Chapter 213: Skadi Empire’s End
The capital of Durban, heart of the Skadi Empire, trembled like a dying beast.
News of Emperor Kaelion’s retreat spread faster than any marching drum. No one had ever seen the divine sovereign falter, let alone flee. His body half-ruined, drifting away into the void, was a vision burned into the eyes of those Saints who had witnessed it. For the citizens below, all they knew was that the sky had cracked, continents shattered, and now the empire’s immortal god was gone.
And into that silence marched Igaris.
The Overlord’s army—hundreds of millions strong—descended from the sky like a tide of shadows and flame. The earth groaned under the weight of their steps, yet they moved in uncanny unison, their discipline frightening even to hardened soldiers.
The nobles and generals of Skadi had scrambled in desperation. Carriages clogged the palace gates as the wealthy tried to flee, screaming for their guards to protect them. The imperial banners of the silver eagle were ripped down from marble towers, some by trembling hands, others torn by the wind as if the world itself rejected them.
When Igaris strode through the central boulevard, with Diva shimmering at his side, silence fell upon the people.
Here was the man they had been taught to fear. The Vance traitor. The heretic. The calamity who had dared to oppose the Skadi line. Yet as he walked, tall, unyielding, blood still streaked on his cheek from the battle with Kaelion, there was no cruelty in his gaze—only a cold authority that crushed hearts.
The citizens whispered among themselves.
"Is it true? That he made a god bleed?"
"They said he shattered the World Orca itself... then who can stand against him?"
"I saw Kaelion’s retreat with my own eyes. He left us. Abandoned us."
Some fell to their knees in despair, clutching their children. Others simply stood frozen, as though trying to understand how history could change in the span of a single night.
The nobles, however, were not so quiet.
From balconies and barricaded halls, their shouts filled the air.
"Do not surrender! He is a demon wearing human skin!"
"Hold the palace! Rally the Champion Guard! Protect the Empire!"
But their words fell flat. The Champion Guard, once the pride of Skadi, stood hesitating. Many had already seen their commanders cut down in the streets by Igaris’ lieutenants. Others simply lowered their weapons, unwilling to die for a fleeing god.
The nobles’ desperation soon turned to shrieks when the Overlord’s army broke through their gilded halls. The so-called pillars of the empire were dragged out into the open, stripped of their authority, their silken robes torn, their jewels ripped away. Some were executed on the spot, their blood running down the steps of the marble temples they had built with stolen coin. Others begged for mercy, only to be ignored.
Through it all, the citizens watched.
At first with terror.
Then, with something else.
When they saw the nobles—those who had bled them dry with endless taxes and enslaved their children for war—kneeling in the dirt like cattle, something shifted in the hearts of the people.
The whispers grew louder.
"...Those dogs deserved it."
"Finally, justice. The ones who sold our sons for spirit stones are being punished."
"My brother died in their mines. Let them taste the same suffering."
Mothers wept as the chains of slavery were broken in the markets. Entire families who had been branded as "debt-thralls" stumbled out of pens and cages, blinking into the daylight, their eyes filled with disbelief. The army of the Overlord did not slaughter them; instead, they cut the collars from their necks and placed food in their hands.
For the first time in generations, the citizens of Durban saw an army that was not here to take—but to destroy their oppressors.
High above the palace gates, Igaris stood with his wives beside him. Diva’s silvery hair gleamed like liquid moonlight, her presence calming the crowd even as the air stank of blood and smoke. Another wife, cloaked in dark flame, surveyed the scene with eyes of cold judgment. The third, radiant and sharp, carried the aura of a queen already prepared to rule.
They stood together, a symbol of dominion that could not be shaken.
When Igaris finally raised his hand, silence returned. Even the crackle of fire seemed to quiet in obedience. His voice carried across the capital like thunder, though he did not shout.
"People of Durban. Citizens of Skadi. Hear me."
Every ear strained, every eye fixed on him.
"The empire you served abandoned you. Its emperor fled like a coward. Its nobles gorged themselves while you starved. Its generals sent you to die while they feasted in marble halls. That reign is over."
His words struck like hammer blows, stripping away centuries of fear.
"You may call me tyrant. You may call me demon. But know this. I do not abandon my people. I do not betray my blood. I do not bow to gods. From this day forth, the age of Skadi is finished. The age of the Overlord begins."
The army roared behind him, a sound so vast it seemed to shake the heavens.
The citizens... hesitated. Fear still held their tongues. But then an old man in rags fell to his knees, his cracked voice breaking the silence.
"Long live the Overlord."
Others followed. Women clutching children. Miners with broken hands. Former soldiers who had deserted long ago.
"Long live the Overlord!"
The chant swelled until it became unstoppable, a tide of voices echoing through the ruined capital.
