I landed in front of the Heavenly Temple and walked toward the doors and kicked them open. I looked forward and noticed a woman in a white nun attire sitting on the floor in front of a Goddess Statue. Her angel wings spread open as she sensed my energy. She stood up and summoned her Divine Rifles.
"So, you come alone. You're that confident that you can defeat me by your lonesome? I must say, I'm rather surprised by your...I guess I can say, your stupidity." The woman said.
"And you're the bitch who fooled Takemi and led your dumb troops into my domain. It's time that we end things, it's time for you to die." I said and my presence caused the white lilies on the ground to whither.
[Warning: Boss Unit Ahead]
[Scanning Target...]
{Target: Ashliel (LV. 70)}
Strength: C {400}
Endurance: C {349}
Dexterity: C {350}
Agility: C {390}
Magic: C {450}
Intelligence: C {500}
Power Level: C {407}
Ashliel turned to look at me and a second pair of wings emerged from her back. She smirked and stared at me. "Takemi...my loving husband...Y'know, if I had stayed just a bit longer I would've had him. You know what stopped me? The fact that he moved back to your Domain after he learned on your reawakening. His undying loyalty to you is what stopped me from converting him into a Hero."
I glared and balled my hands into fists. "After today...I'll make sure to avenge his honor. His pride. I'll bring your head back to him as a souvenir on a silver platter just to show him who you truly are."
Ashliel laughed and her Rifles shined brightly. "Your words make me so hot...It fuels the burning light within me. I hear the Goddesses speaking to me, telling me to kill you once and for all! So prepare yourself, Raiyu...as Salvation is only a few moments away."
I got into my stance then dashed toward Ashliel and dodged the first bullet she fired at me then struck her stomach. She groaned and grunted as I struck her with a right hook. She stood her ground and placed the barrel of her rifle against my stomach then pulled the trigger, blasting me away with a beam of light.
She ran toward me and went for a sweep kick, but I jumped over her and changed my element to lightning. I appeared in front of her at lightning speeds then palmed her chest, a barrage of delayed strikes hit her and knocked her away. She recovered and grunted then noticed me appear in front of her once more. She dodged my next attack and jumped backwards, firing a barrage of bullets at me.
'He's keeping up with me...He might've leveled up from that fight with Karius and the others. No matter, he can't destroy the Statue so he can't rid of my boosts!' Ashliel thought to herself as she dodged another one of my attacks.
I ran along the wall and twirled around, changing my element to Wind and landed a tornado kick. My kick summoned a small burst of wind that blew her away. She groaned as she slammed into a pillar. She noticed me appear in front of her and slash at her with my sword, but she ducked under the slash then kicked me upwards.
She fired to light rays through my shoulders and jumped up then kicked me away, sending me crashing through a pillar. She landed on the ground and grunted. "Had enough?!"
I stood up from the rubble and chuckled softly. "Had enough you ask? Well I haven't even started yet!"
My aura surged powerfully around my body and I smirked. Ashliel grunted and felt my dark energy radiating around the entire church.
"Let's really get started." I said and vanished.
I appeared in front of Ashliel and kicked her away then launched multiple energy blades at her. She recovered and fired multiple bullets and they clashed with the energy blades, causing energy explosions. She sensed me appear behind her and dodged my strike, but couldn't dodge my next attack.
I chopped her neck then struck her with another right hook into a backhand slap. She twirled around then groaned as I slapped her again. I chuckled and dodged her point-blank shot then punched her stomach, causing her to cough a bit of blood. She grunted as I gripped her hair and threw her. She crashed outside of the Temple and rolled on the ground.
"You mess with my people. My Domain. My Harem...you are guaranteed to feel my wrath. Praying didn't seem to help you much now did it? It's amazing how X gave me more trouble than you could ever give me." I said as I walked toward her.
Ashliel stood up and wobbled. "Goddesses...lend me your divine strength."
I dashed toward Ashliel and grunted as golden chains stopped me. I looked at the chains and noticed the Goddess Statue shining. I looked up and noticed the sky turn gold.
