"You admit defeat?" Elliot wondered if he'd heard wrong.
"Yes, I admit defeat. From today on, you are my elder brother."
For the first time, Morax truly conceded in his heart. He had tried every method, only to have Elliot counter and then turn it back on him, crushing him again and again.
He had endured that agony for five days straight.
During those days, he realized Elliot was deliberately holding back—always stopping at the critical moment, never striking to finish him.
Morax knew this full well, but he endured the humiliation, hoping desperately for a chance to turn things around.
Just once!
Even one victory would have been enough.
But Elliot never gave him that chance, instead dismantling him in dozens of different ways.
"So that's how it is... what a pity." Elliot sighed.
At that, Morax raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes. "What's so regrettable?"
"Uh... nothing."
"You wouldn't happen to have thought of more ways to torment me, only to regret that I conceded before you could try them, would you?"
Morax suddenly felt that Elliot was far more dangerous than he had thought.
"No, no! I'm not that kind of person," Elliot quickly waved his hands in denial.
"Really...?" Morax leaned in close, almost nose-to-nose with him.
"Really—absolutely true!" Elliot stepped back, nodding frantically.
But Morax still didn't believe him, scrutinizing him with sharp, suspicious eyes.
"Don't stare at me like that..." Elliot muttered, then suddenly seemed to remember something. He stepped forward again, a mischievous look on his face. "Actually, I've got a treasure to show you."
"Wh-what is it?" Morax sensed mischief and backed away half a step.
Elliot slowly raised his right hand. A small purple spark of lightning flickered on his thumb, crackling in the air.
"Look—this is Electro, right?"
Morax nodded, eyes fixed on the lightning. "Yes. So what?"
"Don't rush." On his little finger, a small round stone materialized, hovering in midair.
"And this is Geo, right?"
"Correct."
"Then watch closely."
As Elliot spoke, Morax stared intently at the purple lightning and the floating stone.
Elliot slowly curled his fingers inward, and when the Electro and Geo touched, he clenched his fist tight.
"Guess what this becomes," he asked with a smile.
"Becomes what...?" Morax blinked in confusion.
"Exactly."
"A stone that discharges electricity?" he guessed.
"No."
"A stone that shoots electricity?"
"???" Elliot stared at him, baffled. Though Morax couldn't see his expression, he could almost feel what Elliot was thinking.
"Then what else could it be?" Morax muttered, still puzzled.
At that moment, Elliot slowly opened his hand. A small flame flickered to life, dancing in his palm.
"It becomes Pyro."
Morax: "?!"
This time, Morax was the one left dumbstruck, frozen in place.
His pupils shook violently as he stared at the flame in Elliot's palm, his eyes about to pop out of his head.
Elliot was without doubt the most peculiar, mysterious, and powerful god he had ever encountered.
Never had he heard of Electro and Geo combining to produce Pyro.
And besides, Electro and Geo weren't even related!
How in the world could they become Pyro?
Was it perhaps like lightning striking stone, triggering an explosion that created fire?
But that couldn't be right. Such fire would only last an instant, not burn continuously.
Unless... Electro and Geo were constantly colliding.
But controlling that would be incredibly difficult—and it still didn't make much sense.
If elemental power were that easy to bend, wouldn't that make him the weakest god of all?
Perhaps only a freak like Elliot could accomplish such a thing.
After all, Morax had roamed the world for over three thousand years, meeting countless gods, but never once had he seen anything like this.
"How about it? Impressive, isn't it?" Elliot said with a grin.
Morax could hardly deny it. The flame in Elliot's palm was undeniably real. Its heat, its energy—they were unmistakable.
Absurd as it was, he had succeeded.
Morax swallowed hard, still struggling to accept it. "Impressive... truly impressive."
"Elliot... big brother...?" Morax hesitated, still unaccustomed to the title.
"Hmm?" Elliot accepted it readily.
"This... Pyro—can you really use it freely?" His curiosity was now burning.
"Of course." Elliot replied, immediately giving him a demonstration.