The Holy City, the jewel of the Holy Empire, was bustling with activity. People poured out of their houses, filling the streets. Everyone, without exception, was on the streets. Some wore warm, expectant smiles, while others gazed into the distance with worried expressions. Regardless, their hands were filled with neatly wrapped bundles. As if guided by an unseen force, they all moved towards the same destination—the massive breach within the city walls.
The breach was growing larger daily, and workers were still toiling to widen it brick by brick. People streamed out of the breach toward an unnatural hill. They stacked their bundles neatly, increasing the hill’s size. This was the Hill of Offerings, gifts intended for the messiah.
A bundle slipped from a man's hand, and the gift rolled across the packed ground. His trembling finger pointed towards the horizon.
"Giant Enemy Spider," he uttered, his voice shaking.
A warm hand rested on his shoulder. "Giant Friend Spider," a soft, feminine voice corrected. "Our messiah is finally here!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with ecstasy.
One by one, people stopped what they were doing, gathering in a large crowd around the priestess.
"Our prayers have been answered. It's finally here!" the priestly woman welcomed the distant giant with open arms. "Our savior and our salvation. People, let's pray!" she urged her flock.
Fervent prayer filled the air, the number of zealots growing by the second. Even the most skeptical were now converted, for the truth was undeniable.
The majestic form of the giant spider moved unimpeded, its movements fluid and graceful. Perhaps this giant was gentle after all. With each stately step, the prayers grew louder and more fervent. By the time the spider reached the walls, the prayers thundered, carried by thousands of voices, a welcome unlike any other.
The colossal construct, half spider and half fortress, halted a few steps from the breach, towering over the gathered people. The people marveled at it with awe but also apprehension. They didn't know what this messiah held in store for them.
"It's time, it's finally time!" the High Priestess rejoiced. "O' Friend, our savior, grant us your blessing!"
In response, the spider opened its mandibles, and a massive cylinder extended from its mouth. A divine trumpet, perhaps, or something similar? The air hummed with warm vibrations, drawing purple particles around the trumpet.
The priestess felt her hair stand on end and her skin tingle with a strange sensation. The air was filled with it—the spider's power.
"I sense a powerful blessing. Be ready."
The fervent prayers intensified. Their eyes locked onto the majestic trumpet, awaiting its blessing.
Then something unexpected happened. From deep within the giant spider's mouth, a figure emerged. An angel! She was radiant and beautiful, her white wings glowing with warm light as she glided through the air gracefully. The angel landed directly in front of the priestess, her beautiful face betraying panic.
"You're the followers of the DarkFlame, are you not?" the angelic beauty asked.
"Yes, we are. Are you the messenger of the Giant Friend Spider?"
"Friend?" the angel fluttered her wings. "Yes, of course, a friend," she said, turning to look at the spider. "Hey! Hey, stop it!" she shouted, waving her hands. "Stop it, now!"
The menacing ball of purple that had gathered at the tip of the trumpet fizzled out.
"O' spidery messenger, did we do something wrong?" The High Priestess fidgeted in front of the angel. "Have we displeased the spider? Are we unworthy of its blessing?"
"No, not at all." The angel shook her head vigorously. "Believe me, you don't want that 'blessing.'"
"Well then, please tell our Friend that it is welcome to claim its gifts." The priestess pointed at the Hill of Offerings.
"Oh, so that's what it is!"
"Yes," the priestess nodded with a smile. "And if our spidery savior finds it suitable, it can claim the palace as its nest."
The angel gazed past the breach. "Hmm, It should fit, I guess." She stretched her wings wide. "Well then, see you at the palace," the angel said, taking to the air. "I'm glad this could be resolved peacefully," she added before disappearing back into the spider's mouth.
Something stirred within the spider. Hatches previously unseen flung open. Like a broodmother, the giant spider birthed spiders. Thousands of them.
"Is this... Is this our blessing?" The High Priestess stared in disbelief.
The spiders descended upon the hill, snatching the bundles with their spidery claws. They would take a gift and then give a chirp accompanied by a wave.
Not long after, the giant spider stirred and began to move again. It squeezed past the massive breach in the walls, its nimble legs weaving through small houses and narrow streets.
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The people followed right after the spider, amazed at its size and the lack of destruction.
"Our savior!" "Our messiah!" "Our Friend!"
The pious followed the spider with eyes full of zeal. However, there were others who saw the spider for what it was—a fortress on legs, a construct capable of ultimate destruction. They were apprehensive, following mostly out of fear. After all, not so long ago it was known as a Calamity.
The giant spider stopped by the palace. Its head tilted at the pristine palace walls curiously. The massive trumpet was gathering purple particles again, presumably preparing another blessing. The angel fluttered out of a hole within the spider. She hovered between the palace and the trumpet, her hands waving frantically again. The gathered ball of purple fizzled out, and the giant spider's head slumped down. Why was the angel denying the blessing?
The High Priestess rushed ahead to catch up with the angel.
"O' Radiant Angel, is something the matter?" the priestess shouted, cupping her hands.
"No-no, everything is fine!"
"If so, can we get our blessing, please."
"I don't think you want that 'blessing,'" the angel reassured her with a warm smile.
