POV Vesuvius:
With the church of light in terror and shambles, Vesuvius reappeared in his divine kingdom, the warmth of the massive burning star bringing comfort to his scales. He basked for a moment in the soothing heat, his mind already shifting to the next phase of his grand plan. Flicking his claws ceremoniously, he opened a massive golden portal.
Immediately, two figures stepped through, their familiar forms causing Vesuvius to narrow his eyes in surprise. He had expected the prideful fallen angel, but instead, he saw a young female vampire, the new vessel for the god of knowledge, and an enormous seven-headed red dragon, each head adorned with a shadowy crown.
Raging fire and shadows enveloped the entire dragon, with only occasional gleams of scales and the sinister shine of reverse-slitted crimson eyes breaking through the dark aura.
"So?" Vesuvius's voice was commanding, dispensing with formalities given his standing as king. His eyes fixed on the enormous dragon, suspicion threading through his thoughts. 'What are they doing here?'
Before he could delve further, a blonde man in a suit with black-light wings leisurely entered through the glowing portal, his demeanor casual and unbothered. "Well, I believe there is no need for introductions as we are all acquainted," he said smoothly.
He gestured first to the demonic dragon. "Satanael here will be additional muscle, in case it is needed."
Then he indicated the goddess of knowledge. "And this lovely lady will be our specialist. Who better to disable or bypass security measures than the goddess of knowledge herself?"
Suddenly, the goddess of knowledge looked at Vesuvius and spoke, "I am the computer guy."
'Seriously?' Vesuvius couldn't help but wonder what the god of knowledge, and from the looks of his suit, Lucifer did on Earth. It was obvious to him that they were spending enough time there to take on some aspects of its culture.
"Not to be a bother, but maybe you should take forms that aren't visible for miles?" Lucifer suggested with a cough.
'Makes sense.' Realizing his enormous size, Vesuvius directed his divine energy.
The horned man darted between the wrecks, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He vaulted over a fallen streetlamp, his movements fluid and desperate. Lightning barely missed him, striking the ground where he had just been, leaving a smoldering crater in its wake.
Suddenly, a sharp pain cut through his leg, making him stumble. He crashed against the hard concrete, leaving a trail of shattered road in his wake.
"Ahhh!" He screamed in terror, noticing blood spraying out of his severed leg, his eyes widening in horror.
Black-hooded figures immediately surrounded him, draconic eyes shining beneath the shadows of their hoods.
"We got you, traitor. Did you really think you could cross us? Give intel on us to our enemies?!"
"Please, no!" he begged, his voice breaking. "I didn't have a choice! They forced me! Please, let me go! I swear I won't say anything else!"
The hooded figures stepped closer.
One of them, taller than the rest, knelt beside him, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground with ease. "You think begging or your pathetic and false excuses will save you? You betrayed us, and now you face the consequences."
Tears streamed down the horned man's face, mixing with the blood and grime. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please, just let me go! I won't—"
"Silence!" The tall figure's voice was full of disgust, cutting through his desperate cries. "You betrayed your kind, and for what? To save the puppets of the gods? For some dumb morality? For the humanity?"
The horned man's expression twisted from fear to fury. "You betrayed humanity first! You think you're so righteous, but you're monsters, every one of you!"
"Enough!" Lightning flashed, and the pain erupted through his entire body, making him scream as his visions faded away.