1. Divinity Wavers
Leonel looked down at his own body.The divine light that once radiated from his fingertips trembled,as if it were no longer his to command—as if someone else were pulling the strings.
"What… is this?"
His eyes fell to the dagger buried in his chest.
Etched along its blade were unfamiliar characters.
They were words of the gods.
But not the language of divinity he knew.This script twisted the divine,shaking it,corrupting it.
He had thought himself a master of divinity,yet now he was crumbling,ensnared in a current he couldn't comprehend.
"This… is not the will of God."
But no voice answered him.
2. Taking Up Their Weapons Again
Damien's party stood bloodied,but unbroken.
"Hah… hah…!"
Kaio, battered and drenched in blood,tightened his grip on his thunder-wreathed mace.
Reanne had drained every ounce of her mana,yet even collapsed on the floor,she prepared another spell.
Cain clutched an arrow with trembling fingers,his shoulder bleeding but his aim steady.
Iann, her dagger still lodged deep in Leonel's flesh,drew a breath, ready to vanish into the shadows again.
And Damien—
The sword in his hand was steady.The man who had mastered the Black Cloud Swordsmanship.The one who had understood the Law of the Strong,and now sought to transcend it.
He spoke slowly.
"Let's end this."
3. A Shaken God, and the Law of the Strong
Leonel's conviction wavered.
He was still strong.But the man before him, Damien,was unraveling his flow in ways Leonel couldn't understand.
"Does the Law of the Strong… apply even to me?"
He could not fathom it.Damien's sword wasn't even the most destructive technique.
The Black Cloud Swordsmanship – Union of Sword and Spiritwas a devastating art, yes.
But the blade Damien wielded now—it wasn't chasing the strongest strike.
He wasn't pressing forward recklessly.He evaded, deflected, countered.He read the flow and broke the timing.
His swordsmanship was simple.And yet Leonel found his blows landing less and less.
For the first time,he felt what "perfection" truly meant.
4. The Threefold Sword – A Blade Beyond Laws
Leonel's doubts deepened.
With every cut Damien struck,his divine energy frayed, just slightly.
Was this the Law of the Strong?But he was a god.Did gods obey that law too?
"I am a god.""I hold divinity."
And yet…
As he fought Damien,he began to realize that the strength he heldwas not different from human strength—just amplified.
The Threefold Sword.
A perfect blade.A blade that transcended law.A blade that split the seams of reality.
5. Flame-and-Lightning Sword Dance – A Stroke that Cleaves All
In the instant Leonel's conviction wavered,Damien read every motion of his body.
"Now."
He raised his blade.
At its tip,black clouds gathered.
When that blade swung,the very air split,and even divinity flinched.
"Black Cloud Swordsmanship – Flame-and-Lightning Sword Dance."
The sword became lightning,striking down upon Leonel.
In that moment,Leonel tried to move, to dodge.
But it was already too late.
6. The Moment a God is Overpowered
"I…?"
Leonel's eyes shook.
He was a vessel of divine power.He commanded godhood itself.
And yet—
He couldn't escape that strike.
And then—
His body was split in two.
7. The Light Scatters
Leonel stared at his body.
From his chest,light spilled outward.
But this was no ordinary light.
Within the light—
Symbols appeared.Letters emerged.Numbers formed a sequence.
It was like a script,a code that recorded the very laws of the world.
And then,that light—the fragments of godhood itself—shattered.
And Leonel fell.
"I… a bearer of divine power…?"
He stumbled back two, three steps.And there,his light scattered, and was gone.
Everything…
was over.
***
Chapter : The Holy Knights' Council – Should They Summon God's Avatar?
The council chamber of the Holy Order was a space drenched in sacred light.Sunlight poured through the towering stained-glass windows, painting holy sigils across the marble floor.Beneath those patterns, the leaders of the Order—commanders, priests, and high officials—were gathered.
Their faces were grim, their voices restrained.
No one spoke first.
Their demigod, Leonel, had fallen.
This was not just a defeat.It meant that the power granted by God had been broken—by the hand of an outsider.
1. The One Who Defeated a God
"…The demigod lost?"
A senior knight who presided over the council broke the silence.
"A bearer of divine power—a fully awakened demigod—was defeated?"
The chamber fell silent again.They all understood the weight of those words.
No one dared to respond.
Finally, a priest—one who studied the very foundation of divine energy—spoke.
"Then… should we acknowledge him as a god?"
The room rippled with unrest.Some knights and priests erupted in outrage.
"Blasphemy!""Do not even utter such words!"
But not everyone shouted.A few knights, sitting quietly at the edge of the chamber, remained still.
And in their eyes—there was hesitation.
They outwardly denied it, but inwardly… they couldn't dismiss the thought.
'Only a god can defeat a god.'
If that were true… was Damien a god?
This was the one truth they could not bear to accept.
2. Excuses and Rationalizations
The silence lingered, until one knight spoke softly.
"Leonel was only a demigod, not a true god."
He rose from his seat.
