The Broken Halo

Chapter 970 - 969: His Majesty’s Orders

The God of Light brought a small black mirror out of his radiance and set it on the table. A silver rim enclosed its surface. He fed divine power into it, lighting the marks engraved along the edge.

Blackmoon’s recording disappeared.

Then a woman’s voice came through.

”So. Have you finished arguing?”

All six gods bowed.

The God of War’s spears lowered with him. Blue clouds bent toward the table, silver chains descended, and the Lady of Graves’s lamps sank almost to the floor. Even the Keeper of Ashes bowed deeply.

”We greet you, my lady,” the God of Light said.

The others followed. She gave no acknowledgement.

”A World-Sovereign Physique,” she said. ”You descended into a vessel like that and couldn’t kill a newly awakened Daemon.”

The God of War did not straighten or make any extra movement to express the emotions in his heart.

”Then a mortal girl had to die so you could escape. Disgusting.”

Anger burned beneath his iron-grey radiance. He had already endured the others laughing at his failure. Being made to apologise before them would give them something else to enjoy.

But he would not argue with her.

No.

He dare not argue with her.

”Forgive my failure.”

”I have no interest in your apology. Listen carefully.”

The God of War lowered himself farther.

”You are to strengthen humanity. An era of war and ruin is approaching. Worlds will burn. Death, bloodshed, and chaos will reach every corner of existence. Even the Divine Realm is no exception.”

A link struck another among the Keeper of Oaths’s chains.

The Storm Lord’s cloud contracted. Nobody asked which worlds she meant. The warning included places they had considered beyond danger, including their own.

”My lady,” the God of Light asked, ”what must we do to prevent it?”

”Prevent it?”

Her brief laugh made his radiance falter.

”That is what His Majesty wants.”

Ash settled around the Keeper of Ashes’s seat. Every god present knew whom she meant by His Majesty.

The One.

”But the Balance,” the Keeper of Oaths said carefully. ”We have spent so long maintaining it between humanity and the demons. Are we to abandon it?”

”His Majesty will have what He wants. You do not question His decisions.”

”My apologies. I only wished to understand the new instructions.”

”Then listen instead of interrupting.”

His chains settled.

The Lady of Graves waited before speaking.

”What are your instructions concerning Blackmoon and the Daemons?”

The mirror gave no answer for several breaths.

Then the woman said, ”There is a human His Majesty has taken an interest in.”

An image rose above the table.

A boy stood with a broken sword in his hand. His shirt was torn, his face streaked with dirt. Nothing in his appearance explained why someone like her would mention him.

”Rowan Grey.”

The God of War studied him.

”You should recognise him,” she continued. ”His parents died when you and Blackmoon crashed into his village.”

He searched his memories.

During the pursuit, he had cared about the blade catching up with him and the temples he might reach. The villages between them had barely deserved a glance.

But those moments were preserved.

A ruined doorway. A woman beneath fallen masonry. A boy holding a sword.

He had been there.

”I remember him.”

”Try remembering more than your own humiliation in future. It might save us some time.”

The God of War remained silent, but the flames of anger burned in his heart.

The God of Light examined the image.

”Is this the human His Majesty intends to use against Blackmoon?”

”Yes.”

”He has yet to cultivate.”

”He possesses the potential of the previous Hero of Earth... Perhaps even more.”

The God of Light fell silent. Across the table, the Storm Lord’s lightning ceased.

They remembered the first Hero of Earth very well. More gods than these six had gathered to discuss that man, and they had met repeatedly. Every new account of his growth had forced another discussion about how to preserve their carefully managed Balance.

Given enough time, he could have surpassed every god in this chamber.

Now they were being shown another human with the same possibility.

The Keeper of Ashes looked from Rowan’s image to the mirror.

”Are we to raise more humans like him?”

”You are to raise humans capable of fighting Daemons.”

”How quickly?” the Keeper of Oaths asked. ”Even with our support, their growth-”

”Must I explain everything?”

He stopped.

”The previous Hero lived through constant war. He fought, survived, learned, and fought again. That was the greatest reason he became so powerful. Do you think he would have grown as quickly sitting peacefully in a city?”

”No, my lady.”

”Then give humanity something to fight over.”

The Storm Lord’s cloud spread a little.

”Conflict between human territories?”

