Chapter 317: Into The Maw

As our forces gathered to begin the assault, Johann approached me.

"I already received a full report on what happened in Dominus...Artificer," he said.

"He pissed me off and tried to kill me. So I took his place after ending his life," I said.

"Technically...you aren't supposed to enter another divine realm without permission. You know that, right?" Johann said.

We stared each other down for a moment before having a laugh.

"Neither of us care about that and you know it, Johann."

"I know I know...but still. At least let me know when you come to visit? I assume you won't be staying on Excelsis anymore?"

"Depends...we might stop by every now and then if we survive," I said.

"Do me a favor and make sure you don't die. Iris would never forgive you if you did...and neither would I for making her cry."

"Fine. We'll be back soon then..." I said.

With a wave, I turned and headed back to the ship with the twins. I saw Johann speaking to Valsiel after that...but paid I no mind.

"No worries, darling. We'll return just fine. Then we can make everything better!" Cassandra said cheerfully.

"Mhm..."

"I'll protect you, my love. You can count on me," Isabella said.

I nodded as we boarded the ship.

We sent out the last call and after a few minutes, everyone gathered on the bridge.

We did a headcount and finally...it was time to go.

But first, I wanted to speak to the crew.

"Everyone...you know what's waiting for us down there. A hellish battle with horrors beyond your wildest dreams is about to begin... If anyone doesn't have the resolve to die, get off the ship right now...I won't hold it against you," I said.

Not a single person moved...let alone even flinched.

"Are you sure? This is your chance. If you want out, you can go. I mean it. We could all end up trapped in the Abyss forever. Never seeing light again or getting eaten alive by the horrors of the deep Abyss! Choose wisely!" I said angrily.

All of them steeled themselves and stared at me with fierce determination.

"The Abyss is a place of eternal darkness full of horrifying abominations that can drive you insane just by looking at them. Trust me...death is a blessing in such a place!"

Finally, someone spoke up.

"Sir, with all due respect, have you truly that little faith in your comrades?" Sato said.

I could only smile as I turned towards the ship's main console.

"Crazy bastards...every single one of you is completely insane... By the gods I'm so damn proud of you... Right then. Rastair?" I said.

"Where to, boss?" She said with a grin.

"Straight down. To the deepest part of hell we can get to. Valsiel will handle Void travel."

"Aye aye!" Rastair said. She slammed her glaive into the side console and twisted it.

The ship disengaged from the anchor platform and flew straight ahead. Moments later, the twin projectors on the front of the ship fired and created a tear in the firmament.

We entered...and began flying straight down.

Since we weren't affe ted by gravity, we essentially didn't feel any different.

Masina grabbed onto me as I held onto the now-modified cable that used to connect to my chest. She entered the divine transit and brought us down into hell. She nearly collapsed afterward.

"Ah...sorry..." She said.

"No worries. Rest up now, you've done enough," I said.

Isabella cloaked Masina in her divine healing magic and she stood back up.

"Ah...she can restore my strength now? Wonderful!" Masina said happily.

I also managed a smile. It was a bit late for Isabella to finally be capable of doing this, but I didn't mind...

Still, I knew it was pointless to have Masina use her power here...but I had a feeling she just wanted to be useful.

And as the sea of fire boiled below the ship...

"PREPARE YOURSELVES!" Valsiel shouted.

The ship shook violently as everything was momentarily cloaked in black energy. We were pulled down and Valsiel seemed to cringe for a moment.

"You okay?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Baoketh... I'm not used...to moving big objects in this form... It'll be fine. Just give me a moment!" 

The ship began to shake more violently.

"Everyone...this is it. We're going to kill that basrard and save creation. And mark my words...everyone will return alive!" I said.

"Rrrrraaaaaghhhh!!!!" Several people roared in unison.

"TO YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!!! ARM THE ETHER CANNONS AND GET READY TO FIGHT!!!! I WANT THE SHIP IN FULL COMBAT MODE FOR WHATEVER SURPRISES THAT PIECE OF SHIT HAS IN STORE FOR US!" I shouted.

The heart soldiers began scrambling to their stations and moving throughout the ship to mount the side cannons on the ship. Rune stood by monitoring the ship, Masina and Virtus did the same.

"The twins and I will handle Difar. Valsiel will go with us. Sato and Stella, command the heart soldiers on the ship. Deploy the shadows of war and the created battalion."

The created battalion was the name of the soldiers Stella could summon. They took the form of angelic knights...similar to Faith. They were a force to be feared.

The two of them nodded as I turned to Aldaril, Nirani, and Nasuria.

"You three... Aldaril, swarm the enemy with undead as soon as we arrive. Use the shadows to move about and kill anything that tries to board the ship. Nirani, do the same with your golems and support Aldaril. Nasuria, follow suit," I said.

"You got it," Aldaril said.

"Yes sir," Nasuria said.

"Yes, Master!" Nirani said.

"And me?" Vakra asked.

"See if you can't use some weird dimensional magic to shed some light on the Abyss. Blind those bastards for us."

"Kekekeke...I have a few ideas..." Vakra said.

He walked off as the twins and kept watch on the front of the ship.

And finally...

"BRACE YOURSELVES!!!" Valsiel shouted.

