Chapter 273 - 1150 - 1159

Sneak Attack

Meteor Explosion! Ultimate Shattering Palm! Absolute Break!

Leylin moved his fingers like an expert musician as he strummed the strings of the Shadow Weave, releasing terrifying legendary magic. Numerous spells were formed without any setup, complementing and amplifying each others' power to form a vast current of magic!

"Legendary combination technique— Arcane Torrent!" This was a project Leylin had been researching for a while. It was a divine version of the spell he'd used in his adventurer days, and this fight against Shargaas was the first time he'd used it.

The earth rumbled as a terrifying explosion hit the surface, the aftermath shrouding the space between Shargaas and Leylin. Space itself had begun to distort from the horrifying damage of the attack.

'This God of Massacre… He isn't even 400 yet but his comprehension of magic is so great. Did he receive the arcanists' inheritance?' Shargaas teleported in retreat, his body in a sorry state as his golden divine force healed the injuries. Fear could be seen within his eyes.

However, although the sneak attack hadn't managed to injure Leylin, the pressure on Malar's avatar lessened unexpectedly. The huge ape roared, tearing through the black net and escaping.

*Whoosh!* The avatar that escaped dissolved into a dazzling rainbow that was instantly absorbed into his divine kingdom. Another avatar stepped forth, taking the former's strength in as its aura rose sharply.

The new avatar released a terrifying roar Leylin's way, opening a huge portal from nowhere to send a meteor from his divine kingdom that transformed into a pair of terrifyingly sharp claws.

This was Malar's divine artifact, the Beast Claws. Other than his true body, Malar had brought everything he had to bear in this fight. It seemed like he'd been harbouring hatred over the losses he suffered at Leylin's hand before, and had always been looking for an opportunity at revenge.

"Don't even think of escaping. We've sealed off this space, and Gruumsh has sent out his avatar to intercept any possible reinforcements…" A tall god with an aura of blood and savagery waved his hands, and the group of four instantly encircled Leylin.

"The Orc God of War, Ilneval?" Leylin remembered having met this god once.

"I could see through all your conspiracies. No scheme you hatch will ever succeed!" Ilneval relied cautiously, trying to probe for information even as he wanted to damage Leylin's confidence.

However, Leylin's expression didn't change in the slightest. He just moved on to the last god, the one wrapped in a dark robe who had a dense deathly aura. His eyebrows twitched, "Yurtrus… So the God of Death, the God of War, the God of Stealth, and the God of the Hunt… Looks like everything here was a trap?"

"Indeed, Kukulkan. Greed comes before the fall." Ilneval roared, and Malar at the side was eager to rush forth as well. If not for the others restraining him, he would likely have barrelled over by now.

"Malar has deep connections to our pantheon. Do you think our alliance could be shaken by an outsider like you?" Yurtrus asked coldly, "Your avatar will fall this time, and we'll strip you of your massacre divinity as compensation for Malar…"

...

"So the Lord colluded with the orc gods to ambush another god?" Gara muttered as he watched the situation incredulously. They'd already escaped a great distance, and Gara himself only had some of the information.

"Will the Lord's plan succeed?" the werecreature chief asked by his side, obviously worried.

"Everything is as the Lord wills. We only have to follow his instructions and conserve our energy, taking part in the battle at the right time," a legendary shaman stated from the side. There was an unspeakable resolution contained in his voice. Although legendary might was nothing in front of a true god, they could still contribute to an assault on an avatar.

"Mm, and it's four gods fighting him this time, our chances of victory are quite high!" Gara was confident in the current situation.

"The God of Massacre, truename Kukulkan…" the orc leader muttered to himself, "The youngest legendary wizard of the prime material plane, and someone who ascended at such a young age… That spellcasting ability… He really is a thousand year genius…"

Gara looked at the legendary magic seemingly blossoming like fireworks from Leylin's hands, the terrifying arcane torrent causing him to subconsciously shrink his neck.

"This is the Lord's plan, it will definitely succeed!" he tried to console himself internally, but the feeling of unrest couldn't be erased.

*Rumble!* Endless spatial storms swept across the original land of the Blackblood Tribe, wreaking havoc upon it. The prime material plane was too weak to withstand a fight between gods, and with the entire sky filled with golden light even high-ranked Professionals would instantly be dissolved into nothingness if they tried to enter the scene. Numerous werecreatures were screaming as they escaped the scene.

A few legendaries smiled bitterly at the sight. Even they didn't have much confidence of being unaffected by a god's might. Only at the higher ranks would they be able to trade blows with an avatar, hoping to kill it.

"Sure enough… these orc gods are uncivilized and ignorant, not being able to notice even basic benefits…" Golden chains spread endlessly from Leylin's avatar in mid-air, making the entire surrounding area his divine kingdom. The dark red massacre domain was released, ensuring that any slaughter would only increase his power.

He could stand calmly amidst the centre of a barrage of orc attacks, and even had the leisure to examine his surroundings. When he sensed a familiar aura approaching the scene, a strange smile surfaced on his face.

...

The elite troops led by Rafiniya and Cardinal Karal had reached the core of the Moonwood just in time to notice the terrifying fight between the gods.

"Kukulkan! And the orc gods!" A trace of excitement appeared in Rafiniya's eyes, "Quick, inform the Lord and ask for reinforcements. Losing a few avatars should teach these gods a good lesson!"

The remaining paladins also had a look of eagerness on them, but their actions were soon stopped by Cardinal Karal.

"The Lord sees everything…" Karal's reason was strange, and caused suspicions to emerge on Rafiniya's face. She still maintained her trust in the church, however, following orders and standing down.

"Such a strong massacre domain, and he still has such divine force…" The orc gods had entered a bitter struggle with Leylin. He was already a rank 8 god, his power far surpassing these orcs. If not for their advantage in numbers, they would not be his match. The crimson massacre domain expanded endlessly, about to cover the entire Moonwood.

Shargaas couldn't hold on much longer. "Damn it… is he really a new god?" he snarled, his body covered with numerous small wounds that were leaking golden blood.

*Crash!* Lightning flashed in the sky, forming a terrifying large door. Another of Shargaas' avatars walked out, joining the forces that were besieging Leylin. Golden light flashed continually as the other gods did the same.

"This number of avatars… Are they crazy?!" Rafiniya and the rest who were watching from afar cried out in surprise. Although the loss of one avatar wouldn't cause significant damage to a god, the number of avatars they were throwing at Leylin would exhaust their divine force. Even as true gods, they would likely fall into a slumber or just die.

If their luck was the same as Beelzebub's, having poured a majority of their will and divine force into an avatar that was eliminated, they wouldn't be far off from a true death. These gods were now putting themselves at risk!

"It's time!" A trace of a smile suddenly appeared on Leylin's face in spite of the imminent danger.

"What's going on?" The four gods were stunned. Leylin's expression was completely unexpected.

However, they didn't have more time to think about it. A loud explosion sounded as two terrifying powers descended upon the Moonwood, their strength directly breaking apart the spatial seal that the orc gods had set in place. The whole world trembled as an elderly warrior and a young lady entered the scene, their bodies rippling with the unfathomable power of greater gods.

The two entrants immediately spread out a huge net, seemingly wanting to catch the orc gods and Leylin in one go. "Tyr and Mystra! Where's Gruumsh?" Ilneval muttered with incredulity…

Outside the prime material plane, Tyr and Mystra had combined to trap a powerful greater god.

"Give up, Gruumsh," Mystra said coldly, "We only need to mobilise a few avatars to take out those gods of yours…"

Cornered

"For New Silverymoon City, for the Alliance, and for the people of the north!" Even as Leylin was facing the orc gods, Queen Alustriel was garbed in her seldom-used armour as she riled up the troops in front of her, "The war for the north has come!"

"Ouh! Ouh!" The troops let out a warcry as they banged their swords against their shields.

With how slow armies travelled it would take a few more days of travel to reach the battlefield, but that didn't matter at all. Alustriel was currently boosting her troops' morale, and under Elminster's lead several high-ranked wizards had already ambushed several orcs along the borders.

With Silverymoon's strength and the backing of several legendary figures, their powerful spells would teach those orcs an unforgettable lesson! Alustriel's chest was bursting with excitement and pride…

"YOU'RE DECLARING WAR?" Gruumsh roared in rage at the two greater gods before him. He'd found out about the events in the prime material plane instantly.

Tyr spoke slowly, "This is it, you'd better choose to retreat right now."

"Stalling me here and sending your avatars to defeat my pantheon… Indeed, this strategy will deal me a heavy blow. Was it that God of Massacre that told you this?" Gruumsh immediately understood the situation. "He is indeed a crafty and evil god, with no qualms about not keeping his words…"

"Indeed, that's why we don't plan to let him go. However, that will come after we defeat your lot," Mystra said in a deep tone, the powerful Weave appearing behind her back.

...

The orc gods had been thrown into disarray by the avatars that had just descended upon the Moonwood. What was originally supposed to be an ambush had become a catalyst for a grand war, and it wasn't something they had prepared for. They couldn't help but take a second look at Leylin whom they'd 'trapped.'

The battle in mid-air was extremely interesting. Several orc gods had encircled Leylin, but surrounding them were the avatars of Mystra and Tyr. These circumstances could lead to the deaths of any avatar present here with the slightest misstep, and that would result in grievous injuries to their main bodies. The orcs didn't dare act recklessly.

Leylin's grin grew wider as he surveyed the scene that he'd crafted himself.

