Light's Dawn of Azeroth

Chapter 675, Section 43: The Fortress is ablaze, DeVos, it's all your fault! - Bonus Chapter [25]

(Bonus chapter for the "Hand in Hand" brothers [2/5])
The Forsworn's attack on Paradise Castle was beyond any of Saints' expectations.

They had noticed the sudden increase in "Forsworn" recently. Well, it should be noted that although Devos had gathered all the Forsworn in her Fortress of Loyalty and had become the leader of all the Forsworn.

However, the group of "Oathbreakers" did not arise because doubts were planted in DeVos.

In fact, the Kyrians who "naturally awakened" in the early years have been wandering on the edge of the Bastion after abandoning their duties. Their numbers are not large, and the eldest daughter and the Saints are well aware of the existence of this "special group".

However, Bastion has never had the custom of exterminating its own people, so the rulers pretended not to know about the existence of these "Forsworn".

In the past, the number of Forsworn was very small, and coupled with the Bastion's tradition of duty, becoming a Forsworn meant being "rejected" by the land. Therefore, Forsworn usually did not live for very long.

They were no longer protected by their eldest daughter and even risked falling into the abyss.

The rapid expansion of the number of Forsworn began after the loyal saint, Devos, was plagued by doubts. First, it was her followers in the temple, and then, upon hearing the news, those Forsworn wandering on the borders of the Fortress of Ascension also rushed to "join in the festivities."

The Saints of Bastion are not to be trifled with.

They had been closely monitoring Devos and her Blackwing Angels, and the two sides had not yet gone to war because Devos strictly required the Forsworn not to leave the Fortress of Loyalty.

They shut themselves off from the other Saints and refused to speak with them, but they did nothing to jeopardize the order of the Fortress of Ascension, so the other Saints hesitated to take action against Devos's followers.

Even the eldest daughter, Grace, herself was hesitant.

Each Saint was an outstanding Kyrian personally selected and given trials by the eldest daughter. Although the eldest daughter was detached in emotion, she was not truly devoid of feelings.

She trusted her six saints and cared for them as if they were her own children.

She had feelings for DeVos, so she always hoped to have a face-to-face conversation with him. She felt that DeVos must have been misled by "bad people" outside, and that her troubles could be resolved simply by talking to her parents.

Then, DeVos led his army of Forsworn to his eldest daughter to "explain the pros and cons".

With only a few thousand Forsworn, there's no way they could breach the core of Elysium, the fortress of ascension. A few thousand Forsworn wouldn't even be able to get close to the skies above Elysium.

The problem is that those demonic entities are a bit too outrageous.

As Diakum said, the Sha entities grow stronger by devouring the negative emotions of their enemies. When the force field of the Seven Sha Trials was slammed into Elysium, guess what happened?

In less than five minutes, the strength of the seven demonic entities had at least tripled.

The speed at which this negative emotion erupted was astonishing even to Diakum, who possessed the "Heart Demon Curse," which was enough to illustrate just how serious the problems were in this godforsaken place, Bastion.

It wasn't just ordinary Kyrians who, when faced with the onslaught of their seven emotions and six desires, almost instantly clutched their heads and collapsed, screaming and losing their fighting ability amidst the mental shock of the "self" and "memories" that they were forced to abandon.

Even the saints like Devos found it difficult to withstand the interference brought by the Seven Fiends Trial.

Devos is already the strongest among the Saints, second only to "Saint of Courage" Sandria. The fact that she was torn apart by Diakum means that without the eldest daughter's help, Dick could easily sweep through.

This also indirectly shows that the martial virtue of this ascended fortress is really terrible.

While the five Marquises of Maldraxxus couldn't defeat Diakum, they could hold their own for a few rounds. Yet, it's absurd that these Saints of Bastion were instantly killed by Dick's Heart Demon Curse.

The Vigilant didn't even need to draw his cross-torch warhammer. Oh, by the way, he gave it a name: "Sunchaser."

Yes, it's full of malice towards Kai and his family.

However, it must be said that this name is quite fitting for the mission that this Torchhammer will soon undertake in the Shadowlands.

Diakum circled the battlefield and quickly completed the "talent recruitment." After sending two Eternal Colossi, seven Goliaths, and five Arbiters back to the High Heavens as samples of the Sacred Machines, and also sending several powerful Deacons along with them, the Vigilant landed on the battlefield of Elysium Castle.

The Forsworn were outnumbered, but their offensive was almost unstoppable.

Confined to the Seven Fiends Trials, Kyrians were unable to defend themselves, let alone withstand these "Black Winged Angels."

The area was filled with wandering demons, all of which Diakum had molded into the appearance of death angels, making the scene look like a fight between "black and white angels".

The vigilant ignored the situation on the battlefield.

He strolled through this once magnificent and sacred place, heading towards the "summit of heaven" where his eldest daughter resided.

There are also many steps here.

