Hello, I'm God - Enter The Rise Of The Shadow Throne [Demonic Incursion Prelude]

The outlands of the Sirsa nation were quite the grand place to stage an invasion, no? In the midst of the night’s cover was a force assembling on the dusty dunes of the desert’s peak. As the daunting glow of the full moon shined like a glistening star in the empty black skies above the barren landscape, the light of the celestial body unveiled quite the army converging on the lands. An entire assortment of demons from every framework of a person’s nightmare came in and assembled for as far as the eye could see. Millions of creatures ranging from humanoid figures, to animalistic beasts, blobs of darkness and every form in-between were coming in mass droves. They all adorned the Shadow Fall symbol on their backs, arms, clothing and other body parts, equipment or anything else on their person to signify just who this group was working for.

Yet, there was a key feature that stood out in this group of Shadow Fall operatives. For starters – there weren’t any Royals, Archdukes, Grand Dukes, Shadow Espada, Banshee Members or any other semblance of higher authority within the ranks of the organization. In fact, if anyone within the inner workings of the group had been paying a close eye to the numbers of demons within the organization over the start of 2414, they’d have noticed that millions of knights from all sectors were all but– disappearing. They weren't reported as killed in action, missing or even removed from the general population within the database of Shadow Fall’s Intel. Therefore, it did not send many alarms at first.

Yet, it gave some an uneasy feeling within the organization from both demonic and hollow sides. The numbers were even increasing, but no one saw heads or tails of these new recruits for quite some type. Many were beginning to wonder if there was a massive assault in the works, or if they were purging demons outright within the group. It was quite bizarre to see so many faces drop off, but with the wars occurring on Earth? No one seemed to have the time to investigate these matters. As at the beginning of the year – The Demon and Hollow Queens were both out of commission at the time. Mana Asthavon had a singular focus on Earth with the added stresses of being the solo-leader of the organization. While, on the flipside, Ashlei Clixx was nowhere to be seen at this point; and there was little cause to believe that a new Demon King would come into order.

Thus, this gave rise to the order of the Shadow Throne. Much like the shades of darkness if the night around them, the Shadow Throne grew to power with the cryptic allure of The Demon God’s beck and call. Gathering up as many demons’ as she could, Khala Asthavon enlisted these ghouls to fight alongside her. Baiting them in with promises of a new utopia, the assurance that they’d bathe in the blood of their enemies and the birth of a new regime of power would ensure; many weren't too skeptical of her whims. After all – once her satanic miracles came unveiled by birthing new strength into this hidden faction within Shadow Fall – they more than believed her story by that time.

The Shadow Empress understood the physical structure of Demon species and all of its sub-race counterparts inside and out. With a fundamental understanding of their racial mechanics and her divine knowledge as a supposed “God”, it was well within her grasp of power to begin injecting her influence into these willing participants to fight her dark war. Under her will did numerous demons grow to power with Death Energy, the awakening of unheard forms, the evolution of their abilities and top-form of their physical and natural prowess as a demon coming to a peak. Not a single minion under her order went unenhanced in some shape or form. Therefore, with her scope of potential proven, the Shadow Throne of Shadow Fall came to be.

Thus, with a new cult-following under her command as The Heart of The Demon God, Khala had already moved towards making her dark intentions a reality. Although, in spite of them being a complete army within their own right; Khala felt that The Demon Queen should, by all rights, become aware of this growing faction among their ranks. So, under the veil of darkness, The Goddess wanted to inform The Royal Asthavon of the purpose of this guard. Thus, Mana and Khala alike both descended from the heavens to set the orders given to this group. Being that she felt it was time for demons to establish themselves in the known universe as the rulers of hell, the Shadow Throne divulged her plans of conquest to shatter the order that Truth and The Soul King had devised. Through the ashes of their influence dying would The Demon God rise and ascend to take command of the Soul Cycle.

