Against The True Gods

Rage and frustration—accumulated not just from sixteen years of this life, but from the thousands of years lived before—erupted from Caine all at once, tainting his eyes with a vicious scarlet glow.

Around his body, the illusory image of a blood-red dragon coiled tightly, its presence magnifying Caine's aura, amplifying his oppressive tyranny.

A killing intent, the likes of which the world had never seen, bloomed violently. It was so potent, destructive, and hateful that even Zao instinctively took a step back, his usually calm heart pounding in his chest.

Caine's face twisted into a demonic scowl, his aura swelling ever higher, his Will taking step after step toward an inevitable blooming. The dark clouds above rumbled, gathering ominously. Thick pillars of crimson lightning fell, charring everything they touched, the air sizzling with malevolent energy.

The hatred bubbling deep within Caine's soul thickened, spreading like a poison. As it did, the pressure radiating from him grew even more suffocating, a storm of wrath that threatened to devour the world.

Zao, watching from the skies, felt his breath hitch. It wasn't Caine's intent that affected him—it was the image he saw reflected in Caine's aura.

It was an unmistakable echo of Heaven's Fallen Divinity, The Great Mother of Hate, The Herald of The End—Caine's mother.

The resemblance was uncanny, so much so that even Zao's tempered heart trembled. Pride surged within him, mingled with threads of worry that coiled tightly around his thoughts.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it ended.

The waves of suffocating emotion flowed back into the depths of Caine's heart, sealed away with iron will. His killing intent faded, the reflection of his star dimmed, and the blood dragon coiling around him vanished like mist in the morning sun.

A calm smile graced Caine's beautiful face.

His voice, soft yet filled with finality, uttered, "[Nameless Call]."

Thirty seconds had passed. It was time to reap his reward. Before anyone could react, all the heirs—except the Heavenly Heirs—vanished. Their very existence was erased as if they had never been there.

Even Zao, even the ancestors observing from above, couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Caine turned to the five Heavenly Heirs and waved his hand, dissolving the cage of Qi that had trapped them.

"Unfortunately," he sighed, sadness rolling off him in waves, "I cannot kill you. So come at me. I'll only use one hand."

He folded his left hand behind his back and beckoned with his right. The five heirs, their pride wounded beyond repair, stood paralyzed. They glanced up, eyes pleading for intervention from their ancestors.

"They won't act," Caine said, his voice cold. "Even if they wanted to, they couldn't stop me. So either come to me…"

He took a single step forward.

Suddenly, his body shattered like a mirror, splitting into five identical reflections. The heirs barely had time to process the sight before each reflection appeared before them, a palm pressed firmly against their chests.

"…or I come to you."

A mere tinge of pressure from Caine's palms caused fountains of blood to erupt, the metallic scent thickening the air. The heirs stumbled backward, their faces contorted in shock and pain.

Caine's reflections dissolved, merging back into his original body. It was as if time itself had rewound, leaving the spectators frozen in disbelief. None could fathom the complexity of the technique Caine had just executed, nor could they comprehend where he had learned such mastery.

The gap between the Heavenly Heirs and ordinary heirs was already wider than the chasm between heaven and earth. But the gap between Caine and the Heavenly Heirs? It was a void beyond measure.

As the stunned silence grew unbearable, the five heirs roared with fury. Their wounds sealed, their pride igniting into desperate rage. In perfect coordination, they launched a unified assault. Their dignity was already shattered; there was no point in restraint.

They would attack together, shame be damned.

Caine laughed softly, stepping forward once more. He had promised to only use his right hand. But were his bones not part of his hand? And by extension, were the elements not infused into his very flesh of this same hand?

If they wished to abandon shame, he would gladly oblige.

WHOOOSH!

Flames erupted around him, fused with harsh emerald winds. The inferno spread rapidly, engulfing the entire arena. Blinded by the searing heat and swirling winds,the heirs were forced to divert most of their Qi into defense.

Reiner Renala, the heir of the Renala Clan, screamed as a blade of fire pierced his leg, immobilizing him.

Caine appeared behind him like a wraith, his hand a blur as it struck the young man unconscious. Reiner crumpled to the ground, his weapon clattering uselessly beside him.

Without pause, Caine moved to the next targets.

Athena Thyrn, the heiress of the Thyrn Clan, and Cassandra Azanthiel, the heiress of the Azanthiel Clan, stood back-to-back. Athena's long green hair whipped in the wind, her blue eyes darting around desperately.

Cassandra's short black hair stuck to her sweat-drenched forehead, her orange eyes glowing with defiance.

Together, they spun in unison, covering each other's blind spots amidst the blazing chaos.

Caine appeared in front of Cassandra, his silver eyes glinting with amusement. Her eyes widened in horror, but she reacted with the precision of a trained warrior. Her rapier pierced through the air, aiming for his throat.

Caine didn't flinch. His hand shot out, parrying the blade with casual ease.

BOOM!

The air exploded as his fist drove into her abdomen. Cassandra's body folded, her breath stolen. Before she could recover, his knuckles grazed her jaw, and darkness claimed her.

Athena spun, chanting desperately, a spell forming on her lips.

Caine's eyes flashed with a silver rune.

Her spell shattered into harmless motes of light. Before the backlash could hit her, Caine's fist swept across her face with such speed and grace that she barely felt the impact before her consciousness faded.

'Two left.'

Caine's eyes gleamed with malevolent anticipation.