Terra—Underground parking
Hulk was preparing the evacuation with the other Eclipse founders when a player from his squad rushed up to him, looking terrified. "Enemies! Thousands of enemies have just entered the underground!"
Hulk turned and stared in the direction the player had come from. "How is that possible?! Get ready, everyone! They'll show no mercy, so we won't either!"
Then, White shouted, "Put down your weapons, Hulk!"
For, of course, White and Ceasar had just arrived with their small army.
When White walked into the room, Hulk walked up to her, confused. "White?! What are you doing with players from other guilds?"
White answered, "They're here to talk! Let everyone through and I'll explain everything. Hurry! Every moment we delay is another chance for an enemy to realize we have a base here."
Hulk ordered the Eclipse members to lower their weapons, and the newcomers started filing into the depths of the parking garage.
White brought Ceasar into the planning room, and Hulk crossed his arms as he addressed the new player. "I hope you have a good reason to mess up our hideout with all these dirty boots!"
White replied, "Listen. The anti-aircraft battery is heavily guarded. You know that. We need help, and Ceasar can offer it."
Ceasar spoke up. "Look, Hulk, I don't have any resentment or hatred towards you. In fact, we're all in the same boat here. If we don't neutralize the anti-aircraft batteries, not a single one of us gets to leave."
The Hulk smiled grimly. "Haven't you heard? The Coalition has sent us a rescue fleet. We'll soon be able to leave this damned planet."
Ceasar snorted. "Do you seriously believe that it'll be that easy?"
Hulk was taken aback. "I heard it directly from my guild leader. The Imperial authorities have agreed to let the Coalition fleet evacuate us."
Ceasar shook his head. "They've been massacring us for a week. They've locked us up in prisons and concentration camps. They've treated us like animals! And now you think they're really just going to let us all go?"
Hulk was getting more and more irritated. He didn't care how famous Ceasar was. That didn't give him permission to come into Hulk's base and insult him! "My leader didn't share many details, but if she says we can evacuate safely, then I believe her. We have to take the chance!"
Ceasar drew his hammer, waving it in a threatening manner. "You fool! Could this trap be any more obvious?!"
Hulk manifested his two golden gauntlets and settled into a boxing stance. "Listen, Assshole. You're not my superior, nor my guild leader. I don't owe you anything! Now either you shut up or you leave, and you can take your players with you!"
White finally intervened. "That's enough! Calm down, both of you. We have enough enemies as it is without turning against each other."
Ceasar stepped back, his expression cold. "Forgive me, White. Well, I suppose we're done here."
White frowned. "Ceasar, what do you mean?"
Ceasar said, "Your mission leader doesn't understand anything. I would've thought that Apophis would surround himself with intelligent people, people who understand when they're walking into a trap."
Hulk lowered his gauntlets. "If it's really a trap, and we still have no way of escaping the blockade, then destroying some anti-aircraft batteries won't change anything."
Ceasar replied, "Well, obviously, that's only the first step. If we attack the Imperial forces on the planet, we'll destabilize their chain of command and create an opening."
Hulk replied, "If we attack the Imperial troops, then we'll violate the Coalition's peace treaty. We'll ruin everything! There's no way I'm taking that responsibility."
Ceasar shrugged. "Somehow, I expected that would be your response. Whatever. It's not like fifty more players would make a difference, anyway. Good luck with your evacuation while we actually solve things…"
Hulk used his ~Flash~ Skill and teleported in front of Ceasar. "Stop right there! I'm not letting you leave, just you can compromise my mission!"
Ceasar smiled. He said nothing, but shifted his grip so that he wielded his hammer with both hands, as though preparing to fight.
But before either of them could act, a huge explosion shook the whole basement.
***
Temple of Valor
A vast crater appeared at the impact site.
The temple was, even after the Imperial purge, a very active zone, as the surrounding areas had received some of the first infrastructure repairs after the recent devastation.
Therefore, when the livestream began, many players were around and came running to see the most famous player in Horus.
Apophis was stunned when he found himself surrounded by eager players and ruins.
What had happened? Where was he?
He glanced down at his hand, frowning as he realized it was surrounded by black flame.
Actually, he was naked, and his whole body was covered in black flame.
"Where… am I?" he asked aloud.
Suddenly, a beautiful, naked woman with one angelic wing landed twenty meters away from him.
Themis said, "Oh… The ancient god has gone back to sleep? What a pity, the fight had just started to become interesting."
Apophis answered, "Who are you?"
Themis replied, "Oh, sorry. It is true that you were asleep when we met. I am Themis, the Goddess of Justice. I was sent by God's Domain to eliminate you discreetly. Unfortunately, your host took control and prevented me from carrying out my mission."
