Days passed quickly and peacefully in the Dark Elf Empire and with no one to threaten them they would continue to do so for some time. Ira wasn’t one to complain as he was able to spend time with his family. He also attended to a few matters like sending Lance and his group away along with Gerald who had regained a semblance of calm. Other than small personal issues, he remained unbothered.

The city, formerly called the Underground City, had remained nameless. Though some called it the Keeper’s City, on the other hand, everyone who learned of the cities permanent night sky called it the land of eternal darkness, calling it cursed. Either way, Ira showed no sign of getting involved. Because of that, he had been seen less and less, rarely leaving the Valkyrie’s Fortress.

Those who did see on a daily basis Ira immediately noted his changes. From the black lines crawling up his left arm to the sometimes suffocating feel of his presence. His yellow eyes also showed an uncharacteristically calm in the face of a looming task.

No one had mentioned Ira’s declaration of fighting the Gods and he showed no intention of doing so either. Since he kept silent about it so did they but it was something that ultimately couldn’t be ignored.

Inside of a bedchamber deep within the Valkyrie Fortress, Avery’s fingers glided across Ira’s marked arm.

She began to speak, feeling the urge to address what he had been avoiding.

“How long do you think it will take for you to kill all the Gods who want you dead?” She asked. Her silver eyes narrowed toward him, her true emotions threatening to spill out just beneath their surface.

“Do we have to talk about that?” Ira turned to face her, his face just inches apart from her own.

“Then what do you think a good time would be, Ira? The moment before you ascend? Or were you planning to leave without us noticing?” Avery’s questions caused Ira to smile wryly.

“I just wanted to rest for a bit before getting to the serious stuff.” Ira sighed as he sat upright.

The presence that appeared during his ascension didn’t specify a time but he felt that he should act soon. After all, just because he sat still didn’t mean the Gods would. Little did he know, more than a few Gods were investigating the Origin Storm in order to deal with him.

It seemed like the best way to contend with him and there was still the mystery of how Indras managed to survive it. It was a massive concentration of raw energy capable of destroying both the Mortal and Divine Realms if it was unleashed and yet somehow, the Origin Storm raged on, just far enough to not be a real threat. It’s mysterious properties drew the attention of the Gods but now they showed much more interest since Ira could appear at any time. It was a case where both parties were urged to act because they felt the other might move first.

“That’s no excuse.” Avery remarked as she climbed out of the bed and began dress herself.

Ira followed her with his eyes before he reluctantly did the same.

“It’s not an excuse. I’m aware of how you feel but–”

“Are you?”

“...But I’ll be away for a long time when I ascend. Is it so bad to not want to think about it for a while?” Ira grabbed the black pendant necklace and fastened it for her while she lifted her hair.

“A while? Who is to say that time passes the same way in the Divine Realm as it does here?” Avery posed a valid question, one that Ira hadn’t thought of before.

Gods weren’t just immortal, they lived in a realm that was made to house divine species and races. It would be strange if time operated the same way as it did in the Mortal Realm.

“...Even if it that’s true that just means the faster I act the sooner I’ll return, right?” Ira remained optimistic. To be more accurate, Ira chose to remain willfully ignorant of all the things that could go wrong. There were so many possibilities of ways in which he could fail that worrying over each one felt pointless to him.

“Let’s just take it one day at a time.” Ira was oddly relaxed which drew Avery’s attention.

“Are you that confident in your strength?” Avery asked.

“I sure am.” Ira answered as the two left the room.

As soon as they stepped out, a door adjacent to their room shot open and their children came running out.

“What are we doing today? Practicing?” Raveria asked in a chipper voice.

“I would like to make a new sword,” Valeryn added his own thoughts.

A door further down the hall opened and Zephyr came running out with Rhys following behind him.

“I want to eat sweets!” Zephyr chimed in.

“We can do all of those things.” Ira chose a compromise as he guided his children forward.

“I’ll be going first.” Avery flashed a faint smile toward them before she left. The Valkyries gained more to their numbers, bringing a great deal of tasks with them. Since Casey was to be the next Matriarch, Avery would have to eventually take her place according to customs. As for ascension, Avery’s divinity had reached even greater heights but the sigil continued to keep her safe.

Rhys mouthed a few words to Zephyr before going off to meet with Sylvia. Since they were already close friends the two met with each other quite often.

They soon split off into their daily routines and agreed to meet up again for dinner.

…

Far out of reach of the Mortal Realm, the Gods toiled. With Rythar’s death and the sudden removal of Ira’s taboos still fresh in their minds, they began to look for other solutions. Kara was not one of them, she instead focused on the Black Pillar that emerged in the Divine Realm. When the Wolf first created the Black Pillar, it caused an immense amount of destruction to the wilderness in the Mortal Realm but it also manage to leak into the Divine Realm.

Kara stood on the outskirts of a land covered with black soil. Crooked trees made of black glass grew in strange formation inside the boundaries of the land. Strange echoes could be heard coming from the inside of the tainted land but there was not a single living being in sight.

Kara raised her hand and a silver light flashed before she produced a short spear. She raised it high and threw it into the tainted land and it landed with a soft thump.

Not even a few seconds later and the spear had begun to disintegrate into shards before it exploded into a cloud of dust, finally becoming a strange liquid that seeped into the ground and disappeared.

“Just what did that Avarus become to be able to make something like this?” Kara pondered. She produced another spear and tossed it in.

This time it hit with a loud shattering sound before catching on fire. After that, it simply faded from sight, showing no sign that it was ever really there.

Kara, like most other Gods, knew that the lands tainted by the Black Pillar were deadly to Gods. A few foolish ones had plunged in and were met with immediate deaths. Still, she sought to understand what power Ira wielded. If it was before he killed Rythar, the effects of the Black Pillar would only be a glimpse into what Ira had the potential to do. After eating Rythar’s divinity and using it to strengthen his connection with the Void, warping reality to such an extent wasn’t unthinkable.

Kara felt in her heart that, whoever the last Avarus was, if they were pushed into a corner they would lash out. The result would be the corruption of the entire Divine Realm, causing effects like the Black Pillar on a larger scale wiping out many Gods at once. At least, that’s what she felt she would do in a similar situation. In fact, when she fought the Behemoth she was resigned to death. Without any fear, she used her power unsparingly which led to her being able to reach a level of swordsmanship that placed her on the Zenith, as well as, her subsequent ascension.

“Whoever you are I hope that you haven’t harmed my descendants.” Kara glared into the depths of the tainted lands as if seeking a target. She decided that if Ira did harm her children she would once again resign her to death and fight without restraint. With those thoughts filling her head, she didn’t think of what her actions would be after learning he was married to her great-granddaughter.