Raveria hid atop a ledge on the Valkyrie Fortress. She buried her face into her arms but a low and muffled sobbing could still be heard.

“You shouldn’t be so upset, Ravi.” Ira’s voice caused Raveria’s crying to stop abruptly.

She peered up at her father with puffy reddened eyes and began to speak.

“I don’t want you to go, Dad,” She pleaded with him.

Ira didn’t reply and instead chose to sit down next to her. There was nothing that would change his mind at this point. Even if he had to see his daughter cry he wouldn’t delay any longer.

“You’ll take care of your brothers and sisters, right?” Ira asked.

Raveria slowly nodded while wiping her tears with her sleeve.

“I will,” She said eventually.

“Good. It’ll help me rest easier knowing that you’re keeping them safe.” Ira smiled before hugging her.

Raveria clung tightly to Ira and began crying all over again. All Ira could do in response was let out a deep sigh.

After a few moments, he teleported away from the ledge with Raveria in his arms.

…

The fateful day arrived quickly for Ira and his family. Avery restrained herself though she felt as saddened as her children but she didn’t want Ira to be affected by it. Though, Ira’s mood had already shifted by the time the day he planned to ascend arrived. He found it harder to laugh as smile as he had done previously. There hung a solemn air around him and those who knew of what was to come.

Even at the moment, Ira sat with a brooding expression in a darkened room. His contempt for the Gods who forced his actions rose to its peak. There was no hope for peace and he had no intention of sparing any of the Gods. He could still remember the faces of a few but that was all he needed to start with. After all, eating them would allow his list of targets to grow on its own.

“Are you ready?” Zella’s question interrupted Ira’s thoughts.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Ira stood up with a thin smile.

“You need not force a smile in front of me, Ira.”

“Oh, can you see still my thoughts?” Ira asked.

“I don’t need to...Your inner turmoil seems to affect the very air around you,” Zella whispered.

“Please, give me a few more vague statements. It’ll definitely help to improve my mood.”

The two headed towards a small chamber and after entering, Ira could see familiar faces all around. Avery and Rhys stood with the children while Lauren, Casey, Sylun, Sylvia, Saren, and Juliana were standing on the opposite side of them. They were the only ones who knew of Ira’s ascension. Telling the entire world that he was leaving wouldn’t be too smart of an idea. There was no guessing as to what reactions it would draw.

Ira moved to the center of the room and looked around once more. His children stared at him with innocent eyes. They approached him to say their goodbyes and he found that he wasn’t quite prepared for it. The thought of waiting just one more day popped into his head but he quickly blocked it out.

“Father!” Valeryn shouted while tugging at Ira’s shirt.

“It’s alright, Ryn,” Ira said with a warm smile.

He then turned to Avery who was holding Liliara in her arms.

“Try not to be too harsh on them.” Ira reached out and embraced his wife.

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When he turned to Rhys she was silently crying and even Nephele was quiet. He kissed his infant daughter on the forehead and then brushed the tears away from Rhys’ eyes.

“I won’t be gone for long,” As Ira spoke, the markings on his arms slowly began to disappear.

“You promise?!” Zephyr asked while putting on a brave face.

“I promise.” Ira began to move away from them while black mist continually poured out of his body.

Everyone was speechless, watching in awe as the mist around Ira grew thicker until a sudden flash lit up the entire room. The room shook and when they could finally open their eyes, Ira was gone.

…

Ira’s consciousness began to drift through the stars and with it came a familiar voice with an indistinguishable gender or age.

“I didn’t expect you to ascend so soon.”

‘What, aren’t you the most powerful being there is and you still can’t see the future?’

“It is not a matter of ability, child. I desire to maintain an unending balance with no need for interference.”

The humanoid shape made of light appeared in Ira’s view.

“As such, you will act as a proxy, child.”

Ira inwardly laughed but his thoughts were far more serious. If he was to be a tool of restoration then what did that mean once everything was over. If Ira killed hundreds of Gods, absorbing their divinity as he went, he would become something far different. At that point, wouldn’t his existence put him at odds with the nameless presence? He, of course, didn’t voice his guess and the humanoid shape of glowing light made no mention of it either. But given its nature it would have to know that Ira would eventually become a problem to its cause if he was allowed to grow.

After all, a being that was countless of years in age and played a part in the creation of both the Divine and Mortal Realms wouldn’t have a simple mind. Maybe it even knew that Ira didn’t trust it but he could do nothing at the current moment except for the task given to him.

Whatever it was thinking, the presence faded away and Ira felt himself being pulled to some unknown destination.

…

The sky of the Divine Realm flashed as a star came crashing into its orbit. Every God felt the arrival of a new presence and moved at once. It didn’t matter if they were hostile to Ira or not, they sought to investigate the disturbance.

Kara was among the ones who followed the falling star as she sought to know what fate her daughter was met with.

Unfortunately for those curious Gods, the star fell into the tainted land with blackened soil and strange trees. They lost the chance to find who or what arrived but remained nearby while waiting.

On the outer radius of the lands tainted by the Void’s influence, the Gods were spread out to cover all sides. Each one used whatever detection abilities they had to search for the slightest hint of a living being but there was nothing to be found. Seeing that there was nothing, a few Gods immediately left while others remained patient.

“It has to be the Avarus,” Kara whispered to herself.

Unlike the others who seemed to be getting restless, she remained steadfast, summoning a sword and stabbing it into the ground before closing her eyes.

“If the Avarus was here, he isn’t now,” Ionus appeared at her side and spoke in a low voice.

“Do you know something then?” Kara asked.

“Only a few should know this...there was a place where all the Avarus gathered together before they were massacred. The center of the forest which now houses the most divine beasts is that very place. If you want to find the Avarus, I’d suggest you look there.”

“...Why are you telling me this? Have you seen a part of the future?” Kara inquired.

Ionus’ greyish eyes stirred but he shook his head. “I have not. It’s only…”

“Only what?” Kara asked.

“It’s only a feeling, nothing more.” After he finished speaking, Ionus left just as quickly as he arrived.

Kara sat in contemplation, watching as the curious Gods began to leave as hours passed. Without any other ideas as to where the Avarus would be, Kara decided to trust Ionus’ feeling and went to the land of Divine Beasts.

…

Ionus crossed a great distance and then came to a complete stop, looking at the empty dust covered land in front of him.

“Are you here for a vision of the future perhaps, Xandes?” He asked aloud.

A grey-haired old man with the physique of a warrior appeared in front of Ionus with an emotionless expression. His white robe fluttered as he slowly approached.

“No, but you will tell me where you sent you Kara and what she was looking for,” Xandes spoke grimly.

“And why would I do that? I am only here to chronicle events as they play, I don’t wish to interfere.”

“Why? You don’t have a choice in the matter,” A male god with an ethereal beauty said softly. He was the God who originally proposed the idea of removing the barrier between realms and was the first to suggest the capture of Ira. He was at odds with Kara and Xandes but it appeared that his problems with the latter were all a farce.

“You…” Ionus trailed off as a dozen other Gods slowly revealed themselves.

“Make no mistake, Ionus. If you do not answer us, we destroy you until every part of your divinity is stripped away,” Xandes said coldly.

Ionus’ face grew darker as the Gods began to approach him with no sign of good intentions.