Chapter 317: Divine Descent

Far away from the rogue planet in a different universe where Arthur remained imprisoned, an entirely different event was unfolding within Thyrandel. Deep inside at the heart of the imperial capital of one the most powerful human empires, the headquarters of the Order of the Church stood like a beacon of faith, the atmosphere was unlike anything witnessed in centuries. 

The massive cathedral that served as the heart of the Order had been closed to the public since dawn. Tens of thousands of believers knelt outside the sacred grounds, praying continuously while priests moved through the crowds distributing blessings and assuring everyone that today would become a day forever recorded in history. 

Inside the cathedral itself, every high ranking member of the Church had gathered. Cardinals dressed in robes embroidered with divine runes stood in orderly rows while dozens of Archbishops and Popes representing the various Churches maintained solemn expressions. 

At the very front stood Pope St. Linus, the representative of the Church of the Goddess of Light and the highest ranking authority currently present within the Order. His aged face remained calm, though even he couldn't completely suppress the anticipation hidden within his eyes. 

News from the recent war had shaken the entire Church. Although they had publicly claimed that the miraculous destruction of the invading demon armies had been the direct intervention of the gods, the truth was that even they didn't fully understand what had occurred. Nevertheless, something far more significant was about to happen today. For the first time in countless generations, true gods would descend upon the mortal plane.

The Order of the church believed due to the invasion of the demons their gods were assisting them as a few days ago a demon with the power beyond demigod had descended on the battlefield and was wreaking havoc. 

But what they didn't know was that the barrier between Thyrandel and the divine realm was weakening, and that led to the gods to descend. Though only minor gods were able to descend on the planet for now, the major gods could wait a few more months for the barrier to weaken further. 

…

At the center of the enormous cathedral floor lay a formation that ordinary mages could never comprehend. It occupied nearly the entire hall, countless concentric circles woven together with millions of intricate divine runes. Every line had been carved using materials gathered over thousands of years while enormous Divine Crystals had been embedded at strategic locations to stabilize the formation. 

The structure resembled the summoning arrays once used to bring otherworlders into Thyrandel, yet the complexity differed by several orders of magnitude. The weight carried by a true god's existence vastly exceeded that of any mortal. Without such an elaborate formation, the moment a deity attempted to descend, the surrounding space would collapse beneath the pressure alone. 

Silence filled the cathedral as every eye fixed upon the dormant array. Then, without warning, every rune ignited simultaneously. Brilliant golden light flooded the hall while waves of divine power spread outward in every direction and the air itself began trembling. 

Space distorted above the formation as a colossal pillar of light descended from the heavens, connecting the Divine Realm with the mortal world. Even the Popes who had devoted their entire lives to serving the gods couldn't hide their astonishment. Many instinctively lowered their heads, unable to endure the overwhelming divinity filling the cathedral.

The pillar of light gradually subsided and five figures slowly emerged from within it. The moment their feet touched the formation, the entire cathedral became so silent that even breathing sounded loud. Every priest, cardinal, bishop, and pope immediately fell to one knee without the slightest hesitation. 

Even the strongest Transcended rank experts present instinctively lowered their heads. Before them stood five true gods. They appeared outwardly no different from ordinary humans, yet every movement naturally harmonized with the surrounding world. Their mere presence caused mana throughout the cathedral to become incomparably denser. 

The man standing at the front wore white robes trimmed with golden patterns that glowed like flowing sunlight. His silver hair reached his shoulders while calm golden eyes surveyed the kneeling congregation without arrogance or warmth. 

Beside him stood a graceful woman whose pale blue robes seemed woven from moonlight itself. Her silver hair drifted gently despite the absence of any wind, and within her deep azure eyes countless stars appeared to flicker endlessly. 

The remaining three gods possessed equally extraordinary appearances, one radiating flames from his hair, another carrying an overwhelming aura of life, while the last seemed surrounded by countless tiny arcs of divine lightning. 

Pope St. Linus stepped forward respectfully before lowering himself once more. "This humble servant greets the honored gods. May your divine radiance illuminate all creation."

The leading god regarded him quietly before speaking in a calm voice that echoed throughout every corner of the cathedral despite never rising above a conversational tone. "Rise, Linus." The Pope obeyed immediately but continued keeping his head lowered respectfully. 

The god glanced around the hall before asking, "Report the current situation. How fares the war against the demons?" 

St. Linus took a slow breath before answering carefully. "Honored Lord, the invasion initially progressed far worse than anticipated. The demons launched simultaneous assaults upon nearly every border city while drawing most of our strongest forces toward defending the capital. Countless cities were besieged, and we feared the kingdom itself might fall." 

The goddess clothed in blue tilted her head slightly. "Yet I sense the mortal continent remains stable." St. Linus nodded immediately. "Yes, Lady Lunette. A miracle occurred several days ago." He hesitated briefly before continuing. "Throughout the borderlands, countless blue flames descended from the heavens and entire demonic armies vanished within minutes. Every siege collapsed simultaneously, allowing reinforcements to reach the capital. Soon afterward, the remaining demon forces retreated." 

