Chapter 4: Into the Mortal Realm

The abyss had been conquered, its chains shattered, and its prisoners freed. But Rael knew that his true war had only just begun. The Supreme Pantheon had already sensed his defiance, and soon, they would move to crush him before he could rise.

Yet, the moment he stepped through the rift, leaving behind the abyss, he was met not with celestial warriors or divine judgment—but with the quiet hum of an ancient world.

The sky above was vast and filled with swirling celestial energy, yet unlike the heavens he once knew, it was fractured, broken by something long ago. Mountains floated across the horizon, their peaks piercing the clouds. A sun burned in the distance, its golden radiance dimmed by something unseen, something ominous. The very air was thick with forgotten power.

Selene emerged beside him, her silver hair illuminated by the shifting glow of the sky. "A strange world," she murmured, her violet eyes scanning their surroundings. "Not quite mortal, not quite divine."

Rael took a slow breath. He could feel it—the remnants of ancient battles long past. This land had once been ruled by gods, but now it was abandoned, its celestial ties severed. Yet, something lingered, a presence hidden beneath the surface, waiting.

Behind them, the freed gods hesitated as they crossed into the realm. Some fell to their knees, overwhelmed by the sheer force of the world's lingering divinity. Others looked to Rael, their expressions unreadable.

One stepped forward. A warrior goddess, her once-radiant armor tarnished with time, her gaze wary. "What is this place?" she asked, her voice edged with uncertainty.

Rael let his power flow, extending his senses across the land. What he found made his smirk widen. "A battleground," he said simply. "One left behind by those too weak to hold it."

Selene tilted her head, intrigued. "And what do you plan to do with it?"

Rael turned to face the gods who had followed him from the abyss. "We take it," he declared. "And from here, we build our own domain."

The warrior goddess studied him for a long moment before dropping to one knee. A silent acknowledgment. A choice made. One by one, the others followed, bending their heads in silent loyalty.

Rael turned his gaze to the distant horizon. He could feel it—forces lurking within the depths of this world, remnants of gods who had once ruled but had long since faded. Some had fallen into slumber, while others had descended into something far worse.

And then, there were the mortals.

Selene seemed to sense his thoughts. "Mortal kingdoms still exist here," she noted, her tone amused. "Will you subjugate them? Or leave them be?"

Rael chuckled. "That depends on them."

A pulse of energy rippled through the air, faint yet undeniable. He narrowed his eyes.

Something was coming.

Before he could react, the skies above shattered.

A rift tore open, its edges lined with crackling divine energy. From within, figures emerged—armored warriors, their forms wreathed in celestial flames. The Supreme Pantheon had not wasted time.

Selene sighed dramatically. "That was fast."

Rael rolled his shoulders, golden energy crackling at his fingertips. "Let them come."

The first warrior descended like a meteor, his spear aimed directly at Rael's heart.

But Rael did not move.

With a flick of his wrist, he caught the spear mid-air, his grip tightening until cracks formed along its divine surface. The warrior's eyes widened in horror.

Rael smirked. "Pathetic."

A single pulse of energy, and the spear exploded.

The other celestial warriors hesitated for a fraction of a second, but that hesitation was all Rael needed. He surged forward, golden light bursting from his form like a divine storm. His fingers curled into a claw-like grip, and with a mere flex of his will, the surrounding energy twisted into solid force.

One warrior raised his sword in desperation, but it was already too late. Rael moved too fast—one moment standing still, the next standing behind them. A golden arc of energy split the air, and the divine soldier let out a strangled gasp as his form flickered, his celestial body unmade by Rael's touch.

The Supreme Pantheon's warriors had never encountered something like him before.

Selene watched from a distance, arms crossed, a smirk playing at her lips. "They sent mortals in divine armor to fight a god," she mused. "How insulting."

One of the warriors, perhaps more seasoned than the others, barked an incantation, summoning chains of celestial law. They burned with divine power, meant to bind even the most defiant deities. The warrior hurled them forward, the chains latching onto Rael's limbs, seeking to restrict his movements.

But chains no longer held power over him.

Rael glanced at the golden shackles coiled around his arms. He flexed once, and the divine metal cracked. A second later, it shattered entirely, sending shards of celestial energy scattering into the wind.

His golden eyes burned as he turned his gaze toward the last standing warriors.

"Your gods sent you to die," he said, his voice a whisper of finality.

The warriors faltered. One dropped his weapon. Another took a step back, divine resolve breaking beneath the weight of Rael's presence. They had believed themselves executioners.

Now they understood. They were the condemned.

Rael raised his hand, and golden energy surged forth, consuming the battlefield. The heavens trembled, and the last of the warriors let out their final cries as they were swallowed whole by the force of a power they could not withstand.

Then, silence.

The battle had lasted mere moments, yet its impact would be felt across realms.

Selene exhaled in amusement. "Well," she murmured, stepping beside him, "that was almost entertaining."

Rael lowered his hand, his golden irises gleaming. "This was only the beginning."

The Supreme Pantheon had underestimated him. They had believed he would remain in the abyss, that he would never rise beyond his exile.

Now, the heavens themselves would learn to fear his name.

He turned toward the freed gods behind him, his voice carrying over the battlefield. "We take this world. We make it ours."

The first conquest had begun.