His first interaction with Gruumsh had told him that the orcs wouldn't give up on Malar. The werecreatures could rely on the orc pantheon. That was why he'd attracted Mystra and Tyr with the curse on Eric's bloodline, so he could meet them and come to an agreement.

However, this agreement hadn't been easy to reach. Leylin knew both his 'allies' hated him to the core, and he was sure they planned to attack him together with the orcs in one go. How would they let go of an avatar of a lesser evil god?

Knowing all this, Leylin didn't hope for much from the situation. It was enough that they'd deal with the orcs for him. The quartet would take the attention off him until they were wiped out.

...

"This is the plan of the Lord. They will first attack the avatars of the orc gods, stopping any experts from aiding them," Cardinal Karal said to Rafiniya and the remaining paladins.

"How about that God of Massacre?" Rafiniya frowned.

"He's promised to engage with the orc gods for now, so he's useful for the Lord's plans. Our goal is to deal with the orcs before we kill him," Karal replied.

This war concerned the lives of countless inhabitants of the north, and with this excuse of dealing with the orcs first the alliance with Leylin would be accepted by most of the paladins. The Cardinal represented Tyr's will, and wouldn't allow the paladins to harbour any thoughts.

However, this reason that could convince many immediately caused Rafiniya to lose a great deal of faith. Her mind grew weaker and more biased under the devilish influence Leylin had planted within her, and she growled in anger. "Teaming up with an evil god? He's the main perpetrator of the curse that hit New Silverymoon City!"

"Watch your words, Captain!" Karal's face darkened. As a legendary priest of Tyr, he would not tolerate anyone questioning the will of his Lord. A thought arose in his mind, 'It seems like I need to report this to the pope after the war. She isn't fit to serve as a captain…'

"Yes, Cardinal…" A hint of unwillingness emanated from Rafiniya's deep voice. She gripped the hilt of her sword so tightly that her fingers turned pale…

At the same time, the divine battle had reached a climax.

"Mage Flame!" A bright light was emitted from Mystra's fingers as the Weave materialised in the surroundings. She seemed to gain the support of the very world as overwhelming origin force surged forth. With Tyr's cooperation, the Mage Flame seemed to blaze through the skies as it trapped Leylin and the orc gods within.

"Silver fire…" Leylin looked at the glowing sea of flames, a trace of fear emerging in his eyes. Silver fire, from what he could remember, was the source of all magic in the World of Gods. It was a materialisation of Mystra's divinity, possessing great destructive might.

"Roar!" Malar was the most irascible of the lot, and he was the first to suffer. Several balls of fire landed on his hands, their temperature high enough to burn even the Beast Claws.

"Damn it, Mystra, why are you this determined?" Ilneval's expression turned ugly as he watched Malar's divine weapon being corroded. Some of the silver flames were pressing towards the rest of them.

Mystra's legendary silverflame had the might to destroy divine weapons and even the bodies of true gods, but it consumed her divinity to burn. Ilneval was stumped as to why she was willing to give up so much divinity to harm them.

"Retreat!" Yurtrus screamed as he unleashed a pale orb of light. Many lifeless souls sprung forth from the orb, creating a translucent barrier.

*Sssii!* The silverflame began to corrode the wall the moment the two came in contact, and the barrier seemed to give way immediately.

"They've activated a powerful spatial lock, we'll need more time to break through…" Ilneval frowned. They were facing the avatars of two greater gods, and even if all avatars were more or less the same in might more powerful deities had more efficient ways to dispense their powers. They still took the upper hand in battle.

On top of that, their low divine ranks caused these lesser gods to be at a disadvantage in terms of the number of avatars and their recovery speeds. The greater gods would be able to overwhelm them in these aspects!

"Why retreat?" Shargaas roared in rage, and his eyes turned bloodshot. He seemed to have lost all signs of intelligence, turning into a primal beast.

"These aren't just two greater gods. Don't forget that there's many more subordinates, what if one of them descends as a Saint?" Ilneval rebuked coldly, causing Shargaas to stall for a moment.

Although it was extremely dangerous for gods to descend with their true bodies, when they did come down they would be at the epitome of power. If Mystra or Tyr gave it their all, several subordinate gods like the God of Wizards Azuth would descend as Saints. None of their avatars would be able to escape, the loss of divine strength from the fight taking thousands of years to replenish.

Ilneval indeed excelled in strategy. He hadn't been overcome by rage when he was ensnared in Leylin's trap. He'd instead considered how best to conserve his energy.

"You want to leave now?" Leylin asked as he laughed like a maniac. He was now the one who'd decide if he let them go.

A phantom of the first three Hells surfaced in the prime material plane, and the powerful origin force of Baator expanded Leylin's massacre domain until it encompassed all the orc gods.

"Are you crazy?" Ilneval asked Leylin. "Even if you give your all in this battle, they won't let you go either!"

"Of course! I'm aware of that, but how can I just let go of a good chance like this?" Leylin's voice covered the entire Moonwood, and the crimson glow on his body grew more apparent than before.

"Damn it, this lunatic! Is he a chaotic demon?" Ilneval suddenly felt a huge headache, but he could only think of one way out right now..

"Malar!" he sent, "Hurry and bring your worshippers into the fight! They'll help out!"

The giant ape had already been scared off by the power of the silverflame. He'd hid by the side, stroking his Beast Claws tenderly. His golden fur had been burnt black in that attack, and he himself had been reduced to a miserable state. Hearing Ilneval's words, he began to roar.

Eicher

"The Lord has given us orders!" Several legendary werecreature shamans charged into the battlefield without the slightest hesitation. Malar had roared out their orders, and with him being the object of their faith their zealotry left them with no choice but to obey.

However, the secular leaders of the werecreatures grew irritable. Despite their reluctance, the shamans had pulled them into the fray.

"How much longer till preparations are done?" Mystra asked as she turned to Tyr. She had managed to block off the orc gods with her silverflame, and Leylin had been trapped as well.

"I need another moment, this is something we borrowed…" Tyr had reached into a ball of light that was surrounded by blue sparks. It seemed extremely magnificent, putting great pressure on the orc gods.

"There's also some worms crawling over that don't seem to know their place…" Mystra turned to the several legendary werecreatures.

"We've already prepared, haven't we? Let our people take care of them," Tyr replied indifferently.

At the same time, the ball of light finally assumed the form of an incredibly sharp spear. Ilneval was rattled immediately by the sight, and even Leylin's eyes flashed with amazement.

"Eicher's Thorn! They actually borrowed it!" Eicher's Thorn was a divine weapon that even the gods feared. It had the ability to ripple out any damage done to an avatar to its controller, and even gods weren't immune to its powers. It had caused the fall of two lesser gods in history, and sent a third into deep slumber. Mystra and Tyr had somehow managed to borrow such an ominous weapon.

"Hmm?" Leylin's brows furrowed as the A.I. Chip retrieved the relevant information from its now almost all-encompassing database.

'So it's from just after the dusk of the gods. This ability, and the energy it's radiating…' Leylin smirked, 'So they actually just took the weapon of a Magus of laws and renamed it. So much for integrity…'

Despite his smirking, Leylin grew more serious. He feared Magi much more than he did gods, their mysterious powers posing a much greater threat to him even as he was now.

On the other end, Ilneval sent a message to his comrades, "Everyone should've heard about Eicher's Thorn. If you can't get away, it's better to destroy the avatar than to let it injure you. A bit of your energy reserve isn't worth being thrown into a long slumber."

"Malar!" Yurtrus shouted, "Stop being so stingy with your subordinates! We'll give you enough compensation later…"

...

Pressured by his party, Malar pulled back the team of legendary shamans he'd sent to deal with Leylin.

However, their efforts had been halted before they could even re-enter the Moonwood. Cardinal Karal had arrived with paladins in tow, holding a staff made of aged maple. The cardinal chanted a holy spell that caused the paladins' armour to glow with light.

"Purge all evil in the name of justice!" The werecreatures were a bunch of bloodthirsty savages in the eyes of the paladins, existences that had to be removed from the face of the world.

"We don't have much time…" Gara looked at the paladins before him, a menacing look filling his face as various runes surfaced on his body. They seemed to be sacrificial rites.

Chaotic energy began to descend upon the region as a large fire began to burn in mid-air. A large metal door materialised, and numerous demons charged out under the lead of a legendary balor.

This was a legendary spell, Summon Demonic Army. Its unimaginable might was only canceled out by the complicated requirements it posed as a chaotic evil spell. The summoned army wouldn't necessarily obey the orders of their summoner.

The balor looked at Shaman Gara with hostility, but another group in the area stole its attention. Paladins and demons were in completely opposite alignments, and neither group would rest as long as the other side. Just listening to the word paladin was disgraceful, blasphemy to demonkind.

"Demons from the Abyss!" A paladin screamed as he rushed forward, waving a greatsword bathed in holy light, "Holy Slash!"

"(%^!%$!" The balor spoke in an incomprehensible ancient language as it looked at the group of paladins, its voice coarse and unpleasant.

"The words of blasphemy!" A white rune radiated purity from Karal's solemn face, "This is getting too troublesome."

The balor's spell had been cast in an instant, rooting the charging paladin to the ground. The balor smiled malevolently as he brandished his sword, cleaving the still paladin in two.

"Hehehe… It's the prime material plane! We can harvest souls now…" Many other demons charged out from behind the balor, throwing spell after spell as they turned the place chaotic. It all happened too quickly, and that paladin had fallen to the balor's sword before anyone could react.

"Damn it! You evil vermin, you shouldn't exist in this world!" Rafiniya screamed as she recovered from a daze, killing intent boiling to the surface.