So like moths to a fire, soon these creatures of the night all converged themselves to the centermost point of their rally – a large piece of earth where their empresses stand. There these demonic entities stood in wait as two figures dropped from the skies and soon descended to a cliff side that overlooked the massive crowd. Each of these feminine bodies were both known by far and wide throughout Demon World. On the left side of the cliff stood Mana Asthavon wearing nothing more than a long flowing dress that was dark in color, two high-heeled pumps as black as the night itself and a pair of shadow shaded gauntlets as her luscious black hair blew in the breeze and emerald hued eyes pierced the landscape.

To the right of the cliff stood Khala Asthavon wearing a shadow colored cloak as her dull green hair waved alongside Mana’s own hair. Gazing at the audience before her with golden hued eyes, each of the pale-shaded women seemed to have a strong understanding of what they were here for. This is why the tension brewed within The Demon Goddess as her crimson shaded heart came to the surface. Alongside the right part of her chest grew a “third eye” that had many rows of tendrils extend out of Khala’s torso and swirled around her body.

Deciding that it was now time to share their plan with the crowd at hand, Khala commenced with unveiling her plan to the masses via telepathy. For a being like her there was no need for words. So like a fundamental force of existence, the feelings of The Demon Goddess rushed like a storming river into the minds and hearts of The Shadow Throne and The Demon Queen as if it were all but natural. There would be not a single sound in a crowd of millions deep, yet all were aware of just what they were in for. The aim fn this mission that these men and women alike would embark on was all but a suicidal one – if they opted to take it. The Goddess would not force those with weak constitutions to join her in this battle against the Soul Society.

Hence, with those troublesome thoughts out the way, Khala went on to explain to all that she was planning to use both their blood and the blood of their enemies to forge a new gate into Hell. By filling them with excess amounts of Death Energy and being triggered by a mass cataclysmic event, the dormant energies that lay vested within The Demon God’s heart will awaken and produce a key to unlock Hell. While Demon’s did indeed have limited access to Hell at this point, the switch this incident would induce was meant to allow demons the capacity to overrule the Shinigami and guide over the dimension of hades themselves. In essence, they’d represent Hell in the cycle of spirits throughout the known universe.

In addition, they’d give Khala the tools needed to begin forging her ideal afterlife and assist with collecting the pieces of herself scattered inside the hearts, minds and bodies of the universe. In her mind she was the mother of the universe, yet was a spawn of herself in the form of a child looking to become whole once again. When all points lead back to the origins of creation – there rest from this nightmare of pain and anguish would be. Of course she knew this was going to be a radical ideal, but they had more than ample time to think about it. Even with the crusade against her godling companions and their servants, Khala estimated it would take hundreds, to thousands, to possibly millions of years until this vision became true.

But – it needed to start somewhere and this was a good place to begin. If nothing else, their sacrifice would give birth to nirvana. Provided they manage to stay alive, they’d be champions of Demon World and fitting knights for the Shadow Throne. So live or die, there wasn’t any possible way they could lose this. This clash would send a deeper message to their enemies of the type of threat they were dealing with, demons were going to rule over Hell as they rightfully should and Khala’s own ambitions towards fixing the mess she created would be realized.

On the other hand, there were still quite a few who weren’t entirely convinced – and that was okay with her. In due time they’d be liberated as she felt tens of thousands of forces began to leave after having second doubts, but the overwhelming majority of the millions that came were still going to stand by their empress of Demon Kind. However, with a questionable glance to her side, Mana wondered if her dear sister was going to go off the deep-end. It was never in her interest to target the Soul Society, but if it was what her sister wanted – so be it.

So in a cheering applause, the gears of war were all but revved within the hearts of Demon Kind as they all masked themselves within the shades of darkness that was the Shadow Throne. They wore black clothing, masked themselves within blackened energies and merged forth through numerous portals created by The Demoness in order to begin their raid of the Seireitei and bring about the destruction of the Thirteen Court squads. Some were fearful, yet held hope within their hearts. Many were blinded by faith in their god and her ability to see them through the storm. While some were outright suicidal and didn't care what happened to them as the landscape of Demon World was a brutal one and death was all but a par-for-the course phenomena.

