Dawn was in full bloom now, its golden rays seeming to take Micheal back into Adam’s hand. He wondered how his father would have acted in his palace. For all his love and power, Adam had been no warrior. Would he have fought? Would he have bowed?

Basking in the light of his path, the answer seemed obvious.

Adam would have loved.

He would have continued down that path that had made him, and from the bellows of war, he would have plucked the first flower of spring. With a gentle smile, he would have offered it Dargonth, defenseless and open.

And Dargonth would have kneeled before him.

Such was the power his father had wielded.

The power he could wield if only…

He clenched his fists.

Before him, Humanity stood strong. Nearly a thousand all put together, glistening with intent and truths. They stood side by side, each individual in their paths and armaments, yet ready to die for their family beside them. Their auras rampaged through the plains, shaking the world. The sun's golden rays sank into them, empowering them beyond their limits. Micheal observed them one by one, seeing the threads of unity that bound them together, uniting their individual power into something that transcended the bound of the individual.

They truly had become Humanity.

His siblings stood by his side, each shining with their own power. They looked upon their descendants with the same pride he did. Their children had grown up splendidly, and should they survive this day, he knew humanity would grow beyond what he had ever imagined.

Together.

A pang of sadness rang through him at the thought, a reminder of what was to come. No matter the outcome of this battle, Micheal no longer had a place with them. None of his siblings did. A collective had no use for beings as individualistic as them, beings whose very existence threatened theirs.

Power had its price.

But for one battle. For one day. They would fight side by side.

Micheal thrust his hand into the air, feeling the inner light seep through his crown. Beside him, his siblings did the same, thrusting their fists into the sky and letting loose their power. Their mortal facades fell apart as their true natures were revealed, warping the surroundings with their power.

For the first time, the children of Adam showed their descendants their true nature. There were no words, no need for words. Meaning manifested itself directly, taking the form of raw emotion.

Of passionate love and fierce pride.

Of endless joy and sorrowful regret.

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Of relentless battlelust and relieved release.

For a moment, the world froze, the descendent reeling at the force of such power. Then Gilded, standing in the center, threw his fist in the air and let out a cry. His cry echoed throughout Humanity, gathering power and support till their entirety threw their heads to the sky above, let loose the restraints on their auras, and howled their support to the heavens.

The air shook and space rippled, their declaration of war spreading throughout the cosmos, and an army of demigods charged forth, bending reality before them.

They would not strike from the shadows, but strike in the light of the golden sun, where their ancestors' light would empower them.

Where they could die under his loving gaze.

—---------------------------------------

The beast were waiting when they emerged on one of the numerous cliffs overlooking the beast’s valley, the monstrous volcano looming in the middle. The more skybound of the descendants, led by Venti, Nut and Sol, took to the sky, ripping into the airborne beast with wild abandon. Sol’s seemed to absorb all the light of the sun, before spitting it back out at even greater intensities, searing the beasts and empowering Humanity.

On the ground, Thatano, cowled in a clock of black, led the charge, his deathly aura stilling every beast that came his way, spreading like a wildfire. Shiva, black hair swaying behind her, danced beside him, the tips of her gracefully flowing limbs trailing nothingness, as even space was destroyed before her

In a second, Humanity unleashed its full might. The results were apocalyptic as reality twisted and broke, only to be utilized in another mad working of will.

A second later, it was over, and all that remained of the beast army, awakened beasts and normal both, were chunks of flesh, frozen, burned, decayed and in a thousand other states, drifting and flickering through the air as reality struggled to reassert its laws.

They waited for a split second, letting the truth of the situation sink in.

It had begun.

The valley was already stirring, looking for all the world like a kicked anthill, as princes and lowly beasts alike struggled to respond to humanity's sudden annihilation of the army that had been sent to delay them.

Micheal felt a pang of pity as he looked at them milling beasts below. As he took in their dull rage and frantic stumbling. As the barely visible light feebly flickering within their eyes.

How could they stand living so… blind? So dull?

Well, he would free them from their earthly prisons today.

Dargonth burst out of his volcano, and even miles away, they could hear his furious roar, and feel his raging aura.

His own aura rose to match it as he took one final moment to look around, seeing his people, and the beasts.

Only one would survive this day.

Micheal nodded to Heimdall, who procured a long curved horn of carved gold. In its exquisite carvings, Hephas’ work was clearly visible, and its aura left no doubt to its power.

Prenutius, he had named it, Herald of the End.

Heimdall lifted the horn to his lips, tangled dark hair falling to the side as he breathed in deeply. And finally, when the horn reached his lips, he blew.

For a second, the world froze, with even the flapping of Dargonth’s wings stopping. Then, in the void of motion, a sound was born. It seemed to drift lazily, a visible shockwave of sound, yet before anyone could comprehend what had happened, it was gone.

An instant later, they heard it.

To humanity, it trumpeted in their ear like the drums of war, awakening their slumbering potential. To the beasts it was death, and its touch slew them in the thousands, and struck the rest with crippling terror. Even Dargonth hesitated for a second before continuing on his path.

But then, it was too late.

With a roar, Humanity surged forward, directly towards the stunned beasts.

And with a muffled boom, they collided rippling through the beast's ranks.

The End had come.