CHAPTER 469: THE SECOND APOCALYPSE

Across Earth’s Realm, every living being felt the ripples through space and time. However, while everyone felt its effects, only a select few actually saw what was happening.

All around Earth, dozens of giant Gates opened, leading to the prisons of long-forgotten beings...

Above Rome, the sky split open. It shone brightly, bringing blinding light all across the city-state. Through the split sky, giant eagles flew towards the ground, the first messengers of the upcoming doom.

Below Rome, right on the city’s edge, an enormous, fiery crater formed, swallowing a quarter of the city-state, killing millions instantly. The generator, which connected the city to the Aegis System, also got destroyed, meaning anyone could enter the city unobstructed.

From the flaming hole in the ground, small, winged, demonic creatures climbed out. The scrawny beasts flew into the air and attacked the eagles, overwhelming them by sheer numbers.

After the eagles and imps killed each other, the main forces entered the city. From above, angelic beings with feathered wings flew down to meet the demon forces climbing out of hell.

The people screamed below as the millennia-long war continued between two primordial races...

In another part of Europe, 250 kilometers north of New Athens, another Gate opened above the mountain peak known as Mount Olympus. The sound of constant lightning echoed around the Balkan Peninsula...

Near Europe’s north, where the Aurora Borealis played along the night sky, another Gate opened. Tall women with golden wings, wearing armor, flew down next to the strongest of warriors. In their lead, a one-eyed man walked, carrying a golden spear covered in strange runes.

The man’s all-knowing eye glanced around the empty plains in curiosity. However, his eyes quickly focused on the western horizon, as if he could see something interesting across the planet...

Across the Mediterranean Ocean, at the northeastern edge of the remnant continent once known as Africa, another Gate opened. From the Gateway, powerful, ancient humanoid creatures with animal heads came through.

At their lead stood a falcon-headed man, with a bright, glowing disk floating behind his head...

Far to the east, in Asia, three more Gates opened. One in the Indian Wastelands, another near the city-state of Vuan, and the last in the Pacific Ocean, where once the Japanese Isles existed.

From the Gate in the Indian Peninsula, many strange beings stepped through. However, at their front walked a tall man with a powerful body. His matted locks of black hair fell on his bare back, while he carried a trident in his right hand.

A crescent moon adorned his forehead. Right below the moon, a third eye carrying the essence of destruction within glanced over the dead plains, which were once the man’s home...

The Gate near Vuan opened, and immediately a tall monkey wearing golden armor and carrying a staff ran through. The monkey seemed to laugh and glance into the other Realm while running and transforming into different animals.

Through the Gate a large army of armored warriors came running out, shouting at the weird monkey.

More powerful beings stepped through soon after the footsoldiers. However, they paid little attention to the mischievous monkey. Instead, they looked at the city-state near the Gate with curiosity and greed...

The Gate, where once the Japanese Isles were located, now opened hundreds of meters above sea level. Only a radiant woman stepped through; her mere presence amplified the bright sun’s glow above.

She glanced down at the waves below, then sighed sadly and glanced back at the Realm Gate. With one hand, she swiped the empty air, and soon the Gateway closed on its own...

Other Gates opened too in North and South America, but nobody stepped through them. Either they killed each other or perished for some other reason.

The chaos quickly spread around Earth. Multiple city-states got attacked by unknown beings and left over monsters from a bygone era.

Rome suffered the most, where millions died initially, and even more citizens and soldiers lost their lives every second. People screamed for someone to stop the demons and angels from massacring them...

Nobody heard their pleas, and no help arrived... Not yet at least...

...

Sera’s golden-green eyes gradually opened, her naked body covered in gore and monster corpses lying dead all around her. The great trees stretched high above, bringing nothing but shadows onto the ground layer.

Her eyes stared at her surroundings with an undisturbed, bored expression. She walked a few steps, her eyes gaining more recognition with each passing moment.

"Did you feel it, Faith? The ripples? Do you think it’s time?"

The Angel’s shadow became darker and stretched further until a pale woman with long black hair and dark eyes. Dark armor covered her voluptuous frame as she walked before her Goddess.

The Shadow’s face showed immense reverence as she prepared to kneel before Sera.

