Chapter 11: The Shattered Moon
Chapter 11: The Shattered Moon
The darkness was absolute.
It consumed the once-proud capital of Arvania, turning its streets into rivers of chaos, blood, and fire. No light shone through the torn heavens above, and the roar of battle filled the air like a thousand storms colliding. It was not a battle of armies. No, it was a massacre—an execution.
The Abyssal creatures, led by their Lords and heralded by Hikaru's terrifying presence, had crushed the royal army and massacred the civilians without mercy. Men, women, children—none were spared. The city, once a symbol of the strength of humanity, had become a mausoleum of the living and the dead, all consumed by the ravenous tide from the Abyss.
At the heart of the destruction, Hikaru stood, his form exuding an aura of unchallenged power. The destruction around him was merely the consequence of his existence. His glowing amethyst eyes surveyed the battlefield, watching as his Abyssal Lords tore through the remains of the city's defenses.
But something was wrong.
He felt the change before he saw it.
A disturbance.
A shift in the energy of the Abyss itself.
His eyes narrowed, and he raised a hand, halting his advancing forces. The battle, which had seemed like an inevitable victory, froze in place. The creatures stopped, and the dark mists that filled the air swirled as if reacting to an unseen force. A low hum began to vibrate through the ground, like the sound of a distant thunderstorm, only more ominous, more ancient.
Hikaru's thoughts were sharp. He knew this energy. He had felt it before, though not like this. It was as if something... or someone, was challenging his very existence.
"The Divinarch has awakened," a voice whispered in his mind.
Hikaru turned, his gaze falling upon the towering figure of Vel'nar, one of his most loyal Abyssal Lords. The creature's gaze was full of uncertainty for the first time since they had met.
"My King, something stirs beneath the surface."
---
Far below, deep within the ancient halls of the Divinarch's sanctuary…
Selene stood, her hands trembling as she gazed upon the being she had just released—the Divinarch. It loomed over her, its form an impossibility of celestial light and shadow, an embodiment of both creation and destruction. Its mere presence bent the very laws of the world, a force so powerful that it made the air heavy with the weight of untold power.
"You have called me, mortal," the Divinarch's voice echoed in her mind, low and rumbling, like an ancient storm awakening from slumber. "But what is it you seek?"
Selene fell to her knees before it, her hands clutching the ritual scroll that had freed it.
"I seek your help," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "The Abyss must not claim this world. I know what it wants, and it must be stopped."
The Divinarch's eyes glowed with an otherworldly light as it gazed down at her. "You speak of the child born of twilight. You speak of the one who would consume the stars. But I cannot intervene unless you offer me a price."
Selene's heart pounded. She had known the cost of invoking the Divinarch, but the price was one she was willing to pay. "I offer myself," she said, her voice steady, despite the storm of emotion within her. "I offer my very soul."
The Divinarch was silent for a long moment, as though contemplating her words. The air around them crackled with power, the ground trembling beneath Selene's feet.
"Very well," it finally said. "You shall be bound to me, body and soul. In exchange, I will grant you the power to destroy the one who stands at the gates of your world."
Selene nodded, her eyes steely with determination. "Do it."
---
Back on the surface, Hikaru's senses sharpened as the disturbance grew stronger.
The rift that had torn the sky asunder was shifting. The dark energy that poured from it began to warp, becoming unstable. Hikaru's mind raced. The Divinarch's awakening was not something he had anticipated. He had believed it was merely a legend, a forgotten relic of a time when the gods still held dominion. But now, that ancient power was free.
His eyes narrowed.
"I will not be bested by a being trapped in the dark," Hikaru muttered, his voice cold, determined.
He raised his hand once more, this time with a greater intent. The Abyss responded instantly. The ground beneath him cracked, and the very fabric of reality seemed to bend. Shadows writhed and twisted, as if the world itself was being torn apart by his will. His forces, sensing his command, prepared for a full assault.
But something had changed.
The air grew thick, heavy with the weight of an unimaginable presence. And then, from the depths of the rift, it emerged.
A figure.
A figure cloaked in celestial light, its form a fusion of dark and light energies. It was not entirely of this world. It was as if a piece of the stars themselves had descended.
"I am the Divinarch," the figure spoke, its voice like the sound of thunder rolling through the sky. "And I am here to stop you."
Hikaru felt the world freeze for a moment. The Abyssal creatures around him shrieked and retreated in fear. Vel'nar, his most loyal servant, stepped back, his head bowing in deference to the power that now stood before Hikaru.
"So it begins," Hikaru muttered, a cold smile creeping across his face. "The true battle for this world has arrived."
---
Above, the royal capital burned.
The nobles had long since fled, but the damage was done. The city lay in ruins, its streets littered with the bodies of those who had failed to protect it. Yet, amidst the destruction, there was hope.
In the distance, the armies of the remaining kingdoms were assembling. They had heard of the rift. They had heard of the battle between Hikaru and the Divinarch. And they knew one thing:
If they did not unite now, the world would fall.
---
Back in the depths of the Abyss…
The battle was about to begin.
Hikaru stood alone before the Divinarch, his expression unreadable. The Abyssal creatures trembled at the power of the celestial being, but Hikaru did not flinch.
"Let it begin," he said.
And as the words left his lips, the world around them cracked, and the clash of powers began.