Chapter 16:War Of Crowns
The air shimmered as the sky above Hollowspire remained fractured, soaked with the remnants of divine wrath. Yet even amid the smoke and ruin, something new began to stir—hope forged from ash, a rebellion quietly roaring to life.
Kael stood at the center of the crater, cloak torn, crown cracked but glowing faintly. His grip tightened around the hilt of his weapon—not because he feared what came next, but because he welcomed it.
Around him, portals began opening, not summoned by the heavens… but by the forsaken.
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Arrival of the Crownless
From swirling shadows and glowing rifts stepped dozens of figures—men and women wrapped in strange energies, their auras wild and unfiltered. The Crownless.
One by one, they emerged:
A man cloaked in lightning, eyes scarred by betrayal.
A pale woman with galaxies spinning in her irises, her presence bending the space around her.
A hulking warrior whose body bore scorch marks from divine execution, yet he still lived.
A silent archer whose arrows shimmered with stardust and grief.
Each bore the mark of a shattered crown on their person—tattooed, etched, or burned into flesh.
Kael's eyes swept across them.
"You came," he said.
A man in a black cloak stepped forward, voice like rolling thunder.
"We felt your defiance burn through the divine fog. It woke us."
A tall woman followed, her voice sharper than blades.
"You struck down a god's avatar. That alone made us curious. But now, we see—this is more."
"This is war," Kael replied.
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Celestial Court – Divine Reaction
Far above, in the Realm of Judgement, the gods gathered in the Hall of Searing Light. Towering beings of fire, ice, storm, and light gazed down at the mortal world with disdain.
Solarian stood among them, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"They unite," a god spat. "The Crownless gather."
"They must be scattered before roots take hold," another boomed.
Solarian did not speak. He only raised his hand, and a golden scroll formed in the air:
[Divine Decree: Realm Culling – Mortal Dust]
· Reason: Incitement of rebellion
· Initiator: Kael of the Ashmoon
· Status: Commencing in 3 Days
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Ashmoon Rising
Kael and Selena studied the divine decree from a projection orb recovered from a fallen angelic envoy.
"They've marked your birthplace," Selena whispered, her face pale.
"They're going to erase everything," she added. "Your family. Your city."
Kael didn't respond immediately. He closed his eyes, memories of his broken youth—beatings, scorn, starvation—flickering behind his lids. But alongside them, he remembered faces that showed him kindness. Small mercies in a cruel world.
"Then we don't wait for them to act," Kael said.
He stepped forward, ash swirling around him like smoke responding to his rage.
"We strike first."
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[Fortress of the Crownless]
Kael raised his blade.
[Skill Activation: Ashmoon Sovereign Mandate]
· "Forge from flame. Build from broken dreams."
The earth trembled. From the ashes of Hollowspire rose towers of molten obsidian and pale moonstone. Bridges of soulsteel linked battlements, and sigils pulsed along the walls like a heartbeat.
The first Crownless Fortress was born.
Selena stepped beside him. The other Crownless gathered on the ramparts, gazing down at the world that had cast them out.
Kael looked to the heavens.
"You call us trash."
"Then you've clearly forgotten what trash becomes under pressure."
He raised his blade to the skies.
"You forged gods from gold and flame—
…now we'll forge one from ash."