Chapter 23 War Pt 2

The air hummed with a dark, oppressive energy as Apokolips's forces descended like a black storm, their presence distorting the very air.

From the shattered remains of a watchtower, Archmage Lorian scanned the battlefield. Below him, Earth's defenders fought tooth and nail; blades flashing, magic igniting against the endless swarm of Parademons.

"Hold the line!" Lorian's voice thundered, his staff blazing with light as he cast his magic. Power coursed through him, flowing like a river into the ground beneath his feet as the ground transformed into jagged maws and chomped on the approaching Parademons.

Around him, sorcerers rank mages stood, their eyes burning with focus as they cast their respective magic. 

Determination, fear, and fury mingled in the ranks; they knew this fight was all that stood between life and annihilation. And they'd rather die fighting for life than give in to despair and face annihilation.

Deeper into the fray, Grand Magus Thalor fought side by side with the Old Gods, his presence unyielding as he faced one of Darkseid Elite, a New God; an imposing New God whose very presence radiated with power. 

The earth trembled as Thalor unleashed a torrent of fire and lightning, streaks of searing light striking with pinpoint precision.

"Your strength means nothing, mortal!" the New God bellowed as he shrugged off the attack, its voice a cacophony that shook the very air. 

Raising a hand wreathed in darkness, it retaliated, unleashing a blast of pure entropy that devoured Thalor's next attack and roared toward him like a living storm.

Thalor's expression hardened, eyes narrowing as his fingers traced intricate runes causing layers of shimmering shields to spring forth, one after another, absorbing the destructive force with crackling energy. 

[Tier 5 Magic Skill: Arcane Devourer]. A high level magic skill that absorbs incoming magical attacks and converts it into mana for the caster. Although the beam of energy wasn't magic, it was still energy in the end. 

And with a sweep of his hand, Thalor converted the mana into an elemental attack, [Flame Magic: Inferno Spiral], and a spiraling column of hellfire was aimed towards the new god as it incinerated everything in its path. The air included. 

BOOM!

The attack aimed true but the New God managed to withstand the attack with its body, however, it brought him to a halt, its imposing form still as it regarded the mortal magician. For the first time, it hesitated. 

This... Lesser being had withstood an assault from him and had managed to launch a rather dangerous attack. Despite its uninjured state, he knew he couldn't take more of those attacks. 

"Press the attack!" Thalor commanded, rallying the nearby Gods. "We need to turn the tide before their numbers overwhelm us!"

Thalor could see that quite a few New Gods were present for this battle. Right now, Thalor was locked in combat with a New God; an entity whose power rivaled those of the Old Gods. That alone spoke volumes.

While Thalor battled the New God in a clash that shook the battlefield, Lorian took command of the sorcerers, his focus set on holding the line.

"We need to protect our flank!" he called out. "Channel your magic together!"

He knew he needed to keep this battle as contained as possible. 

They unleashed a barrage of spells, aimed at the oncoming tide of Parademons. Magical energy crackled through the air, exploding into the charging Parademons with blinding flashes of red, blue, and gold. 

The ground shook with each impact, momentarily halting their advance.

Even as the first wave fell, Lorian's heart sank with a chilling realization settled over him. The Parademons were relentless, unyielding, their presence pressing ever closer, like an unstoppable storm.

With each spell cast, they surged forward, drawing closer to the heart of the defenders.

At that moment, a shadow loomed over the battlefield, and before anyone could react, a piercing cry rang out. "Look out!" Shouted Lorian towards a young mage. 

But his warning came too late as a New God descended from the sky.

Lorian watched as the New God unleashed a blast of energy which struck Zephyr before the boy could react, obliterating him in an instant.

Anguish gripped Lorian as he watched the young mage's fate, his heart sinking like a stone.

"No!" Lorian gasped, grief threatening to overwhelm him. "We can't keep losing our people like this!"

"Focus!" Thalor's voice cut through the chaos like a whip. "We cannot lose Focus! Rally together!"

(A/N: Don't forget that with a certain level of control over magic, one can make his voice louder. Like using Air to carry the vibrations you're generating with your voice towards a single person or over a certain area.)

Gripping his staff tightly, Lorian pushed back the weight of loss. "We fight for them!" he yelled, his resolve strengthening. "For Zephyr! For everyone we've lost!"

Zephyr was someone he had hoped to introduce to Aiden. A genius in his own right, but now that very genius didn't even have any remains as proof of having once existed. 

