The silence that followed Dante's departure was heavy, laden with unspoken words. Eldric stood motionless, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. His refusal to accept Dante's offer wasn't just about resisting the temptation for power. It was about something deeper—something that made him wonder if he was even capable of defeating the gods without losing everything he was.
The fire inside him had always been his weapon, but what if it wasn't enough? What if the gods' wrath was too much to withstand?
Seraphine and Karis didn't press him for answers, sensing that now, more than ever, he needed to make sense of the choices he had made.
"It's not over, is it?" Karis broke the silence, her voice a whisper as she gazed out over the horizon.
Eldric shook his head, his jaw tight. "No. It's far from over. But the gods... they've seen me. They know what I am capable of. And they won't stop until they crush me."
Seraphine stepped forward, her eyes intense. "They can try. But we're not backing down, Eldric. We're with you, no matter what. We fight together."
Her words were meant to comfort him, but they only served to remind him of the growing weight on his shoulders. The gods were not the only threat. They were fighting against their own fears, their doubts, and their humanity. The fire that burned within him was both a blessing and a curse. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold onto it without burning away everything he held dear.
"Do you ever wonder," Eldric muttered, mostly to himself, "if we were meant to fight this battle at all?"
Karis's sharp eyes softened, understanding the depth of his question. "The gods didn't just create us to fight, Eldric. They made us to live. We can't let them take that from us."
Her words echoed in the air, and for a moment, the weight of his own thoughts lightened. Live.
But living, in this world, meant standing against the gods themselves. And that would not come without cost.
---
The First Strike
The evening sky was thick with clouds when it came—like a dark wave crashing down upon them. They had barely begun to move forward when the air around them shifted.
A voice, booming and cold, filled the atmosphere like an overwhelming tide of energy. It was a presence they all felt, even in their bones.
"You think you can defy us?" The voice was deep and resonated with divine authority. "You, who have no place in our world, dare to challenge the gods?"
The ground beneath them trembled as though the earth itself was rebelling. Eldric gripped the Godslayer, his senses heightened, but he knew it would be no use. The gods had come.
"We are the end of your existence, Eldric," the voice thundered, the air becoming thick with the pressure of it. "Your flame will burn itself out. Your fight is futile. Submit, or you will suffer a fate far worse than death."
Eldric's heart beat heavily in his chest, but the fire inside him only grew. He would not submit. He could feel the presence of Karis and Seraphine by his side—unwavering, ready to fight. Together, they would face this storm.
"We don't submit," Eldric shouted, his voice rising above the gods' words, his eyes burning with defiance. "We will never bow to you."
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze—time itself holding its breath. And then, the world shattered.
The gods' strike was not a single attack but a cascade—a torrent of divine energy that rained down on them from every direction. Eldric's eyes widened as the air around him cracked, as if the very sky itself was coming apart.
Karis lunged forward, her blades flashing as she sliced through the first wave of divine energy. Seraphine followed, her magic swirling in protective patterns around them, but the sheer force of the gods' assault was unlike anything they had ever faced. It was relentless, a powerful barrage that struck from every angle, pushing them back with each blast.
Eldric stood his ground, feeling the weight of the gods' power pressing down on him. The Godslayer's blade crackled with energy, but even it seemed to struggle against the overwhelming tide.
The world around them became a blur of fire, light, and darkness. The gods were not just attacking with their might—they were warping reality itself, distorting the very fabric of existence to tear at their souls. Eldric could feel it, the sense of being pulled in every direction at once, the sensation of his body fighting against an unseen force.
It was too much.
For the first time in years, Eldric's confidence faltered. The fire inside him flared dangerously, but the gods' assault crushed it like an iron fist. He felt as though the weight of every mistake, every failure, was closing in on him.
And then—
A flash of light erupted before him. The presence was intense—unlike anything he had felt before.
From the burning light emerged a figure. A silhouette clad in silver armor, their face hidden beneath a helmet, but the aura of power surrounding them was undeniable.
"Enough."
The single word echoed across the battlefield, and instantly, the gods' assault ceased. The world stopped shaking. The blinding light faded, and the presence—this new figure—stood between Eldric and the gods, a silent protector.
The figure turned to Eldric, and though their face remained hidden, there was an unmistakable sense of recognition.
"I am not here to fight you," the figure's voice rang out, calm but firm. "But I will not allow the gods to destroy you."
Eldric didn't know whether to be grateful or suspicious. This was no mere mortal. This being, whoever they were, had the power to halt the gods' attack.
But who were they?