Ascension of the Nephilim

Nearly a day had passed inside the Temple as the forces of the Nephilim continued to train.

But outside, it had only been nearly five hours.

Inside the hidden fortress of Destiny, the Cardinal was about to resurrect his forces. He had already completed the process of gathering the souls of the dead. The souls of the entire planet had been called through Soul commander. As the Cardinal had already used this skill, it was easier for him to search the souls and call out the souls of the Commanders.

Several notable Champions were also called out, and ready preparation to turn them stronger.

But the Cardinal had not done it yet. The provision of power would allow him to use that creature he sealed through dark magic finally.

A massive dark cage emerged from a portal that drew out the beast sealed in the Cardinal's soul.

The massive beasts had eight heads, but his body had small wounds all over that began to regenerate the moment it stepped out.

When the forces of the Cardinal arrived, this beast was still sealed deep underground. The Cardinal released it from the seal but trapped the beast in his soul. Heralcus intended to digest the beast through his soul slowly. This would have assured Heralcus's growth up to Cherubim level and have a Cherubims potential!

But now, his defeats forced him to use this beast to sacrifice it to improve everyone's strength immediately.

"An Okto-Khefali?"

"Yes. Eight heads. One for each of my Commanders and one for me. Shellcross gets the fire head. Qara the wind head, Darako gets the dark head, Neteri gets the entropy head, Erdus gets the water head, Lucas gets the lightning head, Faust gets the Earth head, and I get the Ice head."

"First, you lock me in your soul to slowly siphon my life, and now you kill me? I should have allied with Fate instead of you!" The Ice head of the Okto-Khefali spoke angrily. The other heads roared as they tried to break away from the cage.

"Don't make me laugh, Eugene! I know your true allegiance. We all did. That was why instead of sending you here, Destiny tricked you and sealed you! You, a True Neutral! Your people, your kind, have always been mounts and prisoners forced into war. That is why you were sealed in this place and not given freedom! Wouldn't we have fought against me if you had been freed? So die now! I now have the power to cut your thick skin! Be food to fuel me and my forces! Your body will be offered to strengthen all our Champions! My army shall return stronger than before!"

Suddenly, the power of Soul Commander took over the received darkness, and a massive scythe formed. Wielding the scythe was an aspect of darkness. It had a dark cloak all over its body, and it was as if it was made with dark mist.

The Okto-Khefali saw it and became afraid.

"Impossible!" The Okto-Khefali roared. The truth was, although the Necromancer sealed it in its soul, the Okto-Khefali would not have died. But now, seeing the power and the Aspect of Darkness obeying the commands of a mere Cardinal, Eugene knew he would die.

"I hope that Nephilim cuts it off again, you eunuch!" The Okto-Khefali cursed as the massive scythe swung sideways.

The scythe destroyed the cage and sliced off all of the heads of the Okto-Khefali.

"Begin." Heralcus ordered, and Neteri began to start the chant.

The powers gathered as the sentient tower also aided in the resurrection process.

Qara and Darako looked in greed as the head of the Okto-Khefali moved closer to them.

The power before them could easily give them a massive boost in energy.

"I'll slay that Nephilim for killing my husband!" Qara raged as she reached for the head of the Okto-Khefali before her.

Darako did the same, and the two devoured their severed head.

"The Okto-Khefali will be used as the foundation for resurrecting them. And the races that are similar to their own will be added to the mix. They will become a new creation! And I call on my Corruption! By the power of Necros! [Somatos Ous Thanatou!]"

The spell that Heralcus invoked was a spell that drew directly from the powers of Necros. The power used the strange energy called Death to create life.

The concept of death itself was not an end but a beginning to switch to another. Just as with all forms and elements of the universe, nothing disappears and dies. All the elements only change. That which is burned turns to ash, which is living decay and decomposes into something else.

The grand spell of [Somatos Ous Thanatou] was a power that forced decay to stop and use that power to give a false life into something. The body of death would be formed, and the being rises not to live but to live as one who is dead.

Using the power and the Corruption of Necros, which was the first to stay alive after death, the magic was amplified all the more.

Pergos watched from atop. His figure emerged at the top of the tower. He was not just a static soul given over to defend the final fortress of Destiny, but he was a powerful elite in the forces of Destiny. He watched and praised the power that was deemed impossible by normal standards.

"As expected of the genius among Cardinals. To have awakened his Corruption! Who would think that he would easily master Soul Commander? With such a spell, the power his armies shall not rise with half of their original power, but it will be doubled!" Pergos then aided Heralcus and bestowed the energy that Destiny had gifted them.

"Let the day of Necros come! Let this land of the dead be filled with the power of death! Who shall save our enemies from the Body of Death? Let the will of Destiny happen! And let the forces of Fate be defeated! I decree through the power of Destiny, let the Nephilims end be at hand!" Pergos declared as the power flowed out of him and empowered Heralcus, who began the process of resurrecting and empowering his armies.

The words of Pergos echoed out across the world of Middle. It was more than just some odd chants. It was a Word of Power spoken by Destiny's envoy. His words had the power to make things so.

As the power rippled, Kyros and Mechiel were lost in the world of wielding the Celestial Code. But then he sensed it.

The meditation of the two stopped.

Everyone who was a Fate Challenger felt it as well.

Aron, Mezal, Branze, Diana, and Martha stopped from their respective training.

Martha emerged from the Separated Realm, for even in that world, she felt it.

The Coven stood up, and the Emberdons paused as they sensed it. Then, they all began to move into the center of the Temple. Many of those who have Fate Challenger felt a dreadful fear.

"We... We are...?" Hunter moved and asked Kyros to confirm if he was feeling was true.

"We are sure to die. Destiny has cursed us, and the workings are so strong that it's clearly telling us that we will die. It's not just you. We also have it. Don't worry about it. It's just Destiny taunting us." Aron sneered.

"It's more than that, brother. It's not just a taunt. It feels like this is our reality.

The power was so clear that it gave everyone a clear sensation of death. They knew that a curse was placed on them.

"Oh? Is Destiny going all out? Do you feel it, guys? Whatever powers he used to arrange our demise and the traps he set, they are happening now. If we survive this, we get... roughly a year? No! Two years! Two years of no obstruction from Destiny!" Kyros stood up.

"That's a nice vacation." Mezal smiled.

Most of the soldiers, the lizards, the skeletons, and the other races that had joined the alliance felt a weakening in their bodies.

"My power is actually affected. This curse is weakening us and draining us of our might." Branze felt it.

"This is probably a powerful curse. Destiny is going all out and wants to kill right here, right now." Kyros chuckled.

"This curse is very difficult to counter. It will decrease our chances of victory by a large margin." Branze frowned.

"I guess I have no choice. Fate is also prodding me to do that too."

"Do what?" Branze asked.

"Now I know why I was given such heavy curses and restrictions. It seems Fate was already training me to bear such heavyweights all my life so that when the real curses come, it won't affect me. So, Calaminus. Upload my Soul Console to the Temple. And I want you to radiate this power into the time-acceleration magic you are using."

"Oh? You mean you will use your soul to help them fight this?"

"The curse summoned her is similar to [De-Might], [De-Magic] and [De-spacito].I've already broken them. I will now teach everyone how to break it." Kyros then channeled the power within him, and Heretic Teacher appeared.

"Oh? A lesson from my son? This should be interesting." Branze smiled.

"Everyone, listen up. It's now time for me to deliver my first-ever lecture!"