The Free World stood paralyzed as the skies darkened, an unnatural gloom swallowing the sun. Thunder crackled furiously across the sky. CRACK! The sound reverberated through the heavens, shaking the ground beneath them.
Amid the chaos, Jin took a slow, deliberate step forward. His aura was cold, a storm brewing within him. The crowd parted, their eyes wide with fear and awe as he moved toward the scene of devastation.
Cade reached out, grabbing Jin's arm. "Stop, Jin. Let us handle this!"
Before Cade could say more, Seiji stepped in, gripping Cade's wrist. "Let him go," Seiji muttered, his voice quiet but firm. His glowing marks pulsed faintly, betraying the tears silently streaming down his face.
Jin continued without hesitation, every step laced with grim determination. He stopped at the forefront of the funeral grounds, looking up to see Jiangshi and Lei Gong floating above like gods of destruction.
Dark energy began to ripple around Jin, his body levitating slowly into the air. The glow of his power intensified, a visible manifestation of his resolve. He ascended until he was face-to-face with the two figures. His gaze locked onto Jiangshi.
"Uncle" Jin's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Jiangshi smirked, his aura radiating malevolence. "You've finally come out of the 'Jon' phase, haven't you? Stepped out of hiding and into the light. How does it feel to face reality, Jin?"
Jin's expression didn't waver. "I have one question for you." His voice was cold, laced with quiet fury. "Are you responsible for the destruction of the God Hunter family?"
Lei Gong burst into laughter, the sound like a crashing thunderclap. "Oh, Shiki the Golden? That old fool? He put up quite the fight, but yes, I destroyed him."
Jin's fist clenched, his dark energy flaring. On the ground, Seiji's marks began to glow uncontrollably, tears streaming freely as his body radiated with an overwhelming, uncontrolled rage. The ground around him exploded in a powerful burst of energy, throwing everyone nearby backward. BOOM!
Jiangshi glanced downward at the explosion and raised a hand. A compass manifested, spinning rapidly. TING-TING-TING The energy that had erupted from Seiji was reversed in an instant, time folding upon itself as if the event had never occurred.
"Jin," Jiangshi said, his tone mocking. "Shall we step aside for a proper conversation?"
Before Jin could respond, the compass danced again, spinning faster and faster. TING-TING-TING The two of them vanished, leaving behind a faint ripple in the air.
Jin and Jiangshi reappeared in a vast, ethereal field. A massive tree towered in the distance, its branches reaching endlessly into the heavens as a soft wind blew through the grass. The silence was heavy, broken only by the rustle of leaves.
Jiangshi's gaze was piercing. "I've felt it, Jin. The power you now wield. You've merged with the source, haven't you? Fully and perfectly. I can see my brother's hand in this."
Jin's expression remained unreadable. "What do you want, Jiangshi?"
Jiangshi smiled faintly. "I want you to join me, Jin. Fighting against me is pointless. We are family. Why waste your life when you can stand at my side?"
"Why are you trying to bring back the Old Gods?" Jin demanded.
Jiangshi's expression darkened, his smile fading. "They were never meant to be sealed. They were misunderstood. I'm giving them another chance, I want to save Us and Go back to the way things were meant to be the original"
"At the cost of innocent lives?" Jin shot back. "By massacring entire families? By harvesting their energy?"
Jiangshi tilted his head, unbothered. "How do you think our ancestors sealed them in the first place, Jin? The same sacrifices were made then, as I make now. I'm merely undoing the mistakes of the past."
Jin turned away, his fists trembling. His voice dropped, cold and resolved. "I'll kill you, Jiangshi. You, and everyone loyal to your council. No more warnings."
Jiangshi's smile returned, twisted and sinister. "Is that so?"
Without another word, Jin stretched his hand forward. The fabric of reality around them disintegrated, the entire timeline unraveling like thread pulled from a tapestry. In an instant, they were both back in the Free World.
Jiangshi floated high above the crowd, his presence imposing. His voice thundered across the Free World, layered with the voices of countless ancient beings.
"As of today I declare the Resurrection War upon the Free World!" His words carried the weight of a thousand gods.
CRACK! BOOM! Thunder roared as the skies trembled.
"Let this mark the beginning," Jiangshi continued. "A time will come when each of you will face your fate. But for now, I leave you a parting gift."
He raised his hand, summoning Hell Magic: 5 Orbs of Divine Descent. Five glowing orbs materialized in his palm, each radiating an ominous energy. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled them into the four cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west. The fifth orb hovered ominously above Shenlog's coffin.
The southern orb detonated first. BOOM! The explosion sent shockwaves rippling across the land, erasing everything in its path. Citizens screamed in terror as the ground shook violently.
The orb above Shenlog's funeral ground began to spin, a compass appearing and dancing over his coffin. TING-TING-TING The coffin disappeared, vanishing alongside Jiangshi and Lei Gong.
Jin clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing as he watched the destruction unfold. He knew he had to act. Stretching his hand forward, he called upon his Architect Ability for the first time.
"ARCHITECT: WARRIOR GRIFFIN." He muttered,
From the void, a towering figure emerged. Griffin materialized in a burst of divine energy, his black armor gleaming with an otherworldly glow. The air crackled around him as he knelt before Jin.
"Master," Griffin said, his voice deep and resonant.
Jin, momentarily stunned, ordered, "Destroy the orbs."
In less than twenty seconds, Griffin blurred into motion. His blade sliced through the eastern orb, its fragments disintegrating harmlessly. He repeated the process with the remaining orbs, each one obliterated before its full power could manifest. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM,The explosions were reduced to harmless flashes of light.
Griffin returned, bowing before Jin. "It is done."
Jin stared at him, confused yet resolute. "How do you know me? Why did I summon you?"
But Griffin offered no answer. He disappeared as quickly as he had come, leaving Jin standing alone amid the chaos.
The explosions had ceased, but the scars of jiangshi attack remained.shenlog coffin was gone and the free world stood in the brick of an upcoming war.