1059——————==

True Martial Home

The moment Ta Shin-pyeon activated, Mangnyang felt a connection between the Ta Shin-pyeon in his hand and his vision. He could see the true form of the [Old Ruler] Bi-ryu, who had possessed the body of the Master of the White Lotus Sect.

‘Ah… ah….’

For a moment, he felt his mind slipping away in fear.

What is ‘that’? Facing an indescribably terrifying essence nearly shattered Mangnyang’s sanity. The ominousness and dread of this world couldn’t compare; it was a nightmare that a mortal should never encounter.

However, having cultivated for a long time with the Corpse Dissolution Technique, he managed to shake off the fear and potential madness. Calmly, he searched within the essence of Bi-ryu for the shimmering starlike orbs of divine matter.

Gritting his teeth, Mangnyang flung the Ta Shin-pyeon.

Boom!!

Even from hundreds of paces away, Bi-ryu’s divine status was instantly dismantled. This was because the Ta Shin-pyeon was a treasure that disregarded the process of typical attacks; it could hit as long as it was swung. While other treasures occasionally had such abilities, what made the Ta Shin-pyeon special was its ability to ignore all defenses.

[……!!]

Bi-ryu stumbled from the attack.

It was an unexpectedly painful blow.

In that moment, Asura’s Nirvana of the Absolute struck squarely at the body of the Master of the White Lotus Sect.

Boom!!

No matter how strong the Master of the White Lotus Sect was, taking the Nirvana of the Absolute without the Protection Energy Technique should have obliterated them. Even with the protection, they would have sustained severe injuries. However, realizing that Asura had struck the Master of the White Lotus Sect without any significant injuries made him wide-eyed in shock.

[This ridiculous magical power!!]

It wasn’t even a special defensive technique. Bi-ryu merely surrounded himself with the magic drawn from the Throne of Chaos. Yet the potential of that magic far surpassed Asura’s Nirvana of the Absolute, resulting in no damage whatsoever.

As it should be. Bi-ryu, the God of Chaos, could draw upon magical power hundreds of times that of the Master of the White Lotus Sect. If it exceeded that, even Bi-ryu would have to prepare for annihilation, but there was no need to do so when facing mere mortals.

[You bug….]

Bi-ryu’s eyes glinted as he extended his hand toward Asura. Startled by the gesture, Asura retreated, but fortunately, Bi-ryu’s divine powers were sealed, preventing him from eliminating Asura immediately. Instead, a globule of chaos began to rise from Bi-ryu’s hand and slowly expand.

Rumble

Unaware of what the technique was, the experts from the Great Bear Empire assumed defensive stances. At that moment, Zhuge Bu, commanding from behind, sent out the secret transmission of the Thousand Li Advance to everyone.

[Reinforcements are coming…. Hold on until then!]

Reinforcements.

At those words, all the experts, including Asura, charged at Bi-ryu. Bi-ryu, finding them annoying, spread a veil of darkness to brush them off, but Asura had the capability to withstand it, charging ahead to pierce the veil with the Mind Control Technique. As the other absolute realm experts began to unleash their attacks, Bi-ryu could not casually unleash his techniques.

Mangnyang finally grasped Zhuge Bu’s strategy and asked, “Can you really summon her?”

“…The chances are slim. My father is using all his strength, but we need time.”

Zhuge Bu gritted his teeth as he continued, “We’ve done all we can. All we can do is hope for her arrival.”

Boom!

Kaboom!

Supreme Supremacy

Sagong Lin stood at the forefront of her team, playing the role of a defender as Bi-ryu unleashed his chaotic magical power. Supreme Supremacy had the ability to distort cause and effect, allowing her to withstand even the mightiest power. While Sagong Lin deflected the widespread magical attack, the other experts assaulted Bi-ryu.

Simultaneously, Sagong Lin realized her stamina had hit its limit. Having expended immense energy fighting Seo Mun-hye and suffering significant wounds from Asura, she felt the sword wound piercing between her ribs throb painfully.

‘Oh, great spirit of heaven and earth, lend me your aid….’

Though she felt faint and on the verge of collapsing, she pushed herself to endure with all her might. Perhaps her destiny was to give her life for her comrades, just as Wei Zhi-hun had protected her during the battle against Divine Avatar Arjuna.

