The battlefield thundered as another collision of heaven-shaking power cracked the sky. The Godslayer staggered backward, his sword dripping with both his blood and theirs. His chest heaved, every breath like fire in his lungs. Still, his eyes blazed, refusing to bow.
But the eight pressed in mercilessly.
From the side, the woman in white raised her jade flute once more. This time, the note she blew was not sharp and cutting—it was a low, trembling hum. The air itself quivered. Invisible blades of resonance wove into a spear of sound, faster than lightning.
The Godslayer saw it too late.
"Behind you!" he roared, whirling around—
His wife shifted instantly, twisting her body so the child remained cradled safely in her arms. The sound spear ripped through her chest.
Her cry was soft—barely more than a gasp. Crimson sprayed across her gown, staining it deeper than before.
The Godslayer's roar split the battlefield. His sword lashed out, cleaving through the sound waves, but the damage was done. His wife swayed, her knees trembling.
"No—NO!" He caught her as she fell, the baby still pressed against her breast. The infant wailed, the tiny cry lost beneath the thunder of gods clashing.
Her lips were pale, her voice weaker than a whisper. "Don't… let them… take him…" Her eyes met his, fierce despite the fading light. "He… carries your blood… our will… our vengeance. Promise me—he will live."
"I promise!" His voice cracked, raw as his soul tore. He pressed his forehead to hers, blood mingling with tears he did not know he still had. "I swear it on my life, on my dao, on the heavens themselves—he will live!"
Her trembling hand brushed his cheek. The faintest smile touched her lips, though blood trailed from the corner of her mouth.
"Then… even if I die… it's enough…"
The light left her eyes. Her hand fell limp.
For a moment, the battlefield seemed to freeze.
The Godslayer's body shook, his arms wrapped around wife and child both. The air grew still, and then—
It shattered.
His roar was not a sound but a calamity. His sword erupted with abyssal black light, tearing through domains and laws alike. The very world screamed as he swung, every strike driven by grief beyond measure.
The golden-eyed brother raised his spear to block—too late. The black blade sheared through golden light, ripping flesh and bone. The man screamed as his arm fell severed, blood spraying across the sky.
"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!" The Godslayer's voice thundered like an executioner's decree. "I WILL BURY YOU ALL!"
The eight wavered. Even as they pressed their domains upon him, the surge of his killing intent broke through, tearing the heavens themselves.
And yet, behind his fury, his arms still clutched the infant—her final wish bound into his blood.