Abyssal Sovereign: The Demon's Dominion

Chapter 32 The start of the war 2

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"Aaah…" Duchen grimaced in pain as his daughter tended to his wounds.

"Sorry, Dad. But what happened? Who are those people chasing us? Where's the church?" Ariya asked, her eyes wide with concern as she watched her father sweat through his pain.

Duchen tried to comfort her. "Ariya… I told you, leave it alone. It'll heal," he muttered, struggling to sound composed. After a few deep breaths, he answered her other questions.

"It's the church chasing us…"

"What?!" Ariya recoiled in shock. "Did you betray them? Dad, how could you? Are you a traitor now?"

Her voice trembled, her hands sweaty, and her expression twisted with confusion and fear. She backed away from him.

Duchen's jaw tightened as he looked at his daughter. "They've brainwashed you," he thought, gritting his teeth. He attempted to stand, despite the sharp pain shooting through his body. The cave where they sheltered had been a temporary respite, thanks to the rain that helped them shake off their pursuers.

"Sit down, dear," Duchen said, his voice strained as he struggled to his feet.

Guilt flickered through Ariya as she saw her father's pain. Reluctantly, she helped him back down. "Alright, Dad. Just tell me what's going on."

Duchen began to explain, his words heavy and deliberate. Ariya's expression shifted as he spoke, growing colder the more she heard.

"Stop," she said sharply, cutting him off. She closed her eyes, her face hardening with anger. Duchen fell silent, bewildered by her sudden change in demeanor.

"Don't speak against the church, Dad. You've always told me how they took you in when you were an orphan, how they nurtured you. Is this how you repay them?"

Duchen's heart sank. "What…?" His voice faltered, his face showing disbelief. His own daughter was calling him a liar. How deep had their conditioning gone?

"If the church demands it… if my God needs me, I'll gladly die for them," Ariya declared, her clothes soaked from the rain. Though she was strong enough not to feel the cold, she was shaking with anger.

"Ariya… are you still my daughter?" Duchen asked, his heart heavy with grief.

"I was," Ariya said, her voice sharp as a blade. Without another word, she turned and walked away.

"Hey! I did this for you!" Duchen called after her, his voice filled with desperation. "To secure your future, to give you a chance in life!"

"The church gave me life," Ariya retorted, stopping at the cave's entrance. "I owe them everything. Have you forgotten? Mom was pregnant and near her due date when she was poisoned—because of you. Because of your arrogance. And when she was dying, giving birth to me, you were nowhere to be found.

You were off with another woman."

Duchen's voice cracked. "I've explained this before, Ariya. I was under an enemy's hallucination. I thought I was with your mother…"

"You missed my birth, Dad. And when Mom died because of you, you took off on a mission that lasted a decade just to avoid facing me. The church has been, and will always be, my family," Ariya said coldly before walking out.

"I…" Duchen reached out after her, but the injuries he had been suppressing finally overcame him, and he collapsed, unconscious.

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At the city walls, Void gazed out at the horde of monsters assembling. Behind him, Linkir stood with her head bowed.

"Look at this world. Soon, it will be turned to dust," Void said softly.

"Yes, Master," Linkir replied, lifting her head. A strange dread crept through her as memories of her village flooded back—how they had cared for her, the joy and laughter, and the eventual betrayal. Now, Void was her master. He had tortured her, twisted her, and yet, here she was, obedient.

Her eyes slowly dulled, losing their luster. Void noticed this change, watching her transformation into a hollow shell. He sighed. "She isn't a pure demon after all… We're both orphans now."

Void's gaze shifted upwards, beyond the sky, as if he were looking into the vastness of space itself. "I will be strong enough to decide my own life and death," he vowed, clenching his fist.

Turning to Linkir, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Master. The Abyss is my new home, and you are my family," she said, a glint returning to her eyes. This brought a strange sense of satisfaction to Void.

"Wait… emotions? Aren't demons stripped of unnecessary feelings?" Void mused to himself, confused. "Is this because I was once human? Or is it just excitement?"

He chuckled as his mind calmed down. "It's time."

A sudden notification appeared on Void's HUD as the creatures from another universe launched their attack. The world trembled under the impact.

"And so it begins," Void whispered, smiling as he vanished, with Linkir following closely behind.

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In the forest, Ariya walked toward a nearby city. She was nearing her destination, a place from which she could return to the church. But doubt lingered in her mind—her father, the church, who to trust? She couldn't help but hate her father for the things he had done, and yet… the questions gnawed at her.

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The church had always been good to her. They did everything they could to find a cure, but the poison within her was incurable.

Just as Ariya was about to leave the forest, the ground beneath her began to tremble. "What's this?" she murmured, her earlier inner conflict vanishing. She didn't have to wait long to discover the cause. A massive horde of creatures was advancing toward the city ahead, and among them, she spotted a few Rank 1 monsters. These creatures were unlike the native ones she had encountered before.

