The Dawn of the End

Moorza sat there, staring up at the dark sky as the earth trembled and shook. Apophus was fast approaching, and soon, he'd end everything. Moorza estimated the being would arrive at dawn, and it would be the dawn that shines over a dead world.

What could Moorza do? He wasn't even strong enough to fight Akuro. How could he possibly hold his own against a Genesis God? He couldn't. That was the answer to that question.

The sky was black like a storm, churning about chaotically. Not a single star could be seen, not even the moon was visible. Moorza sank to his knees, looking down at the earth.

It was the end. There was nothing he could do.

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Akuro emerged on the other side of the dimensional vortex, Azazel following. Then, he and Azazel hovered in the infinite void of the universe, staring out at the countless stars beyond.

"Well." Azazel spoke, "here we are, our first target reality."

Akuro held out his hand, focusing.

"I wonder just how long it will take you to eliminate all of it."

Just as Azazel said that, an deep hum shot outwards, a shockwave blasting from Akuro's hand, and then all light simply ceased to exist. Not a single star any longer shined, and no planets existed any longer.

"Oh. Well, that was quick." Azazel said, then opened another vortex. "Shall we continue?"

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Darius began jumping from gnarled root to gnarled root, heading towards the mountain off in the distance. The landscape was so alien and it all just felt… wrong.. and unnatural. He had seen some strange things in his time being a Deity, and now a demon, but the place he was in now just blew it all out of the water.

It was a perfect representation of what one would expect hell to look like. It was dark, the only existent color being red, a classic river of blood, the mutated trees, all of it.

And the further he and the others went into the forest, the more grotesque it got. What appeared to be half rotted corpses stuck into the earth and ensnared in roots or held by the hands in the trees, were practically everywhere. Their bones were partially exposed and their faces were that of pain and agony. Their bloody flesh would pulsate unnaturally, clumped together in grotesque clumps of rot.

"This place is disgusting.." Inari said, putting her hand over her mouth as her eyebrows raised.

"It is quite grotesque." Sedori stated. He was at the end of the group, Darius was at the lead, behind him was Inari, and after her was Onoma.

"Don't pay attention to it, just keep moving. We can't stop, and we don't have time to waste. Apophus will only get closer." Darius called out as he kept his pace forward, ignoring the corpses that groaned as he went by them.

"Darius!" Inari hissed suddenly.

"What?" Darius asked as he kept his eyes focused on the ground, calculating which root he'd jump to next.

"Stop!"

"What? Why?" Darius turned and looked at Inari, then he noticed her and the other two had all stopped, staring at something with lowered jaws.

Darius turned about, following their gaze, and then his eyes widened. There, before him, was a massive beast that stood as tall as a three story building. It had a large figure with long arms that hung to the ground as it hunched over on all fours, though, it's back legs were much shorter. It had a massive head that resembled that of an alligator with a long snout and sharp, jagged teeth. It had cold red eyes that stared blankly at Darius in silence.

Down its back was spines and bone spikes jutting out of its flesh, and it had a long tail ending in a barbed hook. It's massive forearms reminded Darius of a gorilla, except that spikes covered it's shoulders and massive talons were in place of fingers. It's flesh was red and rotten, clumps of puss oozing from its rash-covered skin. Spots of fur and scales dotted its body, while in other parts it had exposed bones where it's flesh had been decayed or torn.

The creature's jaws slowly widened, releasing a hollow hiss as smoke rolled up from it's mouth. It was soaked in blood as if it had come from the river, hearing them moving about.

The creature tilted its head sideways, turning one eye to look straight at Darius.

Darius was not sure what to make of it. He'd never seen a creature quite like what he was seeing now, and he had a hard time understanding what it was or how it even existed, but he quickly got over that fact and began backing away, wondering what it would do.

"You think yelling at it will work?" Darius asked, "kinda like a bear?"

"HEY!" Onoma yelled suddenly.

"Shut the fuck up!" Inari hissed.

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!" Onoma yelled.

Inari slapped him upside the back of his head. "You dumbass!" She hissed.

And then the thing moved, turning its head towards them as it hunched forward, flicking its tail to and fro. Then it's jaws widened as it let out a terrible roar.