Lorian's chest tightened; Zephyr's brilliance was snuffed out without a trace. There wasn't even dust to mourn.

…

As the sorcerers rallied under Lorian's command, they unleashed their combined magic, sending a wave of energy cascading toward the advancing Parademons.

A torrent of energy surged forward, ripping through ranks of Parademons. Limbs disintegrated, shrieks of agony filled the air.

The New God that had attacked earlier let out a guttural roar that rippled through the battlefield, the sound pressure alone pressing down like an invisible hand. 

Around it, energy spiraled, the very air vibrating with the power it summoned. 

Lorian's breath caught. This one strike could end them all.

"Archmages! Together!" Lorian shouted, directing the sorcerers to channel their magic into a protective barrier, and just in time, the Archmages raised their staffs as one, light erupting to form a shimmering barrier. 

[Magic Barrier] was a skill that summons a shield of pure energy to withstand both physical and magical attacks. Any certified mage could use this skill . The more powerful the mage, the more powerful the shield strength. 

With a squad of sorcerers and Lorian himself performing the skill together, the magic shield was quite strong, and just then, the dark energy struck like a sledgehammer against glass. Cracks spiderwebbed through the shield as the force sent Lorian and the others reeling. 

Blood trickled from someone's nose but the shield held—barely.

"Great work!" Lorian called out, forcing strength into his voice. Inside, his thoughts churned. 'How much longer can we hold this line?' Their ranks were thinning, and the invaders continued to press forward, seemingly unyielding.

"Lorian!" Archmage Selene called, her voice sharp, yet controlled. Known for her unparalleled illusions, even she sounded strained. "This defense won't hold forever!"

"We need a plan," Lorian responded quickly, eyes scanning the chaos. "If we can take down that monster, we shift the momentum."

"The Grand Magus is engaged with one," Selene pointed out, glancing toward the Grand Magus, who was locked in combat with a powerful foe. "But we'll need a distraction to give him the opening he needs."

With renewed determination, Lorian gathered the sorcerers around him. "We'll create a diversion. On my mark, unleash everything you have on that monster!"

Before they could move, the air shifted as another massive figure descended; another new god, larger than the first. Its glowing eyes burned like twin suns of malice, and the air warped around its form, thick with suffocating pressure.

It let out a bone-chilling laugh that rattled shields and sent shivers down Lorian's spine.

"Fools! Your resistance is pointless!" it roared, its voice booming across the battlefield. "You will all fall before the might of Apokolips!"

Dread rippled through Lorian, heavy as iron. For a heartbeat, he faltered. Then, gripping his staff tighter, he roared, "Now! For Earth!" The defiance in his voice cut through the suffocating fear like a blade.

The sorcerers unleashed a torrent of spells—blazing fire, crackling lightning, swirling air, torrents of water, and jagged shards of earth—all converging into a massive, roaring wave of energy. 

It struck the first New God like a storm given form, forcing it to stagger beneath the relentless assault as it shielded himself with his palm, yet the second New God stood tall and unmoved, its eyes glowing with malevolent purpose as it fixed its gaze upon Lorian and the other sorcerers.

"Foolish mortals!" He thundered, his voice booming like a drum of war. The sheer force of his words sent tremors through the ground. 

The second New God then raised one colossal hand, energy crackling ominously between its fingers. "Remember this day, for it was Zyphor the Colossus who brought death upon you!"

From the corner of his eye, Thalor recognized the danger in the energy gathering on those fingertips. "Lorian!" he yelled, his voice filled with urgency.

Lorian shifted his gaze just in time to see the second New God shoot a beam of energy that tore through the air toward them. 

Lorian's heart pounded in horror as he glimpsed the beam of dark energy hurtling toward them. The very air seemed to warp and crack under its power.

With no time to think, he instinctively raised his staff to create a shield, but the blast was too overwhelming. 

The shield fractured but held firm against the beam for a moment before it shattered as the energy behind the beam dissipated. However Lorian still had to bear the shockwave that tore through it. 

The impact hurled Lorian backward, his world spinning as he hit the ground hard, his vision a blur of light and shadows, ears ringing from the explosion

Groaning, Lorian pushed himself upright, the weight of exhaustion and panic pressing on his chest. His gaze darted across the battlefield, chaos blurring before his eyes.

