Silence settled over the shattered remains of the floating island as fragments of rocks continued raining into the endless sea below. The magnificent palace that had stood for countless ages no longer existed, replaced by a colossal crater filled with broken stone.
Hundreds of Minor Gods who had been guarding the palace remained frozen in the distance, none daring to approach after witnessing the horrifying display of strength. Their eyes remained fixed upon the lone figure standing calmly amidst the destruction while the two Godkings hovered above him with guarded expressions.
Arthur ignored the gazes directed toward him. Instead, he took out an old sword he had found inside the secret realm of Thyrandel. The instant his hand wrapped around the hilt, however, a familiar voice echoed directly within his mind, carrying equal parts amusement and grievance. "Lad..." the sword spirit drawled lazily. "So you finally remembered I exist?"
Arthur's expression stiffened almost imperceptibly. For perhaps the first time in quite a while, genuine embarrassment appeared on his face. He coughed awkwardly before replying mentally, 'Sorry about that... I nearly forgot about you.'
The response was met with complete silence. Then came a disbelieving snort. "You..." the spirit finally managed, sounding utterly dumbfounded. "... forgot?"
Arthur could only smile helplessly, there was little point denying the accusation. The spirit wasn't wrong, since leaving the secret realm where he had acquired the sword, countless crises had pushed him toward developing his own strength. Weapons eventually became liabilities, most ordinary artifacts were useless against enemies capable of tearing apart continents, while stronger weapons often restricted his growth rather than enhance the flexibility of his combat style.
Before he realized it, months had passed without the blade ever leaving its scabbard. 'I wasn't ignoring you intentionally,' Arthur explained honestly. 'It's just that, carrying a weapon slowed down my growth.' He paused briefly before adding in a quieter tone, 'After this is over... I'll find someone better suited to wield you. Someone who'll treat you better than me.'
The spirit remained silent for several moments. Arthur almost thought it had become angry until a slow sigh echoed through their mental connection. "You've become much stronger than before," it observed, the teasing gone from its voice. There was unmistakable curiosity beneath his tone, "But... why can't I sense your divinity?"
'We'll discuss that later,' Arthur answered simply while lifting his eyes toward the two Godkings still watching him from above. 'Right now…' A faint smile crossed his face. '...we have two Godkings to deal with.'
The sword spirit could also sense the two Godkings, it let out a booming laugh that resonated throughout his mind. "Hahaha! So you've finally come in contact with them! It has been eons since I last tasted the blood of a god. I was beginning to think I'd spend eternity sealed away without ever seeing another battlefield worthy of my edge." Arthur couldn't help smiling faintly. Whatever else could be said about the spirit, its enthusiasm never seemed to diminish.
…
Gaius saw that Arthur was ignoring them, and it irritated him. Veins bulged across the muscular Godking's temple as he finally lost what little patience remained. His booming voice rolled across the devastated island like thunder. "Who are you?" Every word carried crushing pressure capable of driving Minor Gods to their knees. "You dare invade a Godking's territory, destroy a divine palace, and then stand there ignoring us?"
The sea below churned violently beneath the force of his anger. Arthur slowly lifted his head as though only just noticing the furious Godking. The next instant, space folded around him and he reappeared directly before them, floating only a few meters away. The sudden movement caused both Thalassor and Gaius to instinctively tense.
Arthur, meanwhile, spoke in the same calm tone one might use when asking for directions. "Which one of you..." His gaze shifted from Gaius to Thalassor before returning again. "...sent the five Minor Gods to Thyrandel?".
Neither Godking answered. Instead, Gaius narrowed his eyes before releasing a cold sneer. "You think..." he said slowly, "...that you have the right to question us after what you've done?" His fists tightened as divine energy condensed around them. "Arrogant brat."
Arthur looked at him for a long moment before quietly sighing. He had hoped words might save him the trouble of a prolonged fight, but judging by their reactions, that possibility had disappeared almost immediately. Without another word, his left hand grasped the black scabbard while his right slowly wrapped around the hilt.
