Chapter 89: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End

"Through realms of light and shadow's veil,

The demon fled, to no avail.

Divine wrath, a cleansing power,

Purged the cosmos of its ire."

Jalen let the rain wash away the anger burning in him. At last, the demon was slain.

"Holy! Holy! Almighty Lord!

Victorious! Victorious! Our God stands tall!

Glory, glory, to the King of Light,

He who vanquished the demon's blight!"

His cosmic beams burned for a few seconds and trailed across the demon's corpse. Then he collected Jigoku Kumo's severed head within his grasp and formed a portal close by. The crescendo of his plan had reached, and it was time to carry it out.

He emerged above a flat, grassy plain dotted with thousands of makeshift tents. The thousand-strong choir of angels followed behind him, still singing praises that arrested the attention of the massive gathering of people below. Blood-red light doused the landscape in its radiance. A million people who were gawking at the wonders of the star so close to them now turned to him and his angels.

He floated lower so they could see him better and raised his hand to halt the angels' singing. Then, with their undivided attention, he showed the demon's head, turning so that everyone could witness the spectacle. With a mixture of expressions ranging from confusion to intrigue, the people gazed up at him. More streams of people joined the outer edges of the crowd from their tents.

"This is the demon's head!" His voice, powerful and commanding, rang out so that all could hear. "The demon that killed your brothers and sisters. Your fathers and mothers. The demon that laid our city to waste. This is her lifeless head for you all to see!"

A wave of contradicting emotions spread like a fire across the massive gathering. From utter disbelief to the gasps of relief, to anger, rage, sorrow, and weeping. He let them bask in their emotions and revel in their mortal fragility.

"Some of you may know me as Jalen Nkanga—a cousin, a friend, a mere superhuman," he continued, his voice calm yet resolute. "Yet the angels among you, with their proclamations to the high heavens, speak of what I truly am. For those of you who remain uncertain, allow me to clarify. I am Erebus, God Almighty of this domain. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I am the Creator of the cosmos before you. Since crossing that portal, everything you have seen, touched, perceived, and consumed originates from me. My voice ignites stars, my thoughts shape galaxies. I am the breath in your lungs and the light that guides your path. So let it be known—anyone who dares to transpire against me or those under my protection shall suffer the full wrath of my divine retribution."

Even the wind grew still before his proclamation. Angels above and below stood still, basking in his words. The people mirrored his celestial beings, their gaze never shifting from him.

"Hermosville has suffered a terrible fate. But as daunting as it may seem, facing down against infernal foes fashioned from your brethren that kill indiscriminately, this is only the beginning. More troubling threats loom over your world. My world too. By myself, I can not stop the horrors itching to carve out their slice of Earth. I will need volunteers. People who are willing to sacrifice their earthly pleasures and give their lives to the cause. Men and women who are ready to swear their loyalty to me and are willing to die at my command."

As he retreated into a portal to appear above the floating altar the angels made for him, he couldn't help but wonder if he laid it on too thick. Yes, a threat was imminent in the form of Asasamumu's uncontrollable life force. But what he actually needed was loyal soldiers to shore up his base on Earth. He was just as clueless as the mortals at predicting what the future held for Earth. He sighed. There was still an archdevil-sized issue to deal with after all.

His sudden appearance stopped whatever conversation Nola and August were having. He assumed his human appearance as his feet hit the gleaming floor and handed the silent Kaldor the demon's head.

"What are you guys talking about?" he inquired.

August avoided eye contact, opting to stare down at her feet instead. Around them, the angels returned to their silent praying postures, thankfully. Just a few days with them and he was already exhausted.

How does Yun do it?

"August and I were just getting acquainted," Nola said. "I find her story very intriguing. And her homeworld, too. Fascinating. So how was the fight, Jalen? I see you have taken a trophy."

They both turned to inspect Jigoku Kumo's disfigured head.

"Rewarding," he said, pulling out Abigail's half-burnt rosary. "For so long, I had been carrying this, wishing to get my hands on the tsuchigumo. But at the back of my mind, I feared that when the time came, I would be apathetic."

"That is good. It at least provided some closure, I hope?"

"Oh, yes. As I took the life from her breath, I never felt so alive. But that chapter has come to a rest. Wherever Abigail is, I hope she will find solace that her killer suffered to the very end."

As they were conversing, August slowly walked toward the severed demon's head with dead eyes, utterly different from hers, which leaked tears. "Thank you so much, God. Thank you, God Almighty."

"You talking to me?" he asked.

The small girl nodded, still shying away from his attention.

"No. Please don't." He shook his head. "Call me the name I gave when we first met. Not God or God Almighty."

"But—"

He rested his hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "It's okay. I grant you that privilege. Call me by my name. None of that God Almighty stuff. You've earned it. So tell me, what do you want as your reward? I hope you have decided on something."

August nodded mechanically, casting a sidelong glance at Nola. "I would like to stay on this planet… I mean this universe if you would allow it, Go… Jalen."

Confused, he looked to Nola for answers. Thankfully, the terisar was quick to clarify.

"I offered to take her under my wing," Nola said, placing a reassuring hand on August's shoulder. "We will go back to Avani and I will teach her everything I have learned. She expressed a lack of connection to her world since her parents were killed."

"Is this what you really want?" he asked again, just to be certain.

"Yes," August said. "Though I'd like to say my goodbyes to Emily if she is alive."