Staggering

Yet despite her iron will, one knee buckled involuntarily. The unending series of battles had paralyzed her body’s functions. Bi-ryu’s overwhelming magical power indirectly affected her. No matter how absolute the realm’s technique, prolonged exposure to pure chaotic magic would leave one in a fragile state.

‘No, not now.’

If she could just withstand one more blow, she wouldn’t be able to fight anymore. If Sagong Lin couldn’t play her defensive role against that overwhelming power, the allied experts would be annihilated in an instant. She had to protect them at all costs, but the despairing reality was already beyond what any will could bear.

Her body wouldn’t listen.

Not even her strong will could revive her.

Could it really end like this?

‘Am I truly destined to lose no matter what?’

Sagong Lin felt a dark despair invade her mind. It was an emotion she had rarely experienced in her lifetime, and at that moment, she sensed [another voice] whispering to her from the depths of her being.

[Stop pretending to be human.]

What is that noise?

Sagong Lin realized the voice was gently speaking from her depths. Gathering all her will, she responded to the depths.

No, that’s not true.

I am human. I will never forsake humanity.

From her response, she could hear a mocking retort from that voice in the abyss.

[Foolish…. But I shall lend you strength this once.]

Boom!

In that instant, Sagong Lin’s eyes turned a brilliant golden hue.

With a single sweep of her hand, she attacked Bi-ryu.

Crack!!

For the first time, Bi-ryu’s head was jerked aside. Sagong Lin’s golden pressure obliterated the veil of darkness Bi-ryu cast. Surprised by the unexpected attack, instead of becoming angry, Bi-ryu muttered in astonishment.

[Have you read the laws of cause and effect up to this point? So, you’re strategically placed here to interrupt me….]

There was no trace of anger in his voice.

[Interesting.]

There was an undertone of curiosity in Bi-ryu’s voice as he wiped the blood from his mouth. It was a reaction that arose from recognizing that the owner of ‘this power’ was indeed a worthy opponent.

Woosh!

Boom!!

As Sagong Lin’s strength surged, Bi-ryu continued to spew darkness, yet Sagong Lin merely extended her hands, as if an invisible veil had formed to block it. Thanks to this, the Great Bear Empire experts, who would have perished upon mere contact with Bi-ryu’s chaotic magic, could breathe easier.

Asura cast a sidelong glance at Sagong Lin and mused, ‘Is she suddenly using such godly power? Earlier she merely surrounded herself with it, but now she wields it as if it’s second nature. Yet still, there’s a clumsy aspect to it.’

He sensed that Sagong Lin’s manifestation of power wouldn’t last. Thus, in that window, he charged at Bi-ryu, aiming to land a fatal blow. Though Bi-ryu found Asura bothersome, he could not kill him in a single blow right now.

But despite that, Bi-ryu, feeling irritated by Asura, unleashed a roar of anger.

[You bug! I will eliminate you!]

Rumble!

At that moment, Asura realized that Bi-ryu’s chaotic energy was rapidly spreading forth, and he was enveloped in an instant. Asura rushed to deal with the unexpected surge with the Mind Control Technique, but Asura’s technique was consumed by the chaos and obliterated.

[No, this can’t be!]

Such dense magical power. It was a potency further condensed from the magic extricated from the [Throne], rendering Asura’s technique entirely ineffective. Asura eyed Bi-ryu angrily, only to realize his right arm had been severed thrice over.

Kaboom!

[Ugh…!!]

[Die like the insect you are.]

Woosh….

Asura’s expression darkened as he observed the tide of darkness sweeping toward him like waves. There was no way to survive from here.

Is this it?

But at that moment, Dokgo Seong appeared before Asura like a ray of light.

Absolute Realm

Thunder Sword

Dokgo Seong knew that no matter how he wielded the Thunder Sword, he couldn’t block that overwhelming wave of magical power. Yet for some reason, his body moved before his mind could act. Infusing every ounce of understanding he had into that last strike, he executed the waterfall cut.

Thunder God Sword Dance

Waterfall Cut

A martial art Dokgo Seong had once used when trying to cut the technique of the Ten Thousand Soldiers.

Though he hadn’t seen Baek Woong’s memories, his instincts as a martial artist told him that this move was the most suitable against the tide of chaos. Betting everything on his intuition, he unleashed the Waterfall Cut.

The ultimate strike where essence, energy, and spirit unite!

‘This is a suicide move….’

Asura, watching from behind, thought it was pointless. Knowing dozens of superior martial techniques, he figured that none could overcome that tide of chaos. What did it matter if a martial artist of lower caliber than him attempted to use their technique in this situation?

