"Oh? Aren't you going to show yourself?" Robert said calmly, ignoring Gorr as he fixed his gaze on a specific spot within the darkness. His vision pierced the void, perceiving a being hidden deep within the shadows.
"And who might you be?" A cold voice echoed from the darkness. As soon as the voice spoke, the Necrosword in Robert's hand began to tremble violently. This time, Robert made no effort to hold it back. Instead, he released the blade, allowing it to fly away.
"Swish!"
The instant Robert let go, the Necrosword disappeared into the void as if merging with the surrounding darkness. Gorr's expression shifted as he watched the sword vanish. At last, he began to understand.
"So… the power I have and the Necrosword itself… they originate from this place?" Gorr muttered, his gaze straining to pierce the shadows in search of the sword's true master. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could see nothing in the pitch-black expanse.
"You don't know who I am? You've seen it already," Robert said, shaking his head slightly. "Did you think that by disguising your power as the Necrosword's essence, you could fool me? There's still a noticeable difference between the two."
Indeed, while the mysterious entity had created the Necrosword, the weapon's power was not an exact match to its creator's abilities—just as Thor's strength wasn't fully synonymous with Mjolnir's.
"Hah! You're sharper than I thought, Saiyan," the voice chuckled, seemingly dropping its pretense. "It's rare for a mere mortal like you to wield such formidable strength. Very rare indeed."
As the voice faded, a figure emerged from the shadows. The being's presence was both towering and ominous. He wore a suit of black armor streaked with traces of deep red, his skin unnaturally pale. Long, silver hair flowed past his shoulders, giving him an almost vampiric, dark-elf-like aura. In his hand rested the Necrosword, but it emanated a far more terrifying aura than when Gorr had wielded it. In this man's grasp, the blade seemed capable of eradicating all life in the universe.
"I am Knull," the figure introduced himself with a malevolent grin. "You may call me the God of the Symbiotes."
Both Robert and Gorr froze at his words, though for different reasons.
Gorr's reaction stemmed from confusion and disillusionment. This man—this so-called God of the Symbiotes—was a god himself. Had Gorr been a pawn in his scheme all along? Was his mission to exterminate all gods just another tool in Knull's hands?
Robert, on the other hand, was surprised by the mention of symbiotes. Symbiotes? He was more than familiar with them. Venom was still bonded to Peter Parker, and the Avengers had once considered weaponizing the symbiotes to create suits comparable to the Celestials' armor. That project, however, had gone horribly wrong, leading to the creation of Ultron.
Robert studied Knull closely. Despite his title, Knull exhibited no signs of the symbiotes' signature traits—neither their energy signature nor their biological characteristics.
"You don't seem much like a symbiote," Robert remarked, narrowing his eyes.
"Of course not," Knull replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The symbiotes are merely a species I created. I originally designed them to combat the Celestials, but unfortunately, they turned out to be a disappointment. Their weaknesses are glaringly obvious."
"Ah, I see. They fear fire and sound," Robert said, nodding in realization.
"Exactly," Knull admitted. "When I forged the Necrosword, I wasn't aware that the blade had developed a primitive consciousness. This flawed birth influenced the symbiotes' biology, leaving them vulnerable to fire and sonic vibrations."
"So that's where the genetic weakness comes from," Robert muttered to himself. It made sense now—creatures formed in the crucible of noise and fire would naturally inherit those fears.
At this point, Gorr clenched his fists and addressed Knull, his voice shaking with barely contained anger. "So you used me… manipulated me to fulfill your goals by killing other gods? Is that what this is all about?"
Knull smiled faintly. "You could say that," he replied nonchalantly. "Everyone who's ever wielded the Necrosword has been part of my plan—yourself included. But let's be clear, Gorr: we share a common purpose. Killing gods."
"You are unique, though," Knull continued. "Most people who take up the Necrosword die quickly. Your predecessor—the one slain by Rapu—was one such example. But you… you earned the sword's favor and unlocked a portion of its true power. In Indigel, you even managed to draw my attention."
"If not for the Saiyan here, you might have succeeded in slaughtering every god in Indigel."
Robert interjected, his gaze sharpening. "Knull, what's your true motivation? I can feel it—you've grown stronger after reclaiming the Necrosword. Is that why you spread the weapon across the universe? To absorb power from the gods it kills?"
"Sharp as ever," Knull admitted with a hint of surprise. "Yes. The Necrosword allows me to siphon the divine essence of every god it slays. Unfortunately, most of the gods it has claimed were weaklings. Their energy barely made a dent in my power."
"So it's the Celestials you're truly after," Robert deduced.
"Correct. I existed long before this universe came into being. I dwelled in the primordial void, sleeping in endless darkness until the Celestials awakened me. They dared to order me to serve them. I refused… and killed one of their own in retaliation.
"Of course, they didn't take kindly to that. They came for me in force, and I was ultimately defeated. But not before I slaughtered a significant number of them and escaped back into the void."
"In the aftermath, I forged the Necrosword and sought to empower myself by killing more gods. I also experimented with creating a race capable of rivaling the Celestials. The symbiotes were one of my attempts."
As Knull recounted his story, Robert maintained a calm expression—until Knull casually mentioned killing Celestials with ease.
"Wait… you're telling me you could kill Celestials in a single strike?" Robert's composure finally cracked. He stared at Knull in disbelief. If that's true, this guy's strength is terrifying.
Knull smirked at Robert's reaction. "You've faced the Celestials before, haven't you? I'm not exaggerating. In my prime, no Celestial could stand against me."
Robert frowned. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this story. If Knull was truly that powerful, why hadn't he annihilated the entire Celestial host? Something didn't add up.
"Of course," Knull continued, "I was weakened when I first awoke. If I had been at full strength, things might have gone differently. But now, thanks to the Necrosword, I'm closer to reclaiming my former power."
"Good," Robert said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "In that case, how about a test of your strength?"
"Hm?" Knull raised an eyebrow, sensing the growing tension. A cold shiver ran down his spine, though he dismissed it quickly.
Knull was confident. He'd seen what Robert could do in Indigel—destroying the Necrosword's attacks and holding the blade in place. Impressive, yes, but nothing he couldn't handle.
A mocking grin spread across Knull's face. "You want to challenge me? Very well... let's see what you're made of."
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