However, the words the balor uttered as it looked at Rafiniya astonished her, "Hehehe… A legendary paladin? No, I smell a whiff of energy from those idiots in Baator on you…"

"I am a paladin, protector of justice. Don't try to ruin my reputation!"

Even Karal didn't put any stock in the demon's words. They only served to agitate the paladin, and she radiated powerful energy as she drew her sword and entered a frontal clash with it.

"Kill!" The other paladins looked each other in the eye before charging forward to meet with the demon army.

A scene of chaos began to unfold.

...

The battle of the gods had reached its zenith at this moment. Eicher's Thorn had absorbed all the light around it, and the spear had come to float in the air as Tyr pointed it at Malar.

*Whoosh!* The spear pierced through space to arrive at Malar in an instant. The Beast Claws had already been damaged once, and a hole was pierced through them with this attack. The spear moved forward unthwarted, heading towards Malar's brows.

"ROAR!" The avatar could only cry in indignance as it exploded, filling the skies with divine light.

Seeing the situation worsening, Ilneval shouted at Leylin, "Damn it, do you still want to keep us engaged? Malar's avatar has already fallen, there is nothing left here that you would want…"

"Of course… Not!" Leylin agreed immediately, just as Ilneval expected. He retracted his massacre domain, immediately reducing the pressure the three remaining gods had to face. However, none of the three noticed a spot of red light landing amongst them.

"That's right, we can still…" Before Ilneval could heave a sigh of relief, Leylin's next actions left him stupefied.

[Beep! Silverflame has been analysed, beginning protection with the Shadow Weave.] Leylin immediately dashed towards the fire in the sky, as if he was committing suicide. However, a dark web seemed to cover his body as he came into contact with the flames, cancelling out with the Weave and allowing Leylin to escape.

Without the spatial lock of the silver flames, Leylin immediately cast a teleportation spell. White light flashed on his body as he immediately left the Moonwood.

"This…" It wasn't just Ilneval that was dumbstruck. Even Tyr, controlling Eicher's Thorn from the outside, gasped.

Of course, the one under the most duress was the Goddess of the Weave. "The Weave," Mystra muttered, but then she grew silent for a moment. "No… the Shadow Weave! SHAR!" She spat out the name of her rival.

"Shar? The Goddess of Shadows?" Tyr seemed to have recalled something, "Didn't she fall already?"

"I can't be wrong, that's the Shadow Weave," Mystra confirmed. The Shadow Weave was primal and childish, but it had once been a prototype of the current Weave. How could she not recognise it?

Heart

Mystra and Shar had never been on good terms. They were both gods of magic, and the natural rivalry between the two had ensured that only one could survive.

Shar had been thought fallen in the Final War, but she'd actually managed to escape the destruction of her divine kingdom with serious injuries. Some amount of luck had allowed her to flee to the astral plane, stumbling upon the Shadow World.

Mystra, on the other hand, had established the Weave to gain the support of worshippers and other gods. She'd become the guardian of the Weave, and the other gods had moved the channeling of their powers to complement the system.

Even having become a greater god Mystra was still cautious of the Goddess of Shadows. After all, Shar was the one god that could take over her position.

The Shadow Weave was a counter to the Weave, and it had allowed Leylin to deal with Mystra's silverflame and escape with ease. Since it was but one of his many trump cards, Leylin hadn't been afraid of revealing it.

"Kukulkan… Shar…" It was like a bridge had been connected in Mystra's mind, 'That fear of death, was it because of Shar? Kukulkan managed to find some clues about her, so it gave me the feeling that he would bring about my demise?'

Although this conclusion was only logical, Mystra had underestimated the situation. She didn't even realise that Leylin possessed another horrifying ace up his sleeve, once that could truly end her life.

"It's not a big deal that the God of Massacre escaped," Tyr reminded her, "The important thing now is to kill all these avatars. Our true bodies are already engaged in battle with Gruumsh…" Gruumsh was fighting crazily ever since he discovered that his pantheon had been ambushed. Their true bodies would not be able to hold him back much longer.

"I understand…" Mystra's face darkened, and the silverflame strengthened once more. Even without Leylin's domain pressuring them, the orc gods couldn't dare to act recklessly.

The silverflame net began to close in on them, and try as they may Ilneval and the others couldn't stop Tyr's ambush with Eicher's Thorn. Shargaas was the one unfortunate enough to be struck by it, killing the avatar and inflicting serious injuries on his main body. Only then did the silverflame crush all the other avatars to death.

"Mystra!" "Tyr!" Many roars of hatred rang out from the large wasteland that was the combined divine kingdom of the orc pantheon, causing many worshippers and even petitioners to cower in fear.

No voice came from Shargaas' divine kingdom. Having suffered the most damage, he'd directly been put to sleep. As for Ilneval and Yurtrus, they were a bit better off. However, they'd lost multiple avatars as well, and wouldn't dare act recklessly anymore.

*Woooo!* A mournful and immense bugle horn note sounded in the wasteland as two orc figures wreathed in golden light appeared in mid-air.

"Gruumsh is summoning us," The male frowned, "Mystra and Tyr declared war, and summoned their subordinates as well. But right now…" This god was Bahgtru, the Lesser God of Brute Strength.

The orc pantheon was rather special. Although Gruumsh was their only greater god, and the rest of them weren't even intermediate gods, many of them excelled in combat. However, Shargaas, Ilneval, and Yurtrus were amongst the fighters, and Bahgtru alone wasn't enough to fill their shoes.

"Do you have any plans?" he asked the woman beside him helplessly. Although his mother didn't excel in fighting as the Goddess of Fertility, she had other remarkable abilities that fell under her domain.

"Shargaas was injured by Eicher's Thorn. Even if life and healing come under my domain, his true body has entered a slumber now and I can't heal him. On the other hand, Yurtrus only lost a lot of his energy. I can aid him in a swift recovery…" Luthic was extremely solemn, "But I'm not sure we've given this opportunity to recover…"

*Wooooo!* Another horn sounded, this one more drawn out and more frantic than before. The sound seemed to be filled with restlessness as it spread across the plains.

"Indeed, we won't have the time to heal him. We can only stop them for now…" Bahgtru smiled wryly, "I'll send all of my avatars over. I'll leave managing my worshippers and petitioners to you…"

Several golden streaks flew out of Bahgtru's divine kingdom, joining the large army in the prime material plane…

Mystra and Tyr had been plotting to attack the orcs for a while. Leylin's push had finally let them deal severe damage to the orc pantheon, and they'd even managed to cripple one of their gods. If they didn't press the advantage now, what were they waiting for?

War sprung up on both fronts. The Silverymoon Alliance attacked even as a war raged in the upper planes. Several subordinate gods like Azuth joined with hired hands from the good alignment to wage war on the divine kingdoms of the orcs. This was their chance to teach the orcs an unforgettable lesson!

...

Within the Moonwood.

The battle between gods and those of legendary might had already ruined half the region. The forest of twisted dark trees had ceased to exist, replaced by a sea of burning flames. The dismembered bodies of werecreatures dotted the landscape.

The legendary battle was now drawing to a close. With Malar's avatar dying so quickly, the werecreatures hadn't been useful in the battle between gods. Now, they were facing the paladins. The leaders and shamans hadn't wanted to engage in a fight to the death, and they'd used Gara's demon army as a distraction as they fled.

Even if Shaman Gara had maniacally summoned an army of demons, the relentless attacks of the paladins had reduced their numbers until only the balor was left, fighting Rafiniya. The other paladins had joined Karal to chase down the fleeing werecreatures.

"Hehehe…" Even if it wasn't a flame balor, the balor Rafiniya was facing was already at the legendary realm. It peppered her with heretical spells as its greatsword struck towards her with speed and precision. A common legendary would not be its match.

However, this balor was up against a paladin. On top of that this was Rafiniya, the Holy Knight, the Lady of Hope! She was resolute in her attacks, and even as injuries covered her body she didn't take one step back. Her manic behaviour struck fear in even the demon's heart.

Rafiniya's armour had already been shattered, and the balor's sword had broken in half. The demon had also lost its whip in the midst of battle.

"Hehehe… We shall meet again, paladin!" the balor sniggered as he opened a portal. Even if he could still utter such words of pride, he was far too injured to act arrogant. Even though demons were chaotic, instinctual creatures, powerful ones like this balor still had some amount of intellect.

The paladin was nearly burnt out as well. She had to rely on her sword to stay up, putting her weight on it to keep herself from collapsing. However, her eyes lit up as she saw the demon about to leave. The light was peculiar, difficult to describe in words. I contained law and chaos, good and evil.

"For justice!" she howled, burning up the last of her energy as she leapt into the flames. Even at the cost of letting the abyssal flames encroach upon her, she thrust her sword into the balor's heart.

"You!" the balor collapsed halfway into the portal, terrified. However, a sardonic smile then appeared on his face, "HA, now I understand! Your power isn't of purity. It's the power of our rivals, the devils! In that case…"

The demon used all his strength to push Rafiniya away, using a stump of a right hand to dig into his heart.

"Hehehe… Here, take my Root of Evil!" A burning heart was suddenly thrown at Rafiniya, and having expended all her energy the paladin just couldn't block it. Filthy blood coated Rafiniya's entire body, and a pure power of evil was immediately absorbed by it.

"What's happening? Why can I absorb this energy?" Rafiniya stood up once she discovered her body was recovering, stupefied. However, the balor had been burnt to ashes, and nobody would be able to answer her question.

