The Celestial Realms continued to crumble around them.
Feng finally collapsed to his knees, then fell forward onto the shattered marble. His body refused to rise. Blood pooled beneath him from multiple deep wounds — the reopened gash across his stomach, the burns from holy light, the cuts from angelic blades. His breathing was shallow and ragged. The Cosmic Trident Spear lay beside him, still crackling with purple lightning, but his hand could no longer grip it properly.
He was unable to get up.
In the distant Octagram hall, the eight Demon Lords watched the live projection in tense silence.
Milim Nava stopped bouncing and frowned. "Aww… it looks like Feng is going to lose now. He's down and can't get back up…"
Dagruel rumbled, "The Goddess's power is too overwhelming in her own realm. Even with the Evil God's gift, the human has reached his limit."
Luminus Valentine crossed her arms. "A pity. He fought well, but the gap was always too wide."
Guy Crimson leaned back, a faint smirk still on his face. "The bet is nearly settled. It seems my prediction was correct after all."
They continued chatting among themselves for a while, analyzing the fight, the destruction of the Celestial Realms, and Feng's impressive but ultimately failing resistance.
Then Rimuru Tempest spoke up, his voice calm and thoughtful.
"It looks like Feng was not using his full power. He is only using about half of it."
Everyone turned to look at him.
Milim tilted her head. "Eh? What do you mean, Rimuru?"
Rimuru rested his chin on his hand, golden eyes focused on the projection.
"The Ancient Evil God was too powerful — even the first Supreme God, his own father, couldn't kill him. He had to seal him away at the cost of his own life. How can a single Goddess like her possibly defeat Feng if he truly accepted that power? He might be using only half of it… or perhaps he simply doesn't know how to fully control or unleash it yet."
Guy Crimson narrowed his eyes, then gave a slow nod.
"That explains a lot. He only received the Evil God's power a short while ago. Mastering something of that magnitude doesn't happen instantly. He's still learning how to wield it."
The other Demon Lords murmured in agreement, their expressions shifting from resignation to renewed interest.
Ramiris floated closer. "So… he might still have a chance?"
Rimuru smiled faintly. "Possibly. If he can tap into the full extent of what the Evil God gave him… the Goddess may find herself in more trouble than she realizes."
The Octagram continued talking among themselves, now debating how much power Feng was truly holding back, how long it would take him to master it, and what would happen if he did.
Meanwhile, in the collapsing Celestial Realms, Feng lay on the broken ground, struggling to push himself up, the Goddess's colossal form looming over him with divine fury.
The fight was far from over.