Absolute Silence fell upon the city.
It was Astrea who spoke first.
"Nine gods…all returned to heaven at once…" she whispered.
"So the attacks so far…they were meant to ascertain where the gods would hide in an emergency," reasoned Hermes, displaying his wisdom. The factory raids, the soup kitchen massacre…they were all just stepping-stones in the buildup to the Great Conflict. "We thought they were random, but all this time, we were revealing to our enemy precisely where to strike!"
"There's only one god who could have done this…!" said Astrea. But just then, a voice rumbled in the moonless, starless sky.
"Hark, Orario." It was the voice of that evil god.
"Hark, Ouranos. I am the darkness which gives this age its name, and I have come to extinguish mortal hope."
"The time for covenants is over. I will tear man and god apart and bring an end to the Age of Gods." His voice fell upon the entire city, bringing terror and despair to whoever heard him.
"I will bring us all back to true darkness—a swirling maelstrom of chaos even the gods cannot fully comprehend." All across Orario, the sound of fighting stopped as the dark god's minions stopped to listen to their god.
"You may despise me for this. You may think me a brute. Go ahead. Weep, howl, then accept my calamity. For I am evil incarnate, and what greater joy is there for evil than to be hated and reviled?"
There was a clatter as the wooden sword fell from the Ryuu's hands. I did not fault her as I, too, was shaken, since I recognized the voice.
"My name is Erebus—"
In the northwest of the city, atop a storied temple, the voice's bearer cast off the shadows and stepped out for all to see. His two conquerors stood faithfully by his side.
"—primordial darkness, and god of the underworld!"
There was a roar from the city as the dark host cried out in support of their lord and master.
The people of Orario, meanwhile, were afraid. They were afraid of the dark god's majesty, equaled only by the most powerful divine beings in the city.
"E-Eren? …E-Erebus? What?" Ryuu muttered toward her feet. Seeing her like that, I forcefully got a hold of myself, as I can not allow myself to be shaken any longer. And observed his appearance from afar, and noticed some differences from the guy 'Eren', but I was sure he was the same person.
It seems that wasn't the end of Erebus's declaration.
"Orario's protectors have fallen! Lain low by a power far greater than their own!"
Zald's black sword glinted in the night. He stood at the god's right hand, basking in the blood-red glow of the fires below.
"Orario's gods have departed! Reduced to a bothersome noise!"
Saphira's golden hair fluttered. She stood at the god's left hand, frozen like ice.
"Listen well, all you who fight chaos in the name of good! For we are those who fight order in the name of evil!"
"Listen well, for I have something you all need very much to hear." His lips curled into a twisted grin as he silently raised a single arm before him.
"Weakness, thy name is justice."
I could see the girl's face, twisting in rage and fear as the evil god denounced everything they stood for–everything Orario stood for.
And I could take his bullshit no longer, I grabbed the hilt of my sword and held it like a spear.
"Wai-Arin!" Hermes' warning barely registered.
I hurled the sword with everything I had, simultaneously igniting my flame magic behind the hilt. Blue fire erupted in a concentrated burst, propelling the blade forward with explosive force. It streaked across the night sky like a comet, aimed directly at that smug bastard.
Clang!!!
The metallic ring echoed across the entire city as Zald's massive sword intercepted mine. The impact sent my blade spinning back, its steel cracked and warped from the collision.
It embedded itself in the ground at my feet with a dull thud, half-destroyed but still defiant.
I stared at the broken weapon, then back up at the distant temple where Erebus stood unchanged, untouched. It didn't matter that I'd failed to reach him. It didn't matter that my sword was ruined.
I have sent my message that I would not back off and I would make him pay for everything he has done.
This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
"Perish, Orario. For we are absolute evil!!" The proclamation rang throughout the streets, ignoring my failed attempt at harming him.
The laughing voice of order's demise.
On that day, the city of heroes fell.
.
.
.
