~Chapter 24~
~beginning of nothingness~
Hephaestus mountain~
"So, how do they fit, young one?" Hephaestus asked, a grin spreading across his face.
"They're perfect!" Melody said, punching the air and showing them off.
Hephaestus let out a booming laugh. "I love to hear that! They should be ten times stronger than before, so go crazy!"
"Thank you sooo much!" Melody shouted, jumping with joy.
"It's not a—" Hephaestus stopped mid-sentence. A strange glow began to radiate from the walls, as though they were crumbling from within.
Melody and Hephaestus went outside to take see what was going on. The view was jaw-dropping. In the middle of the forest stood a Kang the giant, frozen in ice and imprisoned by stone and sharp icicles pierced his limbs, holding him in place. One finger extended, pointing out at the moon. A single tear fell down his face, frozen in time by the cold.
The entire world seemed alive with energy. The trees, stones, water, animals, dirt, and skies all glowed faintly, small hues of white light scattering through the air like tiny fireflies.
"It seems your little friends have done it," Hephaestus said, laughing.
"Of course he did," Melody replied, grinning. But she stopped suddenly, her smile fading. Hephaestus himself had started to glow—white particles breaking away from his form, drifting into the air like snowflakes.
"It appears," Hephaestus said, his voice steady despite the change overtaking him, "this isn't my story after all." He laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the strange, glowing world.
"Hephaestus…" Melody whispered, her voice filled with sadness.
"No, little one," he said, smiling warmly. "It's fine."
"I—"
He lifted her before she could respond. "Now, go join your friends!" he shouted, his laughter booming as he launched her into the sky with the strength only a giant could have.
"Use those hands with pride!" he roared, his voice echoing through the mountain. "For only I, Hephaestus—the greatest smith this world has ever known—could have made them!"
Melody screamed and laughed as she soared through the sky, the wind whipping around her. "Thanks for everything, Hephaestus!" she shouted, shooting through the skies at lightning speed, a wide grin spreading across her face as tears fell whiped away by the strong winds.
Forest of Giants~
"She's awake now, boss," Ogunt Ki said suddenly, his voice echoing from the shadows as Eliza emerged.
"How are you fee—" I began, but my words cut short as a soft glow surrounded Kang's body.
Particles, like tiny white lights, broke away from him and floated upwards.
At the same time, my spatial locker began to shake violently.
"Heeeeeeey, guys!" a familiar voice called, cutting through the tension.
We turned toward the sky and, to our shock, saw Melody soaring straight toward us, her arms spread wide and an enormous grin on her face. She was flying through the air or more falling at a high speed, diving directly in our direction.
"She's gonna—"
Bang!
Melody crashed into Eliza, her forehead colliding with Eliza's stomach, sending them both tumbling.
"Madoxx, I'm gonna—" Eliza began, her words cut short by a loud crack.
A rift opened in the sky, glowing with a dark light. The Codex pulsed and shone brightly, drawing all of our eyes upward.
Words sketched themselves across the sky:
"Once Kang fell, thousands of years passed. The world seemed to move at an accelerated pace. Days turned to nights, rains to snows, droughts to floods. Time sped on, and as it always does, life found its way."
We watched as meteorites filled the sky, leaving trails of light and erupting into flashes and explosions as they hit the ground. From the rubble of these monsterous impacts, life began.
Bugs emerged, primitive and simple. Over time, they evolved into insects of all kinds. They grew larger and more intricate, transforming into massive creatures with antennae, wings, and bulbous eyes.
The words continued across the sky:
"Life thrived."
A bright flash overtook us. From hidden caves emerged giants—old and young, some holding children, others hands. There were mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters.
They played in vast fields, built kingdoms, tamed animals, and created tribes. They fought wars and forged peace.
We witnessed the entire history of the giants, from the beginning of nothingness to the vibrance of their thriving civilization.
"And the giants thrived forevermore. The End."
In the distance, through the fading light, I saw the cage of stone and ice where Kang once stood. Now, only his withered body remained, and at its center pulsated a red, violent soul.