"Hm." He cupped his jaw. "Very well." Then he placed his hand on her head, a steady stream of life force flowing from him into her. "To be Nola's disciple, you will need immortality. Do you oppose?" Once he got her acceptance in the form of a murmur, he continued. "Then you will never grow old, or fall sick. Perhaps I will allow you to crossover between both universes if you happen to change your mind. I also grant you the ability to form portals."

"Um, Jalen. Does that mean I'll stay as a twelve-year-old forever?"

He laughed. "No. You'll still reach physical maturity. I guess I should have worded it better."

Behind them, a wide portal formed, and out came the archangel of wisdom and enlightenment, Orinth. Her long gown flowed behind her, sweeping across the floor. Far taller than his human vessel, she dropped to her knees when she reached, asking for permission to speak. He gave it, reminding her that she didn't need to prostrate every time she came to talk to him.

"I understand, Most High," Orinth said, rising to display her seven-foot frame. "It is just innately ingrained in my psyche to worship and praise Your Holiness. I find it incredibly hard to do otherwise."

"We'll get there someday. So what is it?"

"The volunteers you requested. Some humans have already offered themselves." She turned and called out to the open portal. Afterward, humans in all shapes and sizes poured in and knelt before him in organized rows.

"How many?" he asked.

"Just over 300."

It was a fraction of the million-plus who witnessed his speech. However, that was hardly an issue. 300 potential warriors would do for now. He paced before them, scanning their faces for an inkling of their resolve. These were men and women, so broken by the demons that they had nothing to live for. Just to confirm, he told a man with a scruffy red beard to stand up.

"Why did you step through that portal?" he asked.

In a shaky but determined tone, the man answered. "I lost both my girls right before my eyes, hours after the spawn swarmed my wife. Couldn't live with myself anymore, so I thought to end it before I heard your voice. Now I don't mind dying for you as my sin for failing my family."

Done with his questioning, the man returned to the others.

Jalen stood in the middle before them, hands behind his back. "Do you swear your unwavering loyalty to me?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Can't hear you. I said, do you swear your unwavering loyalty to me?"

"Yes!"

"When war rages around us and the enemy bears down with unrelenting force, will you hold the line? Will you stand firm, shoulder to shoulder, unwavering in the face of danger?"

"Yes!"

"Will you be my sword that shall strike down our foes with impunity? Will you wield my justice with unwavering precision, cutting through the darkness that seeks to consume everything I have built?"

"Yes!"

He nodded with satisfaction, waving Kaldor over. His little speech had a touch of propaganda-like tactics, but overall, everything was shaping up well. When the archangel arrived, Jalen collected the tsuchigumo's head. "You will take them to Genesis and train them in the ways of battle, strategy, engineering, and that sort. I've already made them much stronger, tougher, and, of course, immortal."

Kaldor bowed his head. "You have spoken, Most High. I will carry your orders to fruition to the best of my abilities."

From Nola's account, the time dilation effect between both universes stabilized at approximately twenty years passing in his universe while only two months have elapsed in Hermosville. It was noticeably better than before when stars could live their astronomically long lives in the time a few months passed on Earth. Still, it was too fast for his liking, but when it concerned these 300 mortals turned immortals who he needed to be trained immediately, things were to his advantage. So he left the time dilation the same for now.

Afterward, he willed a portal into existence.

"Is this the last I will see you in a while?" Nola rubbed her furred hand on his arm, a longing tone in her voice.

"Not at all," he said. "As we speak, Hermosville is still in the crosshairs of a much bigger threat than the spawn that displaced those people. Besides, I still plan on meeting with the star above us. So I will be back for a few years."

❊ ❊ ❊

President Jonathan Edwards sat behind the Resolute desk in the softly lit Oval Office. Behind the President, the deep blue drapes were drawn, and the flags of the United States and the Presidential Seal stood tall. Edwards clasped his hands on the table and looked into the camera directly positioned ahead of him, his expression one of deep resolve mixed with empathy.

"Tonight, I speak to you with a heavy heart and a steadfast resolve. Our nation faces a crisis of unprecedented magnitude. The city of Hermosville has been thrust into unimaginable horror as demons and their monstrous spawn have wrought devastation, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens and displacing millions more.

First and foremost, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in this crisis. Your pain is immeasurable, and your grief is shared by every American. To those who have been displaced, I assure you that we will do everything in our power to provide you with the support and resources you need to rebuild your lives. You are not alone.

In the darkest of hours, we have seen the brightest of lights. Our superheroes, the officers of the Hermosville Police Department, and the brave men and women of our military have stood on the front lines of this battle. They have faced the unthinkable with courage and determination, risking their lives to protect our citizens and stop further bloodshed. To these valiant heroes, I say thank you. You are the shield that protects our—"

"Change the channel."

"Sure." Bohdan tapped buttons on the remote and switched to the Hermosville Herald, which gave up-to-date news about the ongoing efforts to cleanse the city of the last vestiges of spawn.

It was a few hours before dawn, and Ella reclined in a chair beside Bohdan, who sat at the edge of the bed in a suite. Kylara lay behind them, passed out from exhaustion, while Sasha rested beside the alien woman, barely hanging on to her consciousness. They were in the Victory Lodge, a hotel somewhere in Oldtown that was repurposed into a recovery center for superheroes, law enforcement, and military personnel.