*On that day, Orario faced its longest night. The city burned, the gutters swelled with blood, and many stars were snuffed out. Though it was impossible to know at the time, all this destruction and despair was only the beginning—the beginning of a nightmare that would later be termed the Seven Days of Death.
After plunging Orario into chaos, Erebus and his two companions turned and left, smiling as if playing a game as they planned the next stage in the city's demise. On that day, Orario faced its longest night…and its darkest dawn.*
____________________________________________________________________________
"Finn, wait!" I could hear Riveria cry from the hospital room, which I have come to several times before.
I entered, only to see Riveria clutching her wound.
The prum answered without turning around. "Go back and rest, Riveria. You're still wounded. Healing the townsfolk is our top priority. We need you well."
"It's you I'm worried about!!" she said, running around to cut him off.
I moved forward to give her much-needed support as she wobbled on her feet.
"I know what you're thinking. You mustn't be hasty!" Her face was covered in gauze, and her arm wrapped in a sling, but none of that seemed to stop her. "It's too early to strike back; we know nothing! I understand time is of the essence, but you mustn't let your feelings cloud your judgment!"
"Which of us is letting our feelings cloud our judgment, Riveria? You know as well as I do that we haven't the liberty to hesitate."
The high elf clenched her fists.
"Right now we need to play all the cards we have," he said. "Do you disagree?"
"Grh…!"
"It's time for you to stop playing that girl's mother." At those words, Riviera screwed her face up even more.
"What exactly is happening here?" I asked as their argument seems to go on and on.
"Arin, talk some sense into her," he said and walked away.
And how do you expect me to do that exactly? I thought.
Turning my attention back to Riveria, I could see her biting her lips.
"Let's get you seated first." I walked her towards the bed, letting her settle down. "Here, have some water." I handed her the glass of water, which she accepted.
After seeing that she was calmer than before, I gauged the subject. "So, what was that about?"
She looked at me as I sat on a nearby chair.
"Finn wants to send Ais into the battlefield," Riveria said quietly, her voice heavy with concern.
"He's planning to pull her from guarding Loki and deploy her on the front lines."
I could see the conflict in her eyes—the motherly protectiveness warring with her logical understanding of the situation.
"She's still just a child, Arin," she continued, gripping the water glass tightly. "I know she's strong, incredibly so, but asking her to take human lives... is one thing but to throwing her into this chaos... I'm not comfortable with it."
I leaned back in my chair, considering her words carefully. "Riveria, I understand your concerns. I really do. If this were normal circumstances, I'd probably agree with you—keep Ais away from this bloodshed, let her maintain whatever innocence she has left."
Her eyes met mine, searching for support.
"But these aren't normal circumstances," I continued gently. "We're facing Level 7s, an evil god, and enemies who won't hesitate to destroy everything we care about. We need every advantage we can get, and Ais is one of our strongest fighters."
I paused, then leaned forward slightly, to get to the heart of the matter. "And do you think her blood doesn't boil when she saw you injured? Do you think she would want to remain behind and see you or anyone else getting hurt?"
Riveria's grip on the glass tightened, her expression conflicted.
"However," I added, "if you're that worried about her, why don't you accompany her on the mission? You could watch over her while still contributing to the fight. That way, she gets the combat experience she needs, and you get the peace of mind knowing you're there to guide her through it."
Riviera looked up, her eyes wide. Sorry, Ais, but you will be getting a lot of bonk on your head.
I apologize to Ais in my heart. I promise, after everything settles down, I will buy you as much jyagamarukun as you want.
.
.
.
.
.
*Today was the second of the Seven Days of Death, and all of Orario was consumed by fear.
Over at the city's west entrance, a crowd had gathered.
"Open the gate! Why the hell are you trapping all of us in here?!"
"Let us out! Let us out of this place!"
"The Evils could return at any time!" A huge number of people were clamoring, their clothes covered in soot and their faces marred by blood as they screamed at the adventurers manning the barricades that sealed off the city gate.