Shing.
The clear sound of steel leaving its scabbard echoed softly across the battlefield. The instant the blade was fully revealed, the expressions of both Godkings changed dramatically. Their pupils contracted and the confidence that was present on their faces vanished almost instantly.
Without exchanging so much as a glance, both Thalassor and Gaius retreated several hundred meters at the exact same moment, as though responding to an instinct buried deep within their souls. Their auras expanded defensively instead of offensively while disbelief spread across their faces.
Gaius stared toward the sword with trembling eyes before unconsciously taking another step backward. "Is..." His normally thunderous voice faltered for the first time. "... is that... what I think it is?"
Beside him, Thalassor's normally composed expression had grown unusually grim. His sharp eyes never left the blade as though looking upon an ancient nightmare thought long buried beneath history. "...Yes," he answered quietly. "There is no mistake." His gaze slowly shifted from the weapon to Arthur himself. "...But how?" Genuine confusion entered his voice. "How did he obtain that cursed weapon?" His brows drew tightly together. "I thought it had finally been sealed forever."
Neither Godking understood how the impossible had occurred. That sword should never have reappeared. Maintaining his outward composure, Thalassor silently transmitted a divine message across the Divine Realm, informing the remaining seven Godkings for reinforcement.
…
Arthur instinctively noticed the dramatic change in the two Godkings' expressions. Though the fear hidden within their expressions wasn't directed toward him, it was directed toward the sword in his hand.
Even the surrounding Minor Gods who had slowly gathered around the island sensed that something had changed. They couldn't recognize the weapon, yet seeing two supreme Godkings instinctively distance themselves from it was enough to make every one of them uneasy.
Arthur lowered his gaze toward the sword, gently turning it in his hand. He had assumed it was merely an unusually powerful spiritual weapon left behind by some old god. Never had he imagined it could terrify beings who stood at the pinnacle of the Divine Realm. Curious, he asked mentally, 'Why did they react like that after seeing you?'
The sword spirit immediately let out a smug chuckle that echoed inside his mind. "Heh... so you've finally realized." There was unmistakable pride in its voice. "Did you really forget what I told you when we first met? I wasn't simply another spirit weapon forged by some blacksmith." It paused deliberately, clearly enjoying Arthur's curiosity before continuing. "Back then... they called me the Godkiller."
Arthur's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, 'I thought you were just boasting back then.'
The spirit scoffed before continuing, its voice becoming more solemn than before. "Now that you've finally reached a battlefield worthy of hearing the truth, I suppose I should explain everything. Gods..." it said slowly, "...cannot truly be killed through ordinary means. Even if you destroy their bodies, they can eventually revive."
Arthur immediately recalled Theron's explanation regarding the hidden Life Cores. 'Their Life Cores,' he said mentally.
"Exactly." The spirit nodded. "The World Consciousness granted every God a Life Core when they ascended. As long as that connection remains intact, even killing them merely delays their return. They could rebuild their bodies in a hundred years or so."
The spirit's tone gradually grew colder. "But I..." it said quietly, "...was created for a single purpose." Arthur listened silently. "I possess the ability to sever the connection between a God and their Life Core." Every word carried unimaginable weight. "A god could be killed permanently when struck down by my true power."
"That," the spirit continued with unmistakable satisfaction, "is why they fear me. Every God who heard my name understood one thing." Its laughter returned, darker this time. "If I cut them down... there would be no second chance."
Arthur's heart couldn't help beating a little faster. Now he possessed a genuine method of permanently eliminating the beings that were virtually immortal. Yet before those thoughts could develop further, the sword spirit's voice interrupted him sharply. "Don't become carried away." The warning immediately drew his attention. "Because if you overuse me..." The spirit sighed heavily. "...you'll share the fate my creator faced."
Arthur frowned. 'What happened to him?' he asked.