Through death and destruction, the chains of life would be freed from her enemies and allies alike; bringing them one step closer to this idealized place of competition, understanding and enlightenment. The cancer of this existence was going to be nulled by her chemo and she’d seek to find an end to this torment. So, to ensure that her plans were successful, Khala directed that The Demon Queen remain on stand-by within the core of Demon World. Once the key to Hell was forged and the gates were destroyed, the intention was to send the dimension of Hell hurdling back into Demon World. There it would sync with the realm and become a part of Demon World. Once this step was completed, they could then worry about opening their satanic gift and finding the wonderful contents that lay inside – including pieces to Deveta himself and getting one step closer to Death’s Realm.

Thus, the two women knew what their prime mission was and vanished into mist of darkness. Khala went forth to wage havoc upon the Soul Society, while Mana was going to be the medium to bring Demon Kind into a new age. All was setting forth into place and there was nothing left to do but leave it in the hands of fate herself to determine how this day would play out.

A petite and pale-skinned Shinigami shifted her way throughout the outlands of Demon World. Wearing nothing more than a large black cloak with a massive sword that took up the width of her back fastened on her behind, this raven haired individual blazed through the sandy dunes to find something quite out of this world. There was a massive calling taking place within the depths of Demon World. Saiko was given orders to investigate matters, but she found was more than frightening. The numbers of demonic forces ready to reign hell down upon The Soul Society was overwhelming. Standing in the midst of this colossal crowd of demons ready to give their life to the Queen and Goddess of their kind stood the Grand Duchess of Shadow Fall's Sixth Circle. Her name happened to be Saiko Mori and she was quite -- the oddity -- in this organization of monsters, beast and nightmarish fiends alike.

It was quite the sight to behold that a half-blood managed to work themselves to the rank of Grand Duchess because Saiko sold her soul to the Devil. By betraying the likes of Shinigami in the form of selling out her comrades and working as a spy for the organization up until this point, Saiko was more than thrusted into the lifestyle of Shadow Fall's chaotic rule when it was known as Sin Fall. In the hopes of saving her family and friends alike from the damnation of death's cruel grip, Saiko made a deal with The Demon Queen long ago that she'd relay the information needed for this colossal war they were undergoing today in exchange for becoming one of them.

Henceforth, on this day, Saiko's demonic blood took dominance in the wake of her makers presence coming forth. No longer was she pure Shinigami, but now a quarter demon as the surge and pulsation of Death's Energy flowed within her. And as the monstrous pull of Khala Asthavon's influenced gripped at her mind, there was a sense of dread and anxiety at the sort of mission that she was going in for. Sweat started to ooze from her hands, the woman's very legs were beginning to feel like jello and her heart rate was accelerating as disastrous thoughts crashed within her mind. No, she wasn't afraid of death because that would mean a release from this life's suffering and pain. What was more pressing for her to deal with was the faces of those she abandoned by her actions.

In the gateways that were emerging throughout the space around them, Saiko's eyes shook with terror as she wanted to cry then and there at seeing the reflections of the Seireitei. It served as a daunting reminder of the disloyal nature of her character and a horrid keepsake of the people who looked up to her and sought her guidance. Yes, imagery of that night where she lost all sense of courage and tucked herself under the bosom of the demon's power still surged in the woman's mind as if it happened yesterday. The screams of mercy, the howls of anguish in her betrayal and the smell of blood from their rotted out corpses shook Saiko to her very core. And with the will of The Demon God -- she was going to face that nightmare once again as she was given instructions to invade the Rukongai with her squadron of demon's.

Seeing her vision blur from so much stress on her brain, death would be nothing more than a sweat release at this point as she began mutter out a sorrow-filled whimper. She didn't want to do this, but the time for action was calling and she couldn't ignore it. There was something in her blood pushing her, screaming at the Demonic Shinigami and thrusting Saiko into the pits of hell itself with this war that the Shadow Throne's faction was about to wage. Yet, as deep as The Void Enigma was into her internal thoughts, the sounds of bickering caught her attention and the wavelength of a fellow Grand Duchess brought about a glance to Miss Mori's side.