"Sinners...Sinners must be destroyed! Sinners must die! Overlords must die at all costs! You've plagued our universe for too long and now...the Dawn Ages shall begin! Goddesses, I am at your mercy so please lend me enough strength to kill this Overlord!" Ashliel bellowed.
Ashliel's wings turned golden and a third pair of wings emerged from her back. A halo formed over her head and a Divine Sigil formed on her back. Ashliel closed her eyes as she began to ascend and tap into her Goddess Abilities.
"Yes...Their Blessings...They give me the strength I need to kill you once and for all. I will end this plague of darkness in this universe. No sinner shall stand against me any longer. It is time you learn your place, Overlord.." Ashliel said and opened her eyes.
Ashliel walked toward me and flew toward me and kicked me away then a dome of light surrounded my body. She fired a bullet at the dome of light then the dome exploded.
[Raiyu!]
"You had a fair run, Overlord...but all things must come to an end." Ashliel said.
"Is that so..?" I said and spread my wings and cleared the smoke.
"What..? How did you survive that?!" Ashliel asked in complete awe.
I looked down at Ashliel and my eyes shined brightly. I rose my Devil Shard in the sky and looked up at it. It began to shine brightly and float in the air.
Guinevere, Desdemona, and Meliae noticed their Devil Shards shining as well and noticed their shards resonating with mine. They saw a bright light shining in the distance.
"Every True Hero...needs a True Villain. Light knows a Darkness. Every Dawn...knows a Dusk. I am The End. I am The Dusk that end the Dawn..." I said and the Devil Shard shattered and entered my body. "I...Am...Raiyu Usagi!"
My aura exploded and my hair turned white and my eyes shined silver. My horns protruded from my head and wings emerged from my back. I bellowed and awakened my True Form.
Ashliel grunted and guarded her face from the high winds. "What the hell..?! A True Villain?! No way...he is the Successor of Crux..!"
I landed on the ground then vanish. Ashliel groaned as she was struck with a barrage of invisible strikes then was blown away. I appeared in front of her and kicked her to the ground. Ashliel recovered and fired a barrage of bullets at me. I formed a shield of darkness and deflected the bullets back toward Ashliel.
She flew backwards then took flight to the skies. I flew after her and clashed with her rapidly. We knocked each other away then clashed again, knocking each other away once more.
[Look out!]
Karius appeared behind me and slashed at me, but I dodged it and kicked him away. Ashliel moved around me at light speeds and fired multiple bullets at me, but she noticed I dodged each bullet.
'What the hell is this?! Is this really the power of a Grand Overlord?! He's now really on par with me?!' Ashliel thought to herself.
X flew toward me and bellowed. She slashed at me, but I parried her strike and an invisible strike launched her away. A group of Archangels appeared around me.
"Strike him down!" Ashliel bellowed.
The Archangels rushed forward me then groaned as they were blown away. Terradrake roared loudly and awakened into his Ascended Form. Meliae rode on Terradrake's back and fired a massive arrow at the sky then a wave of arrows rained down on Ashliel, Karius, and X.
Ashliel dodged the arrows and fired a beam of light at Meliae, but Guinevere appeared in front of Meliae and aborbed the beam of light. Desdemona appeared behind Ashliel and went for a sneak attack, but Ashliel dodged it and flew backwards.
"This can't be happening! What is going on?!" Ashliel yelled.
Karius looked at us and readied his sword. "The Dawn Ages have started...and we have the Goddesses Blessings, but somehow they are keeping up with us and it might literally be because of Raiyu. We need to retreat and regroup!"
Ashliel scoffed and grunted. She closed her eyes then warped away. Karius and X also warped away.
I looked at the sky and closed my eyes then reverted to my normal form and passed out. Guinevere swooped down and caught me, holding me in her arms just as I did with her the first day we met.
.....
[Day 12]
I slowly woke up from my slumber and opened my eyes slowly. I sat up and held my head. I noticed Aponshe asleep next to me and looked at her. I could tell she seemed physically exhausted.