"What we lost was a demigod, not divinity itself.""And Leonel—he was a devout knight, yes, but not the most suitable for combat."
"There is no reason to interpret his defeat as proof of divinity's limits."
The words soothed the chamber's tension.They clung instinctively to rationalization.
Yet none could deny this:Their divine power had been broken before the Law of the Strong.
"So then," someone finally asked,"what do we do now?"
"Should we put forth a knight stronger than Leonel?"
"Or…"
At that moment, a commander of the Holy Order spoke quietly:
"…Perhaps we should summon God."
3. The Plan to Call Down God's Avatar
The chamber erupted.
"Summon God?!""How?"
The head of the priesthood spoke calmly.
"We cannot summon God directly.But… we can summon His Avatar."
They all knew calling down God Himself was impossible.But an Avatar—a being greater than a demigod—might be drawn down.
"Is that even possible?" one of the Order's high councilors demanded.
Then, another knight stood.
"Do you remember the occult sect—the Ones Who Look Beyond?"
The room fell heavy.
Everyone knew the name.That sect had once called something into this world.And when they failed to control it, they were obliterated.
"We have obtained their research."
"Using their findings, combined with our divine power—we can summon God's Avatar."
The chamber went silent.
It was a forbidden path.
But their faith had begun to warp—twisting into something that would use any means, any sacrifice, for the sake of victory.
"It's time we showed the world God's will."
One by one, the councilors nodded.
The plan was approved.
And now—
God's Avatar would descend.
****
Chapter : A Small Village, Whispers Spreading
Damien and his companions needed time to recover—time to mend their bodies, replenish their supplies, and breathe.The battles had left them battered, and their weapons, armor, and magical components were reaching their limits.
After carefully evading the Holy Order's pursuit, they finally arrived at a small, quiet village.
It was far from the front lines, a tranquil place untouched by the chaos.And surprisingly, they could buy what they needed here.
Just not enough.
1. Short Supply – But a Greater Problem
Iane crossed her arms, looking over the provisions they'd managed to scrape together.
"We've stocked up as much as we could," she muttered, "but I don't know how long this will last."
Rhaen inspected a bundle of magical reagents and shook her head.
"Especially magical supplies. Without high-grade materials, powerful spells will be almost impossible."
Kaio tested the integrity of his armor, his expression grim.
"My breastplate's wearing thin. It won't hold up much longer. And getting new armor? Impossible right now."
Cain opened his quiver, counting with a frown.
"Normal arrows, we have plenty. But the smoke-tipped and explosive ones are nearly gone. Without them, we lose half our tactics."
They dealt with the practical problems first.
But they all sensed there was something worse lurking beneath the surface.
2. Rumors in a Quiet Village
They stayed at a modest inn, careful to blend in, to keep their presence unnoticed.
But then they overheard it—the voices, the conversations at nearby tables.
"Did you hear? The demigod has fallen.""It's true. The mighty demigod of the Holy Order—defeated.""And do you know who brought him down?""That outsider. The one they call Damien."
The group stiffened.
Iane lowered her voice, eyes narrowing.
"Our story's already spread this far?"
Rhaen dipped her head, whispering almost to herself.
"They said divine power was… fracturing. Now I see what they meant."
Damien stayed silent, listening.
But the whispers twisted, shifted—taking on a new, unsettling edge.
"They say he struck down the Holy Order's proxy even in the Edwin Rebellion…""Right—back then, too, the Holy Order had sent one of their chosen.""That one wasn't a demigod, but they carried God's power.""And now he's cut down a demigod as well?"
"Then maybe… this outsider is defying God Himself."
The words hung heavy in the air.
The companions exchanged looks.
This wasn't just idle gossip.
This was deliberate.
The words were spreading with a purpose.
Damien turned his gaze to the window, his thoughts sharp.
This isn't chance. It's as if someone wants the whole world to know exactly who we are.
3. Who Is Spreading the Rumors?
Rhaen's voice was low, taut.
"This isn't natural. Rumors don't spread this fast—not to a tiny village like this."
Iane's tone sharpened.
"For word to travel this far, this quickly… normally it would take weeks. We only left the temple days ago."
Kaio rested his chin on his fist, eyes narrowing.
"Someone's pushing it on purpose. But why?"
Cain, calm as always, analyzed aloud.
"If they wanted to pinpoint our location, they'd move quietly. This isn't that. This feels… different."
Rhaen's eyes widened in realization.
"They're not just identifying us—they're building us into something."
Her hands clenched.
"The more the story spreads, the more the cracks in the Holy Order's faith widen. And the Holy Order will only double down."
Damien's voice cut through, quiet but certain.
"And in the end… we'll become the ones who defy God."
His gaze was cold now, his thoughts already ahead.
"If they're planning to summon God's Avatar…"
The group fell silent.
They understood.
This wasn't simple rumor—it was stage-setting.
The whispers weren't merely reporting what had happened.
They were turning Damien and his companions into symbols.
The opposition to divine will.
And that meant the next step would come soon—not the pursuit of fugitives, but a war of faith.