Chapter 10- The First Step to God's Demise
The sky split open with blinding radiance, a swirling vortex of golden light descending upon Lightning City. The people shielded their eyes, trembling as the presence of something divine graced the mortal world. From the portal emerged a figure draped in resplendent white, his six wings outstretched, his golden halo illuminating his regal features. His silver armor glowed with celestial power, and his piercing gaze surveyed the city below with indifference.
Angulus Avaritiae had arrived.
The sheer force of his presence made the air thick with oppression, a suffocating weight pressing down on every living being. Civilians dropped to their knees, whispering prayers, while others scrambled to gather what little wealth they had. The angel's voice, smooth yet devoid of warmth, echoed through the streets.
"By decree of the High Heavens, I have come to collect the tithe. Tribute shall be given without question. Those who defy will suffer divine retribution."
The people, too afraid to resist, began laying their offerings of gold and goods at his feet. Among the crowd, three figures stood firm, unmoved by the display of divine tyranny.
Helios, Bow, and Prometheus.
Helios watched with disgust, his golden eyes burning with fury. The very being before him embodied everything he loathed—an agent of a god who had forsaken the people yet demanded their servitude. He clenched his fists, his blood boiling as memories of suffering and enslavement resurfaced.
"He comes down from the heavens, takes from the weak, and gives to the powerful. And these people bow like dogs." Helios muttered, his voice filled with venom.
Bow glanced at him, sensing the storm within. "I agree, but this isn't a fight we can win without consequences. That's a god's soldier."
Helios sneered. "Then I'll send a message to his god."
With a swift motion, Helios vanished into the shadows, his Moon Apex Gem activating. The angel, having taken his spoils, ascended back toward the portal, his wings beating in slow, graceful movements.
And then—
A searing pain exploded in his back.
Angulus gasped, his celestial blood spraying into the sky like liquid gold. A blade—Helios' blade—had pierced through his spine. The shock and agony were evident in his divine features as he turned, barely registering the human who dared strike him.
"You…"
Helios twisted the blade deeper, his eyes glowing with unfiltered rage. "Your god is a fraud. And so are you."
The angel roared, his aura exploding outward in a violent shockwave, sending Helios hurtling through the city streets. Bow and Prometheus barely managed to leap away before buildings crumbled under the sheer force.
And so the battle began.
Angulus descended like a meteor, his wings forming blades of pure light as he struck at Helios with divine wrath. Lightning and wind erupted from his body, the storm above roaring in his fury. Helios barely managed to evade, countering with the raw energy of his Apex Gems.
Fire and earth clashed against divinity. Water and darkness wrapped around his strikes. The battle painted the city in destruction.
Prometheus and Bow attempted to assist, but their attacks were wasted efforts. Frustrated, they turned on each other, their techniques conflicting as they struggled for dominance in battle tactics.
"You're in my way, Bow!" Prometheus shouted, dodging a stray blast of energy.
"Then fight better, swordsman!" Bow shot back.
Meanwhile, Helios and Angulus engaged in a brutal exchange. Divine blood mixed with mortal blood as the two clashed. The angel's hand wrapped around Helios' throat, lifting him high before slamming him through the ground with earth-shattering force.
Helios coughed, golden ichor staining his hands. But he grinned through the agony. "Is that all heaven has to offer?"
The angel howled in fury, summoning a spear of pure lightning and driving it toward Helios' chest. But Helios caught it—his Sun Apex Gem burning with relentless intensity. His veins glowed with molten power, his muscles tearing and reforming as his rage reached a fever pitch.
With a roar, Helios shattered the spear in his grasp and lunged, grabbing the angel's skull with both hands and smashing it into the earth repeatedly.
The ground cracked. Blood splattered. The divine glow of the angel flickered.
Helios did not stop.
He drove his fists into Angulus' face, over and over, until there was nothing left but a ruined, unrecognizable mass. A god's soldier—mangled beyond recognition.
As Helios stood, panting, drenched in blood—both his and the angel's—marks formed on his cheeks. Three slashes on each side, burned into his skin like the scars of his fury.
Prometheus and Bow stood frozen, witnessing the sheer brutality. They had failed to assist. They had failed to protect their comrade. And now, they watched as Helios stood over the broken corpse of a divine being.
Helios turned, his gaze empty, his body trembling from exhaustion and pain. His vision blurred as his wounds finally caught up to him, and he collapsed.
"We need to get him to a healer. Now." Bow said, snapping out of his stupor.
Prometheus nodded, lifting Helios with what strength he had left. They rushed him to the nearest doctor, but only one solution remained.
The Full-Body Elixir. The very same concoction the old man had once used on Helios after his battle with the Blizzard Dragon.
As the potion seeped into his wounds, his body began the process of recovery. But something had changed within him.
For the first time, he had killed a servant of heaven.
And heaven would not take this lightly.