[Welcome back to the land of the living, Raiyu.]
"What happened..?" I asked softly.
[You won, but...because of your battle, the Goddesses are now on our radar. The Dawn Ages start now. There's no avoiding battles within Astarfall now. It's time we focus on gathering more powerful allies.]
"I see..." I said and got out of bed.
[The Alsfield Kingdom is still standing, but it's a good thing it is. While you were resting, X was looking for you. There are no heroes there, just her.]
I looked outside and noticed the Golden Sky. "X...Hmph. Alright, let us go."
I walked off and made my way downstairs and grunted as I felt someone tackle me into a hug. I noticed it was Genshi.
"You're alive, Meowster! We all thought we lost you! You were in a Recharge State and we were worried that you wouldn't awaken and would be forced to Resurrect!" Genshi said and grunted as Desdemona pullef her off me.
"Calm down, feline. It's not that serious, however I am happy that you're okay. After you passed out, you gave us all a scare. You had scars that could've been certain death if it weren't for Meliae nursing you back to perfect health." Desdemona said and smiled at me.
"I'll have to thank her for nursing me once again. I want to also thank you all for coming to my aid. The heroes don't necessarily play fair when they are losing." I said.
"They don't play fair in general. The last few wars have been their fault. It's only this time this Total War is our fault, but it is time we finally put our foot down. This war...will finally change Reality and set a new history." Desdemona said and smiled at me.
I nodded. "It will. Now that I have my True Power back, everything will fall into place. We will change the Dawn Ages into the Age of Dusk. The Overlords shall destroy and rebuild everything."
Desdemona nodded and giggled softly. "The Age of Dusk..~ I like that..~"
"Be sure to be ready for anything. As this war begins, we will need to become stronger than ever. Also, we shall prioritize finding the other Overlords. We need all of their help." I said and walked off.
Desdemona watched me and held her arms. "Gotcha!~ We shall inform you about the other Overlords!"
I made my way to the Wander Portal and used 10 Souls to activate it. I stepped into the portal and appeared in Alsfield Kingdom. I spread my wings and flew toward the ruined citadel and landed on the ground.
X noticed me and her cloak flowed with the breeze. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "You actually came...I was beginning to think that you would avoid me."
"Cut to the chase. We both know if you're trying to pull a fast one on me, it won't work. I know your weakness." I said.
"I know and this isn't me pulling a fast one on you. I come to you as a fellow Overlord to tell you the Goddesses have gained contact with the other Otherworld Heroes. They have joined forces with the Heavenly Order and all agreed to kill you and these Heroes are some of the most powerful in their respective universes who have battled against the Dark Lords of their verse." X explained.
"So the False True Hero is warning me about the other Otherworld Heroes. It sounds like you're scared that one will see beyond your facade. It's pretty ironic isn't it? So you're basically telling me you want to join my army as a way of seeking protection?" I asked.
X blushed and looked away. "Don't word it like that, but yes. I can't necessarily betray the Heavenly Order, so I need you to corrupt me. It doesn't matter how you do it.."
"I can't." I said.
"Why?" X asked and looked at me.
"You're a fucking Overlord. I can't corrupt someone who's already pure evil. Besides you know where my Domain is. How about you raid it, get your ass kicked, and be sent to my prison? That's the only way you're joining my army without it looking like you're conspiring against the stupid heroes." I said.
"You're not taking me seriously are you?" X asked.
"Nope." I said and crossed my arms. "However I can use you for one thing. Keep playing the Fraudulent Hero role for a while longer. With you as an insider, you can give me insight on the Heroes next moves. I'm gathering new allies so I'll need every advantage I can get."
X nodded. "I can do that. I'll update you on every move."
"Good. Now if you're done wasting my time, I need to get back to my Domain and strengthen it for when the heroes strike again." I said and walked off.
X and I made our secret alliance and with her informing me about each move they make, I was able to plan easier. Each day counts to the victory of this war. Failure is no longer an option.