"No, stop that foolishness. I can hold my sanity for only so long. Let’s get to the point immediately! What happened?"

Faith nodded, not at all offended by her goddess’ words.

"To my knowledge, Prince Henry was set up to overuse his time-travelling powers, which broke the locks on all the Prision Realms. All across the world, thousands of year old beings cause chaos and spread despair."

Sera nodded in understanding, but her Shadow’s report wasn’t over yet.

"There are two main issues currently: Victor, an Ethereal, hinders Princess Vicky’s and everyone else’s response, and Rome is in serious danger. Angelic and demonic beings use the city as their personal battleground."

The Angel’s golden-green eyes turned glassy for a moment, and her bored expression grew serious. A deep sigh reverberated through her lips as she glanced up through the foliage at the sky.

Her vision moved from the foliage to Faith’s expressionless face. Sera’s lips stretched into a small comfortable smile as she quoted Fate’s words...

"The Old Gods rise from their graves, something unexpected.

Sadly, this change is devastating; everything will be affected.

When Heaven’s door opens, and the gates of Hell burst wide.

The Angel rides back home, to save and kill all her kind."

A humorless laugh escaped her lips. "I guess it’s time. We need to head back to save humans, my kind, but also to kill demons and angels, also my kind... How on point that hag’s ramblings were..."

Fate nodded to herself without any questions. She understood her Goddess more than anybody, so she needed no specific order to know what she wanted.

The shadows grew around the two women, and soon they disappeared, leaving hundreds of carcasses to any carrion.

Soon the divine help, which everyone prayed for, arrived in Rome...

...

"Welcome everybody! To the Second Apocalypse!"

Victor’s laughter echoed around the silent upper deck. The heavy wind carried it far and wide, but nobody felt anything similar. People either looked worried or angry, while Henry, Valerie and Vicky’s expressions remained emotionless.

"What do you want, Victor? What’s your end goal? Why do you want humans to die?"

The gloomy man shrugged his shoulders upon hearing Valerie’s accusatory questions.

"I don’t want humans to die. I would actually prefer more of them to live, yet they keep throwing their lives away. Why didn’t you just surrender, preventing the loss of human lives?..."

"My goal is quite simple. I want to lead humanity into a better future! The problem lies with everyone else for not succumbing to my goodwill! Everything happened because you kept on fighting against me, and in the end, most people will die in the upcoming battles!"

Victor smiled down at everyone except Valerie and Astrid, since they were more than a head taller.

"Don’t worry, everyone! After most of you will perish, I’ll swoop in to defeat every threat, and I’ll finally take my place as the leader of this Realm!"

Before anyone could’ve reacted, Victor turned into a raven and flew away. Many of the normal soldiers began panicking as their worry and despair became near unbearable. Others showed their hatred, which in reality was just a different form of concern for their future.

However, their leaders stayed sane and took control of the situation in a professional manner. General Bryce stepped before the panicking fools and shouted over their rambling noise.

"Everyone, attention!"

The arduous training endured by all the soldiers, snapped their spines straight. They faced the General reflexively. Their minds still felt panicked, yet their bodies reacted with utter perfection, exactly as Bryce planned.

"What a bunch of meek idiots! You’re soldiers of London! Carry some fucking pride in your spines! The enemy is attacking our home, trying to kill our families and friends we left behind long ago!... Will you let them?"

A bit hesitant, but otherwise enthusiastic shout went up from the soldiers.

"All the cowards can hide below deck with the civilians! I want only people dedicated to laying down their lives for duty! Who won’t run scared from any threat! I want only soldiers prepared to die for their city and their Queens!"

Another, more enthusiastic shout went up from the soldiers, and their pale faces began regaining some color.

"We won’t know what happened in Europe until we get there! We might arrive on a battlefield, so if you can’t handle the heat, get down the fucking elevator! However, I won’t hide from any threat! I’ll be the first the jump down from this ship! Will you follow me?"

A shout in unison went up from the soldiers, "YEAH!"

"Will you give your lives to save others?"

Another shout went up, "YEAH!"

"For the Queens!" shouted General Bryce, and everyone else echoed, "FOR THE QUEENS!"