Time seemed to stand still as the air became quiet. Seijun and Kaminari Nozomu's expressions changed to ones of disbelief. Seijun was taken aback by the unexpected sight of Kronos, the God of Time. He was raised with the belief that Reiwa Takuetsu had exterminated all divine beings that had bestowed upon humanity the Aura Senses many generations ago. Seijun's stunned silence also stemmed from the pain he had endured his entire life: Kronos was a god, one of the few entities that had created the Tansu Beasts, the very creatures that had ruled his and his friends' lives.
On the other hand, the mention of Tanjo confused Nozomu. A god familiar with Tanjo? Furthermore, acting as his "half-mentor"? He was taught that all gods and goddesses were destroyed during the Keisan War, which matched Seijun's level of disbelief. It was disenchanting to see divine flesh with his own eyes.
"...Wait, son? Who are you talking about?" Seijun spoke up, lifting himself off the ground.
Kronos' presence stirred something within the two vessels. It was as if their souls were fluctuating with the divine being.
"Tanjo Nozomu, of course. Well, that's his current surname, anyway." The blue-haired God of Time uttered, gesturing toward Kaminari. "His son."
"How do you know him?" Nozomu demanded, his eyes steeled.
Kronos hummed at the white-haired man's sudden defensive behavior, waving it off. "I've practically saved him a handful of times. His soul is far too extravagant to be bound by village affairs, so his departure from typical human life was inevitable. I introduced him to a new world—a better future."
"You better elaborate, god." Nozomu stressed his words, his lightning cackling.
"You have a son, Kami!?" Seijun ignored the god, his eyes glued to his friend. "Since when!?"
Nozomu grunted, not tearing his gaze away from Kronos. "Since Furusato was raided and the king and queen were killed. I took the newborn."
"You've actually encountered the boy," Kronos said, looking toward Seijun. "The boy who was with Asami not too long ago."
Seijun's brown eyes widened, his mouth ajar. The jet-black-haired boy that saved Mizuki was Kaminari Nozomu's son? Guilt brimmed within the vessel of Moeru, realizing that he had left Tanjo to die in Furusato. Fortunately, the boy fled the village while saving Mizuki.
"As much as I'd love to… intervene with the course of this universe some more, we do not have much time. Someone on Earth is arriving and I fear that only you two can subdue him." The God of Time declared, folding his arms.
Nozomu narrowed his eyes. "You're a god—you take care of him."
"Tried to. Well, I gave a futile effort, hence why I can remain before you now." Kronos stated, earning perplexed stares from the two vessels.
Seijun craned his head and said, "If you can't beat him, what makes you think we can? We didn't form the universe."
Kronos huffed, surrounding the three of them with the Disruption of Reality. "Neither did this man, but the gods stood no chance against him regardless."
Those words alerted Seijun and Nozomu.
"Wait. You don't mean—!" Seijun attempted to speak, getting cut off by the god.
"Yes. Reiwa Takuetsu, the man dubbed as Lucifer, has returned." Kronos confirmed the vessels' thoughts, sending a shiver down their spines.
The Crimson Messiah was another one of his many names. In history books, Reiwa was titled as the strongest human to ever exist, surpassing the power of the gods. He battled them all at once—practically single-handedly, too. To some, Reiwa was a hero, liberating humanity from the grasp of the gods and the supernatural; to others, however, the Patriarch of the Takuetsu was the most vile man to ever walk the Three Great Nations. The number of people Reiwa killed was so staggering, nobody could ever record it credibly.
"And you want us to fight him!?" Nozomu stepped forward, briefly noticing the rifts in space that the god materialized. "He'll slaughter us!"
"And, from what I know, you have Seijun to thank. Reiwa's appearance is too abrupt, timed perfectly with the vessel of Moeru's change of heart. Regashi is behind this, I'm almost certain." Kronos spoke bluntly, preparing to snap his fingers.
Nozomu glanced at Seijun. "He lost his heavy hitter… but how would he know? We're on a different planet."
"You may theorize all you want after you battle Lucifer himself." Kronos said, "but now, I must bring you back."
*KRSSH!*
With the snap of the god's finger, the three vanished from the surface of Venus.
XXX
On Earth, in the middle of the Detrimental War, blood was perpetually flying through the air, bodies falling to the ground, limp and lifeless. The brutality was constant, a vivid reminder of the cruelty of war.
*CRACK!*
Suddenly, amid the warring nations, a fissure in space appeared, growing in length. Every warrior in the vicinity halted upon noticing it, their eyes hooked on the sight. It was foreign; nobody had ever seen it before. It resembled lightning, but instead of having an electric pulse, the fissures could be compared to thick stitches that hovered above the ground.
*RIP!*
Frighteningly, a fist punched through the tears in space. The fist then opened, grabbing onto the fissures and pushed them open. As the mystical cracks in the air began to widen, a figure stepped out and onto the battlefield. His footsteps were heavy, his armored body clanking and reflecting the sun's rays.
It was a man with a nightmarishly tall stature, his broad frame dwarfing most warriors. His armor was primarily silver, but his shoulder plates were golden. However, ignoring the man's impenetrable-looking armor and terrifying form, his hair was the most concerning.
His hair was crimson-red and fell down his neck, with most of it braided behind his head and hanging over his forehead. Very few people, especially with crimson hair, have red hair at all. Many people started speculating about the man after his dramatic arrival onto the battlefield.
"No way… it can't be him!" A random warrior cried, backing up hesitantly.
Any warrior that was standing remotely close to the man had hurriedly leaped away, distancing themselves. The war seemingly came to a halt; not a single person within this part of the battlefield moved a muscle. All eyes were on the red-haired man. It was eerie to hear how silent the area had become so silent and motionless, especially with how crowded it was.
"It has to be a fake! A ploy by Adonai to make us retreat!" A bold Shanti warrior asserted, marching toward the tall man in the center of the field.
The red-haired man's blue eyes shifted to the Shanti troop.
The warrior formed a yellow Genso-Kyu—*BRRMM!*"—and pointed his right hand outward.
"I'll fall to no tricks from Adonai! Mark my words!" The Shanti troop hollered, gritting his teeth.
*BOOM!*
Swiftly, the troop discharged a yellow beam of light toward the red-haired man.
Without a trace of trepidation lingering within his visage, the tall man raised one hand and flicked his fingers—*WOOSH!*—splitting the beam of light into two separate rays and cutting the Shanti troop in half.
"I return for a second and I'm greeted with an eyesore of a performance." The tall man spoke deeply, lowering his arm.
Every warrior shrinks in fear, sliding their feet through the scorched dirt backward cowardly.
He had returned. Reiwa Takuetsu.
XXX
Somewhere far from the battlefield, Tanjo and Yuso continued to stare each other down.
XXX
I am aware of how short that end piece is, but fear not! This chapter was the last chapter of Volume Six! After this will be Volume Seven, the last volume that will be of this novel! It feels surreal to be this far in the story, so bear with me if things get a little hectic or quick-paced. Stay tuned for more!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_