Chapter 865: The Blood Moon Rises

Jonas sat within his office, adrift in the emptiness of space. He had long ago left Earth upon his divine city, where he lived with all of those who made up his community. Only rarely did he have contact with the outside world, such as when Lily specifically contacted him to begin helping her take care of children in need of a good home.

Whenever such a child was brought to him, he gave them a choice. Either they could choose to live with him in his divine city, with a family to care for them, or he could pray to Ryone to have them sent to Earth and be raised in a proper, church-run orphanage. There were naturally those who chose either side of the deal, ones who simply wanted a loving family while others were unwilling to live away from the rest of the world.

Thus, it was quite the surprise when the Goddess of Travel’s voice appeared in his mind. Mister Bayrun, we need your help. Her voice was urgent, a tone that he had never heard from the Greater Pantheon, causing his pen to stop from what he was writing.

What’s going on, Lady Aurivy? He asked in confusion. Aside from the Keeper himself, Jonas was the oldest mortal god in the world, the first to pioneer the path for everyone else. Most had forgotten about him, but he was also the Subordinate Deity of Ryone.

There is an enemy on the verge of destroying Sanctum. In order to fight it off, we have to gather nine gods with domains suitable for constructing a weapon that can defeat it in a single strike. Anything less, and it would only make the enemy stronger. Your domain of Community was deemed to be a good fit for one of the cornerstones of this project. Please, we need your help. If this thing destroys Sanctum, it will become unstoppable.

Jonas had already set down his pen, nodding as he stood. Give me a moment to retrieve my divinity, and I will be there.

Jonas’s divine artifact was none other than the city that he lived in, one which he had painstakingly built by hand, brick by brick. Furthermore, the power source of the entire city was none other than his divine light. As long as he was in the city, he was as good as mortal.

Jonas quickly walked towards the center of the city, shouting out as he went. “Brie! Activate the long-distance warp and take the city to the nearest habitable planet. I need to leave for a few minutes!”

Brie looked up at Jonas in shock, the man having almost never left his city in such an urgent manner. Regardless, she nodded her head, pulling up the control systems of the city and activating the warp function that had been built into it ages ago. Golden light flashed around the city, bringing it to a frozen tundra.

“Do you need us to accompany you?” A human male asked, jogging into the hall to follow behind Jonas.

“No, just stay here and watch after the children. All they need is access to my domain.” He said with a smile, not planning to take his community with him. “It looks like we landed somewhere cold, so keep the place warm for them while I’m gone.”

As he said that, he opened the door to the centermost chamber of the city, where a sphere of golden light hovered in the middle of the room. Jonas took a deep breath, walking up to the sphere and placing his hand against it. It had been quite a while since he had needed to last reclaim his divinity, and he felt it coursing through his body.

I’m ready. He transmitted his words back to Aurivy, golden mist quickly wrapping around him and transporting him atop the mountain on Sanctum. When he looked around, he realized that he was surrounded by the Greater Pantheon, and bowed his head respectfully.

“Sorry, Jonas, but no time for formalities. We need to pick three or four more gods quickly. If you’ve got any suggestions, we’re all ears.” Aurivy said as her brows furrowed, clearly focusing on something.

Jonas could not see the enemy that they were dreading, but that mattered not. What he needed was simple. “Apologies, but none of my acquaintances are combat-oriented deities. If you perhaps explain the point of the machine we are creating, I can contribute suggestions?”

“Kel, you’re up!” Aurivy said, her eyes squinting as her focus grew. Keliope nodded her head, stepping forward.

“If you look up, you’ll see a blue spot in the sky gradually getting bigger. That thing’s a massive planet-turned-god that is coming to eat Sanctum. Right now, we have Technology and Innovation to craft a weapon, as well as Ki and Strength to power it. Aurivy is willing to contribute Evolution to either side as a last resort, but your cornerstone is the control mechanism.”

“I see…” Jonas nodded his head in thought. “So, this will be triggered in the event that something is a true threat to the local community… or according to the community’s wishes.”

“Wishes!” Scarlet’s eyes lit up, and she turned to look at Aurivy. “Get her here, fast!”

