Elysium's Multiverse

Chapter 262

Chapter 262

Chapter 262

The main arena of the central sanctuary was, in one word, enormous. Numerous platforms, steps, balconies and seats ranging in size from small to huge were located all around the stadium in a non-uniform manner. A mile high and a mile wide, this place had been carved out of the very bedrock of whatever dark metals were native to this strange abyssal realm, with an enormous statue of Gluttony’s maw standing as a monument on one end.

It was under this monument that the largest balcony was located, with Riven’s minions and Lillith having taken up residence there at the front amidst a hesitant but excited swarm of higher-ranking young demons from various clans across the multiverse.

And with word having quickly spread amongst Gluttony’s followers, the crowds of demons from dozens of different species continued to flow in. Teleportation gates flashed, openings in the numerous enormous passages let out the sounds of thundering feet and claws, and Church of Gluttony clergy he’d come to identify - dressed in hooded black and purple robes for the most part - were literally singing strange hymns that Riven couldn’t make out while guiding people to their seats.

Watching them come in such numbers and in such a fervor, especially with some kind of scrying orb putting him on full display for the masses to focus on with an image overhead, really put into perspective just what his position had become.

Previous to this, he’d thought of Gluttony as more of an abstract... eh... friend? More or less, anyways. They’d actually gotten along really well, if Riven had to say so himself. Even despite what Athela and Fay had told him numerous times over, it hadn’t really clicked until now that he was a bonded symbiote and the physical representation of a being that was worshiped across many demonic societies as a near godlike figure. Lillith was treated much the same, and by proxy - so were his minions as he watched them from afar.

Devils, void beasts, succubi, incubi, imps, minotaurs, beholders, arshakai, dryders, fallen satyrs, jabobs, brutalisks, demonic wyverns, cthulu-like humanoids, and dozens of other species he didn’t know the names of were all in attendance. And the vast majority of them were focused on him.

“You seem slightly nervous.” Gluttony whispered in amusement through their thoughts, and Riven could only help but nod.

“This is a lot more than I’d been expecting, coming here.” Riven said slowly, watching the mulling crowds start to settle down when Lillith and a number of robed clergy step forward to the balcony’s front underneath the large statue monument to Gluttony.

Lillith raised a hand, and her aura of shadows lightly pressed against the noise and beings present with a gentle rush all across the mile wide arena. The people and creatures present all immediately fell reverently silent, some of them even bowing their heads or prostrating themselves in respect.

And when she spoke, her words traveled across the large underground room like a whisper - as if she were actually standing beside Riven and speaking into his ear; rather than standing nearly seven hundred yards away from him.

“Greetings, children of the maw.”

It’d become dead silent as her white eyes crossed the crowds of demonic beings. “It pleases me to see that, despite our time being banished to the deepest parts of the abyss over untold eons, we have not been forgotten. That Gluttony has not been forgotten.”

As one, the clergy scattered throughout the room echoed a nonsensical chant.

Riven would really have to learn whatever language it was they were speaking in.

Lillith continued her speech after a short pause. “The younger generations of our great houses stand before me now, scions of the pillars of our monumental societies that have remained to flourish even in the aftermath of Gluttony’s passing and the descent of Elysium - when it caught the sins and dragged them down into darkness to almost fade from memory.”

At the mention of Elysium’s action, the room went into an uproar as the demons cursed the system itself.

But Lillith held up another hand, causing them all to quiet down once again. Her seven black horns seamed to gleam under the firelight of balls of hellfire as they burst into radiance overhead, illuminating the dark colosseum and giving it a warmer ambiance. She smiled. “We are not here to dwell upon the past. We are here, as first contact with the greater multiverse since our return, to show you all that Gluttony is back. That he intends to take this era into new heights! To rebuild what we have lost, and to reclaim his place as the greatest of the sins so that all may know his glory!”

The crowd immediately went into another uproar of applause.

Murmurs of both confusion and excitement began to echo throughout the room as Gluttony held up a clawed hand.

