Mantle of the Gods [LitRPG / Slow Burn / FTB Harem]

It was a trap.

Before I could get upset that Sydney had set us up, or that the hundred-something Noble was gloating, my eyes went to my friends.

Each one of them was hanging on a cross. Zel was directly in front of me, while Justia and Aelin were on either side of her. Jen was beside Aelin and Ren, then Shelly was to Justia's left. There were also four empty crosses on my right and five on my left.

"What are you doing to them!?" I wanted to pull out a weapon, but I knew that Sandez Jinsu was Tier Five. He was the only Tier Five of the Six, Remy Harlax and Sigun Gara were Tier Four, which left Vanya Wesh, Chrice Faeru, and Joi Inon as Tier Three. The only way we had a chance at winning was if I could stall them until Whisper got here.

"We're just preparing the sacrifices that you've offered." Sandez gestured at the larger cross behind Zel. I'd assumed it was ornamental since the figure on it wasn't moving. But when I looked closer I realized that it wasn't a statue of Mive. It was Mive.

I put my hand on Gesai's and lowered her sword. I had to keep them talking and he looked like he wanted to gloat. "What did you do to him?" I nodded at Mive?

"Oh, the battery?" The ivory man with yellow eyes and reddish-brown hair smiled. "It's a funny thing about these 'mantles' and 'gods'. There's a safety switch in case the god becomes uncontrollable." He patted the other Kitsune in the room on the shoulder. "Fera here is the high priest of Mive. Or she was, until the Six made a contract with us ten years ago and let Anon take over her. Now Fera is nothing but a suit that our friend wears as he makes the mantle his own."

"You what!?" At first I thought I was the one that said it, but that voice belonged to Ether.

"You POSSESSED them?" She motioned at the people on stage. "ALL of them!?"

"It was the price that they promised for the power to bend their god to their will." The yellow-eyed man grinned. "And now they have promised me a bride and here she is…" He stroked Zel's face.

"You're sick." Ether sneered.

"I like that one." Remy Harlax grinned. "Can I switch to her? It'll be fun breaking her from the inside."

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I stepped in front of Ether and guided her behind Gesai. "What are you?" I turned my attention to Sandez.

"Some call us the Devourers. Others the Corrupted. We've answered to Master to many as well…" The others on stage chuckled at that one. "But!" The ivory man gave a little bow. "You would probably know us best as demons."

"You're WHAT?!" Gesai fielded that one.

"How?" I put my hand on her shoulder. The sounds of fighting behind us were getting quieter. I just needed to keep dragging this out. "You said you used Fera…Anon to do it. But how?"

"There is a special place within the mantles of these gods." Sandez began parading behind my friends. "The veil is very thin there, which means that we can cross over, but it requires a lot of magic and using that much magic would draw the attention of the other gods or the Elves. Which means we have to wait until the once a year Camping Games tryouts where Mive is supposed to create a pocket dungeon for them to train in. Except..!" He held his finger in the air. "When Trent unleashed so much magic last night, it now gives Mive the opportunity to fight back! Such a battle would use more magic than we could possibly give off by possessing everyone here."

Whisper walked into the room with Rix right behind him. "What are you still doing..!"

"Ah! Almost everyone is here. Tell me. Where are Trent and Astrid?" The yellow-eyed man studied our faces to see who was going to talk.

"They're not coming." I hoped he could see the sincerity on my face. "Using that much magic last night tapped him out." I looked at Zel. "And Astrid was too scared to come with us."

"No matter." Sandez looked sad, then smiled. "That just means another fight between the two!"

"What's going on?" Rix moved closer to me.

"Enjoy your last breath of freedom!" Sandez nodded to Fera.

The fox-woman put her hand on Mive's chest and there was a pulse. I felt my skin tingle as darkness washed over us.

"You are all so dead." There was venom in Rix's words.

I was trying to calm my heart and remember what I'd been told about this last time. Except last time I'd had Trent.

All of the sudden there was light and I could see in the room again. I had been expecting to see Mive and the nine in the Bequeathal Chamber and have Rix by my side.

What I saw was that everyone was in the Bequeathal Chamber. Except they were all unconscious on the ground. Of the nine that were possessed by demons, only Fera was still standing. Over the other eight stood ten foot tall monstrosities with faces like the one on Astrid's chest. I heard someone move and turned around.

Whisper was standing and had his black sword out. There was rage on the blond man's face. As he focused on our new enemies. But he wasn't the one that I'd heard move.

A chill ran down my spine as I looked into her red eyes.

"Atlas. What's going on?"