending chunks of stone crashing into the avenue.
Civilians screamed as they scattered for cover, while Angelic soldiers rushed forward to help those caught beneath the debris. Above them, the Demon fleet continued its assault, firing upon buildings and defensive positions alike. The Silver Wings were fighting back, but the sudden attack had left the capital unprepared for an invasion of this scale.
Andreia spotted several civilians trapped near the remains of a collapsed structure. She hurried toward them, raising her hand as golden energy gathered around her fingers. The heavier pieces of debris lifted from the ground, allowing a wounded man to crawl free while two soldiers pulled an injured woman away from the wreckage. Before Andreia could help the others, a Demon emerged through the smoke and charged toward the fleeing civilians. She turned to face it, blocking its weapon with a burst of light before striking it across the chest.
The creature stumbled backward, giving her enough time to drive it away from the survivors. Zether paid little attention to the fighting around him. His gaze remained fixed on the distant crimson energy spreading across the city, and he could feel Valak somewhere within the capital. He had waited for another chance to confront him, but he had never imagined their next meeting would begin with an invasion of the Angelic homeworld. The destruction around them only strengthened his resolve. If Valak continued unchecked, there would be little left to protect by the time anyone reached him.
"I'm going to help the Silver Wings evacuate the civilians," Andreia said, turning toward Zether as her golden wings unfolded behind her. "There are too many people caught in the streets. We need to get them somewhere safe."
"And Valak?" Zether asked.
"You have to find him." Andreia looked directly at him. "We can't allow him to continue this invasion. If he isn't stopped, none of us will be able to protect these people for long. Find him, Zether, and kill him."
Shadow energy began gathering around Zether as his expression hardened. "I won't let him escape this time."
Andreia placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let your anger control you. We need you to come back from this."
Zether gave her a brief nod before turning toward the heart of the capital. His body dissolved into the shadows, leaving Andreia to watch as the darkness disappeared between the buildings. She had known Zether long enough to understand how deeply he wanted to settle things with Valak, but there was nothing more she could say to him now. Their people needed help, and she had her own part to play in keeping them alive.
She took to the air and flew toward a nearby avenue where the Silver Wings were struggling to hold their position. A Demon had broken through their line and was advancing on a group of civilians attempting to reach an evacuation point. Andreia descended in front of it, releasing a burst of golden energy that knocked the creature off its feet. Two more Demons turned toward her, forcing her to raise her light sword as they charged. She blocked the first attack, spun away from the second and struck both enemies with a wave of light that sent them crashing into the street.
"Get those people out of here!" she shouted to the soldiers nearby.
The Silver Wings moved immediately, guiding the civilians toward the evacuation route while Andreia kept the Demons at bay. A laser struck the building behind her, and the resulting explosion sent debris raining down across the street. She raised a golden barrier over the retreating soldiers. Andreia held it in place until the last of them had passed. The force of the impact shook her arms, but she maintained the shield until the debris stopped falling. When she lowered it, the avenue had been left in ruins, and the sounds of fighting were spreading from every direction.
Several districts away, Zarella fought alongside the Silver Wings as they struggled to contain the advancing Demons. She had taken command of the soldiers in her vicinity, ordering them to protect the evacuation routes while the remaining units established a defensive line. Their position was becoming harder to maintain. The Angelic defenses had failed to detect the incoming fleet, leaving the Demons free to attack the capital before its military could organize a proper response.
Zarella cut down a Demon attempting to force its way through the line, then turned to intercept another before it could reach a group of retreating civilians. Her soldiers were holding their positions, but the enemy continued pressing forward. An explosion tore through the avenue, scattering debris across the street and forcing several Silver Wings to take cover. When the dust settled, Zarella saw another group of Demons advancing through the gap.
"Hold your positions!" she shouted. "Keep the evacuation route clear! Do not let them push through!"
