Recap of Chapter 12:
Ka'roth faced the First Gaze, a sky-born being of radiant power, and slaughtered it in a battle that shook the land. Absorbing its celestial essence, he merged abyssal darkness with radiant light—his runes glowing brighter, his wings sharpened and streaked with silver. The heavens watched in fear, their countless glowing eyes dimming. But far above, greater presences awakened, vowing: "The beast rises too fast… if he breaks his chains, he will devour all." Ka'roth, undaunted, roared at the sky: "Then come. Fall, and feed me."
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The Gathering Storm
The sky darkened unnaturally, clouds twisting into spirals of fire and shadow. The watchers above no longer hid—their glowing eyes expanded, each as large as mountains. Lightning streaked between them, painting the heavens in blinding silver.
Ka'roth stood upon a plateau of cracked stone, his jagged wings stretched wide. His horde of 600 beasts encircled him in perfect formation, their growls trembling the ground. Black abyssal mist rolled outward from Ka'roth, mingling with streaks of faint silver light that trailed from his wings.
For hours, silence reigned, broken only by distant thunder. The eyes above widened.
Then the sky split apart.
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The Descent of the Sky-Born
From beyond the sundered heavens came three Sky-Born, descending like blazing meteors. They struck the ground in explosions of light, their towering forms rising from craters:
1. Aelion the Spear-Bearer, clad in silver armor that burned like stars, wielding a spear forged of pure radiant fire.
2. Serya of the Wings, a celestial with six radiant wings, each feather sharp enough to slice mountains.
3. Tharion the Hammer, the largest of the three, wreathed in molten light, wielding a hammer that glowed like a newborn sun.
Ka'roth bared his fangs. His glowing runes pulsed violently, mist swirling thicker around him. He roared, the sound splitting the sky.
The War of the Heavens had begun.
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The Clash
The three Sky-Born struck first. Aelion hurled his spear, trailing fire across the land. Ka'roth leapt aside, his claws tearing into the earth as the spear vaporized a valley behind him.
Serya dove from above, her six wings slicing downward in a deadly arc. Ka'roth's jagged wings snapped upward, clashing with hers in a storm of sparks and shredded feathers. His tail lashed, spiked tips cracking against her armor.
Tharion advanced, swinging his molten hammer. The impact split the ground, magma erupting from the fissures.
Ka'roth lunged at Tharion, slamming his claws into the giant's chest. Silver ichor sprayed as Ka'roth bit deep, but Tharion's hammer struck his side, hurling him into the air.
He spread his wings, stabilizing mid-flight, and roared down at his horde.
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The Horde Strikes
Ka'roth's beasts surged forward at his command. Raptors swarmed Aelion's legs, tusked grazers rammed Tharion's knees, and winged predators harried Serya's strikes from the sky.
Aelion swept his spear in a blazing arc, incinerating dozens, but they rose again, driven by Ka'roth's dominance. His aura bound them tighter than fear—their wills were his.
Ka'roth dove from above, slamming into Aelion. His claws raked deep, tearing through silver armor. With a brutal twist, he bit into the celestial's throat and ripped free a glowing chunk of flesh.
Aelion staggered, roaring.
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The Abyss-Sky Fusion
Ka'roth's runes blazed brighter, abyssal black mixing with streaks of celestial silver. Mist coiled into radiant tendrils, his aura pressing so heavy that even the Sky-Born faltered.
He struck again, faster than before. His claws glowed with abyssal light edged in silver flame. He tore into Serya's wings, snapping one in half. She screamed, spiraling downward, crashing into the beast-filled battlefield.
Tharion raised his hammer high, but Ka'roth roared and leapt upward, tail lashing around the weapon's shaft. He yanked, ripping it free, and swung it back into Tharion's face, shattering the celestial's jaw.
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The Kill
Ka'roth lunged on Tharion, pinning him down. His claws sank deep, cracking armor. With one savage bite, he ripped out Tharion's throat. Radiant ichor sprayed like molten gold.
He turned on Serya next. She flailed weakly, wings broken. Ka'roth's jagged claws pierced her chest, splitting her in two with a roar that shook even the heavens.
Aelion tried one final strike, his spear blazing brighter than ever. He charged, driving it toward Ka'roth's chest.
Ka'roth caught it mid-thrust. His claws crushed the weapon like brittle wood. His jaws closed around Aelion's head, tearing it from his shoulders in a single brutal snap.
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The Devouring
As their corpses dissolved, Ka'roth absorbed their essence. His body convulsed violently, glowing runes spreading down to his claws and tail-spikes, even tracing along his fangs. His jagged wings pulsed with silver fire along their edges.
The ground quaked as Ka'roth rose higher than ever. His shadow stretched across the horizon. His aura pressed so heavy that even his own horde flattened themselves instinctively, trembling.
Above, the eyes of the heavens widened.
Ka'roth had slain not one, but three Sky-Born at once.
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The Shift of Power
The land warped further beneath his feet. Abyssal mist surged outward, black rivers carving new paths. Mountains twisted into jagged spires, their peaks crowned in swirling storm clouds. Even the air itself thickened, shimmering faintly with abyssal energy.
Ka'roth roared once more. His horde answered, their cries uniting into a sound that could shatter stone.
Above, the countless eyes blinked slowly. Some retreated farther, flickering faintly like distant stars.
For the first time, the heavens hesitated.
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The Next Threat
The Abyss whispered in Ka'roth's mind, louder now:
"The chains crack. The sky quakes. But there is more. The oldest Gaze stirs—one who was not meant to wake."
Ka'roth's glowing eyes narrowed. Beyond the clouds, one eye opened wider than all the rest, dwarfing even the sky-born he had slain. Its iris glimmered like molten suns, its gaze piercing through the entire world.
The voice rumbled like thunder across creation:
"Ka'roth. Beast of flesh and shadow. You dare rise against your makers."
Ka'roth's claws sank into the stone, his wings flaring wide, jagged edges shimmering with black and silver flame. His tail lashed violently, splitting the ground beneath him.
"I do more than dare," Ka'roth growled. "I claim."
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The War Begins
Lightning split the skies as a colossal figure began descending—a sky-born larger than mountains, draped in radiant fire and shadow alike.
Ka'roth roared, his horde roaring behind him, their voices uniting as one unstoppable storm.
The heavens trembled.
The War of the Heavens had truly begun.
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