Blinded by the Codex's light, I moved forward, reaching out with my shadow arms. I grasped the soul.
It resisted violently, thrashing against my grip, fighting to escape.
I tightened my hold, forcing it into submission until it plunged into my shadow.
The Codex glowed with light, covering us in a flash so bright that everything went still.
When we opened our eyes, we stood in a wasteland of rubble and dust. The silence was deafening until the sound of footsteps reached us.
"Thank goodness you're back, Madoxx!" Athena shouted as she ran toward us, Zen close behind.
She pointed to the sky. Above us, Lilith soared through the air, engaged in combat with strange bug-like creatures holding spears, swords, and shields.
On the battlefield floor lay thousands of dead bug soldiers.
"Did Lilith do this?" I asked, shocked.
Athena nodded. "Yes. She tried her hardest to protect your kingdom, but he destroyed it. His armies were too much, even for Lady Lilith to face alone while protecting us and the kingdom."
"Who is he? Who did this?" I demanded.
As we spoke, a massive spear crashed down in the distance. Attached to it was a capsule containing a letter. I opened it, my hands trembling. The message read:
So, you've decided to show yourself, coward. Tired of hiding behind the dress of your strongest fighter? Very well. I'll come greet you myself. See you soon—I'm coming.
The signature read: The Devil of Bugs, Zaza.
"What is all this? How long have we been gone?" I turned to Athena, my voice filled with disbelief.
"It's been two weeks," she replied, her voice cracking. "For two straight weeks, Lilith has fought without taking a single break. When the kingdom fell, we thought she would retreat. But she said, 'For the sake of the House of Hules, and for Maddox, I will not show weakness.'"
Tears formed in Athena's eyes as she continued, her voice trembling. "She's been protecting us this whole time."
I looked up and saw Lilith. She stood proudly, her body battered, bleeding, and exhausted.
"Where is he?" I asked, fury rising in my voice.
Zen stepped forward and pointed toward the gates leading out of Bountyreach—or at least what was left of it. Beyond the shattered dome lay the ruins of a once-thriving village.
Without a second thought, consumed by rage, I summoned Ogunt ki. In an instant, from my shadow erupted an army of a thousand Keeth, led by Ogunt ki himself. Each one brimming with fury, they awaited my command. "Go. Destroy them,"'I ordered. Without hesitation, they rushed forward, their anger fueling their charge toward the village where Zaza supposedly lived,
"Kang, you too."
From my shadow, a towering, monstrous beast emerged—a massive, shadowy figure, dark as the void. Kang rose, his immense presence noticeable they charged in a wild, rage-fueled frenzy toward the village
Lilith fought off the remaining bug-like soldiers and collapsed to the ground, weak and injured.
"You can rest now," I said softly, looking at her with a heavy heart. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine, Madox," she replied, through the pain. "I wasn't about to lose to a bunch of insects."
"Eliza, Melody," I ordered, "let's move."
We regrouped with the army, riding atop Kang. As we reached the gate, a kingdom came into view, filled with all types of human-insect hybrids.
The kingdom was made of gold and rare minerals, glittering like a treasure hoard. It looked like a kingdom, yet the architecture was strange—a blend of towering ant hills and human structures almost alien looking with a hint of familiar design here and there.
Castles peaked out of the golden mounds, while houses were made of heaps of gold and stone, rough yet oddly elegant. The mix was strange but undeniably beautiful.
Still, I had no time to appreciate it.
It was total annihilation. Kang smashed through the gates, and we charged in, the keeth swarming ahead, destroying everything in their path.
I leapt from Kang's back, landing on the ground with a massive impact. In that instant, I summoned boulders—huge, jagged masses of ice and stone—hurling them high into the sky.
"Now, Kang!" I commanded.
With a horrifying roar, Kang unleashed his gravity magic, sending them falling down onto the kingdom, crushing everything beneath its relentless force.
As the boulders fell, they obliterated everything, leaving nothing but rubble and dust. The keeth fought fiercely against the soldiers emerging from the kingdoms main castle gates.