The spirit remained completely silent for a moment. When it finally answered, its voice had lost every trace of arrogance. "Do you know how I came to existence?" Arthur didn't respond. "I wasn't forged by ordinary means," the spirit continued quietly. "Long ago... my creator, an ancient Godking, sacrificed his own soul to create me."
Arthur's eyebrows rose slightly. "He offered everything he possessed for one purpose alone..." the spirit said. "...revenge."
"From the very beginning," the spirit whispered, "my existence violated the laws established by the World Consciousness." It released another weary sigh. "My master used me to permanently kill Gods and eventually suffered the same punishment." Arthur's expression gradually became serious. "What punishment?" he asked.
"The World Consciousness," the spirit answered, "took back everything it once granted to my master." Arthur remained silent. "Life Core... divinity... gifts connected to the world were stripped away from him." The spirit's voice grew increasingly solemn. "And after that..." It hesitated before finishing quietly. "...he was banished from the world forever."
Arthur couldn't help narrowing his eyes. 'Banished?'
"Yes, my creator disappeared from this world. Whether he survived elsewhere... even I don't know."
Arthur had already suspected violating the fundamental laws of a world would carry severe consequences, but he hadn't expected the punishment to be so absolute. Permanent exile from their own world... it was a price few would willingly pay.
He contemplated the information before asking another question that had immediately come to mind. 'If the World Consciousness values the Gods so highly…' he said thoughtfully, '...then why imprison them inside the Divine Realm in the first place?'
The spirit fell silent once more before eventually replying, "I don't know." There was genuine uncertainty in its voice. "I was sealed long before the Divine Realm existed." It paused before continuing with speculation. "If I had to guess... they must have committed something unforgivable." Arthur listened carefully. "The World Consciousness may have punished them by separating them from the mortal world while still preserving their existence."
The spirit sighed. "After all, regardless of what they did, Gods remain necessary for the balance of the world." Arthur raised an eyebrow as the spirit asked. "Do you truly believe this is the only world where gods exist?"
Arthur immediately remembered the countless universes he had visited using the Obelisk. "There are countless worlds," the spirit continued. "Many possess their own Gods, and conflicts between worlds have occurred since ancient times. The World Consciousness nurtures Gods because they serve as its defenders against external threats. Creating a single God requires unimaginable resources and countless years. From the perspective of the World Consciousness, permanently losing one is an enormous waste." It paused before adding seriously, "So if you ever choose to use my true ability... choose your target carefully."
Arthur slowly nodded, the explanation aligned surprisingly well with everything he had learned till now. Though he was angry, he had never intended to indiscriminately slaughter every God he encountered. But he would not spare the one who sent those five Minor Gods into Thyrandel, nearly killing his friends and hurting Selene.
He had already decided that if necessary, he would pay any price to ensure that particular enemy never threatened his home again. As for the remaining Godkings... allowing them to revive after a century or two was punishment enough. By then, he doubted any of them would still pose a meaningful threat to his friends. Even if they couldn't become as strong as a Major God, he would help them.
Although he and the sword spirit were talking for a long time mentally, barely three seconds had passed in the outside world. Thalassor and Gaius remained where they were, their attention never leaving the sword. They had noticed Arthur standing silently, yet they assumed he was looking for an opening.
So neither Godking dared recklessly charge forward. Whatever confidence they possessed earlier had been replaced by caution. Thalassor's earlier message had already traveled across the Divine Realm, informing the remaining seven Godkings that the legendary Godkiller had resurfaced. Until reinforcements arrived, neither intended to underestimate the mysterious young man before them.
Arthur again teleported and appeared directly before the two Godkings once again. The sudden movement caused both Godkings to instinctively tense, divine energy surging through their bodies as they prepared for an attack that never came. Arthur merely rested the black sword casually at his side before speaking in the same calm tone as before.
"I'll ask one final time." His eyes moved from Gaius to Thalassor. "Which one of you sent the five Minor Gods to Thyrandel?"
But seeing neither of the Godking answering he shook his head. "So be it." And vanished from his position.
***
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