Aurivy blinked, before nodding quickly. Golden mist surged around her once again, before Elisae appeared. The human queen looked around in confusion, her eyes coming to rest on Scarlet. “Scar? What’s going on?”

Scarlet shook her head, reaching out and poking Elisae’s forehead. “Here’s the abridged version.” She said, transferring a wisp of spiritual energy to her friend’s mind, containing the memories of everything that had transpired recently.

Elisae blinked as she accepted the memories, before looking around. “So you need Kiria Sorin to finish the crafting side, Bella Wayver for the control, and Lady Accalia to finish the offensive component? You know, setting it so the attack hunts down the target and doesn’t stop until it’s dead?”

Aurivy blinked in surprise. “Okay, I get Accalia, and Kiria will work as long as Tubrock doesn’t try to pick a fight-”

“Time and a place, lass!” Tubrock interrupted.

“But why Bella? What would Mercy contribute to the control mechanisms?”

“If Elisae says those are who we need, I trust her.” Scarlet said firmly, fully believing in Elisae’s karma. She could have pulled those names out of a hat and Scarlet would have full faith in her choice. Aurivy hesitated for a moment, but the planet was getting rapidly closer, so she began summoning those three.

“Bella became the Goddess of Protection as well, about six years ago now, was it?” Elisae said as the three clouds of mist gathered. “If we’re combining my Wishes and Jonas’s Community, she would be the perfect finishing touch for us.”

As the three people appeared, Scarlet shot out three wisps of spiritual energy, one to each of them before they had the chance to react. They spent a moment looking dazed as the memories flooded into them, before their expressions hardened as they looked up into the sky.

“One chance to back out, everyone! Take it or figure out what you’re making!” Aurivy called out, feeling that the approaching planet had increased its speed even further to quickly capture its prey.

“Obviously, it’s gotta be a cannon!” Tubrock nodded his head, foot stomping on the ground to create a stone table, a blueprint laid out in front of him. “We need something that packs a real punch in order to take out something that size.”

“No disrespect, sir, but a cannon won’t do the job.” Kiria shook his head in denial, walking up himself. “Not on its own. Even if we make it out of this very mountain we’re standing on, powered by all of our divinities, it would at most carve a hole in the thing on its way.”

Tubrock grunted at that, before glaring up at the ursa god. “Then what do ye have in mind, lad? Spill it out!”

“We need a really big cannon.” He said with a grin, reaching down to tap on the blueprint that Tubrock had created, warping its contents. “I happen to have some experience with this kind of structure.” Tubrock’s brows knit together, and he looked down at the shape that had been drawn.

“Ye can’t be serious, lad. Ye want ta…”

“Spill it out, geezer!” Keliope called out, knowing that the two craftsmen were far more likely to come up with something suitable, while the rest of them waited to know their role.

“This daft fool wants ta build a moon!” Tubrock shouted, waving his hand towards Kiria.

Kiria simply chuckled at that. “It wouldn’t be the first moon I’ve made. At least this time I’ll have help. I agree with your cannon idea, but we can’t just have it on the planet. Between the power source, targeting systems, and the energy storage to fire at a moment’s notice, we need something far bigger than even this mountain. We need our own moon. And last I checked, Sanctum could use one.”

“Tell us how the rest of us fit into this.” Bella spoke up, clutching a silver staff against her chest. It had been quite a long time since she was involved with anything truly on the level to alert the Greater Pantheon, but she managed to keep her composure rather well.

“Aye, it’s simple.” Tubrock sighed. “Like we planned, ye and the other two will be handlin’ the controls. In order to protect the community, and in accordance with their wishes, the moon will act. The three of us will be makin’ the thing accordin’ ta these plans, and the others will set up its power source.”

After he said that, he turned to Scarlet, Keliope, and Accalia. “But ye three best be keepin’ this in mind! This thing’s meant ta save up energy between shots. If ye want it ta fire right away, ye three’ll need ta provide the energy for that first shot yeselves.”

