Chapter 5: Claiming the Forgotten Throne

The celestial warriors had fallen, their divine forms fading into nothingness. The battlefield, once untouched for eons, now bore the marks of Rael's arrival. The Supreme Pantheon's first attempt to suppress him had failed, and that failure would not go unnoticed.

Rael exhaled slowly, letting his golden energy recede. The remnants of divine power still crackled in the air, the aftershock of his overwhelming display. Around him, the freed gods of the abyss remained silent, staring at him with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

Selene stepped closer, her silver hair catching the dim light of the broken sky. "Well," she mused, her voice carrying an amused lilt. "That was loud."

Rael smirked. "They heard us."

"They most certainly did."

The freed gods shifted, some still kneeling, others standing uncertainly. The warrior goddess who had first submitted remained where she was, her eyes burning with something different now—not fear, but purpose.

"If this world is to be our foundation," she said, her voice steady, "then we must take it properly."

Rael regarded her for a moment before turning his gaze toward the horizon. "What do you know of this realm?"

The warrior goddess hesitated before speaking. "This place was once ruled by gods who defied the Supreme Pantheon. They lost. Their followers were scattered, their domains reduced to ruins. Some of their kind still linger, hidden away, while others have twisted into something… lesser."

"Lesser?" Selene asked, intrigued.

The goddess nodded. "Not quite divine, not quite mortal. Something in between. They lost their thrones but refuse to fade entirely. If we are to establish ourselves here, they will be the first obstacle."

Rael considered her words. He had no intention of hiding from the Supreme Pantheon's wrath. If they were to rule, they would do so openly. But to build his empire, he needed more than just freed gods from the abyss—he needed territory, influence, and power.

"Where is the nearest stronghold?" he asked.

The warrior goddess rose fully to her feet. "There is a ruined city not far from here," she said. "It was once the seat of a minor god of war. His people were scattered when he fell, but the remnants of his power still linger. It is abandoned… but not empty."

Rael smirked. "Then we take it."

The journey to the ruined city was swift. Rael and his followers moved through the vast, broken landscape, remnants of past divine wars scattered across the land. Massive statues lay toppled, their once-proud visages eroded by time. Fragments of celestial architecture jutted from the earth like the bones of a forgotten god.

And yet, the deeper they traveled, the more alive the land seemed to become.

Golden embers flickered in the air, remnants of ancient power still clinging to existence. The very ground pulsed with energy, as if the land itself had not yet accepted the fate forced upon it.

The city itself loomed ahead, its great walls cracked but still standing. Towers of divine craftsmanship reached toward the heavens, their spires chipped but unbroken. And within, shadows moved.

Selene exhaled softly. "We have company."

From the ruins, figures emerged. Not mortals, nor gods, but something in between. Their forms shimmered with fragmented divinity, their eyes burning with the remnants of their lost power. Once, they had been the chosen of the fallen war god, blessed with his strength. Now, they were ghosts of what they had been, clinging to a throne that no longer belonged to them.

One stepped forward, his body wreathed in flickering energy. "You do not belong here," he said, his voice tinged with warning. "Turn back."

Rael met his gaze without hesitation. "You have lost your god," he said simply. "You cling to ruins, pretending to be rulers of nothing."

The man stiffened, his expression darkening. "We still hold power."

Rael's smirk widened. "Then prove it."

A single pulse of golden energy surged outward from him, colliding with the very fabric of the city. The air trembled, the ruins groaning in response. The remnants of the war god's chosen flinched, their fragmented divinity flickering.

The leader took a step back, then clenched his fists. "You challenge us?"

Rael chuckled. "No. I replace you."

The battle was inevitable.

The former champions of the war god surged forward, their attacks wreathed in fading divinity. They moved fast—faster than mortals, but far slower than gods at their peak. To Rael, they were unfinished, half-measures of what they once were.

He moved faster.

A golden streak of energy carved through the battlefield as Rael descended upon them. His first strike shattered the ground beneath their feet, sending two warriors sprawling. Another lunged at him, blade flashing, but Rael caught it effortlessly, his grip crushing the metal as if it were nothing.

Selene, watching from the sidelines, sighed. "They never learn."

The battle was over before it had even begun.

One by one, the fallen champions collapsed. Rael's power overwhelmed them, their fragmented divinity crumbling beneath his absolute force. They gasped as their bodies faltered, their remaining energy flickering like dying embers.

The leader knelt, clutching his chest, his breathing ragged. He looked up at Rael, his expression torn between fury and resignation.

Rael placed a hand on his head. "Kneel, or vanish."

A moment of hesitation.

Then, slowly, the leader bent his head.

The others followed.

Selene smirked. "That's twice in one day. You're getting good at this."

Rael turned his gaze toward the heart of the city. The once-proud palace of the fallen war god stood at its center, its doors barely hanging onto their hinges. The throne room beyond lay in darkness, waiting for its new ruler.

He took a step forward.

Behind him, his followers bowed.

The throne of the forgotten god was his.

And soon, it would be only the first of many.