"Lorian!" Selene's voice cut through the haze, sharp and desperate. She staggered, her footing unsteady.

She too had been attacked by a similar energy beam from the other New God. 

Selene's illusions, though formidable, could do little against enemies of this magnitude. But as an Archmage, she gritted her teeth, channeling her mana into other branches of magic.

"We need to retreat!" Lorian but out, urgency surging through him. "Regroup at the eastern flank now!"

Before Selene could respond, a bloodcurdling scream split the air. Lorian's heart froze as he recognised the voice. 

His head whipped toward the sound, dread pooling in his gut. 

Archmage Darius lay crumpled on the scorched ground, his body motionless, a smoking wound through his chest marking where the New God's strike had landed.

"No! Not Darius!" Lorian's voice cracked as grief crashed over him like a tidal wave. 

Another life lost. Another irreplaceable ally gone. The stakes had never been higher, and their numbers were dwindling far too quickly. 

"Hold on!" Thalor's voice called from the front, where he still fought fiercely. "We can't let them take us down!"

…

"You really do look down on us, don't you?" Kalgor sneered, his molten gold eyes blazing with malice. He loomed over Thalor like a living mountain, his voice a low growl. "You think your magic can shield you from the wrath of Apokolips?"

Thalor met his gaze with unwavering calm, a sharp contrast to the chaos around them. "I don't underestimate you, Kalgor. That's why you're still breathing."

The air around Thalor shimmered as he raised his hands, arcs of crackling magic spiraling through his fingers, shimmering like a storm barely contained and soon, his whole body was covered in lightning similar to Finn. 

This was the [Lightning Cloak Technique], an Archmage level magical technique that enhances the caster's speed and reaction time by coating them in electrified mana.

Kalgor's sneer widened, sensing the shift. With a snarl, he lunged forward, the ground trembling under his weight as he swung a massive fist at Thalor, the force of the blow tearing through the air as it bore down on him.

Thalor moved with lethal precision, pivoting just as Kalgor's strike thundered into the earth. The ground split open beneath the impact, shockwaves rippling outward in devastating waves. Parademons and Sorcerers alike were thrown off their feet, tumbling like leaves caught in a violent storm, but Thalor stood tall amidst the chaos.

Dust and debris filled the air, yet his figure remained unyielding, a beacon of power against the overwhelming force of Apokolips. His voice carried through the battlefield, calm and resolute.

"Is that all your strength amounts to, Kalgor?"

The New God 's molten eyes flared, anger searing through his already volcanic aura. "You dare mock me?" Kalgor snarled, his immense frame surging forward once again. The earth trembled beneath his steps.

But Thalor wasn't idle. With a stomp of his feet into the ground, arcs of crackling lightning erupted from the impact, spiraling outward in controlled devastation. 

The radiant energy collided with Kalgor's charge, stopping the behemoth dead in his tracks. For the first time, Kalgor faltered.

"You are mistaken if you believe I stand as any common mage," Thalor said, his voice reverberating with power. 

His eyes burned with light as he raised both hands, magic gathering like a vortex around him. The air itself quivered beneath the force of his will.

"[Celestial Invocation: Spear of Aetheris!]"

Above them, the darkened sky split open as a blinding shaft of energy formed—a colossal spear of pure magic forged from the heavens. It hummed with such overwhelming power that the battlefield itself seemed to recoil causing even the Parademons to scream and scatter in fear.

Kalgor's molten gaze widened. "What is this—?!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Thalor pointed, and the Spear of Aetheris descended. 

Kalgor roared and raised his arms to block it, energy pooling in his hands to retaliate.

The moment their magics clashed, the ground ruptured beneath them, sending shockwaves in all directions.

The spear tore through Kalgor's defense like parchment, slamming into his chest and erupting in a blinding explosion of light. 

The force of it sent Parademons flying and shook the very skies above. When the light faded, Kalgor knelt in a crater, molten cracks spider webbing across his armor, steam rising from his broken form.

Thalor approached, his steps deliberate, he wasn't surprised by his inability to kill the New God. He leveled his palm at Kalgor's bowed head. 

Kalgor's breath came in ragged gasps, his form flickering as the energy coursing through him struggled to stabilize. The once-unstoppable warrior of Apokolips now knelt, steam rising from his cracked armor, his fists clenched against the ruined ground. The battlefield had gone silent for a moment, as if the world itself held its breath.

