The Whispering City burned.
Blood pooled beneath the silver towers that once sang with laughter and trade. Screams twisted through the air like dying hymns. The moon, cracked crimson, hung over the city like a divine curse.
Hayate stood in the middle of the square — his blade buried in the chest of a man who had once called him brother.
The man's eyes, wide with disbelief, trembled as his last breath escaped him.
"You… you were never supposed to… survive…"
Hayate said nothing. His crimson hair fluttered in the wind, sticky with blood, and his once-white cloak had turned black with ash. Behind him, the banners of the nobles who had betrayed him and his comrades burned one after another.
The Whispering City, that elegant web of deceit, was collapsing — and he was the reason why.
[System Alert: Divine Vessel Synchronization — 72% Complete.]
[Warning: Host's soul is exceeding mortal limits.]
The blue interface flickered faintly before him. It was unstable, like his heartbeat.
Each breath came with agony — the weight of divinity pressing against his mortal flesh.
He had unlocked the "Divine Vessel" form, but at a cost: the divine energy burned him from within, trying to hollow him out and make room for something far greater — something ancient.
"Hayate!" Aurelia's voice rang out from behind him.
He turned slightly. The once-proud elven princess was kneeling, holding the unconscious body of one of their allies — the young knight, Kael. Tears streaked her dirt-stained cheeks.
"You're losing control," she whispered. "You're going to destroy yourself!"
"I already did," Hayate said quietly. His golden eyes shimmered faintly, a storm swirling within. "The moment they betrayed us… the moment the goddess marked me."
As if summoned by his words, the mark on his right hand began to glow.
A sigil of divine origin — the same one that had cursed his life when he was thrown into the dungeon months ago. But now, it pulsed with wrath, responding to his hatred, feeding on it.
Thunder split the sky.
From the heavens, golden chains of light descended — each one radiating divine energy that made the air vibrate. The survivors in the square fell to their knees, clutching their heads as voices echoed in their minds.
"Mortal… you defy divine law. You wield a power not meant for your kind."
Hayate tilted his head up slowly, staring at the chains that now surrounded him.
"So… you finally show yourselves."
His words were defiant, but deep inside, he could feel it — the immense power descending upon him. The Gods of Order, the same pantheon that the evil goddess had once defied, had now turned their gaze upon him.
And they were not pleased.
A colossal figure materialized in the sky — its face hidden behind a mask of gold and light.
Its voice, cold and echoing, shook the entire city.
"Rengoku Hayate, vessel of forbidden divinity, your existence has broken equilibrium. You are hereby sentenced to annihilation."
Hayate's lips curved into a faint smile. "Annihilation, huh? You're a few years late."
With a flash, his aura erupted — black and red energy spiraling around him like a hurricane.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he drew his sword — the Ecliptic Fang, forged from the soul of a fallen demon king. The weapon resonated, as if it too defied heaven.
"Come, then," Hayate growled. "Let's see what kind of gods you really are."
BOOM!
The first chain struck — a beam of divine energy slamming into the square. Buildings disintegrated. The ground melted. Aurelia screamed his name as dust and divine light exploded around him.
But when the light cleared — Hayate was still standing.
Half his armor was gone, his body steaming, but his eyes still glowed with burning will.
"System," he said through gritted teeth. "Activate Divine Counter Mode."
[Acknowledged. Releasing Divine Vessel's Wrath Protocol.][Warning: Host's body may not survive activation.]
"Just… do it."
His body convulsed as a torrent of energy surged through him.
Red lightning erupted from his veins, his hair igniting with golden fire
The divine mark on his hand burst open — not bleeding, but unraveling into pure energy.
For a heartbeat, Hayate looked like a god himself — a mortal reborn in rebellion.
The divine figure in the sky raised its hand, conjuring a spear of radiant judgment.The other gods followed, their silhouettes appearing one by one in the heavens — six divine entities of pure light, each representing a cosmic law: Order, Time, Death, Balance, Flame, and Judgment.
Each one aimed their weapon at him.
And Hayate laughed.
"Six of you?" he said, voice echoing through the shattered city. "You think that's enough?"
He dashed forward — faster than human eyes could track. The first divine spear fell — and he caught it with his bare hand. Divine energy burned through his flesh, but he didn't let go. Instead, he turned it, redirecting the attack back at the sky.
The heavens exploded.
[System Enhancement: Limit Break Achieved.][New Skill Unlocked: Divine Retribution — "Wrath of the Fallen."]
He swung his blade. A crescent of red-gold energy tore through the divine battlefield, severing one of the gods' arms. The light screamed, flickering violently.
"Impossible!" one of them thundered. "A mortal cannot—!"
But Hayate was already gone — teleporting mid-strike, appearing behind another, slashing through its chest. He moved like chaos given form, every strike fueled by rage, by betrayal, by pain.
And for a moment — for the first time in history — a mortal outshined heaven.
But the gods were not so easily defeated.
The divine figure of Balance raised both hands, creating an enormous ring of energy that began to collapse inward — a spell of erasure, meant to erase both body and soul.
Hayate staggered, his strength faltering. Blood poured from his mouth, his energy draining fast.
"Hayate!" Aurelia screamed again, tears streaming down her face as she reached for him.
But a wall of divine energy separated them.
He looked back at her — and smiled faintly."Run," he mouthed.
Then he raised his sword one last time.
[System Override Detected.]
[Divine Vessel Synchronization: 100%.]
[Warning: Host consciousness at risk.]
[Would you like to proceed?]
Hayate whispered, "Yes."
The system's voice softened — almost human.
"Then may your wrath… rewrite the stars."
The explosion that followed tore the sky apart.
Light consumed the Whispering City. The heavens bled gold and red.
Every god screamed as their divine forms shattered under the force of Hayate's final attack — Divine Retribution: Wrath of the Fallen.
The world went silent.
And when the dust cleared… there was no city. No gods.
Only a crater — and at its center, a young man lying still, his sword beside him, and a faint golden glow around his heart.
[System Notice: Divine Entities—Purged.]
[Warning: Host Life Signs — Critical.]
[Initializing Soul Recovery Sequence.]
Somewhere in the fading light, a soft voice whispered — not divine, but familiar."Rest for now, my chosen one… You've done enough."
A hand, gentle and unseen, touched his cheek.
And then, darkness.