Only by stepping on them can one reach the throne where the eldest daughter resides.

As Diakum crossed the chaotic battlefield, drawing the triangular holy symbol as he stepped onto the stairs, a pair of enormous wings unfurled before him, along with a heavy Heavenly Trident, yet it failed to harm Diakum.

As the most formidable warrior of Bastion, Saintess Sandria of Courage gritted her teeth and slammed her trident into Diakum's forehead, intending to banish this soul, which did not belong to the Shadowlands, back to where it belonged.

But the heavy trident stopped three inches above Diakum's head and could not fall, as if an invisible barrier had blocked the heavy blow from the Saint of Courage.

Diakum tilted his head, looking at the formidable female warrior before him.

He flicked his fingers, and a burst of "miniature solar fist" erupted from his fingertip, instantly engulfing Sandria. It wasn't a lethal attack, and it didn't even cause much damage; it was just to keep these Saints out of his way.

Saints are not bad people.

They are the most faithful messengers in the Shadowlands, guiding all souls safely across the perilous realms, and protecting them is essential for traversing the veil between life and death.

They have never done anything wrong, so naturally they should not be punished by the Holy Light.

Diakum's light will only ever purify the most incorrigible villains.

But he wanted to let these saints go, while the saints were unwilling to give up their duties.

After all, Diakum's serene posture as he walked across the battlefield while praying was "terrifyingly strong"!
All those demonic entities were under his control. It's obvious what a powerful being who could simultaneously control "light and shadow" wanted to do in Elysium Castle. He didn't even need to use his brain; anyone with a brain would know that he was after the eldest daughter.

But the eldest daughter is the foundation of the existence of the Fortress of Ascension.

If anything happens to her, the entire Fortress of Ascension and all the souls within it will perish with her.

"Don't go there!"

The Humble Saint Jaelos and the Devoted Saint Adrestes blocked Diakum's path from the left and right. As they stepped forward with their weapons in hand, they were also knocked away by the burst of Solar Fist.

Diakum continued forward expressionlessly, just as an elephant ignores a provocative ant.

But to be honest, he was getting annoyed.

Especially after seeing the Wise Saint and the Pure Saint also flying over from high above, having defeated the Forsworn, Diakum grinned and gripped the Sunstrider's Warhammer on his back.

The next second, as the Courageous Saint charged in once again with his trident, black wings suddenly opened in front of Diakum.

Amidst the swirling black feathers, DeVos stepped forward, spear in hand, and with a swift and decisive thrust, knocked Sandria back. She used the momentum to land on the ground, spear in hand, and said to Diakum:

“Sage, you go first! I will hold off these obstacles for you.”

"Can you do it alone?"

Diakum asked a question, and DeVos nodded and said:

"They are all like me, just good people who have lost their way."

“Alright.” Diakum released his grip on the warhammer, slowly rose to his feet with the flapping of the wings of light and shadow behind him, and flew towards the high place where his eldest daughter was.

Several saints rushed forward to stop them, but as they approached the vigilant, the five archangels of the High Heaven emerged in a flash of golden light, knocking the saints back to the ground. They then landed nearby with their weapons, striking the ground with their weapons and unleashing a burst of scorching holy light that formed a sealing barrier.

Diakum handed the battlefield over to DeVos, hoping she could resolve the conflict with her companions.

Therefore, the five archangels naturally would not intervene in this internal ideological dispute. They only needed to ensure that these saints who did not understand their own strength did not interfere with the conversation between the truly noble ones.

Within that shimmering barrier of holy light, Saint Courage swung his trident and struck hard, only to be nearly pierced by the rebounding scorching sunlight.

She immediately realized that the five archangels inherited their power from that strange radiant saint, and each of them, if they were to unleash their full power, could cause a horrific massacre in Elysium.

“He could have killed you, but he didn’t! He said you weren’t bad people, and I believe you aren’t!”

DeVos shouted:
"Stop fighting, brothers and sisters! You don't understand why I brought the Forsworn here! I didn't come to start a war, nor to harm my eldest daughter."

I just...
I simply want to ignite this illusory and empty paradise, to make that 'promotion' that once harmed and oppressed us a thing of the past, so that we can rebuild a true paradise where all good souls can dwell in peace.

"I think you are crazy!"

Courageous Saint roared:
"You've also been promoted, DeVos. You should know that our duties require us to remain neutral at all times. That's not oppression, much less torture."

You have been seduced; you have fallen.

You watched this Bastion burn to the ground, and it's all your fault! Devos! I will personally throw you, you wicked blackwing witch, into the Maw.

"maybe."

Facing Sandria's roar, DeVos flapped her black wings, gazing listlessly at the gleaming light at the top, and sighed:

"The eldest daughter was born a goddess; she had never lived in the mortal world, so she could not understand how important these things, which she considered 'flaws,' were to mortals. She demanded that all those who ascended must discard their memories, whether good or bad."