”Wherever it produces useful results. Open your treasuries. Release the weapons and resources you have been keeping from them. Give them opportunities worth risking their lives for.”

The Lady of Graves brought her lamps closer to her seat.

”And use their greed,” the woman continued. ”You have watched them for centuries. Surely you know what they will do when someone else gets something they wanted.”

The God of Light had several kingdoms in mind already.

”Use the System. Give quests to people whose ambitions will cause conflict. Increase the rewards. Put resources within reach of those capable of taking them.”

”We can arrange that,” the God of Light said.

”You can also give out more Blessings. Tell your pantheons to select more humans. Make your Demi-Gods do the same instead of tending only to their favourites.”

The Keeper of Oaths gathered the reports lying before him.

”The existing restrictions on rewards and selection?”

”Loosen them. His Majesty wants stronger humans.”

”And the losses?” the Lady of Graves asked.

”Keep enough alive to grow stronger. I am asking you to prepare an army, not empty the world.”

None of them mistook that for concern.

”You have worshippers begging outside your temples every day. Give some of them what they ask for, then put them to work.”

The God of War finally lifted his head.

”We will begin immediately.”

”See that you do. If the results please His Majesty, He will reward you.”

Her voice became almost pleasant.

”He will open a path beyond the one you now follow.”

The silver chains lifted.

”Beyond our present paths?” the Keeper of Oaths asked.

”You heard me. Try to earn it instead of asking me to say it twice.”

”Yes, my lady.”

The Storm Lord spoke before she could continue.

”The Iron Pantheon will be informed at once. We have candidates who were denied Blessings under the old restrictions.”

”As does the Dawn Pantheon,” the God of Light said.

The Lady of Graves offered her own assurance. Even the Keeper of Ashes leaned toward the mirror. The effort of training mortals suddenly seemed a very small price for something none of them had managed to obtain alone.

The woman’s next words cut across their eagerness.

”Leave Blackmoon alone for now.”

The God of War’s nearest spear jerked.

”His Majesty says he will remain in the Demon Realm for some time. Use that time to strengthen humanity. There will be no expedition to seize his weapons.”

The God of Light drew the reports closer, covering the capture proposal.

”And The Abyss?” he asked.

”The Daemons wish to rise again. Too many have forgotten how they ended up hiding in the first place. His Majesty has decided they should be reminded.”

Her tone left no room for the negotiation they had spent the meeting anticipating.

”Humans will be the first weapons used against them. Most Daemons are crippled without a Seed of Sin. With proper preparation, humanity can fight them.”

”And defeat them?” the Storm Lord asked.

”That depends on how well you do your work. Perhaps the humans will be enough.”

”And if they aren’t?”

”You will fight.”

The enthusiasm around the table diminished.

”Prepare yourselves as well. Whenever His Majesty makes a decision like this, lesser beings die. Being called gods will not spare you.”

The God of War’s spears drew closer to his concealed body.

”You have been worshipped for so long that some of you have become confused about your duties,” she continued. ”You are farmers and shepherds tending His Majesty’s lands. The livestock under your care must be raised properly and kept ready for His use.”

The God of Light remained bowed.

”Your treasuries are there to help you do that work. Spend what is needed. Stop behaving as though the farm belongs to you.”

”We understand,” the Keeper of Oaths said.

”Good.”

Rowan’s image turned above the table, the broken sword catching the light.

”What should we do about the boy?” the God of Light asked. ”Does His Majesty wish him brought somewhere?”

”His Majesty will handle Rowan Grey.”

The God of Light bowed again.

”And should the boy refuse His Majesty’s grace, as the previous Hero did unknowingly?” the Lady of Graves asked.

”Then we will use him for whatever he is good for and discard him afterward. Unless His Majesty says otherwise.”

The answer came without hesitation.

”His Majesty will not waste His time begging a human to accept what he is offered.”

”Understood, my lady.”

The other gods answered as well.

”Inform your pantheons. Begin the selections and prepare the quests. I do not want to hear that you spent this time arguing over whose followers deserved the better rewards.”

The God of Light promised obedience.

”Do not delay. The next time Blackmoon enters Earth, the chaos will begin. Make certain humanity is ready.”

The silver marks along the mirror’s rim went dark.

Rowan’s image vanished.

For a while, none of the six gods moved. The God of Light had not even reached to put the mirror away.

Then the God of War spoke under his breath.

”Fuck.”