Azril lifted her chin slightly, heterochromatic eyes shining with pride in her own existence. "The Flgel were born to fulfill Artosh-sama's will. That is our reason to be."
"But your loyalty is meaningless."
Azril's expression froze.
"Yes, the Flgel are Artosh's creation. But he doesn't care about the Flgel."
She frowned. She couldn't fully deny it. As their leader, she knew better than anyone how cold Artosh was toward his creations. He made the Flgel to seek worthy foes, not out of any affection or concern.
"Even so," Azril answered firmly, "the Flgel were born to obey Artosh-sama's commands and crush every obstacle. I see nothing wrong with that."
Rei Ao understood why she didn't waver. The Flgel's thought patterns were presetetched into the core of their being like code. Words alone wouldn't change her stance.
So, short of rewriting their minds, the simplest way to win the Flgel's allegiance was to resolve the source of it allthe War God Artosh.
He stepped forward, gently pinched Azril's smooth chin, and made her meet his eyes. He grinned. "You serve the War God. If he dies, problem solved right?"
"!!!"
Jibril and Azril both froze, eyes narrowing.
A moment later, Azril scoffed. "Heh Artosh-sama is the strongest there is. No one can defeat himmuch less kill him."
"Oh? Is that so?" Rei Ao shrugged. "If you believe he's invincible, I'll let you watch him die with your own eyes."
He snapped his fingers.
Crack!
The spatial barrier shattered.
Back in the village outside, the humans saw no trace of Rei Ao and the others.
Riku stared for a long moment at the spot where they had vanished, then could only pray for their safety. After that, he did his duty as leader of the humans, organizing people to calm the frightened crowd.
Avant Heim
the Flgel's floating city. It looked like a colossal palace suspended among the clouds. It was usually alive with Flgel in flight, but today it was eerily quiet.
Inside, an open, silent hall rose by countless stairs to a platform, and on its far end stood a majestic throne.
A solitary figure sat there, as if fused with the very space.
It was the War GodArtosh.
~~~
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Chapter 942: War God Artosh vs Rei Ao!
Artosh was massivemore than twice the height of an ordinary human. His muscles were corded, his golden eyes sharp and bright, and a black beard framed his face. Most striking of all were the eighteen pairs of wings on his back. When not in use they folded up like a feathered cloak draped over his shoulders.
Artosh, the War God, was the creator of the Flgel"father," as Azril defined himand the strongest of the god-species.
He sat on the throne with his eyes closed, as if waiting.
Suddenly
"!"
Artosh lifted his gaze, a flicker of surprise flashing through the gold of his eyes. Space rippled at the center of the hall and seven figures appeared one after another: Rei Ao, Azril, Jibril, Schwi, Kanna, Michiru, and Couronne.
His eyes slid past Michiru and Couronnethe two ordinary humans. Ordinary humans weren't worth his attention. Schwi, an Ex-Machina, made him thoughtful; seeing an Ex-Machina here was a mild surprise. His look grew deeper when he saw Jibril and Azril. He frowned when he saw Kannahe had already noticed that the power within her didn't belong to this world. At last his gaze stopped on Rei Ao.
Artosh narrowed his eyes. He couldn't see through this seemingly ordinary being, and yet his divine body trembled on instinct. This one was not normal.
"Artosh-sama!"
Though shaken by their sudden arrival in Avant Heim, Azril recovered quickly and hurried to report: "Per our investigation, Jibril has confirmed her betrayal and chosen a new master!"
Her eyes flicked, almost involuntarily, toward Rei Ao.
"Oh?"
Artosh wasn't angry about Jibril's betrayal. He simply fixed his stare on Rei Ao. A crushing aura burst from him and slammed toward where Rei Ao stood.
"U!!"
In an instant, Michiru and Couronne went pale, the pressure making it nearly impossible to breathe. Jibril, Azril, and Schwi also felt the weight multiply. Only Kanna seemed largely unaffected, though she watched the figure on the throne with wary focus.
"That's a poor way to greet guests," Rei Ao said mildly.
In a flash, Artosh's aura was wiped away.
""
A gleam of brillianceand excitementflashed in Artosh's eyes. He loved battle, but he wasn't a fool. Anyone he couldn't read, he treated as a potential opponent. And what thrilled him was that with a simple test he found the other side might truly be worthy.