Several of the gods exchanged brief glances. The god surrounded by flames frowned faintly. "Blue flames?" 

St. Linus nodded again. "That is correct, Lord Ignis. We investigated afterward but found no trace of the caster. Naturally... the Church informed the faithful that the gods had answered humanity's prayers." 

A faint smile appeared on the leading god's lips. "You handled the situation appropriately. Regardless of who truly intervened, preserving humanity's faith serves the interests of the Divine Realm."

Another Cardinal cautiously stepped forward before bowing deeply. "Honored gods, may this humble servant ask... has the Divine Realm finally decided to intervene directly against the demons?" 

The leading god remained silent for several moments before replying, "The barrier separating the Divine Realm from this world has weakened considerably. Even now, its stability continues declining for reasons we have yet to determine." 

His expression gradually became more serious. "Within several months, Lady Theia and other Major Gods would be entering the mortal realm so prepare well." 

Excited whispers immediately spread among the Church officials before quickly dying away. Every person present understood the significance of those words. The era during which the gods remained distant spectators was nearing its end. Humanity would soon walk beneath the direct guidance of the Divine Realm once more. 

Pope St. Linus respectfully asked, "Then... what are your intentions, Honored Lord?" The leading god calmly answered, "We shall first stabilize the current war and prevent further demonic expansion. Preparations must also begin for the eventual descent of the higher pantheon." He paused briefly before adding, "The faithful need not concern themselves with the remaining matters."

Naturally, the gods chose not to elaborate further. None of the mortals present needed to know their true purpose for descending into Thyrandel this early, the demon invasion merely provided convenient justification, they would be taken care when the various pantheons descend. Their actual mission carried far greater importance. 

Somewhere within this world existed Augustus... the rogue Demigod who had escaped the control of the Divine Realm. His continued freedom represented an unacceptable variable. Orders from above had been explicit. Locate Augustus, capture him alive if possible or eliminate him if necessary. 

The leading god saw no reason to burden mortal believers with such knowledge. Once preparations had been finalized, the five gods turned toward the cathedral's entrance. St. Linus hurriedly bowed once more. "May the blessings of the Divine Realm accompany your journey." 

Without another word, brilliant divine light enveloped the five figures before they vanished from the cathedral entirely. Moments later, the faithful gathered outside erupted into joyous celebration after witnessing five rays of divine light ascending into the sky. 

Throughout the Human Continent, church bells rang continuously while priests proclaimed that the gods had truly descended to protect humanity. None of them realized that the fate of the entire world had quietly begun shifting in directions none could yet imagine.

High above the clouds, the five gods traveled through the skies of Thyrandel at speeds impossible for mortals to perceive. Vast kingdoms passed beneath them in mere moments while divine power concealed their presence from ordinary senses. 

For a long time none of them spoke. Eventually, the leading god glanced toward the woman dressed in pale blue robes. "Lunette." She immediately looked toward him. "Yes?" 

The leading god's expression remained thoughtful. "Do not attempt to scry Augustus directly." Lunette's brows rose slightly. "You believe he could detect it?" 

"Perhaps," the leading god replied. "Perhaps not, but Augustus has remained at the Demigod rank for more than a thousand years, underestimating him would be foolish. Even a failed divination might alert him that we are searching." 

Lunette slowly nodded. "Then how do you suggest we proceed?" The leading god looked toward the distant horizon before answering, "Every fugitive eventually leaves traces behind. If Augustus himself cannot be observed... observe someone connected to him instead." He paused briefly before continuing. "Search for his closest blood relative."

Lunette closed her eyes immediately. Gentle silver light flowed from her fingertips as countless intricate divine runes materialized around her body. Unlike ordinary divination spells, this technique directly consulted the threads of fate woven throughout creation itself. 

Minutes passed in complete silence while the remaining gods patiently waited. Eventually the silver light surrounding Lunette gradually faded. She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze immediately turning toward the western horizon. "I found someone," she said softly. The leading god folded his arms. 

"Show us." Without speaking further, Lunette raised one elegant hand. A shimmering image condensed above her palm. Within the floating projection appeared a young woman with purple hair standing peacefully within a beautiful garden surrounded by a few others. "She possesses the strongest blood connection I could locate nearby," Lunette explained. "If Augustus still remains within this world... this woman will eventually lead us to him." 

The leading god studied the projection for several moments before nodding once. "Good." His gaze shifted toward the distant island barely visible beyond the ocean. "Then we will begin there." The image dissolved into countless particles of light. 

Without another word, the five gods accelerated simultaneously, their divine auras disappearing beyond the horizon as they flew directly toward Avalon, completely unaware that a nasty surprise awaited them.

***

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