"The church. The mission. And support…" Rafiniya's face was blank for a long while, before she collapsed to the ground.

A Fall From Grace

The balor's Root of Evil was but a catalyst. The seed of evil Leylin had planted in Rafiniya oh so long ago had now erupted, fuelled by the weakening of her faith. Baator's World Origin Force cheered as a legendary paladin fell from grace, turning into a devil!

"Haha," Rafiniya knelt and wept, "Good, evil, justice… What do they even mean? What did all my effort come to?"

Flames began to burn around the fallen paladin, and a phantom image of Baator appeared as numerous devils and even the Lords of Baator cheered at the sight of a legendary paladin turning.

"ARGH…" The dark flames enveloped the Lady of Hope, causing her to shriek in anguish.

The flames greatly transformed Rafiniya's body. Her face grew far more enchanting than before, as a pair of dark wings appeared behind her back to make her look like a fallen angel. The origin force continued to roar, turning the pious Holy Knight into an erinyes! Murky light enveloped the former paladin, instantly bringing her to the depths of hell.

Just as she was about to descend to the Fourth Hell, a crimson string of light appeared behind her. Leylin's divine kingdom attracted the now erinyes, pulling her into the first three Hells. The cheering Lords and their subordinates instantly began to curse Leylin, but nobody dared step into his divine kingdom to seize her.

"A legendary paladin turned erinyes, huh?" Leylin knew best about any events occurring in his divine kingdom. The power of corruption formed at the fall of such a powerful paladin was favoured by every Lord of Baator. On top of that, the paladin would become a staunchly loyal devil, the most powerful of warriors fighting under their banner.

However, Leylin didn't have the time to pay attention to Rafiniya right now. He instructed Isabel to welcome her, moving into Thultanhthar as the flying city left his divine kingdom…

The battle in the orc wastelands had reached its peak. Soul after soul was wiped out as the light of their deaths streaked across the skies of the combined divine kingdom. Hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes… Various calamities rocked the place, causing many orcs to weep and cower as if the apocalypse had arrived.

An army of valiant spirits had set up a large formation on the outskirts of the combined divine kingdom, several hundred Professionals of each class. It was a rare sight in the World of Gods, one only enabled by the accumulated power of two greater gods over tens of thousands of years.

"Give up, Gruumsh. Leave Silverymoon and return to to your plains. It's your only choice." Mystra was now outfitted in armour, the army of wizards behind her emitting a powerful aura. The array of spell lights caused the orc god's heart to turn cold.

However, it was no easy feat to attack the divine kingdom of the orc pantheon, even for two greater gods. Gruumsh was a greater god as well, and his accumulated power was not to be trifled either.

The bugles continued to sound out as the orcish armies joined up, forming a defensive line under the command of the Goddess of Fertility Luthic. Gruumsh and Bahgtru sent their clones forward to meet Mystra and Tyr, blocking their paths.

The fight for the north wasn't limited to the north. Outside the prime material plane, it had erupted into a war amongst gods! Mystra couldn't give up on Silverymoon, while Gruumsh couldn't give up on the orcs. Their worshippers' conflicts had forced them into battle, as was commonplace in history.

"Since that's your choice…" Tyr raised his one hand slowly, "KILL!"

Wave after wave of paladins surged forward, charging towards the outermost defences of the divine kingdom.

"Damn it… That's Mystra's divine kingdom!" Bahgtru roared, his multiple clones radiating energy.

"We're your opponents." A portal opened to reveal the God of Wizards. He'd brought with him the avatars of the other gods subordinate to Mystra, as well as giant demigods to protect them.

"Your pantheon has suffered great losses, Gruumsh, you have absolutely no chance of victory…" Mystra and Tyr were squaring off against Gruumsh.

With how the orc pantheon was built, if Gruumsh was seriously injured or killed the entire race would be thrown to the brink of annihilation. Mystra held the upper hand here, able to suppress Gruumsh alongside Tyr. On the other hand, Bahgtru and Luthic were not strong enough to take on the rest of their subordinates.

Gruumsh originally had the help of multiple gods from his pantheon, putting his only strength slightly below Mystra and Tyr. However, some of his subordinates had been severely injured now, and the situation had completely reversed. She believed she could push the orcs back in one go!

Battles between gods were wars of attrition. Even Mystra and Tyr couldn't defeat their enemies in one go, but they had to at least inflict heavy damage on their opponents, causing them to suffer losses in the upcoming wars in the prime material plane.

"Damn it… You despicable pygmies!" Gruumsh's body wavered at the forefront, splitting into over a dozen clones each of which possessed a terrifying amount of divine force. Even having split up so many times, each clone possessed great power that wasn't inferior to a lesser god's! He could overpower a lesser god just by stacking on them with numbers.

However, he wasn't facing a lesser god this time. Mystra and Tyr were both greater gods, and they exchanged a look that showed that they'd expected him to split up.

More clones walked out beside them as well, as a ball of light formed into a spear in Tyr's hand.

"Eicher's Thorn!" Even a greater god like Gruumsh dreaded something like Eicher's Thorn that could cause grievous wounds to his main body. He gazed deeply upon the two greater gods, eventually deciding to fall back to his divine kingdom. "Alright, you two. Come in if you want to fight!"

It wasn't easy to take out a greater god's divine kingdom. With the home ground advantage, Gruumsh would be able to take on even Eicher's Thorn without much trouble. On the other hand, his avatars and his son's had bought them ample time, allowing Luthic to stabilise the situation in their divine kingdom and gather a large army of orc petitioners that were just waiting to deal a fatal strike.

"It still happened…" Tyr shook his head in helplessness. This was the one situation that they didn't want to see.

"How is it in the prime material plane?" he asked.

Mystra's eyes flickered with light, and the events occurring in the prime material plane flashed before her eyes. "Both sides have assembled at the Thunder Valley, and are ready for war any time. Alustriel and Elminster will be barely enough to hold back Saladin and the Thunder God's Hammer…"

"Then all the more reason that we can't retreat now…" Tyr made up his mind, slashing down with his hand. An explosion sounded as space itself cracked apart, a colourless hole appearing in mid-air with a crescent blade behind it. The attack struck the borders of the orc wasteland.

The powerful divine attack caused the entire planes to rumble. A huge rift was formed at the border, large whirlwinds spreading out as paladins charged into the divine kingdom.

"Charge!" The orcs had been waiting patiently all this while, and now they rushed forward as well to meet the paladins.

The petitioners in the divine kingdom were the most fervent of zealots, their gazes filled with fanaticism as they met the wave of paladins. They pit the boost from the divine kingdom against the superior numbers and strength of the paladins and wizards, the two armies clashing violently as a chaotic war erupted. The world seemed to stand still the moment they came into contact.

"Your greatest mistake was to step in here." A massive voice boomed in the void, and the clouds in the divine kingdom turned dark.

*Bzzt!* World Origin Force whistled as lightning rained down upon the paladins and wizards, annihilating a large group of troops in an instant.

"The law of lightning… You actually want to become a Lightning God!" Tyr cried out at in alarm as he saw the lightning in the skies. The lightning contained the power of laws, and wasn't something that could easily be created even in a divine kingdom. What's more, the law of lightning possessed great destructive force!

Mark

"The fight's pretty intense!" Thultanthar was flying outside in the void, hidden between spatial rifts out of reach of the powerful lightning in the orc plains. It looked like an indomitable mountain, its strength unfathomable.

[Beep! Thultanthar concealed by Shadow Weave, setting defence levels to A1…] A black net spread out in the surroundings of the Netherese city, slowly disappearing as it intertwined with the Weave in the vicinity. It concealed the city's aura immediately, making in undetectable no matter how close it got to the battlefield.

"Initiate plan," Leylin ordered indifferently, an icy gaze flashing in his eyes.

He'd taken a risk with his avatar before, engaging with Malar and the orc gods to help Mystra and Tyr deal with the orcs. However, his intentions weren't to cause trouble for the orcs. After all, they were of the same alignment and were closer to him than Mystra and Tyr.

Still, he was an evil god. The only thing that brought his kind together were benefits, and he wouldn't hesitate to betray them for his own gains. With the greater gods embroiled in battle, it was the best time for him to execute his plans.

[Beep! Mission established, tracking target… Target found!] the A.I. Chip intoned, a large amount of information being transmitted to Leylin. The backdoor he'd left via that red spot of light activated, allowing the A.I. Chip to execute its mission.

[Beep! Target confirmed! Kingdom's defences have been broken, beginning teleportation.] A powerful hurricane engulfed Thultanthar alongside the A.I. Chip's notifications, the violent gales beginning to glow as the city streaked across the void like a sharp sword.

*Buzz!* Thultanthar disappeared into the light, reappearing within the orc plains above a magnificent golden palace.

There were many orc petitioners here, praying to a strange orcish statue. They were startled by Thultanthar's appearance, and roared in rage.

[Secondary cannons online.] The A.I. Chip's icy words were the only reply. Numerous cannons atop Thultanthar shot beams of light, dissolving even the holy spirits under their power. A dark web spread across the skies, locking space down before volley after volley of cannonfire razed the palace to the ground.

A god's true body was revealed beneath the palace, dressed in loose black robes with a black-gold halo of light encircling him. A murky energy shrouded his body. Having suffered a huge loss of divine energy and being forced out of slumber, he roared at Leylin in rage.

"KUKULKAN! AND THULTANTHAR!" His voice held extreme rage and shock, but there also a major portion of fear. He hadn't been prepared for the flying city at all.