But as despair filled him, he eventually witnessed a miracle unfold.

Swish – !!

With a cracking sound, the chaotic wave parted before Dokgo Seong’s blade. Thanks to Dokgo Seong’s aid, Asura narrowly escaped death.

[How is this possible?]

In disbelief, Asura stood frozen, looking at Dokgo Seong’s back.

Dokgo Seong succeeded in slicing through the chaos but was too weak to withstand the aftermath. Though his body remained somewhat intact due to the Protection Energy Technique, his entire blood network and skin were charred black by the chaos.

Spit

Dokgo Seong coughed up dark blood. The chaos had filled his insides, rendering him almost dead. Not even the Great Immortal could save him from such wounds.

[…….]

“Asura. This is the pride of the Thunder God Lineage.”

[Why… did you save me?]

Asura asked in a quivering voice. Dokgo Seong seemed to wear a faint smile.

“I don’t know, you cocky jerk….”

Truthfully, Dokgo Seong had no clue.

Just moments ago, he’d been enraged at Asura’s arrogance, fighting tooth and nail against him, so why would he risk his life to save him? He couldn’t understand why his body moved independently.

‘I truly am a fool.’

Yet at that moment, he considered that perhaps Asura was not such a bad character after all.

Headstrong, recklessly daring, and arrogant, yet he had a purity within.

Perhaps that emotion was a bonus, driving Dokgo Seong’s competitive spirit to confront a god.

[…….]

With his sword firmly gripped, Dokgo Seong shouted defiantly.

“Fulfill your path of martial excellence!!”

And then Dokgo Seong fell.

The last death of the Thunder God Sword Saint.

Asura caught Dokgo Seong’s falling body, staring silently at his corpse for a while.

[…….]

Why was that?

For the first time in his life, Asura felt a strong urge to break his sword.

That feeling was embarrassment.

Ssshh

After what felt like a long half-hour of fierce battle, the sky, stained with dark clouds, slowly opened. Golden and silver lights danced like spirals, revealing a single existence with nine golden tails.

Chiriring

All eyes turned towards that presence.

“My father has succeeded!!”

From afar, Zhuge Bu, witnessing the golden entity’s manifestation, shouted in joy. The ‘reinforcements’ he spoke of had finally arrived.

[Die!]

Crash

As soon as that entity appeared, it charged straight at Bi-ryu, biting into his neck. Bi-ryu couldn’t defend against the biting onslaught and was sent flying, much like when Sagong Lin had attacked him.

Bam!!

The cliff shattered as the two absolute beings crashed down amidst clouds of dust. As Bi-ryu felt the bite, he confirmed the identity of his attacker and scoffed.

[How dare a mere construct dare challenge me?]

[…….]

[A mere half-breed.]

Bi-ryu’s composure stemmed from the fact that the sealing time of the Tydaht Eight Trigrams had almost run out. No matter how liberated Tydaht was, it couldn’t seal divine powers away for lengthy periods against a true god.

‘It’s a formidable being, yet if I show my true strength, I’ll easily dispose of it.’

Crack!

The nine-tailed golden fox clamped down on Bi-ryu’s neck. Though it appeared to simply be biting, it was effectively maintaining a divine power that hindered Bi-ryu’s magic. Even now, the fox’s teeth were gradually embedding deeper into Bi-ryu’s neck, signaling his magic was diminishing.

[Even if you’re only half, taking out parasites like you is no issue!]

Crack!

Finally, the fox sank its fangs into Bi-ryu’s neck, causing torrents of blood to burst forth from the body of the Master of the White Lotus Sect. This indicated that Bi-ryu’s magic had breached.

Bi-ryu let out a low growl at the unexpectedly powerful assault from the golden fox.

[This… This is the power of Nüwa. A remnant. Just who are you?]

Expecting them to be just a simple divine being, he was astonished to discover the source of their power surpassed his expectations. Now that he was slowly being freed from the sealing, even Bi-ryu found himself struggling against the fox’s assault. He had failed in defense.

‘Oh no…!! If my divine status was shattered, I can’t retaliate.’

Had he not suffered under Mangnyang’s Ta Shin-pyeon, he could have dealt a significant blow to the fox and temporarily escaped. If that were the case, he could confidently assert he had a chance against the fox, but the accumulated damage was preventing Bi-ryu’s retaliation.

