"Yes, there will be reparations for those who suffered under the chaos created by the evil Demi gods. It will be swift and satisfying."

The words carried weight, meant to calm and assure, meant to sound like justice given form.

Inside the forest, several groups of individuals and monsters moved together in uneasy harmony. Roots cracked softly beneath their steps as they followed a figure bathed in green light, a crown resting upon his head. His presence bent the air around him, his gaze heavy and unyielding as it swept across the woodland path ahead.

"Lord Kilgar, there is also the matter of the fruit harvest. Our men have been working tirelessly to bring out the best yield." One of the elders of the forest clans spoke carefully, his tone light, almost hopeful, as though trying to soften the atmosphere.

"Work hard. I will leave it to you." Kilgar nodded without slowing, his voice flat and distant as his eyes continued to roam the forest.

As he scanned the land, a brief glint flashed across his eyes. For an instant, the green light hollowed out, revealing something dark and empty beneath. It vanished just as quickly, hidden once more behind divinity and authority.

He was an imposter.

One placed there by Lady Victoria herself, walking openly through the forest to draw eyes away and erase their trail.

Underground

"When did you have this built? It stretches all the way into Furnace City." Enzo's voice echoed through the tunnel, swallowed and returned by the stone. His eyes strained against the darkness, every shadow feeling deeper than it should.

After receiving the pair of daggers later named Void Cutters, Victoria had led him down into this passage. From the edge of Greenwood Forest, they descended, step by step, until the air grew stale and the earth pressed close around them.

"A long time ago." Victoria replied calmly, offering nothing more.

Enzo slowed, a chill crawling down his spine.

A long time ago.

She had built a tunnel leading straight into Furnace City long before any of this began. Long before Raz. Long before the attacks. Long before him.

The realization settled heavily in his chest, turning his view of Victoria upside down. All this time, while chaos erupted and threats closed in, she had always held a blade at his throat. Silent. Patient. Waiting.

Was she always like this?

It made sense. A being who had lived for millennia could not survive without layers of schemes beneath schemes.

"Are you coming?" Victoria's voice drifted back through the darkness, calm as ever as if nothing had happened.

Several hours later, they reached the end, where the narrow passage pressed up against a tall wooden wall. The grain of the wood was old and dense, reinforced with layers of subtle divine craftsmanship. Victoria barely slowed as she placed her hand against it, prying it open with quiet strength. They stepped through and emerged into a bedroom bathed in elegance, from the polished floors to the carefully painted walls that glowed softly in the ambient light.

"He's not in his room," Victoria said, her tone casual, though a bitter curve tugged at her lips.

This was not ideal. It was meant to be clean and swift, a silent intrusion followed by an even quicker departure.

"Brace yourself. This place has turned into a massive death trap," Victoria added as she moved toward the bedroom door.

The instant they crossed the threshold, the air itself seemed to shift. Hidden mechanisms stirred awake, ancient and precise. The elegant household of the sun god shed its beauty in an instant, transforming into a snarling network of whirring gears and unseen triggers.

"Okay," Enzo replied, nodding as he drew his crossbow. A shield bloomed into existence beside him, glowing with a steady blue light that hummed against his arm.

Victoria did not look concerned. There was no reason for her to be.

Moments later, they burst into the corridor beyond the rooms. The long passage stretched ahead, and then reality warped. Blades formed from nothing, steel flashing into existence as they spun faster and faster, filling the space with a lethal storm.

"Hmp," Victoria uttered softly as she drew her sword and stepped forward. One blade lunged, then another, each striking with deadly intent.

Cling. Cling. Cling. Cling.

Metal rang endlessly as her sword moved in smooth, measured arcs. The hallway became a hellish downpour of spinning steel, every blade designed to end a life without mercy.

Such a ruthless setup could slaughter even the most gifted demi gods. Yet with Victoria ahead of him, Enzo found himself moving through rare moments of calm. Long seconds passed between threats reaching him.

Her swordsmanship stood unmatched across the entire domain of life. As long as she remained in front, the storm could not touch him.

Soon they reached the last stretch. Without hesitation, Victoria struck the wall ahead, shattering it in a burst of splintered wood and stone. Beyond it lay a vast circular hall, the ceiling arching high above, the space cold and hollow.

"He's running away," Victoria muttered, her gaze sharp as she scanned the chamber.

The floor trembled. Metallic statues lining the hall began to move, joints grinding as searing blazes ignited at their centers. Their cores burned like miniature suns, and as they awakened, a furious roar echoed through the hall, raw and unnatural.

"Metal giants," Victoria said calmly. "The only way to kill them is to extinguish their sun cores. Surround them in darkness and they fall."

She vanished in a blur, dashing straight toward one of the giants. Her figure slammed into it with overwhelming force, sending the massive construct flying into the wall where it crashed in a shower of sparks and stone.

"Shit," Enzo cursed.

He phased into his shadow, his body dissolving into darkness before emerging behind another metal giant. Its towering frame loomed over him as he seized its shadow, forcing it to rise unnaturally and lift him high above its head.

Enzo leapt, landing on its back, then sprinted across its shoulders. He raised his crossbow and fired twice at point blank range.

Loud pangs rang out as the bolts struck, but within seconds the giant steadied itself, its blazing core flaring brighter as it regained balance.

Hehe, this guy is a monster.

Enzo smirked despite himself. These contraptions, forged by Raz and deployed through the infamous Red Sun Legion, were known as impenetrable engines of destruction.

His eyes flicked left just in time to see a massive hand descending toward him. Instinct took over. He phased again, reappearing on the opposite shoulder as the strike smashed into empty air.

In one smooth motion, Enzo whipped a silver chain around the giant's neck. He jumped down, planting his feet and pulling with everything he had.

It was not enough to bring the metal behemoth crashing down. But it was enough.

The giant bent forward slightly, just enough for Enzo to seize its shadow once more. Darkness surged upward, swallowing the blazing sun core in total black.

Within seconds, the light died.

The metal giant shuddered, froze, and then collapsed into stillness, its fury extinguished at last.

""One down. Two to go," Enzo smirked, lifting his gaze toward Victoria.

She had already torn through three giants in the seconds he spent wrestling with his own. Twisted metal lay scattered around her feet, their sun cores dim and lifeless. She did not even slow, her blade still humming faintly as if disappointed the fight ended so quickly.

....

"That bitch finally grew a pair, huh? Let's see who's better."

On the outer porch of the villa, a young man stood beneath the open sun. His hair burned crimson, his eyes blazing with a wild, untamed flame. Red and gold garments clung to him in layered elegance, their lustrous fabric reflecting the sunlight as though it worshipped him.

"Lordship, command us."

Before him, a troop of elite guardsmen dropped to one knee. Each radiated power, forged for slaughter, their loyalty absolute and unquestioning.

"I created you to die fighting Victoria's friends," Raz snapped. "Do not ever insinuate you can defeat her yourselves."

Chains rattled into existence, weaving together into a throne beneath him. Raz sat, crossing one leg over the other, his expression sharp with disdain.

His sister had always been the apple of their father's eye. Ever since the incident with Galafray, she had stolen the attention that was meant to be his. Praise, trust, expectations, all of it shifted toward her.

He would take it back.

Perhaps she was due for one more incarnation. One more reset would ensure she could never catch up to him again.

This was a battle between true gods. Whatever happened beyond him and Victoria was meaningless.

His glory alone was enough, he would defeat her and then take her as a lesser after she reincarnated.

His gaze fell back onto the villa infront of him the fighting was slowly coming to a fall, he sat there however waiting patiently for the vampire queen to come before him and die.

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