“Though you may find this request odd, it is essential that my partner learns that simply wielding a bigger stick isn’t always a viable option. This is an opportunity for him to both learn, and to correct a personality flaw when subjugated to the reality of what the multiverse can provide as opposition - as opposed to the weaklings on his currently integrating planet. So what boons and rewards do I speak of? To any F or E grade church member here who beats Riven into submission in combat, you will be granted a minor blessing. To anyone who does it without being harmed at all, your house will be honored with an artifact from the church coffers.”

The murmurs of excitement grew in volume and pitch.

Riven’s mind and body twisted, and suddenly he was standing in his own body again. Sweat drenched his skin, and Gluttony’s maw was separated from him by a couple feet as it continued to speak.

“Together, we will celebrate our return by clobbering my counterpart to death time and time again. Inbetween, instructors that have already been selected from your ranks will train him for the next round of challenges. During these intermittent periods of time, others will be allowed to fight for the entertainment of the crowds. This will repeat for however long I deem fit, until he is an acceptable vessel to take further into The Abyssal Descent. Let the games begin. Please feel free to partake of the highest quality food and drink available as it is brought out over the coming days, provided as a courtesy of the church.”

***

Gentry, the drow man who’d been either unfortunate or fortunate enough to follow Riven to the ‘special event’ hosted by Lavini the succubus - had been expecting some kind of scandalous get-together with Lavini’s sisters. Maybe some of her friends. The way that succubus Lavini had looked at Riven over and over again on their descent while following the strange but very powerful demon Amano had made Gentry scratch his head in jealousy and confusion.

But he’d never expected something like this.

A secret complex full of demons that followed one of the lost sins. Lillith, a figure of myth and legend that stood directly in front of him while he sat back with Riven’s other minions. Dozens of some of the most prominent demonic figures of his age and tier group vying for attention with people he’d been having a hot springs bath with only an hour ago, while Riven himself was the reincarnation of some godlike demonic origin?

He felt his throat catch as Lillith came back to sit down beside the Allie girl, who was apparently Riven’s sister and a fallen angel at that. Looking over his shoulder, there were even two representatives of the scythe - reapers if he was correct, who were waiting to speak to Allie but had been told they’d have to wait until the ceremonies were done.

Nobody told reapers they had to wait.

Gentry pushed his fingers up against his temples, and got a knowing pat on the shoulder from Azmoth - who was the only one Gentry felt comfortable talking with at the moment given the three women minions of Riven’s retinue hadn’t taken much of a liking to him after his gawking stares.

“It ok. You fine.” Azmoth consoled the drow man who was trying not to hyperventilate, but failed when Gentry let out a startled scream when Fimrindle flashed to his left and took a seat in an empty chair.

The strange, metal scarecrow slowly turned his head to the startled drow, scoffed, and then shook his head before passing Azmoth a large slab of meat he’d confiscated from the refreshments table. It was the size of a fully grown hog, and Azmoth started chomping down noisily without a care in the world to the attempts at getting his attention from ambitious young scions of the more prominent demonic families here.

“This should be a good fight, Amano is very capable from what my informants tell me.” Fimrindle said in an uncharacteristically upbeat and talkative mood. “I heard Lillith say that Riven doesn’t stand a chance with his current capabilities after viewing some of Amano’s fight records, but it’ll be good to see Riven get pushed to his limits. I don’t think I’ve actually seen Riven fight at 100%, not truly, and certainly not recently. Even Allie wants to fight him. It’ll be interested to see how my own master stacks up to yours...”

Fimrindle glanced back at Azmoth from across where Gentry sat. “Don’t you think?”

"Allie get crushed under Riven's might like fly under boot!" Azmoth roared happily, chomping down onto the meat and ripping a piece off to swallow - only to get a glare from Allie who'd heard his comment. Azmoth raised a hand in his own defense. "I must support master because he friend. You just sister of friend. Sorry."

Fimrindle chuckled at the innocent comment and Lillith grinned with a sideways glance before the sound of a booming drum and the rolling thunder of cheers announced the start of the fight - with the announcing high priest shouting:

"BEGIN!"