"Get off, Seria!" This is too much! I am becoming a laughing stock!

"I don't wanna! I have to enjoy every moment while I am still able to do it!" Seria is riding on my shoulders and uses my horns as a driving wheel.... again.

Several people are looking at me. They are having a hard time holding back from laughing. I am inside the command centre of the Ragnarok. It's one of our three flying fortresses. The others were named Guardian and Nomad. Nomad will join us on this trip, while the Guardian will stay behind.

"I still can't believe that Celes allowed you to join this campaign!" -Me

"Maybe I'll remember something important! And I have to greet Lada!" -Seria

"You are really sure that Lada is on our side?" I still doubt it. She is a Council member after all.

"I am sure! The memory is very recent and she was always a good girl and a friend." -Seria

"Your word in my ear..... ? ? Communication. Tell the Nomad to fire up their engines. Planned flight time: nothing!" I grin while I give the orders.

The first thing I did when I designed the fortresses was to give them the ability to use the pathways. Those things would be pretty useless otherwise. They would be stuck on this world. Nobody needs a tank that can't move.

I feel the faster pulsing of energy through my command chair. This technology is really marvellous, even for a god. Before I came across the mana-crystals, I felt like a barbarian without a stick. The crystals are to us, like metal to mortals.

"I am still concerned about the Sphere of Sight. They will be able to know every step we take once we are outside the void." -Seria

"Knowing about their capabilities is a big help to us. Just remember to keep your mouth shut about vital information. And even if they can spy on us, it's no problem. Our course of action won't change. First we will visit them and take a look at their strength. If they are far weaker, we will crush them. If they are fortified too strongly, we will hop around the multiverse and stir up trouble. With enough information, their reign should end pretty soon." I take a deep breath to clear my thoughts.

I am on board of the Ragnarok with Seria. Nicosar and Celes are on board too. The Nomad is commanded by Arthur and he has Drem, Tanja and Sven with him. Both ships are manned with strong and trustworthy people.

"You realize that all of this is your fault! Seria?" -Me

"Booo. It was the former me, who set this up. And if I didn't, you all would suffer in a dark and cruel place. So you should be happy for the chance to change your fate!" -Seria

I tilt my head while I look at the big screen before me. Both fortresses are rising to a higher altitude. If we would jump out of the atmosphere above midpoint, we would destroy our own city.

Imagine a volume of several million tons of air would just disappear, leaving behind vacuum? A god is able to use a pathway in a more refined manner. But the fortresses use the barbaric method of just exiting one reality, to enter another one.

All three of our fortresses look the same. They are long sleek structures of multiple crystalline formations. They don't look natural, but at the same time you can tell that they aren't pure technology either.

The fortresses are about six kilometres long, one in height and two in width. Both are manned with a crew of about twenty five thousand people. Besides shields and weapons, the most important part of the fortresses is their damping field.

When we realized that we would have to fight a war between gods, we were at a loss. How should almost indestructible beings with teleportation abilities fight each other?

Will it be a brainless chaos of one on one fights? Everyone is able to teleport into the enemy's formation at will.

Margerie saved us from such a fate with the dampening fields. They are the same technology, which enables us to use a pathway with the fortress. But instead of using a pathway to get from one point to another, the dampening field closes the pathways.

Now we have a nice little space around our fortresses, which is safe from enemy teleporters. If Margerie hadn't invented something like that, our fortresses would be useless. The Council could just board our vessels and we would have to fight them the traditional way.

Neither will they be blown out of the sky, like my old fortress.

Of course we thought about many other scenarios too. To tell the truth, I think we are still greenhorns. We never fought a war between gods. I have almost no idea how the reality will look like.

Probably the only ones who have an idea how to fight is the Council. They have an experienced army, unlike us. Of course our people aren't inexperienced either. We fought ourselves for long enough. But we never fought a war as gods, that's new territory for us.

I hope the Council's army got rusty during the eternity of peace under their rule. They shouldn't have had much chances to train their skills.

"We are ready to shift, your Majesty!"

A technicians voice wakes me from my thoughts. "Activate the engine." I order with a cold voice.