Artosh was supremely proud. As the strongest, he regarded the rest as weeds and kept the aloofness of a War God. His very essence was "the strongest," and he rarely put others in his eyes. Yet even a War God has his troubleshe longed for an opponent: someone who could challenge him, match him, even defeat him. He despised most beings, but for those he himself judged to have limitless potential, he felt genuine respectrespect determined only by his own assessment, unrelated to race or raw power.
"Interesting," Artosh finally spoke, his deep, godlike voice echoing through the hall. "Who are you? From where do you come?"
"Rei Ao," he said with a slight smile. "From beyond the world you know."
"Beyond the world" Stronger interest flashed in Artosh's golden eyes. "So Jibril chose to follow you because you are from outside this world?"
"Partly," Rei Ao replied evenly. "More importantly, I can give her what she truly wantsknowledge, freedom, and a reason to exist."
"Heh" Artosh scoffed. "A reason to exist? The Flgel's reason to exist is what I granted them. They are my most perfect creations, weapons that exist to prove 'the strongest.'"
"Even weapons can think, and yearn," Rei Ao said, glancing at Jibril. "You created them, but you never truly understood them."
Artosh said nothing, turning his gaze to Azril. "Then, Azrilbringing them heredo you intend to betray me as well?"
Azril dropped to one knee at once. "Never, Artosh-sama! I was forced to bring them"
She hesitated, then added, "This person claims he intends to defeat you."
""
Silence filled the palace.
"Hahahaha!!!"
After the silence, Artosh burst into roaring laughter that thundered through the hall. "Defeat me? With whatyou?"
"With me," Rei Ao said, expression unchanged.
Artosh's laughter cut off. A dangerous light flickered in his golden eyes. "Do you know how many have said similar things? Do you know how they ended?"
"I don't care," Rei Ao answered calmly. "I only know that today, you will lose to me."
Artosh rose from the throne. Eighteen pairs of wings slowly unfurled, radiating a holy, suffocating pressure. "Then show me."
Rei Ao shook his head. "No. If we fight here, this palace will be destroyed, and innocents will be harmed. We need a more suitable battlefield."
Artosh arched a brow. "You care about that? What a strange being. Very well."
He waved a hand, and space began to twist. "Let's go somewhere we can fight to our heart's content."
In the blink of an eye, everyone was moved to a barren realm. No lifeonly unending rock. A desolate domain long since killed by war, perfect for a battle between god-class beings.
"How's this?" Artosh asked.
"Good enoughjust right for your grave," Rei Ao said with a nod, then turned to the others. "Fall back to a safe distance and watch."
Jibril looked at Rei Ao with worry. "Master, are you truly going to fight the War God Artosh? He's the strongest being in this world"
Rei Ao smiled. "You said it yourselfin this world."
""
Azril's gaze on Rei Ao was complicated. She wanted Artosh-sama to teach this arrogant upstart a lessonyet a faint unease gnawed at her. This being named Rei Ao might really be able to face the War God.
Chapter 943: War God Artosh vs Rei Ao (2)
Everyone withdrew behind a massive meteorite in the distance, watching the earth-shaking battle about to begin.
Artosh unfurled all eighteen pairs of wings. Each pair shone with a different radiance, representing a power he commanded. As the War God, he wasn't only the God of Battle, but the embodiment of every concept tied to warstrategy, courage, victory, destruction, hatred
"Let me see it, traveler from beyond this worldwhat gives you the right to challenge the strongest?"
His voice brimmed with confidence and anticipation.
Rei Ao didn't transform or release any overwhelming aura. He simply stood there, calm. He was facing the strongest god-species in the world, yet his bearing was the same as if his opponent were any ordinary foe.
The War of the Sixteen Races was fought to claim the One True God's throne. But as the strongest, Artosh cared little for that. To him, the war was a tedious gamea long wait to find a worthy opponent. To participate symbolically, he created the Flgel to fight the other gods.
Azril was the first Flgel he created, tasked with conveying the War God's decrees to all Flgel and leading them in battle. As for Artosh himself, he sat day after day upon the throne in Avant Heim, issuing commands to Azril while gazing down from on high at the world below, hoping that one day a worthy opponent would appear.
The "strongest" is, by definition, one whom none can surpass. If he wished, he could have taken the war's victory with ease. He did not; beyond creating the Flgel, he never truly took part. Invincibility breeds loneliness. Being the strongest breeds a desire for defeat.