From fear, it grew into awe. From awe, into hope.
The throne of Skadi, once seen as eternal, lay bare and empty. And in its place stood Igaris Vance, the man who had defied gods, the man who had bled for his people, the man who now claimed not just power, but destiny itself.
For the first time in centuries, the people of Durban dared to dream of a future not built on chains.
And as the sun rose on the shattered empire, its light fell not on Kaelion’s legacy, but on the Overlord who had taken everything from him.
---
The war drums had gone silent. The banners of the Skadi Empire were torn down, replaced by the sigils of the Overlord. The streets that once echoed with the marching of soldiers now hummed with the sound of citizens whispering in relief. For centuries they had been strangled by corruption, by nobles who fattened themselves on the blood of the weak. Now, those nobles were shackled, their armies broken, their titles stripped away by Igaris and his unstoppable army.
Yet within the newly claimed palace of Durban, the weight of battle gave way to something gentler.
Inside the grand chamber, golden curtains swayed against the night breeze, and moonlight spilled over marble floors polished by centuries of servitude. Here, three women gathered around each other.
Diva, with her flowing silver hair, sat near the balcony. Her robe shimmered softly, and her hands rested on her lap as she hummed a faint melody, a tune that carried warmth into the cold night. Shirley, ever loyal and steadfast, leaned against her, her fiery eyes softened into something tender, her usual fierce spirit giving way to contentment. The third wife, Evernight, draped in crimson silks, rested on the other side, her mischievous smile absent for once as she basked in the quiet peace they had fought so hard to attain.
None of them spoke at first. The silence was not awkward but instead comforting, like a woven blanket shared between souls who no longer needed words.
It was Shirley who broke it, her voice low. "He always carries everything on his shoulders. Even when he bleeds, he hides it behind that smile."
Diva closed her eyes, her song fading into stillness. "That is why we must be his strength. We were not there in the first timeline, but this time, we are by his side."
Evernight chuckled softly, though her tone held sincerity. "Then we should remind him that he is not alone tonight. Not as a conqueror, not as a king, but as our husband."
Their words seemed to call him forth. The sound of footsteps approached, and the doors opened. Igaris entered, his dark hair slightly disheveled, his robe undone at the collar. His eyes, sharp enough to terrify gods, softened when they fell upon the three women waiting for him.
For the first time in days, his lips curved into a genuine smile. "So this is where my precious wives have hidden themselves."
Evernight raised her brow playfully. "We were not hiding. We were waiting for you, husband."
Shirley stood and walked to him first, her hands brushing along his cheek, her fiery aura dimmed by tenderness. "You fought harder than anyone should. Come here."
Without protest, he allowed himself to be pulled into their circle. Diva rose gracefully, her silvery hair brushing against his shoulder as she drew close.
"The world sees you as an Overlord, as a Saint who defied a God. But to us, you are simply the man we love." she said with tenderness.
Her words struck something deep within him, loosening chains he did not realize he still carried. He exhaled, releasing a burden that had weighed heavily even in victory.
They guided him to the cushions laid out by the balcony, where moonlight poured over them like a blessing. The three wives settled around him, creating a cocoon of warmth and devotion. Shirley pressed close to his left, her presence fiery yet soothing. Evernight slipped to his right, her arm looping through his with playful affection. Diva sat before him, her hands taking his as her silver eyes shimmered with quiet love.
For once, Igaris let himself lean back, his head resting as his wives enveloped him. The battlefield, the throne, the weight of destiny—none of it mattered here. In their embrace, he was not the Overlord, not the conqueror of empires. He was simply Igaris.
The warmth spread between them. Shirley laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat as if it were her favorite song. Evernight trailed her fingers along his arm, her mischievous grin returning only when she saw him relax under her touch. Diva began to hum again, her heavenly voice weaving a lullaby that seemed to heal not only his body but his soul.
His arms rose, pulling them all closer until there was no space left between them. He whispered, his voice hushed yet resolute. "You all are my strength. No god, no empire, no universe could give me this peace. Only you."
Diva’s eyes glistened. "And we will never let you stand alone again."
Shirley smiled against his chest. "This empire is yours, but your heart is ours."
Evernight chuckled lightly, teasing to break the seriousness. "Careful, or we might start fighting each other over who owns more of it."
Igaris laughed, a deep and genuine sound that echoed in the chamber, startling even himself. It was rare for him to laugh freely, but in this warmth, it came naturally. He pressed a kiss to Shirley’s forehead, then turned and brushed his lips against Evernight’s hand, and finally leaned forward to place one upon Diva’s silver hair.
The three wives shared a glance, their expressions softening in unity. There was no need for rivalry between them, for they were bound together by their shared love for the same man, and their shared devotion to his path.