A sinister gleam danced in the fox’s eyes.

[I am the tail and child of Nüwa. I am the trace and manifestation of her remnants left in this world…!!]

Hearing the fox’s assertion of its existence, Bi-ryu could hardly comprehend Nüwa’s essence.

[Why would a being as powerful as the Three Sovereigns do such a thing?]

[You needn’t know, just die!!!]

With a mighty force, the fox bit down once again, gnashing its teeth. A scream echoed.

[Ugh, no way! To perish so easily….]

Crunch!!!

[…….]

As Bi-ryu struggled against the fox’s tearing assault, he gradually lost all responsiveness. The fox’s divine power spread through the bite, instinctively repelling Bi-ryu from Master of the White Lotus Sect. Though he could have resisted longer, if that were the case, Bi-ryu’s original self would face significant blows, making it impossible for him to descend into this world again.

Whoosh…

Moments later, the fox transformed into its beastly form. It now resembled a beautiful woman with golden hair.

Having arrived at the scene where Bi-ryu was overwhelmed, Zhuge Bu addressed the beast woman.

“Miho. Have you completely subdued Bi-ryu?”

Indeed.

The person who appeared was none other than Miho!

It was the first time Miho had revealed herself during the entire monstrous conflict. She glanced back at Zhuge Bu, responding in a voice imbued with the power of a god.

[Yes. That wretch can no longer exert his divine rights against me.]

“I’m relieved….”

[However, I will require payment for what I did.]

“…….”

At Miho’s words, Zhuge Bu’s expression hardened. But reluctantly, he nodded in acceptance.

“The last Philosopher’s Stone. Take it.”

In this battle, Zhuge Bu had used the Philosopher’s Stone like it was nothing. Considering that producing one Philosopher’s Stone would exhaust nearly a decade’s worth of the Great Bear Empire’s resources, it was no trivial cost.

[This isn’t my selfishness.]

Apologizing, Miho heard Zhuge Bu’s sigh.

“I know. You’ve already become a divine being, absorbing over sixty percent of Daji’s power, thus elevating yourself into the realm of cause and effect. One who reaches godly status must pay a cost for their power, as the laws of this world dictate, and you must accept payment to maintain your strength.”

[Zhuge Yulong, who summoned me, has not died, but he has lost all his strength. Don’t you resent me?]

Answering Miho’s question with equanimity, Zhuge Bu replied.

“It couldn’t be helped. You summoned a god.”

Indeed.

The strategy that Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu had briefly conceived was to summon Miho as the [Reinforcements]!

After Baek Woong went missing, Miho had conspired with Abe no Seimei to amplify her power. The goal was to evolve into a divine being and draw upon Daji’s strength at Golden Crow Island. With the assistance of Fire Spirit and the Great Bear Empire, Miho easily achieved her divinity, successfully passing on her personality and soon arrived at Golden Crow Island to consume Daji’s power. Capitalizing on Daji’s inactivity, she had continuously absorbed Daji’s strength for decades.

The only issue was that as Miho grew stronger, she ascended into a godly status compelling her to abide by the laws of cause and effect. Simply gaining the Demon King Daji’s powers wouldn’t elevate her to this point, but rather, it was the synergistic effect of sharing the same origins as Daji. Upon acquiring about fifty percent of Daji’s abilities, Miho, influenced by Nüwa, awakened the absolute essence of a god and subsequently transcended the laws of cause and effect.

Divine being Miho was recognized as inheriting part of Nüwa’s divine seat among the Three Sovereigns in this universe, due to the fact that Daji was the embodiment of Nüwa’s yin form.

Once one transcended mortality and reached the realm of cause and effect, regardless of how mighty their strength was, a cost was required for them to engage with reality. Anyone who violated this principle would risk losing all their powers due to a backlash.

Thus, even though Miho was technically an ally, she couldn’t hastily join the battlefield of the monstrous conflict.

Even if Miho wished to assist without conditions, her power far exceeded that of the Demon King and her inheritance from the Three Sovereigns inherently required a colossal price. This was the universal law that disregarded her intentions. Hence, the Great Bear Empire side planned to manage as much as they could while preparing to summon Miho for the inevitable final battle.

However – Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Sa realized that a dangerous [Old Ruler] had appeared on the battlefield while attempting to resurrect through their corpses. An appearance so godly that they could dismiss Asura with a mere thought! As it stood, they had no choice but to summon the strongest pawn, Miho, who they had intended to deploy only during the final battle. Zhuge Bu alone would buy time on the battlefield until Miho could be summoned.

