The Godsfall Chronicles

The death of Chaos left terrible fallout. Source mountain and its surrounding area was a shattered war zone after the souls from within all exploded.

Belial rushed to the control tower to find it damaged. The many layers of defense protecting Southern Capital were weakened.

Damnit! Belial reached out with his power and began the repairs.

In the distance a red hue was tainting the sky. The crimson infection was quickly spreading toward the city. Last Judgment. Once it reached them no relics would function, including their various towers. Without their defenses the gods could stride right in.

Worse, unless he was mistaken Belial assumed the gods had their forces waiting just outside the border for this very moment. The instant the barrier fell their armies would rush in. Gods were fast, humanity would have no time to mount a resistance.

As anxiety filled him Belial spied a figure descending from above. His heart skipped a beat and the words came instinctively from his lips. "Y-… Demon King!"

Compared to other demons, Cloudhawk's physique was neither large nor strong. In fact he could be called puny. The black armor that encased him seemed fused to his person like a second skin. A glowing red stone adorned the center, and two black orbs for eyes peered from the hideous demon mask.

His mop of hair hung over the half helm. It was no longer the rich black of before, but a salt and pepper gray. The air around him was heavy with imperious, cold majesty. Cloudhawk wasn't the same person he was a few moments ago.

Belial felt nothing human in him anymore. Although Cloudhawk was smaller he held himself as though he were ten thousand meters tall. The heavy pressure of his mien stole the Elder's breath. Once, Belial had deigned to pay this mortal any mind. Now, however, he dare not show disrespect. Inside he was already subjugating himself to the will of the Demon King.

"How long do you need?"

"Twenty… no, ten minutes will be enough."

Without a word, Cloudhawk waved his hand and ripped a hole in space. He stepped through to appear between the third and fourth layers of Greenland's shields. The fifth had been destroyed by Chaos already.

A hundred glimmering figures were passing through the fourth barrier as it faltered. They were waiting for the enchantments to decline. Once weak enough, they would force their way into Southern Capital and eradicate everyone inside.

Crimson light crept ever closer from the horizon. Those areas where the boundary had failed would not recover, for Last Judgment rendered the towers useless. Two layers were overcome, and with every step of the gods the city was more at risk.

The divine soldiers paused their advance when they saw him appear and felt his presence. Was this Cloudhawk? He had survived the assault and grown stronger.

Cloudhawk said nothing. Last Judgment cast its red light on over the field, cutting relics from their source, but he was unfazed. The new Demon King waved a hand dismissively toward his foes. Space responded by stuttering and splitting, with the largest fissure centered on the body of a Supreme.

An intense traction force was born. The god's indomitable form was immediately ripped apart, the power far too fast and too intense for it to defend against. It died with little time to realize what was happening.

"Attack."

The other gods hardly seemed disturbed and proceeded to advance.

Soldiers raised their shining spears and fired bolts of energy toward Cloudhawk. They fell like deadly rain upon him but he did not flinch. When their shots drew near space rippled around him, and like stones thrown into a river they vanished from view.

Cloudhawk wrapped himself in unstable spatial energy. Attacks simply disappeared, leaving their mark unscathed. This caused a slight stir among the gods, for they knew only the true Demon King possessed power like this. Had this human learned to command the power of their ancient foe?

Meanwhile Cloudhawk tore the fabric of reality at a whim. One after the other gods were shredded by his power. Their deaths came instantaneously, once formidable warriors hardly more than paper tigers before this human.

In the blink of an eye six or seven gods were ended. Two among them were Supremes. How was this happening? Because Cloudhawk had become the King he was destined to follow. His command over space was wielded with unmatched authority. No mere Supreme was his equal.

Another important factor was the gods' own weapon. Last Judgment hampered humans and most demons, while the gods could fight with their special weapons. The lowly humans were helpless under the light of Last Judgment - but not Cloudhawk. Their precious field did not impede his abilities at all.

In fact the gods fought with one hand tied behind their backs as well. Their mightiest relics were sealed and however strong their mental powers, it made no difference. None of their strengths applied under Last Judgment, so they were left open to abuse by the Demon King with no way to fight back.

"Spread out, attack the city." The order was passed among the gods.

Slaughter of their compatriots did not disturb these beings. All that mattered was their mission, to destroy this nest of rebellious insects. Losses would not dissuade them from their task. If they could not defeat Cloudhawk, then they simply wouldn't fight him. For all his strength he was only one man and could not be everywhere.

These prideful gods overestimated themselves and faced the Demon King with only disdain. Cloudhawk spread his will all throughout the area where it was felt by his foes. A strange sensation overcame them, where they were simultaneously moving thousands of meters in all directions and yet standing still.

Cloudhawk had stretched space. Meanwhile his body appeared throughout the area in a series of rapid flashes. Each time he appeared it was among a group of gods, where immediately space was highly compressed. When it couldn't shrink any further the field was released in a violent explosion that left behind a gory scene of limbs and shattered armor.

He materialized all across the battlefield. There was no way to stop him or know where he might show up next.

"He will eliminate our forces if we continue like this. We must discontinue Last Judgment."

A request was relayed to the god in charge of Last Judgment, asking for it to be released. With their full strength they could more effectively combat Cloudhawk's domination of the field. However, this would also mean abandoning their plan to capture Southern Capital. Much of the wastes had been captured by their assault, but the human city at its heart would remain standing.

Only forty or fifty divine soldiers remained. They gave up their mad rush for the city and refocused on Cloudhawk. He watched them gather with a cold and emotionless stare, knowing they would try with all their might to bring him down. No one could disregard the threat they posed. Fifty gods could eliminate a mid-sized civilization.

Cloudhawk did not cower. His murderous intent was palpable in the air.

"Every one of you will die."