'That tracker was effective after all.' Leylin looked at the forlorn Yurtrus before him, his eyes flashing like that of a predator looking at prey.

Malar had never been his target. That ape was only a wild beast that had mastered a part of the law of massacre, not worthy of his attention. The only god of massacre he'd consider targeting was Cyric.

No, his real target was the death god of the orcs, Yurtrus. Massacre and death complemented each other perfectly, each domain being able to support a greater god. They synergized very well, their powers compounding upon each other. They'd definitely serve well as Leylin's final trump card.

Back on Debanks Island, the innumerable deaths caused by the plague had allowed Leylin to touch upon the law of death. However, it hadn't allowed him to comprehend much, leaving him miles away from comprehending the law of death.

However, this was the World of Gods, and he was a Magus! Why would he slowly comprehend a law if he could just kill a god and directly steal his position?

There were many Gods of Death in the World of Gods, the strongest of them being Kelemvor the Greater God of Death. However, he was someone too strong for Leylin to scheme against right now, and there were others from different pantheons he could target. Leylin had chosen Yurtrus, because he was considerably weaker than the others as a mere lesser god. An orc god would be much easier to deal with than the gods of the other pantheon.

More importantly, the orcs were currently at war! It was the best chance to strike! With various reasons merging together, Leylin would feel sorry for himself if he didn't seize the opportunity. That's why he orchestrated these events.

To fulfill his goal of killing Yurtrus, Leylin had used Malar as a distraction. He pretended to fall for Malar's schemes in the Moonwood, using his avatar as bait and giving up his location to Mystra and Tyr to have them wipe the orcs out in one shot. The entire process was extremely perilous. If not for multiple trump cards, his avatar would have fallen to Mystra and Tyr.

However, all of that paid off. The orcs suffered huge losses, and Gruumsh was forced to engage in a divine war that dropped all defences. Yurtrus had nobody protecting him, so now was the best time to strike.

Leylin had managed to plant a tracker on Yurtrus in the midst of battle, allowing the flying city to instantly teleport to Yurtrus' position and slay him.

With Thultanthar having been used against Sekolah before, the gods would definitely have prepared against a greater god with a Netherese city. They concealed their true bodies, preventing instant teleportation into their divine kingdoms. Had Leylin not made all this preparations, he would've had to enter Yurtrus' divine kingdom and track him down inside. By the time the A.I. Chip was done with its scan Gruumsh would have appeared to reinforce.

However, there were no what ifs in the world. His plan successful, Leylin would enjoy his spoils of war.

"What are you trying to do? This is the orc plains. My divine kingdom is extremely close to the Gruumsh. He can immediately send any of his clones over…" Yurtrus golden face seemed to be disconcerted right now, which was an extremely rare expression on a god.

This was the fruit of Leylin's labour. Several of Yurtrus' avatars had been slain by Mystra and Tyr, causing enough damage to send him to sleep. Even though he'd sensed the incoming danger now, it would be a wonder if he could use 60% of his power, and he was facing a peak form Leylin alongside Thultanthar.

"Yurtrus… In the name of the God of Massacre, I proclaim you dead…" The phantom of a powerful winged serpent appeared behind Leylin's back, its demonic wings spread out to cover half of Yurtrus' divine kingdom. A terrifying gloomy darkness loomed over Yurtrus, devouring him whole.

The serpent's eyes only contained apathy and greed, causing Yurtrus to be overwhelmed with despair.

...

*Rumble!* The powerful lightning suddenly stopped in Gruumsh's divine kingdom, and he roared in fury.

"What happened?" Mystra and Tyr looked ahead in surprise, watching a terrifying scene unfold.

"Yurtrus… You damned vermin, pigmy, bastard of the hells, you actually dare…" Gruumsh roared but it was too late. A divine kingdom dimmed within the orc plains, leaving the area as it headed for the void and fell into the darkness. Anguish surged in Yurtrus' petitioners as they died without warning, and his priests in the other planes discovered themselves being cut off by the spells of their god.

This could only mean one thing: the Orc God of Death… Yurtrus… He'd fallen!

"It's the God of Massacre!' Mystra and Tyr understood this point immediately, but were unable to change the outcome. The orc armies only stalled for a moment, beginning to attack even more ferociously than before!

Death

A powerful spatial storm enveloped Whitejade Saint Mountain within Leylin's divine kingdom, space being ripped apart as the silhouette of a flying city appeared within the chaotic region.

A cathedral atop the mountain radiated golden light that protected the surroundings, rendering them unaffected by the flying city.

"Kukulkan, my Lord, you are a star in the skies, the overlord of our souls…" The petitioners on the mountain knew Thultanthar to be their Lord's mount, a sacred artifact of the Giant Serpent Church. They were not fazed by its appearance, instead kneeling down to pray.

"A.I. Chip, report Thultanthar's status," Leylin said as he opened his eyes, sitting in the main control room dressed in gold.

[Beep! Thultanthar has suffered 36.77% damage. Energy reserves depleted, Shadow Weave broken. Secondary spell formations are 22.5% damaged…] The report caused Leylin's eyes to twitch. He remained silent for a long time.

"It's been damaged so badly?" he finally sighed.

Gods really were the darlings of the world. Even Netheril at its peak, with all its research into the arcane, had still been reduced to rubble under their might. One had to pay a price to slay a deity, even if one was a Great Arcanist controlling a flying city.

Thultanthar had already been damaged in Leylin's fight against Sekolah. It had been undergoing repairs in his divine kingdom, but it had been called out for this strike and damaged even more severely. It was a testament to Leylin's ability that the flying city had even remained intact.

Leylin's will pervaded the entire flying city, seeing through everything. There were many cracks on its silver-grey surface, and the primary cannons had suffered damage from overuse. Even the secondary core had been damaged, the city operating purely on its primary energy source. It was never easy to bear the brunt of a god's death throes.

"Heh… It's all worth it." Leylin looked excitedly at the damaged crystal floating above his hands. "The divine domain of a God of Death…"

This was Leylin's reward for slaying Yurtrus. He'd given up on searching the divine kingdom given how close it was to the other orcs', having to flee the moment he killed the God of Death as he saw a raging Gruumsh rushing over alongside the other orc gods. If he'd tarried a moment longer, even if he could eventually escape Thultanthar would've been destroyed.

However, all these scenarios held no meaning whatsoever. Leylin knew that he has succeeded. and that was enough!

Leylin looked at the divine domain crystal ball and sniggered, "Kukulkan's words will lose all credibility, and he'll be labeled unscrupulous and crazy. When news of this spreads, there likely won't be any more gods willing to ally with me…"

If he really was a being of the World of Gods, his actions just now would've led to his death. He'd be isolated by the other gods, having to hide himself in Baator forever.

However, he was a Magus. Even if he didn't offend these gods none of them would wish to ally with him once his true body descended anyway. Even if he'd offended most of the gods and had his reputation raked through the mud, he'd managed to get what he wanted and that was enough. Baator and Thultanthar would be enough to sustain him until he had the chance to let his true body descend.

"Soon…" Leylin muttered, resolution flashing in his eyes as a phantom Targaryen appeared behind his back. The power of devouring enveloped the crystal, causing the mysterious power of death to reveal itself. He instantly felt a connection to the World Origin Force that allowed him to comprehend the captivating law of death.

The A.I. Chip flashed with notifications as well:

[Beep! Host has devoured a law crystal, absorbing divine domain…] [Beep! Transfer completed, host currently has 50% comprehension of the law of death.]

Unlike other Magi who spent tens of thousands years to comprehend laws without much success, they word skyrocketing wasn't sufficient to describe Leylin's comprehension. He'd managed to comprehend half of a law as powerful as the law of death at one go, and he still felt it wasn't enough!

"A pity… Yurtrus is just an orc god and his law comprehension is 50% at most. He's also a god of orcs, souls, and other things… If I devoured Kelemvor I'd most likely be able to achieve 100% immediately, generating a death domain that belongs to me alone…"

However, Leylin knew his place. He was at his limits scheming against a lesser god, and a greater god like Kelemvor was beyond his reach.

The A.I. Chip's notifications continued:

[Beep! Host had comprehended 50% of the law of death! Activating death domain…] [Death Domain: The user becomes the ruler of death, governing all that has to do with it. Any being who perishes within the domain will lose their souls to the user, giving the domain priority.] [Beep! Host's massacre domain complements the death domain, both domains will experience a boost in power.]

"A simple explanation…" Leylin stroked his chin, thinking of a devastating possibility. "A ruler of death… That is to say that any souls that perish in my domain are mine? And with the priority, I'll have control even before the god they worship? If that's true, then the worshippers of the other churches would be subjected to my control… If I spread the domain throughout the prime material plane, won't it become a new underworld?"

However, this was all in the future. He still had to finish comprehending the law of death quickly, or it would all just be a grand illusion.

[Beep! Host status has changed, refreshing…] The A.I. Chip sent Leylin the latest stats.

[Name: Leylin Faulen.

Race: Human(Lesser God).

Divine Name: Kukulkan, the God of Massacre.

Alignment: Neutral Evil.

Domains: Massacre, Death

Divine Kingdom: Nameless, located at the first three Hells of Baator.

Divine Rank: 8.

Worshippers: Natives, Devils, Adventurers, Clerics.

Worshipper Alignments: True Neutral, Neutral Evil, Lawful Evil.

Arcanist Rank: 35. Strength: 29. Agility: 29. Vitality: 29. Spirit: 29. Arcane Energy: 350. Divine Force: 800. Status: Healthy.

