Michael and Gaya turned to face her, their expressions hardening, their bodies coiling with tension. Rin was perched on the branch, her crimson armor, which seed forged from crystallized blood, gleaming in the dappled sunlight filtering through the new leaves. Her twin daggers, sheathed at her waist, pulsed with a faint, ominous red light. And her eyes, those unsettlingly piercing white eyes, were fixed on Gaya, specifically on the Agni-King clutched in her hand.
"That bow isn't yours, Rin," Michael stated, his voice low and dangerous. He began to pop his knuckles, one by one, the sharp cracks echoing through the sudden stillness of the forest. He was beyond pissed. Royally and incandescently pissed. He'd tolerated Rin's manipulative gas for far too long. She had hurt Lailah, threatened Harry, and killed Tiberius. And now she wanted to steal the Agni-King after they'd risked everything to obtain it? He was going to relish breaking her.
But this confrontation also presented an opportunity, a chance to finally track her, to locate her true soul, to find Xyloth's domain. If he could just plant a tracker on her sowhere…
Gaya, her patience worn thinner than parchnt, took a step forward, her grip tightening around the Agni-King. She cracked her neck, the sharp pop a stark contrast to the gentle sounds of the burgeoning forest.
"Look, bitch," she snarled, her voice dripping with venom, "this bow? It's mine. And if you even think about touching it, I'll shove my arrows so far up your ass you'll be shitting feathers for a month." She paused, her gaze sweeping over Rin's form, her lips curling into a predatory grin.
"We fucking went from level one to level sixty-three, facing all kinds of shit to get this bow. So if you even think about taking it from , I'll rip you apart. With my bare fucking hands."
She took another step forward, her eyes blazing with fury. "You want this bow so badly, Rin? You should have gone through the trials yourself. Earned it. Instead of waiting like a lazy, entitled bitch for soone else to do the hard work for you."
Rin burst out laughing, a cold, mocking sound that echoed through the trees, sending a flock of newly arrived birds scattering into the sky.
"Why would I bother with that tireso nonsense when I knew you two would do it for ?" she retorted, her voice dripping with saccharine sarcasm.
"It's so much easier to just wait. And take what I want."
Despite the burning hatred she harbored for Rin, Gaya couldn't deny the twisted brilliance of her strategy. It was genius, in a sick, fucked-up way. Why bother with the grueling trials, the deadly traps, all the goddamn bullshit, when you could simply wait and let so other poor sod do the dirty work?
But that realization only stoked the fires of her anger, making her feel utterly used, and manipulated, like a goddamn pawn in Rin's depraved ga.
"You lazy, conniving bitch," Gaya snarled, her grip on the Agni-King tightening until her knuckles shone white.
She wouldn't relinquish it. Not now, not ever. This bow was more than just a weapon; it was a symbol, a promise, a tool to rebuild Larnia, to restore the balance, to protect her creatures.
And it was powerful. She could feel the raw energy thrumming through it, the very essence of a goddess imbued within its fra. Compared to the Agni-King, the God Slayer crossbow felt like a child's toy. The God Slayer had been specifically forged to kill Rainar, a specialized weapon for a singular purpose. It was powerful, sure, but limited. It required specialized bolts, bolts that had to be painstakingly crafted and enchanted.
But the Agni-King was different. It replenished its own damn arrows, and each arrow was infused with Nithroel's power, her essence, her divine will. It was a weapon worthy of a god.
And Rin, that manipulative bitch, wanted it. "You're not getting this bow, Rin," Gaya stated, her voice low, steady, and laced with deadly intent. "Not ever."
But Rin simply laughed, a cold, mocking sound that echoed through the newly ford trees.
"I was hoping you'd say that, Goddess," she purred, her voice dripping with sarcastic sweetness. "It'll be so much more satisfying to pry it from your cold, dead hands. After I cut them off, of course."
"You'll have to touch first, bitch," Gaya retorted, her eyes blazing with unrestrained fury.
Before Rin could respond, Michael stepped forward, his hand outstretched. A bolt of black lightning, crackling with raw, untad power, shot towards the branch where Rin had been perched. The branch disintegrated instantly, the wood exploding into a shower of splinters and dust. Rin, however, was faster, and more agile. She leaped from the branch a split second before the lightning struck, landing gracefully on the ground, her movents fluid and catlike.
"That was uncalled for, Michael," she said, pouting theatrically, her voice dripping with mock disappointnt.
"Stay out of this, human," Gaya growled, taking a nacing step towards Rin. "This is between and this bitch."
