Sovereign of the Ashes

The God of Brute Force had some doubts about a demon appearing to massacre its followers within its territory, but not enough to immediately suspect a greater scheme.

After all, in Faeloria’s long history, the demons of the three-level Purgatory had, on more than one occasion, stormed out to wreak havoc on the Prime Materia Plane.

The word “demon” carried such infamy in Faeloria because many gods had suffered beneath their claws, and these highly destructive beings had left deep scars upon the world itself.

It was even rumored that the demons were responsible for the unprecedented magnitude of the last Avatar Crisis, one hundred thousand years ago.

It was not unfathomable for a Rank Three demon to storm out of Purgatory and wreak havoc in Knox’s territory.

After all, the demons of the far west were notorious for their insatiable bloodlust. They needed no reason to spread destruction.

Yet, something about this felt off. Knox saw only a lone Rank Three demon lord. There were no other demons in the canyon.

Doubt flickered in Knox’s mind, but only for a moment.

If this Rank Three demon had truly rushed out from the far west, leading an army, they would have been noticed immediately.

The Faelorian legions stationed near Purgatory’s borders were primarily under the command of the God of Justice and several Greater Deities of the Justice League.

Even the Wings of Nature had small forces stationed there, though their numbers were significantly fewer.

These combat legions had been engaged in constant warfare against the demons of the Purgatory.

For the past thirty thousand years, the demons had not once breached their defenses.

The God of Brute Force’s caution, concealed beneath its rugged exterior, compelled it to silently observe Sein, who was currently in his Flame Demon form.

In that short span, Sein had slaughtered twenty thousand of its people.

The innate destructive effect of pyro elemental magic made it far more efficient at exterminating lesser beings than any other branch of elemental magic.

And in that moment, one truth became painfully clear: A god’s love for its people was never genuine.

The God of Brute Force, at least, loved itself more.

After roughly gauging its opponent’s strength and confirming that Sein had no allies, the God of Brute Force—unable to suppress the growing greed in its heart any longer—finally made its move!

Just because Faelorian deities rarely descended upon the Prime Materia Plane did not mean they were incapable of doing so.

While it was true that a god’s power was greatly diminished during the Avatar Crisis, that time had not yet come.

Like a golden meteor blazing across the sky, the God of Brute Force descended toward Feymous Canyon.

While some lesser beings took notice of the golden streak in the sky, most paid no heed.

Gods appearing on the Prime Materia Plane was hardly an unprecedented phenomenon.

With the Avatar Crisis looming, it was not unthinkable that the God of Brute Force had come to lay the groundwork for future schemes.

Every Avatar Crisis saw deities maneuvering in the shadows, scheming for their own survival and ascension.

There were even rumors of intermediate deities descending onto Prime Materia Plane in secret, hoping to evade the crisis entirely.

The only unusual thing about this event was the timing. The God of Brute Force had come too early.

Typically, Faelorian deities only grew truly active in the final century leading up to the Avatar Crisis, with the most significant movements occurring within the last fifty years before the storm fully unfolded.

***

In Feymous Canyon...

A golden meteor streaked through the sky, piercing straight through the pale red energy barrier surrounding the canyon before crashing into its depths.

As the radiant glow subsided, a towering figure emerged, wielding a massive battle ax.

Knox stood tall, wearing only a pair of leather shorts. Its bare upper body revealed a solid, muscular chest.

Its true form closely resembled the totem pole at the canyon’s heart. Yet the aura and biological pressure emanating from the real Knox were far more imposing than any mere idol.

Even as a “weakened god”, Knox was a Rank Four existence in the Astral Realm’s power system.

Perhaps in Faeloria, weakened deities were merely considered early-stage Rank Four beings—but a Rank Four was still a Rank Four!

As Knox descended, it was not just Sein who was sizing it up. The God of Brute Force, too, was scrutinizing the demon before it.

When Knox had observed Sein from afar through its divine light screen, nothing had seemed amiss.

But now that it had descended into the canyon and stood face-to-face with Sein—who still maintained his Flame Demon form—Knox found him unlike any demon it had ever encountered.

Knox could not pinpoint the cause, but a god’s intuition was never to be ignored.

And though Knox had yet to realize it, a greater danger was already closing in.

Knox’s gaze lingered on Sein for a moment, then lifted toward the sky.

Only at this point did it notice that the pale red energy barrier it had shattered upon arrival was already restoring itself.

The sight unsettled Knox.

Even so, its attention was drawn to two other things: the divine artifact funnel and the blood essence gathering above the canyon.

This object was at least a mid-grade divine artifact and the primary reason Knox had descended onto the Prime Materia Plane.

It was worth noting that the giant axe in its hand had only ascended to the level of a low-grade divine artifact by being partially imbued with the law of strength.

With a single motion, Knox raised its massive battle ax, pointing it directly at Sein.

“Hmph... Demon from the Purgatory, how dare you attack and slaughter the believers of the God of Brute Force? With my Ax of Power, I shall cleave you in two to console the souls of my fallen followers!”

A suffocating divine aura surged forth, pressing down upon the Flame Demon and causing Sein’s airborne stance to falter briefly.

In the next moment, Sein felt something sharp cutting his cheek.

He raised his hand and touched the spot, only to find his fingers stained with hot, scorching blood.

Rank Four creatures had truly earned their titles as gods—beings of this caliber were not to be trifled with.

Meanwhile, the surviving Gray-headed Apes in Feymous Canyon erupted into a frenzy of devotion and exhilaration at their god’s arrival.

Several among them began to glow with a faint white radiance.

It was the manifestation of pure faith; a sign that Knox had just gained a few more fanatic believers.

Even within the red barrier that obscured the canyon’s sky, whispers and praises could be heard from the souls of the fallen.

These were the souls of the Gray-headed Apes who had been slain by Sein.

Since the barrier had never fully dissipated, their souls remained trapped, unable to return to Knox’s divine nation.

Sein’s lips curled into a wry smile.

“Spider Queen... shouldn’t you make your mov—”

Before he could even finish his sentence, the shiny Silver Spider Ring on his finger burst into a blinding surge of divine light.

The Spider Queen was ready to strike!

Unlike Sein, who held genuine fear toward the God of Brute Force, Lorthisra exuded nothing but confidence and disdain.

A soft, mocking chuckle echoed in the air.

”The deities of this world seem to have developed quite an efficient system of utilizing their believer’s souls.”

Her silhouette began to solidify within the glow of her divine energy.

“Aside from the value of this god itself... this method of soul reclamation is rather fascinating.”