Chapter 172: The Divine Decree and the Gathering Storm
The celestial gears of the multiverse groaned under the weight of an awakening power that had been dormant for eons. Deep within the Upper Realm, in the sanctum known as the Hall of Eternal Radiance, the air shimmered with an oppressive gold light. The Higher Deities, beings who had spent millennia watching the rise and fall of civilizations with cold indifference, were suddenly stirred. They had felt a tremor—a rupture in the fabric of the mortal world that carried the distinct, terrifying resonance of the Demon King. The mark of the Author had been claimed, and the ripples of that recognition were now battering against the gates of the heavens themselves.
"The balance has tilted," whispered a voice that sounded like grinding stars. "The exile has reclaimed his mandate." On the grand mural that depicted the fate of all living things, a new ink was spreading—black as the abyss and edged with the violet flame of Volt. The data of the world was being rewritten at an exponential rate, a surge of influence that defied the natural laws set by the gods.
Back in the mortal realm, the atmosphere around Volt's farmhouse remained thick with the scent of ozone and burnt shadows. Volt sat at the heavy oak table, his presence commanding the very shadows in the corners of the room to bow. The golden crest on his wrist was no longer flickering; it was a steady, radiating sun of dark authority. He looked at Anos and Akuto, who were recovering from the battle against the Sentinels. Their growth was staggering, their spirits fueled by the massive influx of energy that had flooded their lineage since Volt's ascension.
"Father," Anos began, his voice cutting through the silence of the room. "The Sentinels were but the first wave. I can feel eyes upon us—eyes that do not belong to the Void, but to the heights of the Upper Realm." Volt looked at his son, his eyes two pools of infinite violet. "The gods are fragile beings, Anos. They cling to their 'order' because they fear the chaos of a true Sovereign. By claiming the title of the Author, I have told them that their script for this world is finished. I am the one who holds the pen now."
Akuto, still feeling the lingering heat of the Sakuna root, clenched his fists. "Let them come. If the gods want to protect their dying order, we will show them that the Demon King's family is the only law that matters." Beside him, Sasha watched with a mix of pride and concern. She could see the toll this power was taking—not on their bodies, but on the very world they inhabited. The earth beneath the farm was beginning to crystallize, turning into a substance that was neither stone nor metal, but a physical manifestation of Volt's will.
The night stretched on, but no one slept. Vanessa and Aki moved quietly through the house, preparing for a siege they knew was inevitable. The growth of the Demon King's influence had reached a critical mass, a percentage of power that was doubling every hour. This wasn't just a comeback; it was a total reconstruction of the world's hierarchy. The farmhouse, once a place of simple refuge, was now the throne room of a burgeoning empire that threatened to swallow the light of the divine.
Suddenly, a pillar of pure, white fire descended from the clouds, striking the mountain peak overlooking the farm. The impact didn't cause an explosion; instead, it erased the peak entirely, leaving nothing but a smooth, glowing crater. From the fire emerged a figure clad in white-gold armor, carrying a spear that wept liquid light. An Archangel of the Decree had been sent—not to negotiate, but to execute the gods' judgment.
Volt stood up slowly, the chair scraping against the floor with a sound like a death knell. He didn't look worried; he looked insulted. "They send a messenger to my doorstep?" he whispered, and the windows of the house rattled in their frames. He walked toward the door, his steps heavy with the authority of a hundred thousand words of ancient history.
"Stay inside," Volt commanded his family. "This is a conversation between Sovereigns. Anos, keep the barrier strong. Akuto, if the light touches the porch, extinguish it." The two princes nodded, their own auras flaring in response to their father's command. They were the heirs to this new reality, and they would defend it with every drop of their royal blood.
As Volt stepped out into the frozen yard, the Archangel raised its spear. "Volt, the Usurper! By the decree of the High Council, your existence is declared a heresy. Your influence has poisoned the weave of fate, and your title as Author is a lie that must be purged!"
Volt looked up at the winged executioner, the golden crest on his wrist flaring with a brilliance that rivaled the angel's fire. "A lie?" Volt laughed, a sound that shook the very foundations of the mountain. "The only lie here is the belief that you can stop me. I have written my name into the soul of this world. Every breath you take in my presence is a word I have allowed you to speak."
The Archangel charged, a streak of divine lightning aimed directly at Volt's heart. But the Demon King didn't move. He simply waited until the tip of the spear was inches from his chest, and then he reached out and caught the divine weapon with his bare hand. The contact caused a shockwave that flattened the surrounding trees and sent a pulse of violet energy back up the spear, cracking the angel's armor.
"Your 'order' is over," Volt hissed, his eyes glowing with the full power of a Sovereign. "Tell your masters that the Demon King doesn't just write his own story—he erases theirs." With a sudden surge of power, Volt snapped the spear like a twig. The Archangel screamed as the divine light began to leak from its body, being absorbed into the dark golden crest on Volt's wrist.
The battle for the world had officially escalated. It was no longer a fight for survival; it was a war for the right to define reality itself. The Demon King had issued his final warning, and the heavens would never be the same again.