The sky split open.
Not metaphorically.
It tore.
Clouds spiraled inward as if something massive was forcing its way through the heavens. The arena floor cracked beneath Kael's feet. Soldiers scrambled. Nobles screamed. Priests fell to their knees in blind worship.
A golden fissure burned across the sky.
Then a hand emerged.
Not flesh.
Not stone.
Something forged from living war.
An armored gauntlet the size of a tower gripped the edge of the fracture and pulled.
The War God answered.
But not fully.
Only a fragment forced its way into the mortal realm — a colossal upper body formed of blazing armor and molten light. A faceless helm. Eyes like twin suns.
The pressure alone crushed half the arena walls.
Every knight present dropped to one knee.
Even the High Priest trembled.
A voice like grinding continents thundered downward.
"HERETIC."
The word struck Kael like a physical blow.
His knees cracked against the marble.
Blood filled his mouth.
Inside his vision, the crimson interface flared violently.
WARNING.Divine Manifestation Detected.Estimated Authority: 8% of War God.Survival Probability: 3.1%
Three percent.
So this is what real divinity felt like.
Not statues.
Not blessings.
Presence.
The War God's burning gaze locked onto him.
"You dare consume what is mine?"
Kael forced himself to stand.
Every instinct screamed at him to kneel.
To beg.
To submit.
Instead, he wiped the blood from his mouth.
"You sent your dogs," he said hoarsely. "They tasted weak."
A silence followed.
Then—
The god moved.
A spear of condensed golden energy formed in its grasp and hurled downward.
The impact erased half the arena.
Stone vaporized. Heat blasted outward. Hundreds were thrown screaming into the air.
Kael barely rolled aside before the marble beneath him turned to liquid.
His skin blistered instantly.
Pain roared through his nerves.
Critical damage detected.Emergency Adaptation… failed.Authority insufficient.
Too strong.
Far too strong.
The War God lifted another spear.
The High Priest began chanting frantically, attempting to stabilize the manifestation.
"Great Lord of War! We offer devotion! We offer blood!"
Kael felt something else instead.
Hunger.
Not fear.
Hunger.
The divine energy radiating from the avatar wasn't whole.
It was leaking.
Fragments.
Small pieces breaking off from the unstable descent.
His eyes narrowed.
Divine Fragment within reach.Consumption possible with contact.
Contact.
Meaning he would have to survive one direct strike.
The second spear descended.
Kael didn't dodge.
He ran toward it.
Gasps echoed across the ruins.
The spear pierced straight through his shoulder and pinned him to the shattered arena floor.
Agony exploded through his body.
His vision went white.
The War God's voice shook the sky.
"DIE."
Kael grabbed the spear with both hands.
And smiled through the blood.
"Mine."
The crimson interface ignited like wildfire.
Devour Initiated.
The golden spear flickered.
Then darkened.
Then cracked.
Energy surged violently into Kael's body.
His scream tore through the arena — but this time it carried power with it.
Crimson lightning exploded outward.
The divine spear shattered.
A shockwave ripped through the War God's manifested arm.
For the first time—
The avatar staggered.
A visible fracture spread across its burning armor.
The crowd fell silent in absolute horror.
The War God… stepped back.
Not defeated.
Not destroyed.
But damaged.
A single line of molten gold ran down its armored chest.
Divine blood.
Kael collapsed to one knee, smoke rising from his skin.
His body was barely holding together.
Authority increased: 0.31%War Domain Resistance acquired.
The War God's fury distorted the sky itself.
"You will be erased from existence."
The heavens began to close.
The manifestation destabilizing.
It could not remain longer without fully descending — and that required far more sacrifice than the priests had prepared.
Before retreating, the War God extended one final decree.
A burning sigil carved itself into the sky above the capital.
Visible for miles.
A mark.
A declaration.
"BY MY WILL," the voice thundered,"THE HERETIC SHALL BE HUNTED ACROSS ALL REALMS."
The sky sealed shut.
The pressure vanished.
Silence followed.
Then chaos.
The arena was half destroyed. Bodies everywhere. Smoke rising.
Holy Knights either unconscious or too terrified to move.
The High Priest stared at Kael like he was witnessing the end of the world.
"You… wounded a God…"
Kael slowly pushed himself to his feet.
Every step hurt.
Every breath burned.
But he was alive.
Sirens began ringing across the capital walls.
Military horns.
City-wide alert.
A voice echoed from enchanted towers throughout Valtheris:
"Imperial Decree: Kael Draven is confirmed as a Divine Heretic. Bounty issued. Alive or dead."
A pause.
Then—
"Ten million gold."
Kael laughed quietly.
Ten million.
So that's what his head was worth.
He looked at the ruined arena one last time.
At the fractured statue of the War God.
At the fear in everyone's eyes.
Good.
Let them be afraid.
But staying here meant death.
His body wouldn't survive another manifestation.
He needed time.
He needed strength.
He needed to grow.
As soldiers regrouped in the distance—
A hooded figure watched from the shadows of the broken coliseum wall.
Silver eyes.
Calm.
Measuring.
When Kael stumbled toward the collapsing outer gate, the figure stepped back into darkness.
And followed.
The hunt had begun.
End of Chapter 3