The price for this summon was staggering. The caster, Zhuge Yulong, had exhausted not just his lifespan but every ounce of power and inner strength. He barely escaped with his life but had returned to being an ordinary human, so he effectively lost all his abilities now. Even that price paled in comparison, as Zhuge Bu also had to offer the Philosopher’s Stone to Miho.

‘But if it means eliminating the [Old Ruler] as fully worth it….’

Looking down at Zhuge Bu with a bitter gaze, Miho sighed.

[A world where mortals struggle without the Reborn Person is excessively perilous. If a more powerful entity obstructs your path, the future will be bleak.]

“Indeed.”

[Will you be able to endure until Baek Woong returns?…. Nevertheless, even if all perish, I will fight for Baek Woong come the end of days.]

“…….”

[Stay strong.]

Boom!

Miho vanished, sent back to Golden Crow Island as her summon time had expired.

She wouldn’t return to reality until she had absorbed all of Daji’s power.

At that moment, Mangnyang was engulfed in a profound dilemma.

‘So Miho can indeed be summoned. Does that mean…. I wasted my Ta Shin-pyeon?’

In truth, Mangnyang’s use of Ta Shin-pyeon allowed Bi-ryu, whose divine status was shattered, the chance to not retaliate against Miho and be easily subdued. Had Mangnyang abstained from using the Ta Shin-pyeon, it was uncertain whether even Miho could exert minimal power against Bi-ryu.

Yet Mangnyang was aware that such hindsight was meaningless.

The foresight of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens.

She understood that violating the actual reality of foresight resulted in returns as per the laws of cause and effect. Ignoring the ‘optimal timing’ meant there would be significant consequences when that time inevitably returned, and it was uncertain whether Mangnyang could shoulder that loss.

“…….”

“Mangnyang. Pull yourself together. This is serious.”

“Abe no Seimei. What’s going on?”

Abe no Seimei had appeared before Mangnyang. Until now, he had been helping allies stay aloft with his sorceries and looked troubled.

“The [Old Ruler] is rampaging, distorting the space where you sealed the Yacha….”

Mangnyang’s face darkened.

“C-cough. Don’t tell me….”

“Right now, Seong Jin is holding it off for a moment. Come over here.”

Snap!!

Black lightning crackled as the dimensional barrier warped. Before it, Seong Jin chanted incantations, staving off the arm of Yacha from escaping the dimensional plane.

This was the very void Mangnyang had sealed the Yacha with sorcery. As Mangnyang stared blankly at the scene, Abe no Seimei spoke.

“You sealed it, so you should be able to complete the binding. That’s the principle of sealing magic.”

“…….”

“We are not casters, so we can’t seal it completely.”

It was impossible.

Having just used Golden Techniques, Mangnyang burned up all his stamina and sorceries. On top of that, a mysterious [mark] had been inscribed on him by the Ten Spirits—likely a nightmarish curse tied to Golden Techniques. Additionally, being too far from the Celestial Realm meant he could no longer utilize the Corpse Dissolution Technique.

How could he use sealing techniques in such dire straits?

But there was no alternative.

Mangnyang finally let go of everything inside and said, “Understood. I will take care of it.”

Kaboom…

As Mangnyang had already exhausted immense energy, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to rebuild his power before the day Baek Woong returned. But such leisure was out of the question. He offered a dry smile.

“…Then I’ll burn my remaining life.”

His final resort was to convert life force into magical potency. However, using it would mean that Mangnyang would be left to face death at any moment.

“Is there no other way…. If so, I shall place you into a semi-conscious state.”

“Seong Jin.”

“I can’t just let you die here. You shall be preserved in a semi-conscious state until we find another course. I will seek the aid of my spouses to maintain your life line.”

Seong Jin cast an ancient spell on Mangnyang. Realizing what the spell was, Mangnyang understood that this was the best course of action. He wanted to scream but swallowed it down and reached toward the void.

“I will seal it.”

Though lacking the Corpse Dissolution Technique, the sealing magic was already prepared; he just needed to finalize it. That was something only Mangnyang could do.

Snap…!!

Finally, Mangnyang attempted to fully expel Yacha from the dimensional plane. As he did so, Abe no Seimei, now beside him, stepped in to aid.

