The scorching sun bathed the grand colosseum, casting long shadows over the arena. In the center, a cluster of demigods stood, battle-ready. Seated in the towering rows that circled the arena were gods from every corner of the world—Egyptian gods, Chinese gods, and deities from mythologies far and wide, all gathered for the demigod competition. Unlike the usual godly war games, this was a contest of skill and power, held on Earth, where each god's chosen demigod would fight for supremacy.
In the lower seats sat other divine affiliates—attendants, lesser spirits, and spectators cheering on their champions. Just above them, the demigods who were not competing added their voices to the excitement, their shouts reverberating through the arena. At the very top, with the best view of the battle, were the gods themselves, watching with a mix of amusement and indifference.
Anubis, the jackal-headed Egyptian god of the afterlife, sat among the more stoic deities. Beside him, Luo Liang, the young master of the Crying Sword Sect, yawned lazily. Despite becoming a god before the age of twenty, Luo Liang had grown disinterested in these mundane competitions.
"You look like you'd rather be anywhere but here," Anubis remarked, his voice carrying the weight of centuries.
"Hmm," Luo Liang groaned, barely acknowledging the comment, his eyelids drooping.
Meanwhile, down in the arena, chaos was brewing. A group of demigods from Kit Mi Kai's homeland—mere teenagers, no older than fourteen—were winning their battles against much stronger opponents. Their victories were clean and decisive, which didn't sit well with one of the gods. He seethed as he watched his own demigods crumble under the unexpected talent of the young fighters. Enraged, the god broke the sacred rule and leapt onto the battlefield himself, his eyes filled with contempt for the victors.
He quickly dispatched the injured demigods, knocking them to the ground with casual brutality. Then, without hesitation, he grabbed the leader of the group—a boy with a fierce yet terrified expression—by the jaw. With a menacing smile, the god pressed a blade against the boy's eye.
"How dare you touch my demigods!" the god snarled, his voice laced with malice. "I'll count from five to one, and by the time I finish, I'll kill you. One…"
The colosseum fell silent. Not a single god rose to stop the bully. To them, these children were insignificant, coming from a place barely worthy of their notice—a land of huts, far removed from the grandeur of their divine cities.
The other three members of the group lay scattered on the ground, too injured to move. Desperation filled the air as the countdown continued. Then, one of the girls, barely conscious, found the strength to act. She tapped into her last reserves of power, her body morphing into a half-lion, half-human creature. Raising her face to the sky, she let out a roar that echoed through the heavens.
"Jajwok! They are killing us!" Her voice rang out in waves, rippling through the air, vibrating through the earth, and reaching beyond the bounds of the colosseum. The sound traveled far, carried by the wind, reaching as far as the stars themselves. "They are killing us," the waves repeated, growing louder as they surged across the world.
In a distant land, deep within the shadowy depths of the Evil Forest in Kenya, a god walked alone, his mind consumed with his own thoughts. The cry reached him, cutting through the stillness. His ears perked up, recognizing the voice—a voice from his past. It was the naked boy Kit Mi Kai had once encountered, now grown into a man. But these weren't just memories; they were echoes of his future self, and the sound of the cry ignited something deep within him.
His teeth clenched, sparks of electricity flickering between them. The god of lightning—Jajwok—gritted his teeth in fury. "Who dares…?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing as anger surged through his veins. In the blink of an eye, his body was consumed by lightning, and he shot forward like a bolt, faster than the human eye could follow.
Far above, in the sky, a cloud bison danced through the soft white clouds, happily skipping from one to the next like a child playing hopscotch. The bison, a creature born from the clouds themselves, lived for days like this, carefree and full of joy. But its peaceful frolic was interrupted as dark storm clouds began to roll in, swallowing the once-clear sky. Lightning crackled ominously, and the bison's joyful leaps came to an abrupt halt.
"Ouch!" the bison cried as a hand grabbed the back of its head. In an instant, a colossal bolt of lightning struck the earth, leaving a massive crater in its wake. The bison, now on the ground, rubbed its head in confusion. "What was that for?" it grumbled, looking up at the menacing clouds as they swirled overhead. "I'm going to tell my papa!"