She moved to reinforce the weakest part of the formation, helping her soldiers drive the attackers back. Yet every time they secured a section of the avenue, the warships overhead sent another wave of Demons into the streets. They were being forced to fight across too many fronts, and Zarella knew that if their defensive line collapsed, the civilians behind them would have nowhere left to run.
A heavy impact shook the avenue. Several Demons were thrown aside as a figure descended into the street, cracking the pavement beneath his feet. The surrounding attackers immediately withdrew, leaving their leader standing alone amid the destruction. Zarella turned toward him, noticing how even the Demons seemed reluctant to approach.
The man surveyed the battlefield before fixing his attention on her. He showed no concern for the fighting around him, as though the outcome had already been decided.
"Commander of the Silver Wings," he said. "I was wondering when someone worth fighting would finally appear."
Zarella stepped forward, placing herself between him and her soldiers. "If you're looking for someone to surrender, you've invaded the wrong city."
A slight smile crossed his face. "Good. I would have been disappointed if you made this easy."
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"Morveth. The new Demon King," he replied.
Zarella had heard of the upheaval among the Demons following Zavala's death, but she had not expected their new king to appear on the battlefield himself. His presence explained the confidence with which the invading forces were advancing. If Morveth had come alongside Valak, the Angelics were facing more than a military assault. Their enemies intended to break the capital's defenses before anyone could organize a meaningful response.
"Then I'll make sure you never leave this city," Zarella declared.
Blue hell flames gathered around Morveth's arms. "Let's see if you can live up to that promise."
He lunged before she could prepare herself. Zarella caught his first strike on her blade, but the force behind it drove her back several steps. Rather than attempt another direct clash, she shifted to the side and attacked his exposed flank. Morveth turned just in time to avoid the worst of the blow, and her blade scraped across his armor. She followed with another strike, forcing him to give ground for the first time.
Her advantage lasted only an instant. Morveth swept his arm across the avenue, releasing a wave of blue flames that cut off her approach. Zarella retreated beyond its reach, but he was already moving through the fading fire. His next blow caught her weapon with enough force to numb her hands. Before she could recover, he drove his knee into her stomach and sent her stumbling backward.
Zarella barely managed to raise her blade against his next attack. The impact forced her down onto one knee, and Morveth pressed forward, giving her no time to regain her footing. She deflected his weapon and rolled away as blue fire erupted across the pavement. When she stood again, she understood that matching his strength would only lead to her defeat. She needed to stop fighting on his terms.
Several Silver Wings broke from the defensive line and rushed toward their commander. Zarella saw them approaching and immediately raised her hand to stop them.
"Stay where you are! Keep the Demons away from the evacuation route!" she ordered.
The soldiers hesitated, but her order held them in place. Morveth glanced toward them with mild curiosity.
"You would rather let your own soldiers fight and die than allow them to help you?" he asked.
"They have their orders," Zarella replied. "And so do I."
She attacked before he could answer, forcing him to defend himself while she drove him away from the defensive line. Her first strike missed, but the second caught his armor and left a bright mark across its surface. Morveth's expression hardened. He seized her wrist before she could withdraw and unleashed blue fire at close range.
Zarella twisted free, but not quickly enough to escape the full force of the blast. The flames struck her side and hurled her across the avenue. She hit the ground hard, her weapon skidding out of reach. Pain spread through her ribs as she tried to draw breath, and for several seconds she could do little more than push herself away from the burning debris.
Morveth approached without haste. "You're persistent. I'll give you that."
Zarella reached her weapon and used it to pull herself upright. Her side burned, and she knew she could not withstand many more attacks like that. Beyond Morveth, the Demons were closing on the Silver Wings' position. Her soldiers were still holding the evacuation route, but they were being forced to surrender ground with every passing minute.
She could retreat and regroup, perhaps buy herself a chance to recover. But Morveth would pass her before she could do either, and the soldiers behind her would have to face the Demon King while defending the civilians. Zarella tightened her grip and stepped back into his path.
Morveth's flames rose again, casting blue light across the ruined street. "You should have stayed out of my way."