She has never felt 'love' or 'hate', so how could she empathize with us? How could she know the value and cherish things she has never possessed?
Just like you

DeVos pointed her spear at her former comrades and shouted:
"Why do you hide your wings so carefully? Are you afraid I will see the black feathers on your wings? Why do you hesitate when facing me? Is it because you also feel the lament of your abandoned selves?"
We're lost!
We were lost in the glory promised by the eldest daughter.

She doesn't understand people's hearts, but don't we, who were once ordinary people, also understand them?
The eldest daughter did not do anything wrong
We were the ones who made the mistake!

We failed to stop her when she carried out those terrible and merciless ascension rules, and as a result, Fortress Ascension is what it is today—it's all our fault! We are involved in every tragedy that has occurred in this Heaven!
Our hands are already stained with blood; we are no longer clean.

So, brothers and sisters, please forgive my rudeness, but I must atone for our mistakes.

------

Diakum reached the "summit of heaven".

Before him lay a dying demonic entity, pierced by a blue-gold archon's scepter spear, dying swiftly and decisively, without even reaching the platform where his eldest daughter stood.

This shows that even the weakest true god is still a true god.

Even the weakest of the Eternals, the eldest daughter, can create miracles of power when she goes berserk. But what surprised Diakum was that even though Elysium was in chaos under the shadow of the Seven Fiends Trials, even though the foundation of Bastion was about to be overthrown, and even though the Forsworn “traitors” had already invaded the core area, the eldest daughter Grace had no intention of showing up.

On the contrary, just as she had done countless days and nights before, she kept her holy and magnificent wings spread out in an elegant arc, allowing herself to float above that pure throne.

She seemed to be meditating, or perhaps contemplating the ultimate truth of the universe.

Beneath the exaggeratedly designed golden crown of the regent, his brows were furrowed, as if he had encountered a problem he could not solve.

It must be said that the eldest daughter's wings were the most magnificent, brightest, and most sacred pair of wings Diakum had ever seen in all his years. The tips of the wings were adorned with gold trim, making them look both gorgeous and holy.

The only regret is that this is not a creation of nature.

I'm very curious.

Diakum withdrew his admiring gaze.

He stepped forward, grasped the archangel's spear stuck in the ground, pulled it out with a little force, swung it around in his hand, and then tossed the eldest daughter's weapon back. This startled the eldest daughter's thoughts, causing the blue and white archangel to reach out and catch the weapon he had used for punishment.

She looked at Diakum, her brows furrowed, as if DeVos's outburst had left her unable to comprehend why all of this had to happen.

Diakum asked loudly:

"You are the 'eldest daughter,' the first eternal being created by the Firstborn. So, do you still have memories of your birth in 'Zalemotes'?"

Is it because those memories were too painful that you discarded them, viewing them as a source of suffering, and also wanting your followers to abandon the past and embrace the future, just like you?

"You're overthinking it, you're a deity in the holy light."

The eldest daughter spoke up.

Amidst the flapping of those enormous white wings, accompanied by the swaying of her... well, how should I put it, very sacred, yet with a touch of "lace-trimmed sensuality" in her long, sheer gown, her stern gaze fell upon Diakum.

The consul's sharp and powerful spear was pointed at the vigilant.

she says:

"The Firstborn do not allow us to return to Zaremotis, nor even to retain any memories of that place of creation. They have given us a difficult and heavy responsibility: to guard the mandate of heaven and to protect the good. This is the sole meaning of my existence."

And you!

You have prevented me from fulfilling my duties.
"No matter why you came, kind and powerful soul, you are no longer welcome in the Fortress of Ascension! I banish you from this paradise of the good and forbid you from ever setting foot here again."

This tough response made Diakum shrug.

He took down the Sunstrider's warhammer, and in the shadows, lit the torch, making the golden prayers gleam. He said:

"I heard your insincerity; you still retain those memories, but getting you to speak honestly won't be easy. Let me make it clear beforehand: I've already promised that boy Devos that I'll take you away from the Shadowlands permanently."

You are not a bad person.

But if you stay here, Bastion will never become a true paradise.

"I am one of the foundational beings of the Shadowlands!"

The eldest daughter seemed to be enraged.

She roared:

"How will you then extract me from the magnificent miracles brought down by the Firstborn? With your glorious holy light or the shadow of corruption? Are you trying to use yourself as a weapon against the destiny shaped by the Firstborn?"

ridiculous! "

"Further words are pointless. You may continue to stall for time, but I don't think any other Eternals will come to your rescue."

At that moment, the wings of light and shadow behind Diakum suddenly burst forth, and he proclaimed:

"You already have a place in the highest heavens, dutiful one. I've even prepared an office and dormitory for you, so you can't refuse this 'offer'!"

Ps:

Concept art for the eldest daughter, Graceia:
(End of this chapter)