Catching sight of the Grand Duchess of First Circle while in the midst of her agitated shouts, Sinthia seemed more than enraged with the lesser-known, but seemly more powerful male. Overhearing their conversation as her body continued to suffer from tremors, Saiko was bewildered at the sight of influence and power that the Demon Goddess seemed to wield within her possession. From the stories and rumors that The Void Enigma overhead of Sinthia it seemed that it was quite unbecoming of her to take part in such a mission. Yet -- here she was -- on this very day -- giving her life to their God. Just what kind of force was Khala Asthavon to have this sort of leeway? It made her question if this supposed entity known as "Deveta" was truly a god and if this woman did indeed represent his will.

Nevertheless, as the The Grand Duchess marched forth into the gateway that lead to deaths playground, Saiko turned her attention to Styn. It was clear to her through keen observation skills that the male's body language screamed uncomfortableness with this entire predicament. Of course -- her own disposition could more than likely unveil that she was ready to wet herself with fear -- it was more concerning to see a fellow comrade questioning himself. So as The Lone Demon started making his descendant away from the ground, Saiko aimed to put a gentle touch of her hand upon his shoulder and give him a quick glance of the eye. It was the sort of hardened, yet compassionate expression that a soldier would give his best ally in the wake of facing certain death, but still holding, against all odds, the hope for something more in order to make through their grim circumstances.

"Don't falter on your path now, Demon. You look strong so hold on to that strength and don't let this shake your faith." Each sentence that came out of her mouth was hushed, forced and very much shaky, but still audible enough for the Knight to understand. Biting her lip out of saying these words, Saiko felt displaced from herself echoing such sweet notions to a stranger, but war does unusual things to a persons psyche. "I am scared to, but understand....you aren't alone in this." Sounding more compassionate and gentle by the second in her tone, there had been an offbeat need to comfort someone in the wake of her own sorrow. If nothing else -- it would serve as a distraction from The Void Enigma's own problems. Thus, Saiko's eyes soon averted their glance from Styn to the wormhole that Sinthia had thrown herself into. In that moment she would try to memorize her spiritual signature so that she could scan for it and find it above the ranks of countless demons and Shinigami alike she'd encounter on the battlefield.

"I will look after that woman as she is going towards the direction of my invasion. I can't promise that she won't die, but I will do what I can....to ensure she has a chance ...at life." Now Saiko's faced trembled with uneasiness, but she'd still march forth with what needed to done. Yeah, she wanted to run. Yeah, she wanted to hide. But with the way things were going with Shadow Fall? It was only a matter of time before this type of war was brought to her feet and she'd be forced to meet her fate. The fate of a betrayer, a deserter and someone who abandoned their comrades. So there was no sense in trying to evade it anymore and she willingly gave herself to the the fears that tore at her mind. No matter option she took in this life -- she was going to be damned if she didn't -- damned if she did. And with the call for battle screaming on the horizon -- Saiko opted to get rid of this fear once and for all by facing it head-on and dealing with it the best way she could.

"I wish you the best of luck and that you make the right choice for yourself...whatever that may be." With that, Saiko had a burst of indigo shaded spiritual energy unleash itself and swirl like a vortex around her body. The sensation of a Shinigami blood, demonic power and Death's very energy screamed out throughout the area as The Devil Reaper's power eclipsed most of the other cannon fodder around them. It screeched a feeling of panic, sorrow and anticipation for what lay ahead of those black doors. It is why tears began to fall like rain drops from the eyes of Saiko Mori as she clenched her fist out of respite for these conflicting sensations within herself.

But, there was no time to be afraid. She couldn't let her fear control her fate and needed to ignore the ghost of self-denial whispering from the grave and causing Saiko to herself. Thus, with one foot forward, she set herself on the road that she could not rely on to find her saving grace. Flying upwards into the nearest portal, The Void Enigma of Shadow Fall threw herself into the midst of war and prepared to conquer it -- or be relieved of her worries in the form of death. Stuck in a her mental jail cell like a criminal, she counted the years that went to waste and prepared to make up for them all in her actions on this monumental day. Words just couldn't explain the struggle of a dead woman's fight -- so she had to cut through them with action -- even if her very spirit quaked and cried out in absolute terror and dread.

So with her eyes closed tight, she hoped, she prayed and pleaded with the very demon god that fought on their side that she'd make it through this holy war.