"What... what is happening?" Ariya asked herself, eyes wide as she watched the two sides clash violently in the distance.

Meanwhile, Void and Linkir appeared at the heart of the city, preparing for their next move. Unlike the first war, this one would be much longer—and its outcome would decide whether this world survived or perished.

Void glanced toward a lone building. It was the auction house.

"I just hope my gamble pays off," Void muttered as he shifted into his demon form. A towering figure, 32 meters tall, emerged, its mere presence enough to inspire fear. The aura he released caused even the bravest of warriors to shudder.

**On the battlefield**:

Louyan watched the ongoing battle below, where Rank 0 soldiers clashed, while the Rank 1 fighters remained on standby. His frown deepened as he assessed the situation. The numbers of these otherworldly creatures were far greater than theirs.

As the leaders evaluated the battle, they all felt a sudden surge of power behind them—a demigod's aura, strong and undeniable.

"Hold the front, I'll investigate," said the only demigod present, vanishing in an instant.

Louyan turned toward the source of the aura and scowled. "Are you from another world, or are you...?" he trailed off, his expression shifting.

"Well, you're just a demigod. You won't change the course of this war alone," Louyan muttered before refocusing on the battle ahead.

**Back at the heart of the city**:

Void waited, watching the auction house for movement. When nothing happened, he grinned and drew his sword. The blade, now a mere 8 meters long, looked small in his massive hands—until Void touched it.

He felt a part of himself drain into the sword, causing it to expand until it reached 17 meters in length.

"Perfect," Void smirked. Spotting a prey, he vanished.

He reappeared before the demigod, who gasped in shock.

"Oh, hello—and goodbye," Void said with a wicked grin as he swung his sword down. The demigod didn't even have time to scream before being erased from existence, not even a trace of ash left behind.

"Nice," Void chuckled, his eyes gleaming. He then turned his gaze toward the humans below, who were staring up at the giant demon with a wing span of 80 meters.

Wasting no time, Void launched his assault. He had a city to clear out and many more waiting. He planned to summon a vast army of demons from the Abyss, gathering countless souls while subtly aiding the creatures from the other world.

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**At the Church of Light**:

The Pope of Light was growing anxious. Every other god had awakened, except theirs.

*Shhzz...*

Five figures appeared before him, kneeling on one knee. The absence of Ariya gave the Pope an uneasy feeling.

"Where is she?" the Pope demanded, his voice heavy with anger.

"Forgive us, my lord. We lost them," the leader said, his head bowed in shame.

"You lost them? And Duchen? You didn't kill him either?" the Pope's voice rose, barely able to contain his fury.

"We... we couldn't. A storm came up, and he escaped into a forest. We lost track of him after that," the leader stammered.

"Useless fools! Five false gods, and not one of you could kill him? Why are you even here? Search every inch of that forest!" the Pope commanded, his anger blazing. (Reminder: False gods = Peak Rank 1.)

"Yes, my lord!" the five figures stood, ready to leave, but a deep voice echoed through the chamber.

"Don't bother. I'll have to substitute by destroying an entire kingdom. Be quick. I need to finish building my body."

They all bowed.

"You heard our Lord! Summon the Platinum Guards and annihilate the nearest village. Leave no survivors, and drain their blood here. Move quickly, and don't fail me again, or you will be erased," the Pope of Light warned.

"Yes, my lord!" the five figures vanished.

"Let's just hope the other side's powerhouses don't attack us yet," the Pope muttered, his heart heavy with worry.

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**At a Forbidden Zone**:

"We have enough blood, but we're lacking in souls," one of the 12 figures surrounding a rune spoke. He brought out a banner. "Our Lord gave me this to collect souls."

"We won't need to kill again. There's a war out there with some other world. Perfect for us. Our Lord will clean them all up," the high elder laughed, and the rest joined in, their smiles twisted and unnatural.

"Let's begin," one of the figures said, planting the banner at the center of the rune.

The rune glowed as the massive blood pools were absorbed into its lines, turning them a deep crimson red.

A small whirlpool formed around the banner, steadily growing in size, and the 12 figures grinned—until their bodies began to shrivel.

"What's happening?"

"Help!"

"Our Lord! Will you kill your loyal servants?"

"No!"

"Don't!"

"Run!"

Those were the last words spoken before all 12 figures collapsed into skeletons, which then disintegrated into ash, their souls absorbed.

The whirlpool continued to grow until it consumed the entire forbidden zone, draining the blood and souls of every creature within.

Then, a small portal opened, slowly expanding. A chilling voice echoed through the air.

"Ah... what a rich, vibrant world. The souls... hehe... and they're at war, no less. Perfect."

A faint figure began to emerge from the portal.

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Big shout out to foxy tail, ultra man, bloodt8 and smiley maskman for the powerstones. Thanks for you support and thank you for adding this novel to your collections. What are your thoughts on ariya .., . what being is coming?