Chapter 308: Against the skies

"Do you know now?" The lord spirit asked with matching cool in his tone, to which the boy simply nodded.

"Yes. I know, now. I can remember now." Aiden answered with a newfound boldness, assurance behind his voice. 

A surge of memories, from another life, somewhat matching the visions in the Pocket World was once again unlocked in his mind. He could remember again finally, up to the very last moments of his life. 

Whilst there was some obvious difference like he didn't have all his supernatural powers and his explosive strength, he still did all he could to protect everyone in that fated banquet. In the end, he did manage to make sure that his friends and childhood love escape the room, even going so far as shielding them from the inevitable gunfire that erupted mostly due to his actions.

Before his eyes rolled back and life left him on the cold banquet floor, the very last thing he saw was the troubled gazes of his friends as they forcefully pulled the wailing Kat out of the room. As the light gradually faded to darkness, he just glimpsed on the array of steel boots as they charged into the room. The carnage that exploded in the hall slowly turning into a faint echo in the recesses of his mind...

However, when the light of life left his youthful body he found himself in a place very similar to the one he was currently in. A dark, empty world, void of all life and ultimately, meaning. 

He floated there for an indeterminate amount of time, all lonely and without any reason, before suddenly a bright ripple appeared in front of him, slowly expanding and forming a gateway. At the rippling surface of the magical gateway, a world unlike any other expanded before him: Bright blinding light wherever he could see. He could vaguely make out, transparent-looking figures floating around the endless white foam that served as the floor to this magical palace.

Milky white smooth walls, with beautiful, ornate window frames looking over yonder to the endless heaven all around. 

Squinting he could just barely make out small transparent figures of distinct shapes and sizes as they floated in the endless, majestic halls of this wondrous endless structure. 

Despite the serene sight, Aiden at that time was hesitant to go through. He was skeptical, what was this place? Where did it come from? Why now? And most importantly, what was the space, the world he was currently 'existing' in?

His sudden thirst for knowledge was soon quelled, as a majestic bass boomed throughout the empty dark space he resided in. The low-toned royal shout was masculine, belonging to a being that clearly had power over these empty domains.

"Come to me. We have much to discuss."

The next moments, as he accepted the strange invitation and stepped through the heavenly portal, he couldn't recall. They were still a blurry, fuzzy mess, but what was clear was that, is that in this meeting, he met someone known as Ioris, an existence closest to being called a True God, presiding over the lives and deaths across multiple worlds, or multiverses. 

Under his gaze, no soul could cross the Gates unjudged, every living being was an open book to its omniscient eyes. Every single one, except his. 

Aiden couldn't recall the exact conversation nor how this being of light actually looked like, but he could recall the very first words of his companion, Enya:

"The reason he pulled you from the Gate of Life and Death after your unfortunate demise, was because your soul called to him. It was shining in a golden light, something that in the zillions of years never happened before. He pulled you out from the Gate and you two talked. In short, you had a very strong desire to live, and you opted for a second chance at life."

Due to his decision, and the unique situation he was in, he was assigned a great destiny. He had a mission, he had to fix a mistake that happened due to the interference of other gods, beings that transcended that mortal shell, but still only lorded over their single realms. They were called Lesser Gods, creatures that once, countless millennia ago were simple mortals, walking the very same ground as he himself. 

He finally understood it all. The strange cycle of life, who he was, where did he come from, and what he was supposed to do.

These so-called gods, intervened, growing wary of a group of creatures. They had unlimited potential, birthed with the ability to continuously grow stranger simply by their continued existence. 

Feeling threatened, they decided to intervene. Through machinations they riled the rest of the world against them, easily influencing the lesser creature's unprotected minds. Selecting the strongest of each race, they created an army of champions, giving them a sliver of their own power, elevating them to a state of demi-gods.

With this combined force they waged a war, eventually pushing the last surviving remnants into that fated clash that caused the destruction of many souls from both sides.