And now, at last, Artosh had found someone who might match him.
Rei Ao stood quietly on the barren ground, robes fluttering soundlessly in the vacuum. He met the War God's eyes without fear or excitementonly an unfathomable calm.
"You go first," Rei Ao said, making a courteous gesture.
"Hmm?" Artosh blinked. No one had ever spoken to him like that. As the strongest being in the world, he was always the one who told others to make the first moveoften letting them strike him without counterattacking, just to wring a little fun from the fight.
But facing this mysterious outsider, Artosh didn't get cocky. In an instant he flashed toward Rei Ao and threw a punch that could shatter mountains.
Boom!
What stunned Artosh was that the blow did no damage at all. Rei Ao neither dodged nor defended. He simply raised his hand, meeting the destructive fist with his palm. When fist met palm, there was no world-rending explosion, no shockwave of leaking energy. The concept-laden punch struck what felt like nothingness, its power silently absorbed.
"What?"
For the first time, surprise flickered in Artosh's eyes. No one had ever neutralized his attack so easily.
Rei Ao smiled. "Ordinary conceptual attacks don't work on me. I exist outside this world's concepts."
""
Artosh was silent for a beatthen moved like light itself, launching attack after attack. His figure flickered through the void, each reappearance carrying annihilating force. For a while the heavens tore, space trembledthe spectacle was overwhelming.
Michiru and the others watching were dazzled, unable to keep up. Even Jibril and Azril, Flgel as they were, could only barely track the movements of these two beings.
The battle raged on, and everyone realized in shock that Rei Ao had not moved a single step from start to finish.
"How is this possible?!" Azril couldn't believe it. These were Artosh-sama's attacks! How could anyone be completely unaffected?
As Artosh's onslaught grew stronger, Rei Ao remained untouchedand increasingly bored. "If that's all your attacks amount to, this is dull." He casually stopped yet another blow with a single finger. "Bring out your strongest strike, or you'll die with regrets."
Artosh's eyes sharpened, and a spear blazing with incandescent white light formed in his hand. It was the Spear of Radianceable to burn even time to ash. The weapon embodied the concepts of "Absolute Penetration" and "Unblockable," one of Artosh's mightiest arms.
He hurled the spear.
Ssht!
A golden streak tore the void, aimed straight at Rei Ao's heart. Its speed surpassed time, its power enough to pierce a planet's core.
But that assault, too, was easily nullified by the power Rei Ao invokedFreeze.
He merely lifted his hand.
"Freeze"
The space ahead solidified at once. The invincible divine spear stopped dead a few meters before him, then shattered inch by inch, scattering into motes of gold that faded into the void. In truth, the very concepts embedded in it had been frozen and erased in an instant.
""
Seeing his attacks fail one after another, Artosh ceased his assault and stared silently at Rei Ao.
After a brief pause, he bared his teeth in a grin. "Being from another world, it seems I truly underestimated you. You're far stronger than I imagined."
His gaze burned as it fixed on Rei Ao. Now he could feel itthe other's strength might even surpass his own. A surge of exhilaration welled up inside him. At last he had found an opponent worthy of his full power.
The onlookers were struck dumb. Jibril and Azril were especially shaken. They knew better than anyone what the War God's spear meanta supreme artifact that could affect an entire planet.
"Just how strong is Master?" Jibril murmured.
Azril couldn't speak at all. She had always believed Artosh-sama was invincible, the strongest being in the world. But now that faith began to waver.
Artosh's shock swiftly turned to elation. "Excellent! At last a true opponent!"
He shed every last restraint and let his power erupt.
Rumble!
The ground shook. Space warped. Time went haywire. The War God's unleashed aura was enough to make space itself collapse.
~~~
Same Vibe as Saitama vs Boros or Garou? Anyway
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Chapter 944: Artosh Godly Smite! Time to End the War!
Even with the protective barrier Rei Ao set in advance, the distant spectators found it hard to breathe.
"Is this the War God's full power?"
Schwi parsed the data. "Energy level exceeds all known records. No measurable upper bound."
"He's very strong right now."
Kanna's draconic pupils narrowed, her instincts flaring.
Michiru and Couronne went pale, barely able to stand.
Only Rei Ao remained unruffled, standing there as if nothing had changed. The War God's fully unleashed aura felt to him like a passing breeze.
"Done showing off?" Rei Ao asked calmly. "Then it's my turn."