"And let you slaughter my people?" Zarella answered. "Never."
He thrust his hand forward. The flames surged across the avenue, swallowing the barricades and tearing through the pavement as they rushed toward her. Zarella planted her feet and raised her weapon, meeting the advancing flames with her blade. The collision sent cracks spreading beneath her boots, and the pressure forced her backward despite her efforts to hold the line.
She could not stop the attack head-on. Instead, Zarella shifted her stance and turned her weapon at an angle, guiding the flames away from the soldiers behind her. The force nearly dragged her off her feet, but she maintained the direction of the attack until it veered toward an abandoned building. The fire struck its outer wall and exploded through the structure, sending broken stone tumbling into the street.
When the flames finally died, Zarella remained standing, though her breathing had become labored. The attack had left the avenue badly damaged, but the Silver Wings behind her were still alive and the evacuation route remained open.
Morveth looked past her at the soldiers continuing to defend their position. His earlier amusement had faded. He seemed less interested in the strength of the woman before him than in the reason she continued to stand when the fight was so clearly turning against her.
"You're willing to die for these people," he said.
"If that's what it takes to protect them," Zarella replied.
Morveth's blue flames spread along his arms once more. "Then you may get your wish."
Zarella raised her weapon, refusing to give him a clear path to the defensive line. The Demons were still advancing, the warships continued their assault, and smoke was spreading through the capital. She had managed to keep Morveth occupied, but she had not defeated him, and she could feel the cost of every exchange catching up with her.
Somewhere in the city, Andreia was trying to save the civilians trapped in the invasion, while Zether searched for Valak. Zarella could only hope they would reach their targets before the Silver Wings were overwhelmed. Until then, she would have to keep the Demon King away from her soldiers, no matter how much longer she could endure.
Zether stood in front of the giant marble doors that led into the High Council chamber. He could feel Valak's energy coming from the other side. Without wasting any time, Zether pushed the doors open and stepped inside.
His eyes immediately fell upon the bodies scattered across the room. Blood stained the white marble floors and walls, while several council members lay slumped over their chairs. The High Council had been wiped out.
He then noticed movement near the window. Valak was standing there, holding Gnoth by the throat with one hand. The High Elder struggled to free himself, but Valak's grip showed no signs of weakening. Zether knew that a fall from that height would mean certain death.
Valak turned his head toward Zether and smiled. "You are just in time to see the High Council's official retirement."
"Don't do it, Valak!" Zether shouted as he rushed toward them.
"Too late," Valak replied.
Valak released Gnoth, sending him plummeting toward the streets below. Zether immediately tried to reach him, but before he could get close, Valak turned and punched him directly in the face. The impact sent Zether flying across the chamber and crashing into the wall. Cracks spread through the marble as Zether fell to the floor, giving Valak more than enough time to watch Gnoth fall.
A scream echoed through the streets as Gnoth struck the ground below. Civilians who witnessed his death fled in horror, adding to the chaos of the ongoing invasion.
Zether slowly pushed himself up from the floor. Blood ran from his mouth as he looked toward Valak, his amber eyes burning with anger. Shadow energy began gathering around his body, spreading across the chamber as he clenched his fists.
"I will kill you!" Zether shouted.
Valak looked at him with a slight smile. "Just like the two other times?"
Meanwhile, on a distant planet, Renku stood among the Arcadian survivors. Something had caught his attention. He could feel a disturbance in the surrounding energy, something powerful that had suddenly appeared nearby. Renku turned toward the source, trying to understand what he was sensing.
An orange portal opened in front of him. Its light spread across the ground as a figure stepped through the opening. Renku recognized the white-haired man standing before him. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he wore a black robe with orange accents. His orange eyes glowed as he looked toward Renku.
It was Aevor, the God of Fate.
Renku stared at him, surprised by his sudden arrival. Before he could ask why he had come, Aevor spoke.
"You must come. The universe depends on it."
End of Chapter 31