After countless hours of a bloodied battle, the leader stood atop a hill made out of the bodies of his enemies. His body bloodied and battered, was now devoid of his once exotic armor. His obsidian blade was now painted in a dark scarlet color, but despite that, he still kept radiating his powerful battle intent, that incredibly dense aura that was reminiscent of his own, just at an entirely different level.

A top of the small hill of bodies, surrounded by the surviving demi-gods, the champions of the gods he looked coldly at the dark, vermillion sky. Raising his sword into the air, he yelled out a cold and cruel exclamation as his aura enfolded with newfound power one last time.

"YOU BASTARDS DARE CALL YOURSELVES GODS?! WHAT A JOKE! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF RATS, SCHEMING TO PRESERVE YOUR MEANINGLESS POWER!"

As if answering his words, the sky thundered, a dark bolt of lightning struck down trying to eradicate his very existence. However, their fury was thwarted. The incredibly dense aura surrounding the man's figure formed an invisible shield above him, blocking their judgment.

The skies raged in response, a tremendously powerful roar exploded high above, almost shattering the very fabric of space. The gods were clearly not happy of being called out by this meager ant.

"DO YOUR WORST, YOU BASTARDS! YOU MAY HAVE WON THIS BATTLE, BUT YOU HAVE NOT WON THIS WAR. MARK MY WORDS: WE WILL RETURN!" He exploded into boisterous laughter, causing the cold-looking armored, humanoid figures around him to look at him, wondering if in his dismay he has gone mad.

"YOU HAVE FAILED YOU MISERABLE RATS! MY LAST DESCENDANT WILL LIVE ON, AND YOU WILL NEVER FIND HIM!"

He continued to coldly laugh, guffawing towards the dark sky.

"WHEN HE RETURNS, THAT WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF YOUR END! HIS WRATH WILL BE TREMENDOUS, FOR HE IS SPECIAL!" 

The sky raged once again, an ear-shattering roar boomed high above the dark bloody clouds. Another dark bolt of lightning struck down followed by several others, but none could pierce through the thick barrier of energy.

"AHAHAHA THAT IS ALL YOU CAN DO! YOUR CRIES OF ANGUISH WILL BE MY RESPITE! MY SON WILL AVENGE HIS PEOPLE AND YOUR WORLD BUILT UPON LIES AND SCHEMING WILL CRUMBLE! THIS WORLD OF DARKNESS WILL FALL BEFORE HIS FEET!"

Expanding all of his remaining reserves, his aura exploded, his body bathed in a blinding golden light, masking his figure briefly, before a ring of energy expanded from his body, crashing into all the demi-god champions looking over him at the foot of his bloody hilltop.

They were thrown back several meters, violently crashing into the ground as the invisible, powerful force clashed with them.

Still, the leader ignored them, he continued yelling towards those residing over the skies.

"MARK MY WORDS: HE WILL COME FOR YOU. FOR HE IS MY BLOOD, MY SON... THE LAST PROTECTOR! HE WILL BE OUR CHAMPION, A REVENANT, AND AT THE SAME TIME OUR NEW PROGENITOR. FOR HE WILL BRING A NEW ERA, A NEW DAWN OVER THE GORY REMAINS OF YOUR DEAD BODIES!"

Ignoring the continuous angry roars exploding high in the skies, he pointed the tip of his weapon towards the closest champion, looking at him impassively.

"Come to me, puppets of your masters, and show me the limits of your faith. Let your blood cleanse my blade, so when my son returns, he could wield its power once more! COME!"

As the group surrounding the battered leader charged at him anger flashed across all of their faces, the vision gradually cleared, returning Aiden to the dark void of space, floating before the spirit of the leader.

Armed with all this new knowledge, Aiden wasn't sure what to say or do. He still had questions about how he woke up in that cave. What was special about him? How was all of this what he saw related to his past life?

The lord spirit was the first to break the intense silence engulfing both of them. The warm, gentle tone now had a newfound meaning, something that Aiden still couldn't properly process and place, causing him to look awkwardly at the spirit.

"Yes, Aiden. You who's wearing my very name, are of my blood. You are my kin, my beloved son."