"The Evils are waiting for you out there!" shouted back an adventurer of Hermes Familia.
"They've surrounded the whole city!" His name was Falgar Batros, a war tiger who stood head and shoulders over his peers. Despite his imposing stature, the terrified citizens seemed almost ready to attack him for standing in the way.
"If you leave the city," he pleaded, "we won't be able to protect you! Please understand!" But this only seemed to enrage the townsfolk further.
"Who cares?!"
"A fat lot of good your protection did us!"
"Aren't you supposed to be adventurers?!"
"Let us out of here!"
Men bellowed and women shrieked. At their feet, little children trembled, frightened by their screaming parents. This mob was far more terrifying than any monster the adventurers had ever faced.
Asfi watched from a distance, wearing a troubled frown. "The Guild must be desperate if they're enlisting the help of Hermes Familia," she muttered under her breath. This was unrestrained panic. There was no other word for it.
In this state, no instructions from the adventurers or the Guild staff would do any good. Asfi understood why citizens who just wanted to escape Orario and flee to the supposed safety of nearby Port Meren were treating them like the enemy.
And she could hardly fault them.
The previous night's events had shaken the whole city to its core.*
____________________________________________________________________________
I came to the Ganesha familia home, where Shakti was, to see if we had some new info, but before I could enter her office, I heard her cry. I could see them as the gate of her office was open.
"What were you thinking?!" Shakti's voice cracked like a whip as she towered over her younger sister, who sat hunched on the chair with her head hanging low.
"Letting your guard down like that—in the middle of a battlefield, no less! You could have been killed, Ardee! Do you understand that? KILLED!"
Her hands trembled with barely contained fury and fear.
"I taught you better than this! I drilled it into your head a thousand times—never, EVER trust an enemy! But what do you do? You see some crying kid and throw away every lesson I've ever given you!" Shakti's voice rose higher, her usual composure completely shattered.
"If Arin hadn't been there, if he hadn't thrown himself in front of that explosion, you'd be dead right now! DEAD! And it would have been because of your own stupidity!"
Tears were streaming down Shakti's face now, her anger giving way to the raw terror she must have felt watching her sister nearly die. "Promise me," she whispered, grabbing Ardee's shoulders.
"Promise me you'll never be that reckless again. I can't... I can't lose you, too."
I think I have heard Shakti scold Ardee a dozen times now, but this time her fear was more apparent. I did not feel like intruding, but I still need to ask about any info we might have.
"*Cough*" I cough lightly to get their attention. Shakti hastily wiped her tears, bringing her composure back, but her cheeks turned a shade of pink, most likely from the embarrassment.
"Should I come another time?" I asked.
"No, in fact, you came at the right time. Ardee has something to say. Don't you, Ardee?" Shakti gave a sharp glare towards her little sister, who visibly shuddered and got up from her seat.
"Y-Yeah, I do." She shuddered and bowed her head. "Thank you for saving me, Arin."
"Stop, Stop!" I said. "Seeing you look all grateful makes my skin crawl. Where is that perverted and Cheeky brat?"
Her face turned red. "I am not a pervert!" She screamed, but a light pat on her head from her sister silenced her.
"Let me thank you as well, Arin." She bowed her head as well, pushing her Ardee head down alongside hers. "Thank you for saving her."
"No need for that, we are all on the same side. If we started thanking for each instance like that, there would be no end to it."
That seemed to have put her at ease; she stood straight up.
"If you say that, then that's a load off my shoulder." She gave a smile to which I returned back.
Ardee glanced up from her bow with a pout.
"But next time, if you're gonna save me again, at least be a little gentler when you're tackling me, will you? My butt still hurts."
I rolled my eyes.
Shakti groaned, smacking her head.
"You really are a pervert," I told her. She rubbed her head.
"I'm not!!" Ardee yelled again, her face turning red.