"But we do! This was the prophecy. The savior will come to the Holy City and bestow us with generous blessings." The High Priestess pointed at the inert trumpet.
"The blessing you're pointing at might be too 'warm' for you." The angel pointed out. "But how about this, [Bless]?"
"I am thankful, Angel," the High Priestess brushed the golden motes off her robe. "But this mere blessing isn't enough to save our Fallen Empire."
"Oh... Yes, I guess your empire is indeed now fallen."
"Yes, but the DarkFlame assured us that the glorious spider will grant us our salvation." She gazed back at the majestic trumpet.
"Salvation you say... I don't know if that's what you'll get, but either way, you're getting something."
"A blessing?!"
"Not quite. A Queen." The angel said apologetically.
"A... a... Queen!"
"You'll see her soon."
The angel disappeared into the spider's head again, only to reappear with something curious wrapped around her arm.
"Is this?"
"This is the only blessing you'll get... Unfortunately," the angel whispered the last part, sounding rather apologetic. "The Chaos Queen!"
"We'll take her!" The priestess reached out enthusiastically.
"EH?! The angel flapped her wings. "But she had almost evaporated you all, twice!"
The angel's words flew over the Priestess's head, her eyes shining with zeal. Her hand continued reaching. "This is our blessing! A Queen to rule the Fallen Empire!" she concluded.
The Chaos Queen coiled around the reaching hand. Her hand reached in turn, and then her tiny fingers squeezed.
"Centauri Cheese, sss?" the Queen asked in an expectant hiss.
The priestess's face turned red, her hand reaching for the fingers clasping her voluminous bosom. And yet, she wasn't brave enough to pull the Queen away.
"What did she say? What does this mean?"
"Ignore her words... And behavior. I think the Queen is just being hungry," the angel replied, her face also red.
"Drow IceCream, sss" she asked in another expectant hiss.
"???"
"I am so sorry," the angel apologized again, her hand reaching to retrieve the Chaos Queen.
A mischievous hand, tiny but powerful, slapped the angel away. A knowing glint shone in the little lamia's eyes. "Priestess Milk!" she demanded with another squeeze.
The High Priestess had enough, her knees gave out, and she collapsed on the pavement.
...
The DarkFlame promised to bless the Fallen Emperials with a protector, and it delivered—the Giant Friend Spider. It promised a new ruler, both kind and wise, and it delivered—the Chaos Queen.
Speaking of which, the queen was eagerly slithering towards the imperial throne. Behind her was the Radiant Angel, and behind her was the High Priestess. This was but the beginning, because right after slithered the Chaos Lamia, a hundred or so of them. And then all the spiders: navigators, engineers, gunners, mages, and so on and so forth. The palace grand hall was big but it still struggled to fit everyone inside. No problem, the spiders stuck to the ceiling, allowing the remaining fallen nobility inside.
Fallen nobles, merchants, and other personas who still remained within the Holy City, they looked at their new queen both with uncertainty but also hope.
The queen slithered upon the golden throne, her small figure almost comical, contrasting harshly with the colossal throne. She parted her lips to hiss in a child-like voice. "The empire is fallen, sss, the city is mine. You are my now my sss-subjects."
A simple statement, but it was true. Half of it were the zealots and the other half had no desire to oppose the Giant Enemy Spider, ups, Giant Friend Spider. The city was hers!
With the Crown of Dominion in her hands, the angel stepped close to the queen.
"Congratulations, your father would be proud," she fluttered her wings, flinging brilliant golden motes into the air. "To win the city over, without a single casualty, absolutely brilliant."
"Sss!"
The Radiant Angel lowered the crown onto the little lamia's head. She took a knee in front of the throne, prompting others to follow.
"My Queen," she fluttered her wings.
"My Queen, sss." Chaos Lamia hissed with pride.
"Our, little princess," the spiders chirped jovially, but their real loyalty remained somewhere else.
"My Queen, my blessing," the High Priestess and her flock took the knee.
The fallen nobles and merchants followed, saying the same line.
The Chaos Lamia clapped her hands merrily. "S-s-s, fire!" she commanded, flicking her hand forward.
"Ah!" The Angel flapped her wings in alarm.
The nearby Friend fired a charged cannon into the sky, splitting the clouds.
[Giant Enemy Spider activated the Fall Of The Kingdom]
A beautiful web appeared in the sky, breaking up in a flash and then showering the Holy City in sparkling purple motes.
"S-s-s," she laughed like a villain. "The Holy Empire. Nomore!" The crown on her twinkled with sinister light.
[Crown of Dominion activated the special skill Create Diminion]
"Welcome to, sss..." she paused, her eyes taking a red glow. The mood grew ominous. "Chaos Realm!!! S-s-s!"
[Chaos Realm joined the Monster System]
[Race change was activated: Human > Fallen Imperial]
The High Priestess clapped her hands, "What a marvelous blessing!" She approached the throne, her face beyond ecstatic. "My queen, I shall welcome the new lambs. Instruct them in proper ways of the DarkFlame!"
Seeing the opportunity, the young queen reached with her hand and squeezed demandingly. "Priestess Milk!!!"