Apophis's memories began to return.
He remembered "Heaven."
"Wait!" he shouted. "You were the woman in that strange place!"
Themis smirked. "Poor mortal… That was just a simple illusion skill. But yes, I was the one speaking to you."
Apophis was astonished… and filled with growing fury. "Then, if you were deceiving me as to your identity… What about the offer you made?! Did you really intend to give me the means to save my mother?!"
Themis's smile grew even more provocative. "Sorry, mortal, but there's no way for even a goddess as powerful as me to transfer knowledge between dimensions."
Apophis felt a part of himself break.
"You… deceived me. You offered me hope, but… you just did whatever you could to get what you wanted."
Themis laughed. "Don't take it personally! I didn't want you to suffer. I needed to eliminate you in the most discreet way possible. I must say, I was quite disappointed with the simplicity of your mind."
Her expression turned into a condescending sneer. "A poor mortal desperate to save his mother from an incurable disease… How sweet!"
Apophis, furious, used his ~Waterbending~ Skill to send a jet of water flying towards the goddess. She dodged it without difficulty, but Apophis continued to try to restrain her with the water, while also filling the huge crater at his feet with more water.
Themis laughed. "That's enough! You're only a poor mortal, not even a demigod. Give up!"
Themis confidently walked towards Apophis, sloshing through the water in the crater.
Apophis threw a black fireball at his own feet, igniting the huge mass of flammable water which his Skill had created!
A shock wave of air pulsed outward, but Themis seemed not to care in the slightest about the black flames surrounding her. She seemed to have a Skill similar to Apophis's [ Ghost ] ability.
"Impressive for a Rank B Ascensionist," she said. "But no matter how powerful you are, you can't hurt me."
Themis confidently reached Apophis and grabbed his shoulders. "Too bad you must die here. You would've made a good follower of my cult."
She manifested her sword, which became as bright as a star, and slid it into Apophis's chest, staring him directly in the eyes with a broad smile.
Apophis felt an immeasurably cold pain seep through his body as his HP bar began to drop.
90% HP…
80%...
70%...
***
Only a couple of kilometers away, Ceasar and Hulk's squads were also rushing towards the zone of impact.
Ceasar, while running, shouted, "This is that bastard Azerof's doing, isn't it! He's decided to bombard us all from orbit so the rescue crew has only LvL 1's for their efforts!"
Hulk answered, "Doesn't that idiot realize he's bombing his own planet? It's not going to just repair itself with a snap of his fingers!"
Ceasar, while running, shouted, "This is that bastard Azerof's doing, isn't it! He's decided to bombard us all from orbit so the rescue crew has only LvL 1's for their efforts!"
Hulk answered, "Doesn't that idiot realize he's bombing his own planet? It's not going to just repair itself with a snap of his fingers!"
But there were no more impacts, and the players quickly realized a huge swarm of others were gathered and watching something at the point of impact.
Ceasar said, "It must've been a serious incident for everyone to go to the same place."
Then they pushed through the crowd and arrived, seeing what all the fuss was about.
Hulk said, "It's… It's Apophis! He escaped!" Without another thought, Hulk raised his gauntleted fists and prepared to jump into the battlefield.
But Ceasar held him back before he could join in. "Wait! Look at his opponent."
Hulk scanned the woman.
╔══════════════╕
╟─╼ NPC CHARACTER
║ ╰╼[Name] : Themis
║ ╰╼[Title] :Goddess of Justice
║ ╰╼[LvL] : 200
║ ╰╼[Tier] : S
╚══════════════╡
Hulk was shocked. "He's fighting a goddess?"
This sadistic woman had not even aimed at Apophis's vital organs, but had simply created a grievous wound that was bleeding Apophis out drop by drop.
Themis said, "Good, Boy. It is right to accept your divine punishment. But if you think that you will resurrect and take your revenge, you are mistaken. This blade neutralizes the cosmic energy of its victims. Your pathetic version of rebirth will not allow you to reappear again when you die."
60% HP...
pαпdα`noνɐ1`сoМ 50%...
Apophis said, his voice slow and heavy, "Tell me… is there really no way to transfer knowledge between my dimension and this one? How… is that possible?"
40%...
Themis laughed. "Even now, you don't give up?"
30%...
Themis said, after giving it a moment of thought, "I suppose Cortana could likely do it. She is a Matriarch of God's Domain, after all…"
20%...
10%...
Apophis gave a weak smile. "Thank you… very much. I don't know… what I would have done… without you."
Then came a loud splash as a body collapsed into the water.
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