Feats: Herculean Strength, Master of Knowledge, Dreamscape Vision, Epic Adaptability.

Divine Feats: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Art Amplification, Illusions.

Divine Abilities: Warp Reality, Epic Massacre]

'The completely fused domain will come soon… My understanding of the law of death will improve, and it'll only be a matter of time before I finish comprehending it… Death and Massacre, two extremely powerful roles that lean towards negative energy. What kind of effects will their fusion bring?' Leylin's face slowly brightened with anticipation.

...

The instant Leylin absorbed the law of death, a roar of fury rang out from the Fugue Plane, within a city filled with souls.

"Someone is eyeing my throne!" The voice was extremely loud, carrying the dignity of a god. Many of the dead souls here couldn't help but kneel, their translucent bodies shivering in fear.

This was Kelemvor, the Greater God of Death who ruled the Fugue Plane! He was the one who'd managed to build a kingdom of peace for the dead, his impartial attitude allowing him to obtain the favour of the plane's origin force and bringing him to the apex of the gods!

All Kelemvor had left to do was to weaken the remaining Gods of Death, obtaining primary control of the domain. He was actually happy to see Yurtrus fall, as it meant that there was one less God of Death in the world. Had Leylin offered to trade the domain crystal, he would've obtained the friendship of this greater god.

However, Leylin had used it for his own. The shift in death's origin force couldn't fool Kelemvor, and Leylin had henceforth made an enemy of another greater god.

However, Leylin had no plans to negotiate, or deviate from the path he'd set himself upon. There was nothing he could do about Kelemvor's fury.

Of course, he still realised his position. Before his true body descended upon the World of Gods to initiate the Final War once more, he would sit inside his divine kingdom and not step out. With the protection of Baator's origin force and his divine kingdom, he could still protect himself.

Kelemvor understood Leylin's plans, and the only thing he could do was give Leylin some troubles with his dead worshippers and petitioners. He was left with no choice but to roar in rage.

Resurrection

Several years went by in the blink of an eye. Many events came to pass, the most dazzling of which was the battle between the humans and orcs in the north.

Having suffered defeat in the divine war, the orcs retreated between several lost battles. They were eventually pushed all the way back to the Old Silverymoon, with even a natural leader like Saladin unable to reverse the situation.

Old Silverymoon had only survived the assault with its powerful fortifications aided by the Thunder God's Hammer. Saladin had finally managed to repel Elminster and Alustriel, causing severe casualties to the Silverymoon Alliance and forcing them to withdraw in order to consolidate their strength once more.

However, the damage was already done and the orcs had to recuperate as well. Even if they were ready to fight to reclaim the lost land, they didn't have the faculties to start another war. The north had thus been split in twain, entering an eerie, unstable tranquility.

Within the wastelands of the combined divine kingdom of the orc pantheon.

Mystra and Tyr had already retreated, but Gruumsh had already suffered. Yurtrus falling alone was more damage than losing a hundred thousand petitioners, even if they hadn't been the ones to do it.

Leylin's notoriety had spread amongst the gods once more, causing a new wave of fear and hate. He didn't bother with that at all, however.

Right after the battle, he met with a person he was familiar with.

"It's been a long time, Rafiniya," he said from his throne as he looked down upon his new subordinate, his old friend.

"I've given up on my past name, my Lord. Please call me Phoenix— Hellfire Phoenix," the former paladin said emotionlessly as she knelt before Leylin.

'Phoenix' had changed greatly with her fall. She'd grown even more captivating than before, her tender white skin shining with a milky lustre. A pair of beautiful wings sat comfortably on her back, making her look like a fallen angel. Hers was a unique beauty, representative of the aesthetics of the Nine Hells.

"Alright then, Phoenix. Tell me, what do fairness and justice mean?" Leylin asked with a puzzled gaze.

"That answer is my life's goal," Phoenix said as she lifted her head, her exquisite face filled with determination. "However, this corrupt, filthy world cannot give me that answer. Equality can only come when the entire world is destroyed and rebuilt from scratch; I shall use my hellfire to purge this dirty world clean!"

"Words of wisdom…" Although Leylin was praising her calmly on the surface, he rolled his eyes inwardly, 'So now she's an advocator of the purge? Rafiniya is Rafiniya, even if she's changed…' All that didn't matter, however. Another legendary devil who worshipped him was worth it.

Leylin waved his hand once Phoenix left with a bow, a mirror appearing in his hands that was connected to the prime material plane. A legendary devil hunter appeared on the mirror's surface, the same one that had travelled with the Neon Merchant Group to the Orc Empire. He greeted Leylin in respect.

"Kukulkan, my Lord, you are the Lord of Massacre, the Keeper of Order. You are the Ruler of Devils….

"I've done as you wished, my Lord. The paladins and priests apart from Rafiniya are already dead, their souls trapped in their burning skeletons. I can convert them once they're transported to the kingdom…"

Leylin's mirror showed the prayer and report, causing him to nod his head slightly. Rafiniya's fall was something he'd orchestrated long ago, but a single paladin or priest would've been able to stop her from turning when she did. That was why he'd had his devil hunters focus on them, rendering them unable to assist the Lady of Hope. That was how he'd gained a new legendary erinyes in Phoenix.

"You did well. We've obtained all we could in the north, and now is the time to return. Leave the necessary information paths and priests, but bring Barbara and the other devil hunters back…" he decreed.

Leylin knew fully well that this incident had put him at odds with both Mystra's alliance and the orcs. The suppression he would face would soon grow severalfold, and in such circumstances it was better to pull his elites back before he suffered unnecessary losses. If Mystra and Tyr mobilised their forces, he would definitely lose quite a few worshippers.

As a new god, Leylin didn't have many legendary powerhouses or much wealth to his name. Every one he lost would bite him. Anyway, he'd gotten the law of death he was eyeing in the prime material plane so he didn't have much he wanted from it now. The faith coming from Debanks Island in his divine kingdom would be enough to sustain him.

Leylin thus retracted his gaze from the prime material plane, racking his brains as he thought about his new law.

'Massacre and death, a perfect match…' Leylin had obtained a new level of enlightenment regarding his role as a god, 'The power of the law of massacre is boosted by the deaths of the enemy… There needs to be a catalyst between all this… Either law can support a greater god, so if I turn this into a cycle…'

Leylin's eyes flashed with wild ambition. His root was that of a Magus, and with the A.I. Chip and his comprehension of laws he instinctively knew the path he had to take. His future advancements had grown completely clear to him.

Magi started with cultivating spiritual force, before transforming the soul to let them comprehend laws. Even as a mere rank 7, Leylin already saw the silhouette of his path as a peak rank 8. This was an extremely alarming matter to the entire astral plane!

"Death domain…" A dark energy spread out from Leylin's palace, entering the surroundings. He felt control over the life and death of everything within its increasing range, able to see every organism within.

'Death is inseparable from the soul. Thankfully I have enough research into the soul that I'm not inferior to the gods…' Leylin smiled, "A.I. Chip, what's the progress on the simulation of the law of death?"

[Beep! Law of death comprehension at 50%. Beginning soul simulation with stored data…] the A.I. Chip intoned.

Another notification soon appeared on the Chip's interface:

[Beep! The law of massacre has influenced the death domain, giving it the Death's Decree ability.

Death's Decree: The user of the domain can cause the death of any creature he wills. Those without divine power will lose their lives immediately, and the effects on divine beings depends on their divine rank.]

The A.I. Chip's powerful calculative abilities had allowed it to derive a new ability immediately.

"The death domain is really powerful…" Leylin inhaled a sharp breath after seeing the results, "Legendary powerhouses without divinity would die immediately, and even their souls will cease to exist without exemption. Even demigods have a fifty-fifty chance of dying…"

Death's Decree would be rendered useless when facing more powerful gods, but with Leylin's strength it made for a powerful weapon against the other lesser gods. He had a chance to kill them directly, one that increased the weaker his opponent was. Even more terrifying was that this ability would grow with him, its effects growing more powerful over time!

'Death's Decree… What a magnificent ability, Kelemvor has it too huh?' However, doubt soon filled Leylin's mind, 'Wait. I haven't heard of such a thing about Kelemvor or any of the other gods of death…'

A possibility surfaced in Leylin's mind, causing him to be elated. 'Could it be… Only those gods of both massacre and death obtain it, or only if they fulfill some other conditions? If that's the case, once I finish the law of death won't I be able to…'

Fugue

The skies of the Fugue Plane were a misty gray. The Styx flowed smoothly on the ground, wiping the memories of the occasional listless soul clean to induce a calm lifelessness.

A city of black granite and rotting mud was erected in the wilderness. This was the City of Judgement, under the jurisdiction of the God of Death Kelemvor.

Countless beings with no faith were half embedded into the Wall of the Faithless, wailing as they seemed to be getting swallowed by it. The faithless in the World of Gods were treated worse than the worshippers of rival gods, demons, and devils. They wouldn't be accepted by any divine kingdom upon their death, only able to suffer eternally on the wall.

It was too late for these souls to pledge faith to any god. Kelemvor gave them three choices upon their arrival, and the other two were even more torturous for the faithless than the Wall. Only the Abyss or Baator would accept these beings, but even they only wished to turn them into soul nourishing bugs.

The City of Death was deathly silent and quiet despite being littered with sluggish souls. Even liches would wish to leave this place as soon as they could.

*Boom!* A large golden gate opened up all of a sudden, radiating divine light. The glow carried the power of salvation, seemingly adding a ray of hope in this land of death.