Then—

A deep, guttural laugh echoed from Kalgor's throat. It was slow at first, then grew into something monstrous.

"You think… this is enough to bring me down?" His voice rumbled like an earthquake, defiant even in the face of destruction. He forced himself to his feet, body trembling but unyielding. 

His eyes burned brighter as energy began swirling around him, rekindling the fury within. The very ground trembled beneath his feet, cracks of black fire spreading from where he stood.

Thalor's eyes narrowed. "Still standing?"

Kalgor's lips curled into a savage grin. "You are powerful, mage. But I am forged in the flames of Apokolips."

With a thunderous boom, Kalgor slammed his fist into his own chest. The cracks in his armor flared violently, and a surge of hellish energy erupted from his body. The very air around him shattered like glass, sending concussive waves outward.

Thalor raised a hand, summoning a barrier just in time to brace against the shockwave. But as the dust settled, he saw Kalgor's form changing.

The Parademon general's already-monstrous frame began to expand, his cracked skin peeling away to reveal something worse beneath—raw energy, condensed into something far beyond flesh. His muscles bulged, reforged in dark power, and jagged obsidian spikes erupted from his back. His molten eyes now radiated a malicious, unholy glow.

Kalgor had ascended.

"You forced my hand, mage." His voice rumbled, deeper and more guttural. "Now you face Apokoliptian Wrath Incarnate."

Thalor exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders as new runes began glowing along his arms.

"So be it." His voice was calm, controlled. His mana surged, golden circuits of magic threading through his fingertips.

Then, he vanished.

In the blink of an eye, Thalor reappeared above Kalgor, hands glowing with terrifying intensity.

"[Celestial Invocation: Twin Suns Convergence!]"

Two orbs of radiant starfire ignited in his palms, swirling with cosmic fury. With a single motion, he slammed them together—unleashing a cataclysmic explosion directly upon Kalgor.

The explosion engulfed Kalgor, celestial flames consuming his monstrous form as the battlefield trembled under the sheer magnitude of Thalor's power. The force of his spell ripped through the land in a cascade of golden destruction.

For a moment, nothing remained but a blinding inferno.

Then, as the light began to fade, a charred silhouette remained at the epicenter of the devastation.

Kalgor still stood. Barely.

His once-mighty frame was crumbling, molten cracks splitting wider, his obsidian spikes shattered, his energy unstable. His massive body quivered, struggling to even remain upright. His molten eyes, once filled with defiance, now flickered in a desperate attempt to remain alight.

He staggered, taking one final step forward—only for his legs to finally give out.

With a deafening crash, Kalgor collapsed onto his knees, his colossal weight sinking into the crater left behind by Thalor's magic.

He lifted his head weakly, his breath ragged, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"I… cannot… fall…"

Thalor descended slowly, his robes billowing with residual energy, his presence a beacon of absolute dominance. His golden eyes, burning with untamed power, locked onto Kalgor's failing form.

"You already have," Thalor said simply.

He raised his hand one final time, golden runes etching themselves into the air around his fingers.

"[Celestial Invocation: Final Judgement.]"

A colossal magic circle materialized above them as a spear of pure cosmic energy, larger than the last, formed within its center, humming with overwhelming force.

Kalgor's body twitched, his hands trembling as he tried to rise one last time.

He couldn't.

With a flick of Thalor's fingers, the Spear of Final Judgment descended.

The moment it struck, the battlefield was engulfed in a pillar of light that seemed to tear through the heavens. A shockwave rippled across the land, sending Parademons and Apokoliptian warriors scattering in terror.

The very earth beneath Kalgor shattered, and the once-mighty warrior of Apokolips was erased.

When the light finally died down, only a deep crater remained—its edges glowing with golden embers, the last traces of Thalor's might.

Silence.

The battlefield stood frozen, both sides processing what had just occurred.

Then, fear spread through the ranks of Apokolips. The realization hit them all at once.

Kalgor, their general, had been utterly annihilated.

The Parademons faltered, their instinctive obedience clashing with the very real terror that now gripped them. Even the mightiest of Darkseid's warriors could fall.

Thalor exhaled, lowering his hand. His mana pulsed within him, still strong despite the battle.

He turned his gaze toward the enemy lines, eyes smoldering with unspoken warning.

"Who's next?"

None dared answer.

For the first time in this war, the warriors of Apokolips hesitated.

And in war, hesitation meant death.

...

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