After a short feeling of zero gravity, both of our fortresses reappear above a certain planet.

This place is called the Centre of all things. A blue sun is dancing with a black hole. Around them travels a world of Crystals. And on this world is the Council's city.

We appeared right above their heads. Perfect!

"Begin to descend and start the bombardment to wake them up." I lean back in my chair to watch the inferno. Our fortresses are unleashing incredible powers. Lances of energy stab down into the atmosphere and orbs of light howl down to the planet.

Unfortunately, it will be nothing more than a greeting. I know from Tjenemit that the Council possesses the technology to shield their city. Combined with their mana-crystals, they should have more than enough energy to stop our attack.

On the other hand, we have a hidden card. Nobody is allowed to talk about it until we had the chance to discuss the situation with the Council.

Descending through a layer of clouds, I get a nice view at the Council's city. It's marvellous to behold.

Smaller towers of crystal intertwine with each other and in the middle, a single slim crystal tower almost stabs the clouds.

Like I assumed, our weapons aren't doing much to their shield. It's lighting a little. That's all.

***

The Council's city:

"Where did those things come from!" El Shaddai screams with all his might, while the ground shakes a little under our feet.

I look up at two beautiful ships. They are made out of mana-crystals like our city. Weren't it for the shaking ground under my feet, I wouldn't believe that their purpose was a deadly one.

Seria. What have you unleashed?

"Marvellous! They copied the crystal-tec! They are even able to build ships!" Amaru's eyes sparkle like he just found a new toy.

"At this rate, they will never get through the shield." Enyo tilts her head while she is looking up. "Send the infiltration troops. They are stupid to build something like this."

A General at Enyo's side nods and starts to give orders to others.

The others aren't inside the city. There is much work to do if you have to govern the multiverse.

I look down to my feet. I will have to decide soon....

Suddenly a rather big explosion dents the barrier above us, but the barrier is instantly restored. Our city has almost limitless mana reserves.

In fact, Amaru explained to me that the city is somehow able to tap into the mana flow of the planet itself. That's an immense power.

A few minutes go by, then Enyo's general receives a new information. "We lost the infiltration troops."

"What? How?" -Amaru

"Apparently all pathways to the ships are blocked. Our troopers tried to get there, but they lost their connection to the pathway and reappeared a few kilometres from the ships. They were immediately taken under fire. Only a handful could escape."

"Incompetence!" Enyo screams at the general.

At this moment the bombardment stops and a loud voice booms over the city.

"We are the Void. Come out of your city and hear our terms. If you don't resist, this won't have to end with your reincarnation..... No dear! It's not like I want to scare them..... No! I am trying to make an impression!..... No! You can't have the micro....schrrccrrrcrrrr?......?.....Meet us five thousand meters above your city. NOW!"

I turn and look at El Shaddai, who is taking all shades of grey and silver.

"Is this is a joke? Are they not ?taking us serious!? They are giving terms??TO US!" -El Shaddai

"We should go and speak to them."-Amaru

"I will go!" El Shaddai spits on the ground. "I will go and tell them what will happen if they don't surrender now!" He blinks away.

I concentrate too and search the airspace above our city. When I encounter a strong source of mana, I teleport too.

I reappear in the air. Amaru and Enyo are already besides El Shaddai.

Across from us are two people. A man and a woman.

The guy has a staff of crystal in his left hand. His menacing slit pupils seem like they are looking right through us. He is wearing a strange armour, which makes him look like a mixture of knight and mage. On his head is a crown and the short black hair emphasizes the golden metal. Two black horns grow from of his head, heading backwards to complete the look of a devil!

The woman besides him has fiery red hair, which is pinned up with several ornamented hairpins out of crystal. She looks like a succubus and has a very alluring figure. Just the wings are missing. She is wearing a female version of the guys outfit. A slit skirt shows one of her legs and a tail slowly waves from left to right behind her. On her head are branching out horns, which encircle it like a tiara.

But the strangest thing is the little girl, riding on the guys shoulders. She looks like a little version of the succubus. And then the girl waves at us and speaks.

"Hi Guys! Did you like our little greeting? Lada! Long time no see! How are you doing!?"