War...
A destructive event, done with a clash between two parties or more, creates destruction and death for the ones who did it.
But what's the cause of it?
Was it something so complex? Like political conflict, territory dispute, or some kind of stuff...?
Or was it something so simple, that sparks and spreads into a larger problem?
If so, the War of the Sanctuary is the culmination of many causes.
Divine Law, Divine Status, Divine Pride, Divine Ego, Tournament Loss, Casualties on the gods' side, Hatred, Vengeance towards the White Demon, and also...
Woman.
...
...
[ Location: Realm of Sanctuary ]
[ Kent Family's New Residence, Underground Basement. ]
" Zack...! " Grandma Rory sees Zadkiel as soon as she sees him.
" Rory, get out of here! " Zadkiel tells her, but suddenly, the atmosphere changes. The one who stomps Zack can now be seen out of the smoke through Grandma Rory's eyes, giving her goosebumps as she holds little Raquel dear.
" It can't be... " Grandma Rory shivers and instantly gets a serious traumatic flashback.
" Hello there..., my dear 'Caroline'. " Zeus greets Grandma Rory as soon as he shows her his face at that very time.
" We meet again..., I was searching for you back in the Evacuation Point*. " Zeus smirks happily which immediately makes Grandma Rory freeze as a stream of memories begins to resurface, immediately breaking her as her memories with the God of Thunderbolts*, her memories with the name 'Caroline', begin to be shown in her mind like a horrific video.
" Loo...rrrdd..., Zeee...uuusss... " Grandma Rory shivers, as her memories return to her all of a sudden.
Zadkiel, who sees this, sees Grandma Rory in panic.
" No..., her memories..., returned..., urgh! " Zadkiel tries to move but Zeus' feet are too strong in stomping him.
"( Years after years, after slowly yet silently replaced some of her memories... )"
"( Using [Memory Recalibation], I used my Divine Skill to replace her bad memories with a happy memory in Kansas, America*, using events I inserted into her mind, I hope to make sure she gets free from her trauma even after I opened some memories to her... )"
"( But now..., it seems the source of Rory's pain is in front of her, mighty and destructive..., something that even I failed to protect her for... )" Zadkiel suddenly rose as Zeus left his feet him, but before Zadkiel could move.
[ Thunderbolt ]
Zeus' Thunderbolt flashes from the skies to the bunker, immediately striking Zadkiel down, unconscious.
" ZZ...Zack? " Rory stutters, seeing her old protector was taken down easily. In her mind, she couldn't accept it, but as she knew well who did it to him like that, she began to realize there was no chance, to begin with.
"( The... Ruler... Allfather of Olympus... )"
"( In the Scriptures it takes around two or three Seraphims to deal with one. )" Grandma Rory thinks as to make it worse, Raquel cried after the sound of the plunging Thunderbolt.
" Who is the girl, 'Caroline'? " Zeus asks her.
" I thought the only relative you had now is your grandson, Ragna Kent... the 'White Demon'... " Zeus mentions it and approaches, startling Grandma Rory as she hears it while Zeus raises his hand to touch the crying Raquel, holding her head as he takes a good look at her.
" Mmmm... "
" Hehehehe... "
" Oh silly me..., I forgot that you're part of the 'Sanctus Sorores' back then... "
" This little girl's face reminds me of the younger girls I see on the sisterhood's base, no wonder she felt familiar to you... "
" But, we should've expected that..., you and the other 'sisters' of the Sisterhood are all related after all. " Zeus pats little Raquel's head before his hand moves to her neck, pinching it with his fingers, and faints her.
" The little one's asleep..., I can assure you, 'Caroline'... " Zeus takes little Raquel from Grandma Rory, putting her nearby before looking back at her.
" But you... " Zeus stares.
" Will be awake with me for a long time, starting from now... " Zeus says to Rory while Rory's eyes shake while looking at him.
" Finally we meet again..., it's been a long time you know... "
" Yes, I do know you're in Trinia, I searched the files despite some intervention from that stupid Loki. " Zeus scoffs.
" To think you would be this sly..., using your Sisterhood's relationship with Loki and making you marry a man other than me without my blessing. "
" You..., my favorite 'b*ch'! " Zeus raised his voice but to his surprise, Grandma Rory still managed to stand and didn't get blown off by the power of his voice.
" I am not..., your concubine! Lord Zeus! " Rory says with a loud voice she could muster despite her fears.
" I am Ragna Kent's Grandmother! "
" I... am..., the Grandma of the 'White Demon'..., the one who wounded you...! " Grandma Rory says while slowly holding her tears back, replying to Zeus with facts he couldn't deny.
* Zeus suddenly receives some flashbacks. *
" Tch! " Zeus scoffs at the memory, moving back a bit from her.
