The sky above the divine realm was unusually quiet.
Thick clouds stretched endlessly, glowing faintly with divine light. Normally, this part of the heavens was peaceful — untouched by conflict and unseen by mortals. But today, the air felt heavy, as if the world itself was waiting for something to happen.
On a lone floating land surrounded by darkness, a man stood silently at the edge.
He wore a long black robe, slightly torn and stained with old blood. His expression was calm, almost indifferent, as if nothing in existence could truly disturb him. In his right hand rested a long black scythe, its blade dark enough to swallow light.
He already knew they were coming.
A faint pressure spread across the sky.
Then the clouds above split open.
Golden light poured down as one divine presence after another descended. Soon, the empty sky was filled with figures radiating terrifying power. Twelve gods surrounded the floating land from every direction, forming a wide circle.
Each of them held a weapon.Each of them had come prepared.
At the front stood Aurelion, God of Light. His golden armor shone brightly as he stepped forward.
"It ends today," he said calmly.
The man in black looked at the gathered gods and let out a small breath.
"…All of you came," he said. "You truly don't trust yourselves to face me alone."
His tone wasn't mocking.It was simply a statement.
Vorgath, the God of War, tightened his grip on his lightning spear."We are not here for pride. We are here for certainty."
A faint smile appeared on the man's face.
"So it is fear after all."
No one answered.
For a brief moment, only the sound of wind echoed across the sky.
Then Seraphae, Goddess of Fate, raised her hand. Thin silver threads began to spread through the air, almost invisible.
"Do not engage alone," she said calmly. "We attack together. Restrict his movement first."
The other gods nodded slightly.
They had discussed this before coming.
This was not a battle they could afford to take lightly.
The man in black slowly lifted his scythe and rested it over his shoulder.
"You're coordinating already," he said quietly. "Good. It would be disappointing otherwise."
Aurelion raised his hand.
Golden light gathered instantly, forming multiple floating blades behind him.
"Begin."
The moment the word left his mouth, the sky exploded into motion.
Vorgath moved first, rushing forward with incredible speed, his spear crackling with violent lightning. At the same time, Ignivar, God of Flame, extended both hands and released waves of divine fire that spread across the battlefield, cutting off escape routes.
From above, Aurelion's blades of light rained down.
They attacked from three directions at once.
But before any of them could land—
The man vanished.
"Behind you," Nyxaris' voice echoed from the shadows.
Vorgath turned instantly, blocking with his spear. A sharp metallic sound rang out as the black scythe collided with it. The impact forced the God of War backward through the air.
"He's faster than before," Vorgath muttered.
The man reappeared calmly a short distance away.
"You shouldn't let your guard down," he said.
Seraphae moved her fingers. Silver threads shot through the sky, weaving together into a net that began closing around him from all sides.
"Restrict him," she said. "Do not give him open space."
At the same time, Thalor, God of Storms, raised his arm. Dark clouds formed instantly, releasing countless bolts of divine lightning aimed precisely at the center of the net.
Flames, lightning, and fate threads closed in together.
A coordinated attack.
The man in black finally stepped back once.
He spun the scythe lightly in his hand. A wave of dark energy spread outward, cutting through the descending lightning and burning flames. The silver threads trembled violently but held their shape.
For the first time, his movement slowed.
Aurelion narrowed his eyes."Now."
From above, a massive spear of condensed light formed and shot downward. At the same moment, Vorgath charged again from the front while Nyxaris emerged from the shadows behind him.
Front. Above. Behind.
Perfect coordination.
The man looked around at the converging attacks and gave a quiet sigh.
"You really prepared well."
He tightened his grip on the scythe.
Darkness gathered around the blade as he swung once in a wide arc.
A deep shockwave spread outward, forcing Nyxaris back into the shadows and shattering the descending spear of light before it could fully land. Vorgath's charge was halted midair, his spear trembling from the impact.
The surrounding space distorted briefly before stabilizing again.
Silence fell for a moment.
Lysera, Goddess of Life, watched carefully from a distance, her healing aura already prepared."He's still holding back," she said softly.
Ignivar frowned. "Holding back while facing all of us?"
The man lowered his scythe slowly.
"I protected this world for a long time," he said calmly. "I never thought one day I would stand against all of you like this."
Aurelion's expression remained steady.
"Your power has grown beyond balance. We cannot allow an existence that stands above the heavens themselves."
For the first time, the man's faint smile disappeared.
"So that is your judgment."
Divine energy began rising from all twelve gods at once, filling the sky with overwhelming pressure.
They had tested his strength.Now they would fight seriously.
The man in black adjusted his grip on the scythe and stepped forward.
"Then come," he said quietly.
The heavens trembled as the true battle began.