However, reality was the exact opposite. The wandering souls shrieked in shock at the appearance of the holy light, avoiding at all costs despite only seeing a single ray. This light held the power of a mighty god, and it wasn't something they could face directly. Had they not escaped, they would have been wiped out of existence without a trace left behind.

"Damn it, a god is descending. It's the Goddess of the Weave…" The City of Judgement bustled with activity as many of the souls hid underground and in towers. Even the liches, devils, and demons cursed loudly as they escaped, portals beginning to flash throughout the city.

Mystra's figure slowly walked out of the bright golden door. Looking at the activity in the city, she smiled meaningfully.

"Mystra!" A giant voice boomed throughout the city, and a middle-aged man in blue robes came to stand before her. He looked extremely common, seeming like a nobleman, but his eyes shone an all-seeing black. A strong death domain was spread out with him at the centre, as if he was the ruler of death in this entire world. This was the king of souls, the Greater God of Death Kelemvor!

"You always bring me trouble!" he said as he saw the city rustling. His death domain reverberated with a tranquil power, soothing the agitated souls and rendering them calm once more.

This was a mutation of the standard death domain, Eternal Tranquility. It served to protect and soothe the dead, giving them respect.

Kelemvor was a neutral god, and he'd always tried his best to provide peace to the dead. He opposed those who tried to extend their lives, and despised the blasphemous arts of necromancy. His symbol was that of a skeletal arm holding up a balance.

There were rumours that Kelemvor and Mystra once loved each other as mortals. Their relationship seemed to have stalled after they ascended to godhood. Although the two had never admitted it, the current scenario suggested that the rumours were true.

"Why have you come to disturb the peace of the Fugue?" Kelemvor looked at Mystra.

Their current relationship was different from before, and it was partially because Kelemvor hated magic. He felt that magic had disrupted the peace of the dead. There may have been other reasons as well: many liches and devils guessed that Alustriel was a daughter born to Mystra through a mortal named Elminster.

"It's naturally for that God of Massacre… Kelemvor, aren't you angry at the fact that someone is eyeing your throne and prying into your powers?" Mystra laughed coldly.

"He's just a new god, his power is far from Nephthys and Segojan…" Kelemvor said after a period of silence. These other gods he'd mentioned were also gods of death, but they were intermediate gods themselves! Leylin was only a lesser deity, and without even a full comprehension of the law of death he didn't pose much of a threat.

"Really…" Mystra's expression changed, and she made up her mind. "Have you ever heard of the legend of the Nightmare Serpent?"

"Is this what you foresee?" Kelemvor grew silent once more. "For you," he started after a while, "I'll lend a hand once more. However, I once made a pact with the circle of gods, and it prevents me from doing many things…"

Kelemvor was a neutral god, and without Leylin even being a God of Death yet he couldn't just charge into his divine kingdom. It would be considered blasphemy, and if he tried it the other gods of death would ally together to suppress him. Such was his fate as the strongest God of Death.

"That's enough… I only need you to…" Mystra smiled beautifully, and spoke of her purpose.

...

"My worshippers are being detained by Kelemvor?" News from the Fugue Plane soon reached Leylin's ears, and it caused him to frown.

This was indeed a troublesome issue. Worshippers would normally enter their god's divine kingdom after death, and this was a pact that could not be violated. However, some things could still be done in between.

While pious worshippers had enough strength of faith to directly move to the divine kingdom after death, and priests would directly become powerful holy spirits, things didn't work the same way for regular worshippers. They first had to be sent to the Fugue Plane, being judged by Kelemvor. The False would be placed on the Wall, and the remaining would be sent to emissaries of their respective deities.

Kelemvor was acting up on his contract with the circle of gods that solidified his position as a neutral god. It would cause Leylin some trouble, after all only a small number of his worshippers were fervent enough to be transported directly.

"The emissary questioned him before, but Kelemvor answered with a condition. He expects you to make a trip to the Fugue Plane yourself before he releases their souls…" the valiant spirit reported, trembling in fear.

Leylin waved the man away before falling into deep thought. He smelled a conspiracy brewing, and it caused him to smile wryly.

'They're clamping down hard… Not even allowing me some time…' Even if he wanted to rest now, they would most likely not give him this chance. His laws clashed with Kelemvor's own, so the bias would be hard to fight. On top of that Leylin had no friends among the gods, only those who would watch upon his situation with schadenfreude.

'Thankfully I don't have many worshippers in the prime material plane. Most of them are here in Debanks Island, and their souls don't need to enter the Fugue Plane when they die…' He felt somewhat relieved at this thought. The best way to fight his opponents' schemes was to avoid walking into the trap, if not his outcome could only be miserable.

Having confirmed that Kelemvor intended for him to travel to the Fugue Plane where he could cause even more problems, Leylin prepared to ignore all matters and hole himself up in his tortoise shell of a divine kingdom. So what if his reputation would be ruined? So what if his faith in the prime material plane would be halted? Most of his operations were within the divine kingdom, hence there was nothing to fear.

Moreover, Leylin was someone from the Magus World. Becoming a greater god was of no use to him, and the more concern he showed about the threat the easier it was to deal with him. He would only end up losing everything if he acted. Instead, he would enter a battle of attrition.

Of course, he still had to attend to the shortage of faith that would be caused as a result of this suppression. At the very least, Leylin knew clearly that the faith from the prime material plane would drop drastically soon. His worshippers in the divine kingdom would slowly turn into petitioners over time, an irreversible process that would rob him of new faith. Although there were profits to holing up inside the divine kingdom, his main source of new faith had been cut off!

Alliance

Although his worshippers being in his divine kingdom would benefit him in the short run, over time they'd be whittled away. It'd be akin to a slow suicide.

However, Leylin didn't care about that in the least. What he lacked the most was time, and the longer he could drag things out the more benefits he would get.

As long as he could finish becoming a God of Death before the faith from his worshippers dwindled to nothing, he would be able to bring his true body over and restart the Final War. The greater gods would be forced to deal with peak rank 8 Magi, and Leylin wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

'But I seem to need something more to comprehend the law of death…' Leylin's eyes flashed, deep in thought, 'It'll go faster if more souls are provided as experimental subjects…'

However, it wasn't easy to find the massive number of souls needed for the A.I. Chip's simulation. Leylin estimated he'd need roughly ten thousand regular souls for every stage of progress, and the total count would need him to sacrifice all of his worshippers. Even he couldn't do such a thing.

"I can only look to the prime material plane, the Abyss, or Baator…" Devils and demons were both formed from soul bugs, so they qualified for the A.I. Chip's requirements. Leylin didn't want to help the demons or devils start a bloody war in the prime material plane— even if it supported his comprehension of death and fit his role, it wouldn't be of much benefit to him. After all, he was a god as well, unlike the other Lords of Baator.

There was no need to fight the demons either. He already had a third of Baator in hand, and with that amount of origin force sustaining his divine kingdom there was no need for him to dither around.

"With that said… It seems like I only have one choice left?" Leylin's gaze pierced through his divine kingdom, looking at the edge of Phlegethos.

"They seem to be thinking the same…" The place was packed with an army of devils. Leylin's worshippers recognised him as the Lord of Baator, so it was a given that he would take over the other levels as well. The remaining lords would definitely prepare against him.

Although all of them remained guarded against each other, and with their leader-in-name being lost scattering them further, they still maintained a unanimous front against Leylin. They'd managed to stop him from advancing into the Fourth Hell, the powerful Samuel most likely able to escape even if Leylin tried to use his flying city. By that time, the other lords would come to aid him and stop any other sneak attacks.

Now, the armies at the border had grown even more massive. They didn't seem complacent in defense, instead going for the offensive as they moved to attack Leylin's divine kingdom!

"Interesting… The armies of pride and lust as well?" The presence of the other lords' aid was extremely obvious to Leylin's divine will, "They finally decided to ally together against me, huh?" he smirked.

'Even if Asmodeus was in peak form, he wouldn't be able to bring them together like this. They wouldn't join up even if I continued to parade as the Supreme… Furthermore, how could Asmodeus recover so swiftly without a greater god helping him?'

Leylin immediately understood the danger this time. Asmodeus had definitely obtained the help of a greater god, unifying the other Lords of Baator to deal with Leylin. The gods would need to train another ten thousand years to be able to scheme against him.

'So then… Is it Gruumsh, or Mystra?' Leylin had immediately listed out the greatest suspects, and his personal opinion shifted more towards the latter. 'The chances that it's Mystra are extremely huge. She's been after me for a long time.'

Anger welled up in Leylin's heart. He immediately saw through her intentions, 'First she colludes with Kelemvor and stops my supply of worshippers. Next she uses the help of the devils and turns the tides to attack my divine kingdom… She's prepared to bleed me dry until I'm forced to make a trip to Fugue. Then she'll ambush me?'

"However… The only miscalculation you made was my strength…" he laughed coldly, his conscient travelling through his divine kingdom to bring two people before him.

"The devil hunters are prepared and awaiting orders, my Lord…" Isabel was dressed in crimson armour and what seemed to be a cape of flames, radiating an aura of valiance. She'd grown much more powerful than before, seeming like a massive beast of ancient times as the dragon blood in her body was further purified by Leylin. She was now at the peak of the legendary realm.

Beside her was the former Lady of Hope, Phoenix. The more devout someone was before their turn, the more power they would acquire with their fall. Rafiniya's staunch faith had pulled her up to become a high-ranking legendary when she turned.