" Yes indeed, your blasted grandson is formidable. "
" Not just him, even a second-generation scion from his bloodline will surely be as formidable... "
" Carla... " Grandma Rory suddenly mentions which made Zeus surprised.
" Oh..., so it seems you're in the know...? " Zeus asks, despite some instances in his mind wondering how 'that' would be possible.
" Well, if you already knew it... "
" If you already knew some things, then you should know that your Grandson's Granddaughter is a threat to society despite her achievements with us... "
" We dealt with her, stopping her for good... "
" But in each Timeline, your 'blasted' Grandson managed to shift things up, and now it seems he takes things to another level. "
" I still do not know how he managed to those... 'miracles', but I intend to tell you that he will elude and shame us no more! " Zeus shouts at Rory, but instead of making her afraid or cower in fear, it instead makes her laugh.
* Rory chuckles. *
" As expected from my little boy, my gift... "
" You have grown so much to even fight the gods, defy even destiny... "
" You were really 'the one'... " Rory says it with a low voice, a weak statement but it already made Zeus pissed when hearing it.
" Is that so!? " Zeus asks while smashing a wall nearby.
" Is that why you left me, 'Caroline'...? " Zeus asks back in spite, but seeing Grandma Rory's chuckle continues, Zeus realizes that he has found his answer.
" Such a clever girl you are..., to think that someone like you would be even gifted with such 'being'... "
" I should've known, your grandson's name is also 'Ragna' after all..., so there's a chance he might be the real deal. "
" Tch! the 'real deal'... " Zeus looks at his current mechanical hands, getting more pissed as he looked at it.
" Fine then, brat! "
" If that's the reason why you're against me, fine... " Zeus looks at Rory and immediately holds her hard.
" Let go of me! " Grandma Rory struggles but to no avail, she wasn't strong enough.
" Don't bother, Caroline... "
" I'll be taking you in too, just like your Great Great Granddaughter... " Zeus says which makes Rory gasp.
" Carla... "
" Oh yeah, I captured her, them... " Zeus also remembered the Battle Maiden at the moment.
" But that doesn't matter, I've already sent her to Loki anyway, she'll be in his safe hands. "
" But you..., Caroline. "
" You and me have many things to do... "
" For you will pay for your Grandson's sins! "
...
( Meanwhile. )
[ Unknown Realm ]
< Boss Defeated >
Ragna pants after ending his current fight, he slams his opponent to the ground while Ragna, in his current silhouette form, is shown to have six shadowy ears in his head before turning back into his current White Demon form.
< DANGER >
< DANGER >
" Grrmmhhh! " Ragna is wounded, his HP is almost in the danger zone, as the one he fought happened to be the greatest warrior from the Jade Palace Pantheon.
...
< Name: Lord Erlang Shen, the 'Horned' Sacred Divine >
< Title: The 'Horned' Demon Slaying God >
< Level: 290 >
< Age: Unknown >
< Sex: Male >
< Race: Diviners >
< Pantheon: Jade Palace >
...
" Such power..., such tenacity... " Erlang Shen congratulates Ragna with his dying word.
" As expected of you..., White Demon..., you are just like him... "
" Seems the scriptures were right..., as he said... " Erlang moves his hand, waving it to create a Gate Portal using the remnants of his Divine Power.
" Again..., as expected... " Erlang Shen closes his eyes as his 'third eye' dissolves into black dust, showing his death as a Divine for real.
" So the 'third eye' is part of the 'Horns' Gift...? " Ragna realized as he sees Erlang Shen's renowned 'Third Eye' dissapear alongside his 'Horns of Corruption'.
" F*k, to think the 'Sacred Divinity' had been fallen this far... " Ragna says and holds his annoyed feeling of regret, remembering the 'Horned gods' he fought so far, Jaegerus, Poseidon, as well as many other. Despite being regretful and pitying them due to their 'ironic' situation, he looks at the Portal.
" You have delayed me well enough, Lord Erlang... "
" I should get going... " Ragna states as he moves towards the portal, drinking his HP Potion, leaving Erlang behind after having a huge fight that destroys the mountains in the background.
____________________
Extra:
* Evacuation Point.
A safe place during the Abyss Tower Event. Zeus was secretly looking for Grandma Rory there in Chapter 96: Outside the Tower Part 1.
* God of Thunderbolts:
This title of Zeus was mentioned in Chapter 424: War of the Sanctuary (5)
* ... happy memory in Kansas, America.
Just some memory of Grandma Rory's fabricated past is mentioned in Chapter 77: Tower of the Abyss.
Erlang Shen.
This is an extra for his character. Due to conditions, I sincerely want to make his fight with Ragna longer but I fear it will add more chapters to the story. I hope I could have some side story of this or some sort or perhaps some future references for him and make him important at least. I am sorry for the letdown of such character.