Killing
The four elemental planes surged, becoming the essence of a seal powered by the cries of the gods. Even then, Distorted Shadow’s laughter was more piercing than everything else.
“Before this… Were you the one who revealed the two-world plan and caused the fall of the Chaos Lord and Evil Filthy Eye?” Struck by a powerful weapon like Eicher’s Thorn, Leylin now looked rather pale. Still his eyes emanated a brilliant lustre, even as his truesoul of original sin was weakening and the phantom hydra behind him withering away.
“Yes,” Distorted Shadow did not hesitate at all, “Who told the Chaos Lord to block my path? The law of chaos belongs to me!
“Besides, only the fall of two peak rank 8s could show my sincerity. I even tried to scheme against you, but…” Distorted Shadow glanced at Leylin, as if disappointed at his failure in doing Leylin harm.
“So, during the Magus Conference, did you use the power of distortion to cheat the oath?” Leylin deduced.
“That’s right! Ask me if there’s anything else you’re unsure of, I’ll tell you everything. Whatever it is, from hereon, all traces of your existence shall be completely wiped out. You shan’t even exist in the river of space and time…”
“There’s nothing else!” A smile appeared on Leylin’s face, causing Distorted Shadow to suddenly have a bad premonition, “You lot heard this, right?”
“Yes, very clearly!” A couple of whistles sounded in the air, and another Nightmare Hydra came into the shattered space. Numerous peak rank 8 Magi made their way here, protected by the power of original sin.
The Darkness Lord, the Tree of Life, the Blood Knight… Even another Leylin appeared, seeming completely unharmed.
“You…” The appearance of so many peak rank 8 Magi seemed to destroy the gods’ glory, and Distorted Shadow shouted in derangement.
“Did you think that just your powers of distortion could deceive the truesoul of a being of laws?” The Leylin next to Mother Core sneered furtively, his body dispersing and turning into a dark bloody mist of original sin. “Even if I specifically showed you this move, you failed to consider I might be using it…”
Leylin looked at Distorted Shadow like one would at a moron, and the Magus started to cry out in insanity, “Impossible! Why did it turn out this way? I already used the power of distortion to deceive your soul… NO! ORIGINAL SIN!”
“You finally noticed?” Leylin gazed at Distorted Shadow with pity in his eyes, “Your power of distortion lost to my power of original sin in the contest, and I fooled your truesoul…”
“How… how’s that possible?” Distorted Shadow was most proficient at using the power of distortion to silently affect other beings. Planting a seed of distortion in Cyric, corroding and devouring Ignox, and his various setups for Leylin were all proof of this.
However, with Seven Sins supporting it, the power of original sin had extraordinary effect on the mind. In the clash of these two forces, Distorted Shadow had been defeated completely. He’d failed to deceive Leylin’s soul, instead being trapped under an illusion himself to reveal all his schemes.
Being defeated in the area he was most proud of, and defecting in front of so many Magi, this was the greatest humiliation and blow Distorted Shadow ever had ever faced in his life.
“I will kill you, all of you…” Distorted Shadow had completely gone insane.
“I should be the one saying that! I shall be the one to judge you for your sins!” Leylin waved his hand.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!* The eight Lords of Calamity appeared one after the other, followed by the A.I. Chip clone and the Snake Dowager. The number of rank 8 existences present caused the gods to turn grim. For the sake of victory, and his own safety, Leylin hadn’t hesitated to give up his swamps and gather all his people here.
“In the name of the Allied Magus Conference, I hereby announce that Distorted Shadow has renounced the path of truth and given up on the glory of the Magi. He is no longer fit to be called a Magus!” The Darkness Lord announced, “From hereon, Distorted Shadow is a lapdog of the gods, and the enemy of the Magi!”
“The plan failed. Retreat!” Silvanus’ conscient descended with green light, “Save your strength!”
“What are we waiting for? Now’s the best time! If we take them out we’ll save hundreds of years in the war!” Leylin leapt out and exclaimed, Seven Sins emanating a demonic luster.
