The sky above Velmara was a mass of shifting shadows, heavy clouds swallowing the pale light of the half moon. The waves crashed relentlessly against the port, the water shimmered faintly, reflecting the cold moonlight, but it was quickly disturbed as a tremor rippled through the ground.
A deep, guttural growl echoed from the distant horizon, followed by an explosion of light that split the darkness, casting an eerie glow over the city. The sound of a mighty crash reverberated through the port, shaking the very earth beneath their feet.
From the depths of the night sky, a figure hurtled downward, crashing into the heart of the port. Shockwaves pulsed outward, obliterating nearby buildings. Wooden beams splintered, rooftops shattered, and the very foundations of the structures buckled under the sheer force. The air grew thick with dust and the smell of burnt wood.
Hovering above the wreckage, a form of pure golden light emerged—Duskmaw in his human guise, his eyes burning with celestial fury. He loomed over the devastation, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.
"I'll give you credit... lowly vampire," he sneered, his words dripping with disdain.
Byzor, his body still seething with dark power, staggered to his feet, a twisted grin playing across his face. Dark flames, swirling with blood, surrounded him like a living cloak. His shirt had been torn, revealing a chest covered in deep, jagged scars.
"Lowly vampire? I'm much more than that," Byzor hissed, his laugh echoing through the destruction. "You son of a bitch!"
Before he could react further, Duskmaw descended with the fury of a falling star. His fist, engulfed in golden mana, collided with Byzor's body, sending him flying across the port like a ragdoll. He crashed through several trees, their trunks splintering upon impact, as the shockwave continued to devastate everything in its path.
At the far side of the port, three guards from the Velmara Watch rushed toward the chaos, their hearts full of determination but unaware of the true magnitude of what they faced. One drew his sword, another shouted for reinforcements, and the third began to prepare his magic.
"Stay back!" one of the guards shouted, trying to rally the others as the earth beneath them shook violently.
But their courage was short-lived. As their boots hit the fractured cobblestones, it was as though they had stepped into the maw of death itself. Byzor's infernal flames roared to life, and Duskmaw's golden mana exploded in a clash of power.
The first guard was consumed by a searing bolt of fire, his body disintegrating in an instant. The second guard was crushed under the force of Duskmaw's attack, his body shattered by the shockwave. The third guard, caught in the heart of the chaos, was vaporized—nothing remained but a wisp of smoke in the air.
Inside a nearby hotel, Rosaline leapt from her bed at the first sign of the chaos. Her heart raced as she sprinted toward Celestia's room. She threw open the door, only to find Celestia already awake, strapping on her boots with a focused expression.
"What the hell is happening?" Celestia demanded, her eyes flashing as she finished tying the final boot and stood to her full height.
Before Rosaline could respond, the hotel was violently struck by a gust of wind, shattering windows and sending the walls groaning and buckling. Doors flew from their hinges as the building shook.
"I have no damn clue!" Rosaline shouted, her voice almost lost in the maelstrom. At that moment, the medic and Tio burst into the room, their faces grim.
Without another word, Celestia unsheathed her rapier, slicing through the windowpane with ease. In one swift motion, the four of them leaped into the chaos, rolling into the streets below.
Meanwhile, high above the port, Byzor was sent spiraling into the sky, only to right himself midair. Golden energy swirled around Duskmaw as a massive hammer of light manifested above, descending with earth-shattering force toward Byzor.
"This son of a bitch..." Byzor muttered through gritted teeth, his body burning with fury. Dark flames, mingled with the blood-red hue of his own life force, coalesced into a hammer of his own. The two collided in a cataclysmic clash, shockwaves of unimaginable force rippling outward, obliterating the entirety of the port in an instant. The impact tore through the very fabric of the city, turning buildings to rubble and sending debris flying for miles. Dust and destruction blanketed the once-thriving port.
The two figures, Byzor and Duskmaw, stood amidst the wreckage, their bodies healing with unnatural speed. Byzor, grinning through the haze, planted one leg forward, his stance defiant as he called out to Duskmaw.
"FIGHT ME MORE, YOU BITCH!" Byzor roared, his voice echoing through the wreckage.
Not far from the devastation, Rosaline, Celestia, Tio, and the medic had barely escaped the radius of the destruction. They stood in the middle of a forest, their eyes wide as they surveyed the devastation. The medic spoke first, his voice barely audible over the roaring winds and the crackling of distant lightning.
"...There are two contractors of gods fighting it out." He muttered, his gaze fixed on the raging battle above. "It's hard to say who's stronger, but... as it seems, they appear to be evenly matched."
The air crackled with power as the dust began to settle, and the wind howled around them, carrying the faint echo of the godly clash.
Byzor raised his hand, and from the void itself, daggers of pure destruction manifested, each one pulsating with raw, annihilating power. Across from him, Duskmaw conjured twin blades of brilliant golden mana, their radiant edges humming with divine energy. Their eyes locked for a fraction of a second—then they moved.
They surged toward each other, meeting in the heart of the ruined port with a thunderous collision that sent shockwaves through the land. The sheer force of their clash obliterated what little remained of the once-thriving harbor, reducing stone and wood alike to nothing but dust. Their strikes and movements became a blur of speed and devastation, flickering across the wreckage in a relentless exchange of blows. Each time Byzor's daggers slashed through the air, the very fabric of reality twisted very slightly. Each time Duskmaw's golden swords struck, the light of creation burned away the encroaching void.
Their fight carried them beyond the ruins and into the dense forests beyond. Trees crumbled instantly upon their arrival, felled as collateral damage in their godlike battle. Neither gave an inch, wounds forming and vanishing within seconds as their regenerative abilities kept them locked in an endless struggle. Then, as if by unspoken command, both launched themselves into the sky, continuing their relentless assault amidst the clouds.
They clashed again, the impact of their strikes sending distortions rippling through the heavens. Golden light and abyssal darkness coiled and crashed against one another, splitting the sky itself. A jagged crack appeared in the firmament, stretching wide like the maw of some ancient, forgotten horror.
And then, they saw light once again.
From the depths of the celestial fracture, an army of winged corpses descended—massive undead bears with rotting fur, twisted by unholy power. Their soulless eyes gleamed with an eerie, blue fire as they swarmed Duskmaw from all angles, their colossal forms blotting out the stars. The night filled with the deafening sound of their monstrous roars.
Duskmaw exhaled sharply, his expression one of slight irritation rather than concern. "Tiresome," he muttered before lifting his blade skyward.
Then, he invoked the power that only a Titan Duskmaw could wield.
"Blessing of the Divine."
A blinding radiance flooded the heavens as an immense golden temple materialized above them, constructed entirely of pure mana. Its towering spires stretched into infinity, and from its hallowed halls, waves of sacred energy erupted outward. The golden tide crashed into the winged abominations, incinerating them instantly, their spectral screams drowned out by the overwhelming brilliance.
Byzor gritted his teeth as the divine energy washed over him. He felt his strength wane, his very essence recoiling against the holy force. His skin blistered, his blood boiled, and for the first time in ages, pain wracked his form. He spat out a thick glob of dark blood just as a golden blade found its mark—piercing his left shoulder clean through.
The agony ignited his fury.
He roared in defiance, his voice shaking the very stars, as his aura darkened into a spiraling vortex of madness and wrath.
"Domain of Evos."