The moment the Weaver descended from the heavens, all conflicts came to a halt, the very concept of existence pausing in awe of the Creator's splendor.
For indeed, if the Highest Wisdom belongs to the Lord, and the Right of Annihilation to the Beast, it is the Weaver who wields supreme authority over Fate and Creation.
The Creator had appeared, his presence alone making all resistance futile. Yet as they raised their eyes to the sky, Mithras and Hadubrangr both ignored the Weaver, their attention stolen by his First Devotee, the Red God...Heruka!
"Heruka...Heruka...HE...RUKA!" Hadubrangr howled the name. But for some reason, the louder he screamed, the emptier he felt. As if the rage and hatred that should have been associated with this name...no longer existed!
And for good reasons. Hadubrangr's humanity and love for his mortal family were the foundations of his feud with the Red God.
Without that humanity, how could he hate Heruka? It didn't make sense, and without that hatred to serve as fuel, the Fylkir couldn't lash out, cooling down as his eyes trembled nonstop.
"Enough. Hadubrangr, this is not a day of bloodshed, but of glorious celebration. You've finally seen the light and embraced me as your lord and savior, complete at last and ready to take on the great undertaking of the human race!
As for Heruka, he merely did what I ordered him to—playing his role in the making of my Chosen One. Otherwise, you can't possibly think that the Wrathful God of War would truly lose his head for an ordinary mortal woman. It doesn't make sense.
My First Devotee was following my arrangements, nothing more.
So unless you wish to make your true backer and most active member of the Triumvirate your mortal enemy, let go of these petty thoughts, and focus on the future we will build together." The Weaver ordered, instantly dispelling Hadubrangr's frustration.
Now that he'd completed the Devil Blood Covenant, Hadubrangr couldn't defy the Weaver--at least not without a miraculous twist. So whether he liked it or not, he had to bury the hole in his chest, watching Heruka in silence.
The Red God didn't open his mouth, his eyes locked on Hadubrangr, but occasionally glancing at Mithras.
The Weaver though shifted focus, his blinding gray eyes staring at the youth.
"Mithras, we meet at last. For a while now, you have been causing chaos and deviations in the Mainline Story I took so long to come up with.
This edition of the universe, set up to be the greatest yet, was perverted time and time again by your rogue hands and crude rampage.
Impressive. Marvelous, even. The Lord's blessing is one thing, but your guts and audacity fill me with no end of admiration...and disgust.
You even killed Trajan...my Trajan...ahh...a true abomination. If the name wasn't protected by the Fundamental Principles, I would have made sure all the Mithras-to-be would die in miscarriages, preventing your kind of scoundrel from ruining my design.
What a shame.
A tragic and disturbing shame!
But the Transgressions have been piling up, and my Chosen complete at last. So your role ends, and my chosen's quest to the summit...begins anew!
First Devotee...deliver my sentence!" The wrinkled old Weaver ordered, and in that same dreary silence, Heruka raised his right hand, index aiming at Mithras!
[Deliverance]
For some reason, despite being renowned as the world's strongest Flame Master, Heruka didn't face Mithras with Flame Control, relying on Divine Secrets instead.
The final call came knocking, with Mithras slowly becoming convinced that the Lord had come to cleanse his sins and welcome him...in the One True Paradise!
No...that can't be right! What had he accomplished? Nothing! It was too soon!
Gritting his teeth to the limit, Mithras ignited his Golden Elixir, the Lord's Tears erupting in coiling tongues of golden flames as the youth put his all on the line!
[Fractal Inversion]
[Holy Sacrament: Body of the Sun]
Mithras stepped forward, his bones cracking as he became the incarnation of a thousand burning suns—slowly pushing through the Red God's Deliverance!
Heruka's eyes narrowed a little, and it was only here that the audience noticed the detail that kept the Red God acting so cautious.
Unlike Hadubrangr, after breaking his monstrous form and returning to human shape, Mithras kept traces of his beast shift, the left half of his face to be exact.
Still shaped like a draconic monster, the left side rippled with astronomical levels of energies that temporarily brought Mithras' attributes to jaw-dropping heights. But at Heruka's level, Mithras' broken attributes still weren't worth a damn.
All the boosts in the world couldn't change that! Yet as he looked at the colorful flames in Mithras' left eye, Heruka didn't doubt that under Blood Longevity...anyone who looked at that eye without Mithras' blessing would lose all their flame-related abilities, turning into ashes the moment next!
Even Blood Authority powerhouses might not have a way out!
But again, before the Red God, what could such force amount to? Not much for sure! The origin of that unique ability, however, left Heruka shell-shocked, forcing him...to lower his hand!
"In this world, except for the Lord, who can use the Holy Sacraments?
Except for the Lord, who dares to cross into the realm of perfection?
Solar Genesis only has one master, and the King of Monsters one name. Master, the answer is so obvious. Why are you refusing the evidence staring you in the face and making your most loyal warrior punch out of his weight class?
It's him. He's back. I'm out." Heruka opened his mouth for the first time, turning heels...and vanishing immediately!
A wonderful call! Because the moment next, a full-fledged planet appeared above the Weaver, crashing into him alongside a volley of falling stars!
"Planetary...Destruction?
The Right...of Annihilation?" The Weaver whispered, entering a vegetative state as he recognized the ability reserved...for his archenemy!
Reserved for...the Beast!
A blinding flash of light followed, and as the sparks settled, Hadubrangr and the Weaver had both vanished from the scene, leaving nothing but the silence and peace...of Mithras' victory!
Mithras, 1! Hadubrangr...0!
Mithras, 1! Heruka...0!
Mithras, 100...and Weaver still 0!
"What's the hurry? Why the rush? Control your hormones and wait for me.
To all of you who would dare to strip a man of the right to chase his dreams, you don't have to come for me. I will hunt you down anyway and crush your skulls under the might of my hammer!
So wash your necks, suck on your lollipops, and wait for me in peace. Mithras will find you in due time...delivering the judgment of the King of Monsters.
Delivering the judgment...of...the...Beast!" Mithras pledged, donning an armor of red and gold as he spun towards the city gates...in triumph making his entrance...as the Lord of the City of Vice!
Lord and Prince...of Springtime City!