Scarlet smiled, nodding her head at that. “In that case, it’s a good thing our corner is made entirely out of the Greater Pantheon.” She said in understanding. Scarlet herself was an old god even before taking her new title, and had accumulated a lot of divinity over the years as the First Blood. Paying it forward to fire a single shot of this cannon was still within the realm of what she could handle.

“Aye, then ye’ll be needin’ ta set up the core of the mechanism, and how it replenishes its ki.” Tubrock grunted, grabbing the blueprint from the table to step aside with Ashley and Kiria, going over the designs.

Scarlet stepped over to speak with Jonas, Bella, and Elisae. “I’d like to ask for your cooperation here. In order to make a true trinity of trinities, I want to link our corner back to your own. Those who live in Sanctum will become the source of power as it builds. When they wish for it to fire, they can contribute their divine ki to enhance the effect. Otherwise, it will passively accept a very small portion of the divinity that is meant to come for any gods living here, and convert that into ki. Is this acceptable?”

“They want protection, they can pay a small rent.” Elisae chuckled, nodding her head. “Our side links with the moon they’re building, which houses the core you’re creating for this blast, and feeds back to us for the energy supply. Is this how nine domains are meant to link up?”

Scarlet gave a light laugh at that, shaking her head. “I honestly don’t know. This is the first time anyone other than my father has done this. However, these are the people you chose. I have full confidence that we can do this.”

Elisae grinned in response to her words. “Aw, you’re going to make me blush, Scar. Well, let’s all get to it. Does everyone know their parts?” She asked, looking around at the gods gathered.

“Aye, we’ve got our end covered well enough.” Tubrock grunted, having copied the blueprints for both Ashley and Kiria.

“And we ours.” Scarlet agreed, moving back to step with her group. “For this to work, we’ll need plenty of room, and I already have the formation in mind.”

Without another word, she shot into the air, the other eight gods quickly following behind her. They didn’t stop until they had already left the planet’s atmosphere, at which point they could see the planet in its entirety. Aurivy, we need some time. Can you perform a spatial jump to take Sanctum across the galaxy?

It won’t buy you much, but I’ll give it a go! Aurivy responded, a vast, nebulous cloud of golden mist emerging from Sanctum, wrapping around both the planet and its joined sun. Just hurry, I don’t know how many of those I can do with this entire planet!

Scarlet nodded her head, already able to sense the planet’s approach again. She let out a blood red light, drawing four circles in the air. There were three in each corner, forming a triangle, and one at the center, just touching the edges of each of the others. Afterwards, red lights formed a triangle within each circle, with each of the points from the central circle touching one of the points from the other three.

Ashley, myself, and Jonas will take the central points. Our parts in this power are primarily to link our respective trinities to one another. The rest of us will support our groups from the back.

Jonas nodded, moving to stand at the point of red light designated for him, as did Ashley. Ashley held her hand forward, towards the center as her divinity flared. Gather the technology of the world to construct a project like no other.

Kiria and Tubrock looked at each other, nodding and aiming their hands towards Ashley’s back. Their own divine energy poured into hers, and then forward into the center of the formation. Each of them had studied the blueprints, and knew what they were creating.

For the protection of the community, and safety to all those who wish it. Jonas’s mental voice came over solemnly, the other two behind him following suit and pouring their divinity into him while his hands were held forward.

We charge this power with the strength of our divine ki, that we may hunt down those who would prey upon us. Finally, it was Scarlet’s turn, her blood red divinity coming together to mingle with the amalgamation in the center, the two behind her trusting their divinity to her.

The halfling clenched his fists, staring up into the sky. He could see the nightmarish planet coming closer, even after the Goddess of Travel herself warped the planet away. “I told you, it’s hopeless.” The elf said, tapping her foot impatiently, cold sweat dripping down her brow.

“N-No, they’re doing something.” The felyn said with a shake of her head. She could see the red light in the sky, like an insignificant spark before the floor. Surely, that meant that some form of resistance was being mounted, but what would it amount to?

Soon, that red light grew larger and larger, spreading across the sky to form a massive bubble. When that bubble ‘popped’, the three were left dumbfounded at what they saw. A crimson moon rested in the sky above Sanctum, one with long black lines drawn upon its surface. Before they could process how that moon was meant to save them, a message appeared in front of them.