The pitch black darkness split in front of us as I cloaked the ship in the black Abyssal flames of sight.

Rastair quickly lurched the ship upward and we narrowly avoided a mountain.

"WOAH! THIS IS THE ABYSS!?!? THERE'S A WHOLE DAMN CITY DOWN HERE!!!" She shouted.

"So this is..." Isabella said.

I had forgotten that she never saw this place. I put my hand on her shoulder and smiled.

And from the corner of my eye, I saw Cassandra tense up.

Valsiel seemed to relax a bit as the ship slowed down and came to a stop above the great city.

Looking out, I could see many creatures of the Abyss pointing out at the ship.

"Virtus, give the order. Raze this abominable place to the ground. Everyone...go nuts," I said.

Virtus tapped the side of her head.

"THE CAPTAIN SAYS TO DESTROY EVERYTHING IN SIGHT! HAVE FUN AND REMEMBER TO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!"

At once, every cannon on the ship began firing to unleash hell upon the landscape below.

Thousands of portals opened all around the ship, dropping armies of assorted soldiers into the city. 

"This...IS AN INVASION!!! HOW DO YOU LIKE IT, YOU SHITTY FUCKING BASTARD!!!!! FEEL THE WRATH OF CREATION!!!!!" I screamed over the ship's loudspeaker.

My words echoed to the lands below us as I exerted myself...

And unleashed an army of ten million withered soldiers to fall from the sky.

Minutes passed as buildings burned and collapsed.

Until they responded, that is.

The ground began to split open and Corrupted entities started spawning everywhere to repel the invaders.

They did so completely in vain...because my army, along with everyone else's, were charged with purified divine energy...

Courtesy of the Blessing of the Creator skill that I had not only restored for myself, but passed to everyone on the ship in a modified form.

Suddenly, the ground split even wider and thousands of flying Abyssal insects began swarming towards us. Massive hands rose out of the ground as the titans of the deep climbed up.

I felt the tug of insanity and cloaked our ship in magic to disperse it.

I wouldn't have anyone succumbing to Abyssal Madness. 

Nirani's golems turned towards the invaders as many more appeared around the ship. They began to lay waste to anything in the skies as the Cursebreaker's cannons blasted the titans to pieces.

I heard Rastair laugh as well.

"Ahahahaha! Watch this!" She said.

The ship flew forward as the golems continued to surround us. The ethereal tendrils appeared on the sides of the ship and grabbed the arms of the titans reaching for us...tearing them clean off as the cannons blasted them up close.

"Can you handle things up here, Rastair?" I said.

"You betcha! Count on us and GO!!!" She said with a smirk.

"Isabella, Cassandra...on me. We're going on a field trip," I said.

They latched onto my arms and I teleported us to the surface.

Down here, everything was complete chaos. But that was mainly because my soldiers had completely overwhelmed everything on the ground. 

Having ten million soldiers running about really made it hard to do anything at all to defend one's self.

But as soon as my soldiers saw us, they allowed us to pass by without any issues.

And very quickly, we arrived at the front doors to the castle at the center of the city.

My soldiers had already broken through the roof and several parts of it...they were invading and destroying any and all living things contained within.

I looked back just before we reached the doors to see the Cursebreaker and many of the Avatar summons still annihilating everything around them.

"Good luck... You two, let's go," I said.

They nodded.

"What about Valsiel?" Isabella said.

"She'll probably join us later. She can't fight Difar, but I expect her to try and talk to him at least."

"Right!"

The three of us kicked down the doors and walked into the castle. 

It was just as dark and forboding as I remembered.

I commanded my soldiers to continue killing any and all creatures inside the castle...but to stay away from the throne room.

I couldn't remember where it was, of course, but that didn't matter. The feeling of impending doom would lead me right to him.

With a sigh...we began the long trek to the throne room. Killing any stragglers and anything that tried to attack us along the way.

* * *

"So he's finally here..." Difar said angrily.

"Lord Difar? What should we do?" One of the Abyssal succubi asked.

"What, exactly, do you think there even is to do, Gi'mbali?" He asked.

"I...I do not know, Lord Difar... But surely we can't just let them kill everyone and destroy our lovely city!" She said.

"I concur! Lord Difar, please do something!" The large floating eye all with tentacles said.

She was his advisor...not that he heeded one. But her wisdom had aided him already on many occasions.

"No. There is nothing more I can do. He will come here and meet me on my throne. I will give him the respect he deserves... My ancient enemy has finally managed to gain the power to face me. He is a King just like I am. And so...I will meet him here as a King. If any of you have a problem with that, then I command you to go out and fight his forces."

"O-only if we have a problem with it...your Majesty...?" One of the succubi said.

"Did I stutter?"

"N-no, your grace! We don't have any problems with what you choose to do! Do as you please, Lord Difar!" She said.

He leaned back in his throne and sighed heavily.

"Even if I had the will to try and stop him right now...what would that do? For the first time ever...I truly don't know if I can win. My greatest weapon has ceased to be...and I can already sense that my curse no longer exists upon him... My enemy is at full power. And perhaps that means my end has finally come...oh well. Let it come. Let him finally put an end to this miserable life of mine..."