Suddenly, a voice roared out, filled with fury. "You will die, you tainted devil!"
I looked up and saw him a bug hybrid with a crown hanging from his head and wielding a massive shield. He was half-human, half-praying mantis, his eyes burning with rage.
"Melody!" I commanded.
But before I could finish, she had already launched herself into the air, as if anticipating the order. With thunderous speed, she shot toward the hybrid king, Zaza.
"I've been wanting to try out these hands anyway," Melody roared, her voice shaking the battlefield. "Release: One Thousand Fists!"
A storm of punches erupted in every direction as Melody's fists collided with Zaza, one after another. Each blow was mixed with a different elemental force
fire, wind, water, and stone-each impact landing with devastating power.
Zaza's screams pierced the air, a high-pitched, insect-like wail that echoed through the crumbling kingdom.
Impossible!" he shouted, his voice trembling with panic. "They never said you would be this powerful!"
Each of Melody's punches landed with relentless precision, her arms glowing red-hot from the sheer intensity of her attacks. Each strike carried monstrous force, driving Zaza further back.
Finally, she roared, "One thousand!"
The final punch unleashed a massive shockwave of wind as it connected. Zaza let out a strained wheeze, his body shuddering before exploding into nothingness, erased from existence by the sheer power of Melody's final blow.
On the ground, the kingdom lay in ruins, reduced to rubble and ash. Flames devoured what remained of the houses, their scorched frames collapsing under the heat. The keeth rampaged through the streets, mercilessly mauling the fleeing citizens, leaving nothing but chaos and destruction in their path.
"One last attack! Men, don't yield!" a
bug soldier roared, rallying a thousand
Rage fueled hybrids emerging from
the ruins of the shattered castle.
Eliza leapt from Kang's head. Below her, Kang stomped and kicked with earth-shaking force, collapsing buildings and crushing bug soldiers in his path, leaving a trail of destruction behind him.
Mid-air, Eliza let out a scream her voice filled with raw power and agony "tears of blood" she shouted
The bug army, one thousand strong, froze in place. Their bodies began to glitch and pulsate, flickering in and out of reality like broken fragments of time.
In an instant, they exploded-thousands of pieces of blood and guts rained down, limbs flying in every direction, painting the already destroyed kingdom in red blood.
In one loud shout, I ordered, "Stop!"
Everyone went still—the Keeth, Melody, Eliza, kang, and the remaining citizens.
All eyes were on me as kang stomped to my side, lifting me high enough for all to see.
"Your ruler is dead," I declared, my voice cutting through the silence. "And your kingdom has fallen.
My name is Maddox, Devil of the Dome and ruler of the House of Hules.
"This is a warning to all who dare to come at us with ill intent: I will not stand for it. We are strong, and you will lose. Consider yourselves warned."
The Keeth began to howl. Kang let out a roar that shook the ground beneath us. Melody and Eliza joined me, standing atop Kang's massive hands.
I released my shadow hands, black hands stretching from every part of my body. They swept through the battlefield, collecting the souls of fallen citizens and soldiers, dragging them into the abyss of my shadow.
"You have seen the strength of the House of Hules firsthand."
My words echoed through the silent air as those who remained turned and ran. Shock and fear painted their faces as screams spread across the ruins of their once proud kingdom.
Today, I learned an important lesson—one I'd been shown countless times before:
Just because Magnus was gone didn't mean our enemies had disappeared. We had been pushed out of the tiny bubble we once called home, forced into a new, larger world filled with greater threats.
The Church still slithered in the shadows somewhere.
Amalee was still out there.
The other Devils the gold tablet's spoke of they were still out there.
And more…
I knew then: I needed to become more than what I was.
I needed to become the Devil this world would fear.
So that when enemies came—dozens at a time—the House of Hules would stand strong against anyone and anything.
This was the beginning of a new chapter in Hell.
And I had to be ready for it.
~End of volume two~
~Big man big giant~
To be continued.....