Graycastle Empire, War God Temple.
The pope of the Graycastle Empire's War God Church sat upright upon a massive throne assembled from countless sharp swords. Fierce flames burned before him, casting an especially sinister glow across his aged face.
Everyone else around him stared intently at the pope, even deliberately lowering their breathing.
"Someone is challenging the authority of the gods, attempting to defile the Lord's land. Half of the Tiele Chiefdom has already been completely transformed into another god's domain."
The Pope of War spoke slowly, anxiety in his voice. "We are now the gods' largest faith organization in the mortal realm..."
As his words fell, metallic clanging rang out within the temple. The flames also began to flicker unstably, and the scorching heat made everyone's breathing grow heavier.
"Your Holiness, who is challenging the authority of the gods? What should we do?" An archbishop took a deep breath and tried hard to calm himself.
"The gods need a war—a long war, a war enough to alter the entire continent's balance... More nations, more races, more beings must be drawn into this war... We must prepare ourselves to defend the gods' glory... The gods are with you and me... We must drag everything into the quagmire of war..."
The Pope of War spoke to every high-ranking member of the War God Church as if sleepwalking, yet his words seemed incomparably vast when they reached their ears, shaking their hearts.
"Your Holiness, defending the gods' territory and crushing all those who covet the gods' authority is what we children of war ought to do..."
An archbishop rose to his feet, took a deep breath, and suppressed his emotions. As a high-ranking member of the War God Church with one foot already in the Legendary realm, he could barely resist the