The Blood Moon is preparing to fire.

Current charge: 5%

Do you wish to contribute divine ki to increase charge?

“I knew it… I knew I would be able to do something.” The halfling said, tears of relief flowing down his face as he immediately chose to donate half of his divine ki. He would be left immensely weakened, but it could maybe… just maybe reduce the shame of having drawn this planet towards Sanctum in the first place.

“How much of a charge do you think we need to do this?” Scarlet asked, standing in the new control room of Sanctum’s orbital weapon, named the Blood Moon due to the color it had gained from her divinity.

“Honestly, I won’t feel confident with anything less than a full charge.” Ashley shook her head in answer. “I’ve already sent the message out, so we’ll see how people feel.”

Already, they could see streams of glowing energy making their way up from the planet, pouring into the Blood Moon. The progress bar on the screen rapidly increased. This, unsurprisingly, showed that most people did not want to die.

“Fire as soon as you can.” Accalia commented, staring at the planet that was approaching. By now, it had encompassed their entire view, too close to evade again. “Even if you can’t--”

“Full charge!” Ashley cut her off, immediately smacking the big red button to initiate the firing sequence. With the combined divine ki of so many gods, it had only taken a few moments to charge the batteries. Not to mention that Scarlet herself had been fueling it even after they finished production.

One of the dozen ports on the Blood Moon opened up, and a thick pillar of red light shot out of it. Those in the control room stumbled from the recoil, grabbing onto whatever they could. Accalia held the console for dear life, staring forward at the planet as the beam hit it.

There was a brief pause in its approach when the beam struck, a thick pillar that seemed utterly cataclysmic in power. For the first few seconds, the planet even shrank in their field of view, pushed back by the utterly overwhelming force of the blast.

But then, Accalia said the words that nobody wanted to hear. “It’s eating it…” She said, her face losing color. She couldn’t see everything from here, but she was also watching from the Admin Room. The planet had begun to devour the blast fired at it, consuming the energies within and weakening it enough that the damage it could cause on impact was not immediately fatal.

Instead, storms raged within the planet, and its ocean began to gradually turn red with the stolen power. Soon, the planet had stabilized itself, and was once again slowly making its way closer under the relentless assault of the beam.

“I don’t know how long this charge will hold!” Ashley shouted, seeing the threat looming closer once again.

“It’ll last as long as it needs to!” Scarlet said confidently, before her eyes widened. For just a moment, she saw the planet beyond the blast, the seas of red spreading across its surface. “As long as it needs to…” Her broken attention meant that she had stopped channeling her power as the Goddess of Ki into the core, causing the charge to begin depleting as it was now fueled purely by those who had contributed their divine ki.

“Scarlet, what are you doing?” Keliope asked, sensing the energy being cut off and turning to face a… surprisingly smiling martial spirit.

“It worked.” Scarlet spoke in excitement, her power surging once again. However, she was not using that power to fuel the Blood Moon any more, but rather building up for something else. “Don’t you remember what I showed you when I first gained my third domain?”

Scarlet extended her hand forward, the red oceans surging as the planet drew in. The blast had caused the water to ripple like a hungry, gaping maw. “I am the Crimson Goddess. And that planet, that now-damaged planet… is red. Red and so very full of my ki.”

Scarlet gathered her divinity in front of her hand, causing it to become a red jewel. In her heart, she knew she was right to trust Elisae. The weapon that they created may not have been enough to destroy the planet in one blow, but it had given her the opening she needed.

Her hand gripped the jewel, squeezing it hard enough to cause a shattering sound to fill the control room. As soon as that jewel shattered, so too did over half of the planet they were facing. It erupted like a massive bomb had gone off, red water gushing out of its atmosphere in all directions and leaving the crust completely exposed.

With the last moments of the Blood Moon’s beam, the crust was pierced clean through, the blast shooting out through the other side of the planet.

Congratulations! You have earned an achievement!

For destroying an entire planet, you have earned the Worldbreaker achievement. +15 Stamina.