Led by Eros and Hera the Erebus were relentless as they slaughtered and destroyed royal clan after royal clan, their momentum seemingly unstoppable.
As their path became stained of blood and gore, the newly formed clan that had been creating wave after wave had finally done it.
They finally fit all the requirements to challenge the council for a thirteenth seat within the assembly of Heavenly clans, an assembly that only had twelve seats since its inception.
This news created a form of shock and unrest unseen before as none of the Heavenly Clans were fine with their Hegemony being challenged so blatantly.
This was a slap to their leaders and legacy but Eros and Hera didn't seem to care as they kept pushing more and more, the blood on their hands too heavy and significant for them to stop at such a critical juncture.
"Are you gonna be fine?" Worriedly asked Hera, the bump on her stomach much more prominent than it had been all those cycles ago.
"There's no need to worry. You need to be in the best possible health for Ori. You've done more than enough, go rest." Calmly answered Eros as he kissed Hera's forehead and reassured her.
Though their relationship was still as loving and close as it could be, their auras had become so sharp and overbearing even Pillars had trouble looking them in the eye despite their superior cultivation.
No one truly knew how huge of a boost the acquisition of their full legacy was apart from them.
"Okay…". Timidly answered Hera, her worry still as present.
After a few more minutes of cuddling and reassurance, Hera teleported to their clan's base to prepare for Orion's extremely risky birth.
As soon as Hera disappeared, Eros' aura completely shifted as his gaze became cold and his presence otherworldly.
Without uttering a word, he crushed a crimson talisman.
The challenge for the thirteenth seat had begun and he'd be facing it alone.
————
One billion Eternal Cycles.
Eros had spent a billion eternal cycles fighting, alone.
Despite the endless amount of enemies and challenges he faced, the crippling fatigue and loneliness and the accumulating injuries, he kept swinging his blade without care for what lay ahead of him.
He swung his blade so much time lost its meaning and his ego eroded to dust.
He swung his blade so much his soul withered.
He swung his blade so much his body collapsed.
Yet he still stood there, facing an army of endless demons, his dao as bright and powerful as ever despite his pitiful state and unbeatable odds.
[Sanctity.]
It was a simple word he uttered, it was practically a whisper and yet…
Emptiness.
All the enemies in front of him vanished leaving him alone in this field of death and blood.
Facing the skies, his lifeless pupils regained a semblance of life as droplets of rain streamed down his face, a devilish smile blooming onto his tired face.
"I did it…"
The Erebus were now a Heavenly Clan.
———
After Eros completed the challenge laid down by the council and elevated their clan, with the support of the Reizon, Orcleon, Godfall and Virvios Heavenly Clans no hostile Heavenly clan dared to act, leaving them to peacefully grow and develop as a newly ascended clan.
Obviously, this angered a lot of high ranking individuals as this meant the political and economical landscape of the Chaos Heavens would be completely turned upside down with the arrival of another behemoth.
The pressure put on the Erebus clan only kept increasing and increasing until prospects of war began to float around.
This was the worst possible outcome for the Erebus considering they had just come out of a bloody war and were in the process of rebuilding and stabilising their gains but the most important part was Orion.
If there was one thing all ancestors and Pillars agreed on was that their Heir absolutely could not be born in the midst of a war. They wouldn't take any risk.
With all these factors and the ever increasing pressure, for the first time, the tyrannical and proud Erebus clan conceded for the first and last time.
"In hopes of pacifying the tensions between all heavenly clans and creating new connections and alliances, the Erebus' Heir will marry one of your Heirs. We will leave the who and how to you."
This was a harsh yet necessary decision.
Hera had fought with all her heart to prevent this and had even ordered for war to be immediately waged but Eros quickly calmed her down.
No one in the clan had been okay with such a blatant affront to their pride and legacy but alas things didn't always go as planned.
This news though saddening, had lit a fire within all Pillars, causing all the slumbering monsters of their clan to awaken and take the lead.
Their quest for supremacy was rekindled as they conquered more and more Chaos Heavens and pillaged as many clans as they could.
Trillions upon trillions of Heavens fell during this second wave of violence and blood as the Erebus' name was etched into the memories of all.
After having conquered enough Heavens, the Erebus fused them all into a singular ancestral land which would become their home and main base.
After this, the rest was inevitable.
With a stable base they could finally expand their economical, political and social influence throughout the Heavens and deepen their roots as well as expand their Hegemony.
This period of history would be known as the Erebus' First Golden Age.
Despite this, the anger within the hearts of all the higher ups regarding Orion's marriage still hadn't disappeared.
This was a stain on their image.
What they had planned to do about this?
Only time would tell.
Time passed and the world adapted to their presence.
It wasn't until another 900 Eternal Cycles that Hera started to give birth.
Due to Orion's suspiciously high Yin affinity, Hera had decided to give birth within one of their sealed realms, The Heavenly Yin Cradle World.
In a world of snow and abyssal coldness, within a majestic castle that pierced into the skies, Hera lay in a gigantic bed, her magnificent face covered in sweat as she tightly held Eros' hand.
Groans of pain and struggle could be heard coming from her as she pushed with all she had.
Giving birth to Orion, someone coming from the fusion of such prestigious clans would be life threatening to say the least even for her, especially considering the fact that Orion would have the full bloodline legacies of both his mother and father.
"Come on mistress! Just one last push! You can do it! Yes! Just like that!"
"One last push!"