Rhyos’s facial expression was filled with distress as he moved his gaze away from the fallen Ashraf and turned back toward Astaroth.
She had already closed the distance between them with a burst of speed that left no ti for thought.
He raised his staff in front of him defensively, and a golden circular portal spun open just as Astaroth lunged forward.
She disappeared into the swirling gateway, and in the sa instant, another portal coughed her out from above, sending her tumbling beyond Rhyos’s imdiate reach.
Astaroth steadied herself mid-air, maintaining flight as she twisted her body to face him. A growl rumbled from her throat as her eyes locked onto the gateway god below.
Unfortunately for Rhyos, his portals were short-ranged. They could redirect attacks or reposition opponents, but they could not carry him far enough to escape.
He moved quickly, opening another gateway in front of himself. The corresponding exit appeared near the entrance of his temple, and he prepared to step through.
But the mont he tried to move, he felt resistance.
Purplish-dark energy appendages had wrapped around his ankles, coiling up from the ground. He hadn’t even noticed them forming.
Rhyos’s eyes widened as he looked down, then turned his head toward the source.
Morrigan stood several paces away, with her arm stretched toward him with dark energy extended from her palm.
"We don’t have ti for this," she muttered in a flat tone as she glanced up toward Astaroth, who had already begun descending again. The white-haired demon flew back in with terrifying speed, and face contorted in fury.
Astaroth’s fist connected with Rhyos’s chin before he could react. The impact sent his head snapping back, and his entire body lifted off the ground as he was thrown backward.
He slamd into the wall of his temple with a sickening crack, and dust exploded outward from the point of impact.
Rhyos groaned as he staggered forward, his vision blurred and his body screaming in pain. He tried to steady himself, tried to summon his staff back to his hand.
But Astaroth was already on him again.
Another punch drove into his torso with bone-crushing force. The blow lifted him off his feet entirely, launching him upward into the air.
Blood and spit flew from his mouth as his body was propelled higher and higher.
Before gravity could pull him back down, Astaroth launched herself upward after him. Her speed had only increased, and her strength surged even further.
She brought both fists together above her head and swung them down onto Rhyos’s back with devastating force.
The impact sent him plumting downward like a teor, and he crashed into the temple floor with a thunderous explosion of stone and debris.
Astaroth dropped down after him, landing beside the crater his body had carved into the ground. She raised her fist again, preparing to deliver another blow to the unconscious god.
But before she could strike, a whip made of bones wrapped around her torso and yanked her backward.
Astaroth snarled as she was pulled away from Rhyos, with her feet dragging across the ground.
The whip belonged to Morrigan, who stood with her arm outstretched and a calm expression.
"Control that power of yours," Morrigan said, her voice cold. "Or you’ll kill him."
Astaroth growled at her mother, baring her teeth like a feral beast. The darkish-red aura that had been swirling around her body flared once more before finally settling.
She ripped the bone whip off herself and walked away without another word, with her hands still clenched into fists.
On the other side of the temple, Ashraf had risen from her crater. Her breathing was labored, and her legs shook as she forced herself to stand upright.
The clawed wounds on her forearm, the one she had raised defensively earlier, still bled.
But worse than the blood was the burning sensation spreading outward from the gashes. It felt like fire crawling beneath her skin.
Kaerys grinned as he watched her struggle.
"That’s my venom," he said in an amused voice. "And it’s only going to get worse."
Ashraf gritted her teeth and raised her uninjured hand toward him. A golden magic circle began forming in front of her palm as she prepared to release a spell.
But before she could finish the casting, Asmodai in a blur of motion appeared at her side, and Ashraf didn’t even register his presence until it was too late.
His forearm swept horizontally, and the side of his palm struck her cleanly on the side of her neck.
Her eyes rolled back, and her body went limp instantly. She collapsed to the ground in a heap, unconscious.
Kaerys clicked his tongue in annoyance and folded his arms across his chest.
"You know I had that one, Asmodai."
Asmodai turned his head toward Kaerys and stared at him with cold, condescending eyes. He said nothing, and after a mont, he simply turned away and walked off without acknowledging the complaint.
For Asmodai, the task was simple. Finish quickly.
The wedding was at hand, and they needed to return soon to grace the occasion. There was no ti for theatrics or unnecessary delays.
Kaerys watched him walk away, with his jaw tightening in irritation. He muttered under his breath,
"Who do you even think you are?"
Asmodai tilted his head back over his shoulder as if he had heard those words. His gaze locked onto Kaerys for just a mont.
Kaerys imdiately turned his face away, avoiding eye contact.
Morrigan walked past both of them without a word and stopped in front of Akravos.
She gave him a single nod, and he understood imdiately.
Akravos moved forward toward Rhyos’s unconscious body. As he approached, his stomach began to shift unnaturally. The flesh parted down the center like a compartnt opening, revealing pitch-black darkness within.
From within that darkness, several tentacles extended outward. They wrapped around Rhyos’s limp form and dragged him into the void within Akravos’s stomach.
Once Rhyos was consud, Akravos turned toward Ashraf’s body and repeated the process. The tentacles pulled her in as well, and the compartnt sealed shut with a wet, fleshy sound.
Akravos’s stomach housed a dark mini-dinsion within it. He could carry people inside of it without them taking up physical space on his body.
The mont both gods were sealed inside Akravos, a rumble echoed through the temple.
The main gateway point that Rhyos controlled flickered abit then sealed shut.
Without another word, the nine demon lords turned and left the temple.
——
Right now, on the surface of the moon, where the dragons and gods convened
The conversation had stretched on for so ti, but it seed they had finally reached a conclusion on how to deal with the remaining threats.
Gaia looked toward Adam then asked one last question.
"What of the Grail, Father?"
Adam’s lips curved into a confident smile.
"You have nothing to worry about," he replied, gesturing dismissively with one hand. "I will retrieve it from Lilith myself."
He paused, then added with a touch of disdain in his voice, "That wench has no inkling on how to use that artifact."
With that settled, it seed the discussion had reached its end. The ti had co to leave the moon and return to Eden.
Adam straightened his posture and raised his voice. "Open the gates, Rhyos."
That call normally would have reached the gateway god regardless of distance. A large gateway should have materialized above them, ready to let them back into Eden.
But nothing happened.
Adam’s expression shifted into confusion. After a pause, he repeated himself, this ti with more force in his tone.
"Rhyos. Open the gates."
Still nothing.
The silence that followed was awkward and tense that gods exchanged glances.
Thera then said, "Perhaps, this is Lilith’s Decree."
"That is enough to make Rhyos refuse my call?" Adam said in reply with a frown on his face.
Aiden stepped forward then. "It doesn’t matter," he said calmly, raising his hand. "I’ll get us there."
But the mont he prepared to open the gateway, translucent screens materialized before his eyes.
[I apologize for the timing of this, Mr. Host]
[In the absence of a worthy quest and given the direness of the situation, the battle must be fought against Sal...]
[The system will now begin the host’s final leveling to Dragon King]
A smile spread across Aiden’s lips. It grew wider and wider until he couldn’t help himself.
It turned into a laugh, which made the others turn toward him imdiately, with puzzled expressions on their faces.
Syqora was the first to speak.
"Is there a matter, Aiden?"
Aiden shook his head, still grinning as turned away from screen before him to look at the Dragon Of Destiny.
"Oh, not at all," he replied. "But let’s just say...Samael’s about to have a very bad day."
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