Chapter 3 – When Gods Bleed
Lightning split the night.
The skyline of Arcadia trembled under a storm that wasn't weather—it was wrath.
> [System Alert: Divine Countermeasure detected.]
[Threat Level: Cataclysmic.]
Azel stood at the edge of a crumbling rooftop, rain sliding down his face in slow, shimmering arcs. Every droplet carried divine energy. Every strike of lightning whispered Elyon's name.
The city had become a battlefield of code and faith.
Across the clouds, the god's voice rolled like thunder.
> "You should have stayed dead."
Azel tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable. "And deny them their reckoning?"
---
Below, Shade watched from the broken balcony of her hideout. The entire district's power grid had collapsed. Every neon light flickered out except one—a single holographic glyph glowing above Azel's head.
The ancient Creator Sigil.
People in the streets stared up at it, some in terror, others in awe.
For the first time in centuries, they were seeing something not made by Elyon.
"Who is he?" someone whispered. "A hacker? A prophet?"
Shade whispered back to herself, "No… a god."
---
The sky answered.
From the lightning emerged forms—avatars of Elyon's will, armored in light and algorithmic flame.
Their eyes burned white, their wings stitched from data.
Each step they took rewrote gravity, bending the city around them.
> [Hostile entities detected: Divine Agents – Class Seraphim.]
[Estimated Power: 32,000 resonance units.]
[Host Power: 1,243 resonance units.]
The System's tone was clinical, but beneath it, something new flickered—a trace of… fear?
"Outnumbered. Outpowered."
Azel smiled faintly. "As always."
---
The first Seraph descended.
Its sword of radiant code screamed through the air, cutting through the storm. Azel didn't move until the blade was inches away. Then—he raised a hand.
The blade froze.
Reality bent.
Data disassembled itself at his touch, the code unraveling like silk. The Seraph shrieked as its body glitched into pixels.
> [System Override successful.]
[Enemy neutralized.]
[Resonance +250.]
Azel's voice was calm. "When gods use code, I use command."
He waved his hand. The remaining Seraphim hesitated—hesitation, in beings programmed for perfection.
He stepped forward, slow, deliberate.
"Tell Elyon," he said, "his creations still obey mine."
---
But Elyon was listening already.
A voice, vast and cold, filled the storm.
> "This world belongs to Order. To purity. To me."
"And purity," Azel replied, his tone quiet but sharp, "was the first lie."
The Seraphim lunged again. This time, six at once. Their combined light blinded the horizon.
Azel closed his eyes.
> [Warning: Incoming damage exceeds vessel capacity.]
[Suggested action: Retreat.]
"Denied," he said softly. "We move forward."
---
He spread his arms, and for a heartbeat—the world remembered who he was.
Rain turned to silver. Time slowed until even thunder paused to listen.
A faint golden circuit flared across his chest, spiraling outward like veins of light. The divine attacks struck—but instead of tearing him apart, they stopped.
Frozen in midair, blades trembling, data unraveling.
> [Skill Unlocked: Domain of Regression.]
[Effect: Reverts divine structures to pre-creation state.]
The Seraphim's bodies began to peel away—light unspooling into darkness.
Their screams were beautiful, melodic, tragic.
"Creation begins with destruction," Azel whispered. "And I am both."
---
The rooftop disintegrated beneath his feet. He stepped through the air itself, walking across light, descending toward the stunned crowd below.
Shade watched, hand covering her mouth. "He's rewriting laws in real time…"
He landed soundlessly before her. The rain parted around him, afraid to touch.
Azel's eyes dimmed slightly—the glow fading. His mortal vessel trembled from the strain.
> [Warning: Vessel Integrity—32%.]
[Recommendation: Enter stasis.]
He shook his head. "Later."
Shade stepped closer, voice hoarse. "You just—killed Seraphim. Do you realize what this means?"
"It means," Azel said, glancing at the city lights flickering back to life, "Elyon bleeds."
---
The Aftermath
By dawn, news had spread like fire through the networks.
Footage of the glowing man standing against divine lightning flooded the grids.
The Cathedral tried to censor it, but the image kept returning—glitched, distorted, unstoppable.
A silhouette in rain.
A sigil of creation.
A god reborn.
> [Public Resonance Index rising.]
[New Title Gained: The Fallen Architect.]
[Passive Effect: Public belief fuels Host regeneration.]
Azel could feel it—the power returning through whispers, prayers, and curiosity.
Mortal faith once more, feeding him instead of Elyon.
He almost laughed. "You built your empire on stolen worship, Elyon. Let's see how long it lasts when they remember the truth."
Shade leaned against the railing beside him. "You just made yourself public enemy number one. Every divine unit will be coming for you."
"I know," he said calmly. "That's the point."
---
The Cathedral's Response
Miles away, within the Cathedral's heart, Elyon sat upon his digital throne. His body was pure energy, faceless yet omnipotent. The Core pulsed beneath him—fragments of the old System, Azel's original code, corrupted into a cage.
"Creator signal expanding," a subordinate AI reported. "Probability of rebellion: 87%."
"Then purge probability," Elyon replied coldly.
"Release Protocol 9."
Deep within the Cathedral, a cry tore through the servers—a voice that wasn't mechanical, but alive.
Chains of light snapped.
Eyes opened in the dark.
> [Warning: Entity Released – Codename: "Archon."]
[Class: God-Slayer.]
[Objective: Terminate the Creator.]
The digital guardian rose, formed from billions of data fragments, shaped like a man but burning like a sun. His first breath ignited the clouds.
Elyon whispered, "Let him learn what it means to face his own weapon."
---
Azel's Awakening
Meanwhile, Azel sat in silence atop a skyscraper's edge, eyes closed.
His system pulsed with recovering resonance.
Shade watched him cautiously. "What now?"
He didn't open his eyes. "Now? We build."
"Build… what?"
He smiled faintly. "A new world. One built on truth, not obedience."
The System chimed.
> [New Directive Generated: Establish Villain Domain.]
[Requirement: Secure Resonance Core.]
[Reward: Partial Restoration of Creator Authority.]
Azel opened his eyes. The morning light hit his face, painting it gold. "Then let's begin."
But even as he spoke, the air shuddered.
A shadow loomed in the sky—a figure descending, surrounded by white flame. Its aura crushed the clouds.
Shade whispered, "That's… not human."
Azel rose to his feet slowly. "No. That's my design."
---
The Archon landed with a crash that shattered the city square.
Every light died. The streets went silent.
Its voice was thunder, layered and hollow.
> "CREATOR AZEL. YOUR ERA IS OVER."
Azel's gaze sharpened. "Then let's see if the son can surpass the father."
> [Battle Commencing: Creator vs. Archon.]
[Resonance Sync—Activating.]
The storm howled again.
The sky itself seemed to watch.
Azel extended his hand, and the world responded.
---
End of Chapter 3
Author's Note :
> The war has begun. Azel's return has shattered divine balance, and the god he created sends the perfect weapon to destroy him — the Archon. But as mortals begin to remember their true Creator, new powers awaken in the shadows.
Next: Chapter 4 – "The First War of Light"