Although Phoenix could adopt the appearance of a pit fiend, Leylin ended up choosing to model her after Glasya. The erinyes form gave her strength equivalent to a greater devil, and Glasya's expression if Phoenix eventually evolved to become an Erinyes Queen would be delightful to watch.

"Good! Remember, your mission is to defend and not step out of the kingdom's boundaries. My avatars will assist as necessary." Handing command of the devil hunters to the two of them, Leylin continued with his plans.

The greatest strength of devil hunters was in their ability to seal devils to use their powers. With a constant war against the other Lords of Baator ongoing, they would prove to be extremely beneficial. As long as they stayed within the divine kingdom and remained protected by its laws, they would only grow stronger with every wave of devils fighting them. And if they lost numbers? He could just recruit some more from among his worshippers.

Leylin had already considered all problems when he designed this profession, so the natural talent required of a devil hunter was not high. Their strength depended almost solely on the devils they sealed. Thus, the devil army was like paradise for those who wished to improve!

...

At the same time, the Queen of Lust was bowing towards an older devil in the endless void, "The preparations are complete, father," the Lady of Malbolge said.

"Cough… Very good, Glasya…" The old devil seemed frail, wrought with illnesses. He had black eyes, a goatee, and a horn on his head. This was the Lord of the Ninth Hell, the Supreme of Baator— Asmodeus!

"Samuel, Levistus, Baalzebul, Mephistopheles… Thank you all for making it here, we Lords haven't met in a long time…" Asmodeus looked at the figures of the other devils nearby. With all the remaining Lords of Baator gather together, even the space around them was screeching with agony under the burden.

"There's a few faces lost and another gained. Beelzebub, Mammon, and the Hag Countess are here no more, but my beloved daughter is now amongst us!" Asmodeus spoke incoherently.

"Enough!" Samuel roared, flames of anger blazing on his body, "We're gathered here for one purpose, and that's to deal with Kukulkan!"

The other lords here may just be fulfilling their curiosity, but he himself could not remain relaxed. Phlegethos was right under Leylin's divine kingdom, putting the greatest pressure on him. He'd had to hide within the depths of the Fourth Hell ever since Leylin slew Mammon, holing himself up in his fortified castle with curses and traps so he could retain a sense of safety.

"Indeed… We need to kill the God of Massacre, bringing Baator back to its former self." Asmodeus' expression hardened. Although he didn't need to face Leylin's pressure directly, the new god gave him a very strong sense of danger. Not to mention that Leylin's worshippers declared him the Ruler of Devils in their prayers day and night, a resounding slap to his face as Supreme of the Nine Hells.

"Hehe…" A strange sound travelled, causing Glasya's face to sour.

"I suggest we sign a contract immediately, splitting the tasks amongst ourselves and the united front. I can guarantee that I don't need any of the first three Hells after the war, I only wish for Baator to regain its former self as we bury that God of Massacre in the dirt." Asmodeus flipped open the black contract book in his hands.

The elated lords did not seem to notice the icy gaze hidden deep in his eyes.

Rejection

"In the name of the Supreme, KILL THEM!" The great army that had gathered in Phlegethos charged out with a roar, entering Leylin's divine kingdom under the guidance of the pit fiends present.

*Rumble!* However, they were greeted by lightning and thunder the moment they entered the place. Bolt after bolt crashed down, leaving huge pits in the ground as they completely decimated the devils in range. Some devils were even being burnt by flames, screaming miserably as their resistance to fire proved to be useless.

Although the devils had come to a ceasefire agreement with Leylin, it hadn't been all that restrictive. The contract was broken the moment the devils made their move, so Leylin had nothing holding him back.

"My Lord, Kukulkan, bestow upon us the power of massacre!" Numerous devil hunters were lying in wait behind defences created by devil slaves. Some of them watched their opponents with apathy, while others looked on with greed, even enthusiasm filling their eyes.

In their perspective, these devils were only a source of power. On top of that, they could give up everything for the divine kingdom of their Lord.

Isabel and Phoenix were completely fixated on a projection of the battlefield within a command centre, one of Leylin's avatars at their side.

"This war shall last a long time…" he prophesied.

...

Several decades passed in the blink of an eye. Leylin's divine kingdom stood tall in Baator, and even though the battles did not cease at all the petitioners and natives of Debanks Island slowly forgot about it.

Things were always the same with gods. Divine wars lasted centuries without conclusions, with few instances like the orc-human war in the prime material plane. Even then the orcs had only been suppressed, and the humans of the north given assistance…

At the heart of Leylin's divine kingdom, within the gigantic shrine atop Whitejade Saint Mountain.

[Beep! Simulation 78923 complete. Test sample ER-3's data has been obtained, storing into the law database under Death -> Raising Souls -> 2…]

The A.I. Chip's robotic voice brought Leylin out of a trance. He glanced over the information the Chip was showing him, taking a look at the records about his comprehension of laws.

[Beep! Host's comprehension of laws: Devouring 100%, Massacre 100%, Greed 100%, Death 99%.]

"It's already so far in, huh?" His eyes flickered with understanding, "These devils have been tremendously helpful…"

An understanding of the law of death required the analysis of a great number of souls, as well as the destructive force formed at their deaths. Even if the other Lords of Baator hadn't provoked him, Leylin was going to invade himself to kill a massive number of people.

Right now they willingly sacrificed themselves in his divine kingdom, becoming free specimens for his experiments. How could Leylin reject their wish? He kept up the fight with the devils, stalling them at the boundaries of his divine kingdom without much damage. He left them with some hope of victory, ensuring that they would send in their troops continuously to allow him to accumulate more and more information.

'I've almost added death to my role…' Leylin had now reached a threshold in his comprehension of death. He only had one last fragment before he could condense the law into his domain.

'Mystra's pressured me a lot lately…' Leylin lowered his head, his eyes filled with determination and solemnity. The Goddess of the Weave hadn't just colluded with Kelemvor to hold his worshippers back, she'd also instigated the Archdevils to attack his divine kingdom.

The Giant Serpent Church in the prime material plane didn't have it good either. A large number of wizards under Elminster had abandoned all work, looking for traces of the powerhouses of the church like crazed beasts. Had Leylin not stopped expansion in the prime material plane and summoned Tiff back beforehand, the church would likely have suffered massive losses.

The influence of her actions were already beginning to show. Leylin's faith in the prime material plane wasn't growing anymore, almost on the verge of dwindling down.

Such a situation would be extremely dangerous for gods, who relied on faith. Without enough, they wouldn't be able to sustain their powers and die out slowly, their divine kingdoms descending into darkness as their soul was destroyed. Without worshippers, a god was like a fish out of water.

Leylin was mainly supported by Debanks Island now, but even then the situation was very dangerous. The mortals in his divine kingdom would slowly all morph into petitioners, becoming souls that couldn't eat, reproduce, or do anything of the like. It would be a devastating blow if that process completed, and with the number or generations of commoners in the Faulen Empire it was close to being so.

'Thankfully my comprehension has been smooth. My main body is almost ready as well, and even now I can come in and restart the Final War.' A hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.

Leylin's main body was ultimately a Magus. This clone was merely some preparation on the path of faith, and it was alright to give it up for the sake of his main body's success. Leylin thus decided to drag things out, ignoring Mystra's challenges and refusing to confront the issue. It gave him enough time to develop his laws to this point.

Mystra wasn't a fool, but she'd never have imagined that Kukulkan was merely the clone of a Magus. Her methods could end any lesser god, but without the proper knowledge all her schemes were pointless. Leylin was just using her effectively to earn time, giving him the foundation to take on the coming storm.

All of a sudden, Leylin suddenly felt his heart squeeze. His divine sense told him of the arrival of an absolute danger, and he immediately traced it to the Celestial Hall.

Leylin's avatar opened its eyes from up on the throne, looking at Mystra who was making a speech.

"For all these reasons, I propose the God of Massacre, Kukulkan, be removed!" she proclaimed loudly, looking towards him with a chilly gaze.

The numerous gods in the Celestial Hall sized Leylin up. The good gods would never accept an evil god like him, and the evil ones didn't have much to do with him. Only Umberlee was left, looking on helplessly.

"I agree!" Tyr said immediately after Mystra's speech.

"I as well!" a voice sounded from the pedestal of death. Leylin recognised Kelemvor at a single glance. The greater god had evidently sensed Leylin's comprehension increasing, and he'd grown grim and hostile.

"And I!" Gruumsh stood up from amongst the orcs, "A god that kills his kind so brazenly does not need to exist." His stance was followed up by the other orc gods as well.

In the blink of an eye, Leylin felt himself becoming an enemy of all the gods. His pedestal was on the verge of collapse as well, and the effects of attacking other gods without allies or a foundation were beginning to show themselves.

"Agreed!" "Agreed!"

...

Waves of origin force gathered around Leylin with the loud clamour of the gods.

If the Overgod had been present the world would have stripped him of his godfire ruthlessly, causing him to fall. However, with the overgod in a deep sleep, the Celestial Hall had no power to punish him. The only thing these gods could do was eject Leylin from the place, isolating.

And isolate him is what they did. Terrifying lightning crashed down on Leylin's cracking pedestal, and the avatar was destroyed without any way to resist.

Of course the amount of divine force he'd lost was negligible, but the follow through would be terrifying. Being rejected by all sides, Leylin would be left with no space to grow anymore.

Leylin had no idea that he had unwittingly created a record. Ever since the Overgod fell into his slumber, Leylin was the only true god to be rejected by both good and evil, being forced out of the Celestial Hall.