Michael, sensing the shift in Gaya's deanor, the raw, untad fury radiating from her, simply nodded. He knew better than to interfere when Gaya was in this state. Rin had struck a nerve, and when Gaya was this pissed off, it was best to just stand back and let her unleash. He wouldn't intervene, not yet, but he'd be watching, every muscle in his body tense, ready to step in the instant Rin tried anything. And he knew, with grim certainty, that she would.
Rin, her gaze locked on Gaya, let out a low, amused chuckle. "How about this, Goddess?" she proposed, her voice smooth and almost seductive.
"I'll absorb Xyloth's grace, but only enough to reach Level One. You're just a fledgling goddess, after all. It wouldn't be fair if I overpowered you, would it?"
Michael frowned, his suspicion imdiately piqued. Rin wasn't exactly known for her adherence to fair play. This sudden concession felt wrong, off, like a poorly concealed trap. This was a clash of egos, a battle of wills, and Rin, for all her undeniable madness, was fiercely competitive. She wanted to prove herself, to dominate, to win, but on what she perceived as equal footing. Sothing about this felt like a calculated risk on her part, not a gesture of sportsmanship.
Michael stepped back, his gaze darting between the two won, his senses on high alert for any sudden movents or concealed threats. They circled each other, their movents tense and coiled, like predators sizing up their prey before the final, decisive strike. The lush forest, with its vibrant greenery and serene beauty, now felt like a contained arena, a battleground where two formidable forces of nature were about to collide.
Rin, her eyes gleaming with a manic energy, reached inside her crimson armor, her fingers closing around a small, glass vial. Within the vial, a sliver of red vapor swirled and pulsed, as if it were a living entity. Xyloth's grace. Without uttering a word, she unstoppered the vial and inhaled the vapor, her body convulsing as the dark power surged through her veins.
Michael watched, his muscles tensed and ready to react, as Rin's form visibly shifted. She grew taller, her crimson armor expanding and adapting to her changing physique. Her unnervingly white eyes glowed with a fiercer, more intense light, and her teeth seed to sharpen and elongate, her grin widening into a more predatory and nacing display. She'd absorbed the grace, just enough to level the playing field, to match Gaya's newfound godhood.
She was stronger now, a level one god. Still no match for Michael, a level four Pri God, but undoubtedly powerful enough to challenge Gaya. But Michael knew Rin's treacherous nature, her devious tactics and cunning strategies. She wouldn't have agreed to this seemingly fair fight without a plan, an escape route, a way out. Or perhaps, a disturbing thought crossed his mind, maybe she wanted him to kill her, to release her current form so she could be reborn, stronger and even more corrupted than before. He wouldn't give her that satisfaction, not yet.
Gaya, however, showed no outward reaction to Rin's transformation. She simply stood there, her gaze unwavering, fixed on Rin, her body relaxed yet radiating coiled power, her hands empty but for the Agni-King held loosely at her side. She cracked her neck, the sharp pop echoing through the unnerving silence of the forest, a clear indication that she was ready for whatever Rin had planned. And she was waiting, patiently, for Rin to make the first move.
"Co at , bitch," Gaya taunted, her voice a low, seductive purr, her eyes gleaming with a feral light that promised violence. "Or do you need to ask your daddy's permission first?"
The taunt, so childish, so deliberately provocative, so utterly Gaya, struck its intended mark. Rin, her carefully constructed composure shattering like glass, let out a guttural roar of pure, unadulterated fury.
"You dare mock him?" she shrieked, her voice distorted and inhuman with rage. "I'll kill you for that! I'll flay you alive! I'll…"
She lunged, her body a blur of crimson motion, her fists clenched, her white eyes blazing with murderous intent. Gaya, her grin widening into a savage display, t her charge head-on, eager for the clash.
They collided with a force that ripped through the tranquil forest. Their fists t with a sickening thud, and the imdiate surroundings erupted in a display of raw power. The sheer force of their collision sent a shockwave rippling outwards, uprooting newly grown trees, scattering debris like leaves in a gale, and shattering the peaceful serenity of the young Larnia forest. The sound was deafening, a thunderclap of godly impact that echoed through the trees, making the very ground beneath their feet tremble violently.
Even Michael, standing several yards away, felt the force of their initial blow, the raw power of it pushing him back, making him stagger slightly despite his considerable strength. The air crackled with palpable energy, the sharp scent of ozone mixing with the tallic tang of blood filling his nostrils.
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