High above, running on the storm clouds with incredible speed, was Jajwok. The clouds crackled beneath his feet as he summoned more lightning to increase his velocity. With each step, the air hummed with energy, and the sky darkened further.
Back in the colosseum, Anubis suddenly sat upright, his gaze sharp. "What did that girl say? What name did she call?"
His face darkened as he realized the gravity of the situation. Standing abruptly, he glanced at Luo Liang, who was now fully awake. "If I were you, I'd leave immediately. The god she summoned is a natural-born enemy of the gods."
Without waiting for a reply, Anubis struck his staff against the ground, opening a portal to the underworld. With a final glance at the arena, he vanished through the portal, retreating to the safety of his domain. As soon as he disappeared, the sky above the colosseum turned black, thick clouds gathering with terrifying speed.
A booming voice filled the arena. "Those children are under my protection."
The bully god, still holding the boy, barely had time to react. He was on "One" when a bolt of lightning struck the ground, vaporizing him in an instant. His body exploded in a shower of blood and organs, sizzling as the electricity fried his remains.
The dust cleared, revealing Jajwok standing amidst the carnage, holding the decapitated head of the bully god in one hand. His eyes glowed with fury, and arcs of lightning danced across his skin as he glared at the gods who had watched the spectacle unfold without lifting a finger.
Suddenly, another portal opened, and Osiris stepped through, his regal presence commanding attention. "Who dares disrupt this tournament?" he demanded, his voice echoing through the arena. But as his eyes fell upon Jajwok, his tone changed. "Oh... never mind."
Without further comment, Osiris turned on his heel and retreated into the portal. His servants, confused, hesitated. "But sir, shouldn't you bring order to—"
"Forget it. Move faster," Osiris snapped, disappearing from sight.
In the sky above, the clouds began to twist and churn, forming a massive vortex. Luo Liang's eyes widened as he leaped to his feet, barking orders to his sect. "Everyone, evacuate! Get the demigods out of here! How could a tribulation form here? This man must be more powerful than we imagined!"
The members of the Crying Sword Sect scrambled to comply, using their swords to fly out of the colosseum. Luo Liang himself swooped down, gathering the injured teenagers—those connected to Jajwok—and carrying them to safety. As he flew, he muttered to one of his sect leaders, "We need to recruit him. Jajwok... he could be a valuable ally."
Back on the ground, Jajwok's fury had not yet subsided. His body continued to glow with electrical energy as he prepared to face the oncoming tribulation. The storm above raged, growing more intense by the second.
---
"Hey, wake up! Hey!" Kit Mi Kai's voice echoed, snapping the boy out of his trance.
The boy blinked, dazed, as he returned to the present. He slumped back against a nearby tree, his body still trembling from the vision. Kit Mi Kai knelt beside him, offering a rough piece of animal hide. "Here, wear this. It's not much, but it'll do."
"No," the boy muttered, shaking his head.
"Do you have any family? Friends?" Kit Mi Kai asked, his voice softening.
"No," the boy replied quietly.
"Well then, how about this," Kit Mi Kai smiled gently, "I'll be your friend if you wear it."
The boy's eyes lit up. Desperation and hope flickered in his gaze as he quickly grabbed the cloth and put it on.
"Much better," Kit Mi Kai said, nodding. "So, what's your name?"
"I don't have one," the boy admitted.
Kit Mi Kai paused for a moment, then smiled. "Alright, I'll give you one. How about... Jajwok?"
"Jajwok... Jajwok!" The boy's face brightened with joy. He leaped to his feet, shouting his new name at the top of his lungs. "Jajwok! Jajwok!
"Jajwok! Jajwok! Jaaaaajwok!" the boy continued to shout, his voice carrying through the dense forest.
"Hey, stop making so much noise!" Kit Mi Kai cautioned. "You're going to attract something."
But it was already too late. Deep in the heart of the Evil Forest, a massive eye opened. The eye belonged to a giant crow, its pupil a dark void reflecting the twisted branches of the trees around it. Slowly, the crow's wings stretched, their span so vast that they overshadowed the towering trees, the tips brushing against the forest canopy. With a low, guttural growl, the beast readied itself to take flight, its keen ears locking onto the source of the noise.