“Everyone, act according to plan!” the clone bellowed, light flashing in its eyes. Although the Lords of Calamity were strong, they had to join forces to survive amidst peak rank 8s and greater gods.
“With the bloodline as a foundation!” The Snake Dowager opened her arms, and the ball of snakes that was her true body appeared, hissing and roaring as it surged with bloodline force.
“With the power of calamity as the structure!” The eight Lords of Calamity roared in range, forming eight different nodes of a formation as they balanced perfectly with the snakes.
“Bloodline Calamity!” The A.I. Chip clone was at the centre, using its terrifying computing abilities to tune the might of the nine beings of law. It synergised bloodline force and the powers of calamity, forming the ultimate killing move.
Crimson crystals fell from the sky like snow, immediately defending against the attacks of Tyr and Tempus. It created a unique space around it, possessing a trace of spacetime power that separated the two gods from Gale Gorge.
Leylin soon moved out, Seven Sins in the form of a crossblade. He guided the uncountable crystals in the sky, sending them hurling down on the gods like hail.
“Prideguard!” Seven Sins turned into an armour that deflected Tempus’ final attack. Leylin then drove the crossblade that carried the power of blood and calamity through his forehead, destroying his truesoul. Silence in Death activated, ensuring no chance of Tempus ever resurrecting again.
“Vile Magus! You have killed yet another of our ranks. Even the Styx cannot wash you of your sins!” Tyr bellowed, but he continued to retreat. The only thing he was feeling now was regret. If he could go back in time, he swore he’d have given everything to kill Leylin at all costs.
However, Leylin did not give him this chance.
“Tyr, Mystra’s ally… Today marks the end of our conflict!” Seven Sins morphed through its various forms, eventually settling to become a black horned hammer.
“Fury Amplification!” “Blessing Of Greed!” The hammer crushed down, carrying a power that could destroy everything. Tyr screamed like a damsel in distress, as he frantically fled backwards, but he couldn’t escape the joint attack of ten rank 8s, countless crimson crystals sealing off his path causing him to accept his fate.
*Boom!* The divine weapon in Tyr’s hands cracked in its clash with Seven Sins, unable to bear the burden. The hammer soon smashed Tyr’s head in, and destructive force ravaged the God of justice.
*Bang!* Everything soon returned to normal, but there were no more signs of Tyr in this world. Seven Sins cried in victory, its whole body shuddering to make its satisfaction known. Gluttony’s Devouring had absorbed the powers of two greater gods, actually making it feel bloated at the moment.
*Crash!* The barrier of spacetime broke apart, and Leylin moved out only to see a startled expression on Distorted Shadow’s face. He was in the midst of trying to break the barrier, trying to assist the two greater gods.
“Why? Are you that surprised?” Seven Sins turned into a fine longsword in Leylin’s hands, letting out a crisp ring.
“Tyr and Tempus, these two greater god actually died just like that…” It wasn’t just Distorted Shadow. The other gods, even the Darkness Lord Leylin had brought along was dumbfounded.
Distorted Shadow reacted quickly, giving up on the fight to retreat immediately. However, Leylin would never give him this chance.
“Seven Sins absorbed too much energy, let’s use this chance to unleash it!” The crimson barrier appeared once more, this time sealing Distorted Shadow. Leylin followed him in.
Seven Sins had a network of veins on its body right now, squirming with excess energy. Seeing Distorted Shadow ahead of it, it roared loudly.
“Energy release!”
……
The Battle of Gale Gorge would be passed down as an important turning point in the second Final War. The gods had lost Chauntea, Tyr, and Tempus, and their elemental gods were gravely injured. Their double agent had been hunted down and killed by Leylin as well, delivering a heavy blow.
From then on, the Magi used their various advantages to continue the war. As for Leylin, the main force in this battle, hymns of his prowess were passed down through the astral plane. His legend would not fade for millions of years.