The Temple of Shattered Gods still loomed behind them, a dark silhouette etched against the fading light of the plateau. The dust had barely settled from the previous battle, yet the air already carried a new weight, thick with tension and divine energy. Ayo could feel it in his bones: another test had already arrived.
They had barely taken two steps away from the temple when the ground beneath them shuddered. It was subtle at first, a vibration beneath the soles of their boots, almost imperceptible. Then a low, throaty hiss rose from the shadows of the forest that bordered the plateau. It wasn't animal. It wasn't human. It was older. It was divine.
Reina's claws twitched instinctively. "You smell that?" she asked, her voice low, almost a growl. Her red eyes glimmered, reflecting the last light of the dying sun.
Kasai's flames flickered along his arms. "Yeah… and whatever it is, it's not happy we're breathing."
From the edge of the trees, a shape emerged, sliding over the ground like liquid shadow. The Ebony Serpent of Ogun, a beast whispered of in Yoruba legend, revealed itself: a colossal snake with scales as black as obsidian, glinting with an oily shine. Its eyes burned like molten gold, each pupil a vertical slit that seemed to pierce into the very soul. Along its spine rose jagged fins tipped with green fire, moving fluidly as it slithered closer, its presence making the forest tremble.
Ayo felt his mark flare instinctively. This was no ordinary guardian. The serpent radiated divine wrath, the essence of Ogun himself—god of war, iron, and storms—infused into a single beast. The whispers in his mind intensified, layering over each other: Yoruba chants, Greek prayers, Egyptian incantations, all harmonizing and clashing in a dizzying symphony.
"It's guarding something," the Nephilim murmured behind them. His silver eyes scanned the serpent without flinching. "An artifact of Ogun. Ancient, forged in the age of gods, lost to men. And it has been waiting for one worthy—or foolish—enough to approach."
Kaito's sigils hovered in the air, slicing faint blue lines through the space between them and the serpent. "So… what, we fight it first, talk later?"
"Fight first. Survive later," Reina said flatly, already crouched and ready to leap.
The serpent hissed again, a sound that echoed through the plateau and into their chests, vibrating bone and sinew. Ayo could almost feel its anger as a physical weight, pressing against him, testing him, challenging him. His mark pulsed violently. He had barely recovered from the Juggernaut, but the resonance of multiple pantheons thrummed inside him, whispering power, warning him, calling him to act.
The Ebony Serpent struck first. Its massive head shot forward like a black missile, jaws snapping with the force of divine metal grinding. The teeth were sharp enough to rend stone, and the heat of its breath smelled like iron and fire. Ayo barely leapt aside, feeling the shockwave whip past him.
Reina lunged next, claws extended, aiming for the serpent's underbelly. Sparks erupted as her Oni energy clashed against scales tempered in divine essence. Kasai followed with a wave of golden flames, each flicker singing against the beast's black hide. The serpent recoiled only slightly, its fins flickering green fire in response, emitting a low hiss that carried magic itself.
"This thing… it's alive with power!" Kasai shouted, circling the beast. "It's like fighting a god!"
Ayo felt it too. The serpent wasn't just strong; it was smart. Every attack was measured, calculated. Its scales shimmered with an energy that seemed to predict their movements. Yet beneath the calculated strikes, he sensed something else: a test. Like the Juggernaut, it was gauging him. Judging him. Waiting to see if the bearer of multi-pantheon power was truly worthy.
The first clash was brutal. Reina's claws slashed through the air, sparks flying, but the serpent twisted impossibly, tail snapping toward her in a blur. Kasai's flames lashed out again, and Kaito's sigils carved space around them, but the serpent flowed through the gaps as if it were part of reality itself.
Ayo's mark blazed. He felt power surge through him like a river breaking its banks. Without speaking, he formed a barrier of Aether, pulsing with the combined resonance of the gods inside him. The serpent's strike hit the barrier and recoiled, roaring in frustration. The pulse sent waves through the ground, shaking the plateau, making dust and stones leap into the air.
The creature's golden eyes fixed on him. It hissed again, a sound that almost spoke: "Bearer of gods… you dare touch what was never meant for mortals."
Ayo steadied himself. His chest burned, every sinew tight with energy, but his mind was clear. The whispers guided him: Yoruba chants merged with Greek war prayers, Egyptian sigils coalescing with Hindu mantras, all flowing through him. He extended his hand, and a lance of pulsing, golden-black energy shot forward, slicing the air. It struck the serpent, and for the first time, he saw scales crack under the divine force.
Reina followed, claws raking, and Kasai poured fire over the serpent, synchronized with the resonance of Ayo's attack. Kaito's sigils bent reality around them, creating corridors for movement, protective shields, and binding threads that tangled with the serpent's tail.
The beast shrieked, wings of shadow-like fins flaring green fire into the sky. Its movements became frenzied, but even in its anger, it did not strike blindly. It was cunning, a god-infused predator with centuries of knowledge, remembering every attack, every trick, every movement of mortals who had tried to claim its prize.
Ayo felt the Aether within him flare, expanding outward, pushing against the serpent's divine essence. The battlefield became a storm of golden light, green fire, obsidian shadow, and crimson energy. Each attack, each defense, each pulse of resonance was a dance between mortals and divine power, a test of skill, endurance, and judgment.
Finally, the serpent paused. Its golden eyes, now glowing with a dimmer light, fixed on Ayo with an intelligence that bordered on reverence. It coiled, lowering its head, and for the first time, it spoke—not in a roar, but in a low, vibrating hiss that filled their minds: "Bearer of gods… you are worthy. Take the Aegis of Ogun, but know its weight. With power comes burden, with strength comes consequence."
From its coils, a small artifact shimmered into view: a blackened shield etched with Yoruba sigils and golden veins, humming with divine energy. Ayo stepped forward, heart pounding. The weight of the artifact was more than physical—it carried centuries of divine war, judgment, and memory.
He reached out. As his hand touched the shield, the whispers of gods flooded him once more, this time clear and harmonious: Yoruba warriors, Greek heroes, Egyptian judges, and Hindu avatars all singing together. Knowledge, history, and power merged in a single, blinding moment of clarity.
The Ebony Serpent of Ogun slowly slithered back into the shadows, leaving the gang standing amid dust, fire, and divine echoes. They were battered, weary, but alive—and they had survived a trial that few mortals could ever face.
Ayo looked at the artifact in his hands, feeling its pull, its weight, and its promise. The journey was far from over. Every temple, every guardian, every artifact would challenge them further. And through it all, the gods were watching.
Reina, Kasai, and Kaito regrouped around him, expressions a mix of awe, relief, and simmering determination. The Nephilim approached silently, his silver eyes reflecting the fading glow of the sunset.
"This is only the beginning," he said, voice low and calm. "The world is alive with gods, and every step forward will be a battle—not just with creatures, but with destiny itself. Remember this, Ayo: power without understanding is a trap. Knowledge without control is death."
Ayo nodded. The Aegis of Ogun hummed in his grip, warm and alive, and he felt a shift inside himself. The hunt for artifacts had begun in earnest, and each trial would be greater, more dangerous, and more revealing than the last. The path of gods was treacherous, but he would walk it, and he would grow stronger.
The sun set completely behind the mountains, leaving the plateau bathed in the blue-black of approaching night. Somewhere, deep in the forests beyond, shadows stirred. More guardians waited. More tests awaited. And the world of gods and mortals was just opening its first chapter to Ayo and his friends.