[Nooo!! I cannot be sealed this way!!!]

Yacha shrieked wretchedly and suddenly thrust its enormous arm outward. Caught unawares by this last-ditch effort, Mangnyang froze in surprise, while Abe no Seimei instinctively moved to block Mangnyang.

Boom!

Abe no Seimei’s upper body and abdomen were pierced by Yacha’s arm at once. It was as though he was impaled by a skewer; blood dripped from his mouth as he let out a faint laugh.

“What an ill-fated day to die…. So this is how it ends for me.”

Wong

Summoning an amulet, Abe no Seimei slapped it onto Yacha’s forearm. Mangnyang gritted his teeth, sacrificing his remaining life force to cast the sealing spell. As the two sorcerers exhausted their strength, Yacha could no longer withstand it and was flung to the dimensional beyond.

Shhhh

[Noooooo….]

There’s no more room for a twist. Yacha would now wander through eternity until the end of the universe.

Seeing the lifeless body of Abe no Seimei, Mangnyang felt something shift within his heart in that instant.

“…….”

That feeling was one of resolution and rage.

How this change would impact the future, no one knew.

And as Mangnyang drained his final reserves and fainted, Seong Jin carried him away, murmuring grimly.

“Zhuge Bu. It seems that the war has concluded. What will you do now?”

Zhuge Bu appeared shortly afterward through spatial movement. After applying an amulet to Abe no Seimei’s corpse for processing, he coldly muttered.

“Now the efforts of the strategist begin. I will declare to the outside world that Asura has killed him. From now on, I’ll take charge of managing the Great Bear Empire. I don’t know if the Master of the White Lotus Sect will recover his senses, but at least until he does….”

“We must channel all our strength into recovering from the damage caused by the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

“…No. I aim to reclaim India.”

“What?”

At Zhuge Bu’s unexpected words, Seong Jin’s eyes widened in shock, and Zhuge Bu explained.

“Zhuge Sa once mentioned to me. Though Krishna was banished from this world, the means for his return lies in Tianzhu. And now that the Eight Parts of the Divine have been disabled, Krishna is likely scheming something before his next move. Before that occurs, we shall re-invade Tianzhu and completely expel him.”

“Is that possible? Even at full strength, it was difficult to conquer Tianzhu…”

“Once the Master recovers, it will be attainable. For now, let us observe how things unfold.”

“I hope it works out….”

“…….”

Zhuge Bu gazed at the dissipating gloom, witnessing the azure sky return.

“It will be alright. Observing Asura’s spontaneous retreat implies something,” he stated, clenching his teeth. Considering Asura’s usual personality, he expected him to remain and wreak havoc on the allies. Zhuge Bu had regarded surviving that as the final threshold. But unexpectedly, with Bi-ryu’s annihilation, Asura vanished without a word, surprising Zhuge Bu. Had there been a significant change in his mindset?

A tremendous sacrifice had been made, but they had succeeded in vanquishing the Demon King with mere human strength.

And so concluded the protracted monstrous conflict.

“…….”

Asura transformed back into his human form, walking alone through the wilderness.

A profound sense of emptiness enveloped him.

He had discarded all eight of his swords into the wasteland, leaving himself vulnerable.

He suddenly halted and addressed the looming figure before him.

“Krishna. Do you have something to say to me?”

Before him appeared the spirit of Krishna. Krishna spoke up.

[Friend, how can you abandon the battle?]

“…….”

[Do not let the deaths of your comrades be in vain….]

In that moment, Asura snapped in rage.

“Shut it!! What kind of command is that!”

Flinch

“Is that a command using camaraderie? I won’t be manipulated by your sorcery! I never considered those other guys as comrades!”

[Asura.]

Krishna was momentarily taken aback by Asura’s rejection. Upon the ensuing silence, Asura clenched his jaw tightly.

“I knew you were using us. Still, I didn’t mind, as none of us trusted each other in this world…. But your blatant mockery at this point is simply appalling.”

[…….]

“If you call yourself my friend, tell me. Whose orders are you following to act in this manner?”

At that inquiry, Krishna genuinely seemed to chuckle.

Then slowly, he responded.

[You’ll know soon enough….]

Boom!

Krishna’s spirit vanished.

Asura stared expressionlessly at that space, resuming his stride.

Soon enough.

That phrase echoed endlessly in Asura’s mind.

He was walking into madness.

Walking endlessly, he found that he no longer held any will to fight.