A day later:
Vesuvius flapped his wings, soaring high above the clouds. Light and space warped around him, perfectly hiding his massive form from the eyes of mortals.
As he flew, he replayed one of the key parts of Lucifer's plan in his mind, his arrogant voice echoing in his head, "First, we need to distract as many angels as possible. For this, I've devised a diversion plan. We will launch attacks all over the material plane, targeting temples of the god of light. This will force the heavens to dispatch angel guards to the rest."
The dragon's breath crackled inside his throat. He flapped his wings once more, descending below the clouds to reveal a sprawling city below.
Ignoring the walls and central fortress, his eyes locked onto the enormous cathedral at its heart, its twin bell towers casting long shadows over the city. The ringing of the bells reverberated through the streets.
'They don't know what is coming.'
Vesuvius inhaled deeply, his chest expanding with dark energy. A single orb of darkness shot out, descending toward the city like an enormous meteor. As it struck the cathedral's central dome, the darkness exploded, consuming the entire structure in a maelstrom of void and flames. The very fabric of reality seemed to tear apart as the temple collapsed into itself, before disintegrating.
An empty crater remained in the temple place, and countless humans ran through the streets in panic.
'They should be happy I didn't blow up the entire city.' Vesuvius snorted.
Then, for a moment, Vesuvius hesitated, his nose picking up the scent of numerous treasures below. Gold, jewels, ancient artifacts—they all called to him from all over the city. But his will was stronger, fortified by the promise of a much larger prize soon to come.
'Not this time, but don't worry, eventually I will come for you too.'
Immediately, a radiant outline of a gate appeared in the sky, and the heavenly aura spilled out, accompanied by the blinding rays of light, outshining even the sun in the sky.
Without a moment's hesitation, Vesuvius flapped his wings, and the space warped, vanishing him away.
The guards' restlessness peaked, and Vesuvius decided to strike. His domain shifted, and the air temperature skyrocketed. The stone beneath him began to sizzle and crack, steam rising in hisses from nearby puddles. The crowds screamed in terror, scattering like leaves before a storm.
The heat grew unbearable, zeroing in on the temple. The guards cried out in agony as they burst into flames, their bodies consumed in an instant.
The walls of the temple didn't just melt; they vaporized into clouds of molten rock and ash, the structure collapsing into a churning sea of lava. The searing heat expanded, ripping through the entire temple, turning stone to slag and wood to cinders.
Without wasting a moment, Vesuvius unhooked his soul, his consciousness snapping back to his primary body as the two souls relinked. A brief headache pulsed through him but vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving him with the satisfaction.
POV A priest:
A priest jawned, sitting boredly behind the altar of his small church.
Suddenly, the doors burst open, and a robed figure with a dragon mask covering their face rushed in, their robes visibly bulging as if hiding something beneath.
The priest's demeanor changed instantly. He sprang to alertness, recognizing the mask as one of those worn by the dragon cultists—a cult so malevolent, that it was only surpassed by the various demonic cults of the seven sins.
'They eat children!'
"Glory to Vesuvius!" the masked figure screamed, their voice echoing off the stone walls.
The priest's eyes narrowed, a flicker of fear and disgust crossing his face. "What do you want here?" he demanded, his voice stern and unyielding, embodying the righteousness of his faith in the God of Light.
The masked figure didn't respond directly. Instead, they pointed a gloved finger toward the golden chalice and jeweled relics displayed prominently on the altar. "The offering," they said, their tone filled with a perverse sense of greed.
'Letcherous, greedy, lazy, always angry, child-eating, perverted!' The priest cursed, seeing that the cult was really as bad as they were saying!