His gaze lingered on Micteya, the Goddess of Death. A translucent interface flickered before his eyes, confirming her status. As expected, she was an early-stage Supreme Goddesses with the growth potential of intermediate-stage Supreme God Tier.
He remembered her previous life, how she had rallied the Evil Pantheon to avenge her brother, Maddox, only for both to end up in his service. While her previous ties to the Death Pantheon were severed by her new 'holy' nature, Haru felt no regret.
A faction conflict within his own ranks would have been a headache he didn't need; having them as pure Holy and Light Faction Gods was far more efficient.
Turning his attention to Malakar and Skarion, Haru's expression hardened, "The past is the past, but the two of you must coexist in peace. I will not tolerate infighting within my borders."
The atmosphere between the two warriors grew thick. In their previous life, Skarion had famously stabbed Malakar in the back during their final stand against Haru, detonating Malakar's Godhead just to buy himself a few seconds of escape. If Haru hadn't reversed time to capture them, Malakar would have been permanently erased from existence.
Under Haru's cold gaze, Skarion stepped forward, bowing deeply to his former friend with a look of genuine contrition, "Malakar... What happened on that battlefield was my mistake. I promise you, on my soul, it will never happen again. From this moment on, my back belongs to you."
Malakar remained silent for a long moment, the flickering fire of Destruction in his eyes slowly cooling. Finally, he exhaled a heavy sigh, "The Lord has spoken. I will let the grudge die with our old lives."
"Good." Haru said, waving his hand toward the center of the plaza.
With a deafening clatter, a mountain of artifacts erupted from his storage ring, the Hidden Ring. Nearly a million pieces of divine equipment, swords, staves, armor, and trinkets, piled high, glittering like a fallen star. Among them were the Natal Artifacts he had stripped from the five Supreme Gods during their capture.
"Retrieve what is yours." Haru commanded, "Though your essence has shifted to the Light, your artifacts can be retooled. Do this quickly. You are my hidden force against the Demon Monarchs. Until the war begins, you are not to leave the capital. You will remain hidden, training in the shadows, until the day the Abyss knocks on our door."
As the Gods moved to reclaim their lost power, Haru calculated the new math of his empire. With the addition of these five, he now commanded fourteen Supreme Gods. Including himself, the Great Aetherium had fifteen Supreme Gods!
To put that in perspective, the entire Abyss, an ancient planet of infinite hunger, only possessed twelve Supreme Gods as their open force. The Great Aetherium, a two-month-old upstart, had officially surpassed the Universe's 'Final Boss' in terms of top-tier combat power.
…
The sense of security was now absolute. Haru realized he no longer needed to wait for the Abyss to come; he could likely march into their realm and set it ablaze. But then clarity returned to his mind. He can't get overconfident.
He turned his gaze toward a secluded courtyard behind the palace, where a barrier was vibrating at a frequency that made the very air crackle. The aura emanating from within was no longer that of a mere Supreme Goddess, it was something vast, something that made Haru's own 'peak' status feel like a candle next to a bonfire.
The gate creaked open. Stepping through the threshold was a figure draped in eighteen shimmering wings, her presence warping the starlight of the afternoon. Her face was a masterpiece of divine perfection, her eyes reflecting the laws of a higher reality.
Celestia was back. And she was no longer a mere Supreme Goddess. She was the first Pseudo God Monarch the universe had seen in ages, definitely the first one to ascend to this level after the Demon Emperor, as per the Endless Continent's knowledge.
"Lord…" Celestia's voice was a soft, melodic hum that seemed to vibrate within Haru's very bones. As she stepped into the light of the courtyard, a radiant smile bloomed on her flawless, ivory cheeks.
Behind her, eighteen wings unfurled, exuding a divine brilliance so pure it made the surrounding space feel dim by comparison. Though she had retracted the suffocating pressure of her breakthrough, a terrifying, primal aura still clung to her, the signature of a God Monarch Tier Law.
------------------
Become A Member At My Patreon For Access To Bonus Chapters Or Even Multiple Chapters A Day!
» Patreon.com/LordArchduke