A while later, Caine opened his eyes, feeling his body being teleported away once more.
He exhaled a steady breath as it happened, rising to his feet with calm precision.
Straightening his robes and slicking back his long hair out of habit, he maintained his even composure.
His gaze did not waver.
WHOOOSH!
When Caine's vision cleared, he found himself back in the previous hall, standing directly before the Pope's throne. Seated atop it, the Pope's cold, calculating eyes met his.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Sparks of invisible lightning bridged their gazes, the tension growing so thick it made the ground tremble beneath them.
The Pope chuckled softly, reclining lazily in his throne. He rested his chin on his closed fist, his elbow propped against the armrest.
Amusement flickered in his brilliant blue eyes as he spoke.
"Who would've thought," he mused, his tone almost playful. "To think the one wreaking havoc in my lands would be a little Velios."
Caine's expression didn't shift, but inwardly, his thoughts churned.
"You seem young. Incredibly young," the Pope continued, his gaze narrowing slightly as if appraising a rare artifact. "Barely twenty years old. And yet…" He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Your mind… it's older. Barely reaching the ten-thousand-year mark. Still, a little baby. How cute."
"You know a great deal," Caine replied slowly, his voice calm and steady. "And yet, you allowed me to move freely under your nose. To what end?" His tone was casual, as though it was only natural to expect an answer from a potential enemy.
The Pope's amusement deepened, a glint of interest sparking in his eyes.
'So young, yet so unyielding. Truly fascinating,' the Pope thought, suppressing a smirk.
"To what end?" the Pope repeated, feigning surprise. "There was no end to it. I didn't know who you were until I laid eyes on you."
With a slight shift, he opened his robes, revealing purple, bruised flesh tightly bound by golden chains.
"You see these?" he asked, gesturing to the chains. "They greatly limit me. They're called God's Chains." He smiled faintly, closing his robes. "I imagine you'll get to know them well in a few years. After all, you're the one who gave them to me."
Caine's stoic mask cracked, uncertainty flashing across his features for the first time.
"What?" he muttered, his voice tinged with confusion.
The Pope shook his head and stood. "It doesn't matter. Just like with that Reaper, there are certain things I can't say to someone still tethered to mortality."
Caine's eyes widened in shock.
The Pope's grin widened in turn. "I can't explain it all, but know this: time is far flatter than you might expect. Unless you surpass it, everything is bound to happen again. And again. And again."
His voice dropped, a hint of mocking pity seeping into his tone.
"No matter how many wishes you make."
The Pope's words were followed by uproarious laughter, his voice echoing through the hall like a madman's hymn.
Caine, stunned, had no time to react. In an instant, the Pope appeared before him, his fist sinking deep into Caine's gut.
The air in Caine's lungs was forcibly expelled, leaving him gasping as the Pope's palm struck his torso, rupturing the flow of qi within his body.
Caine's eyes turned bloodshot as he gritted his teeth, suppressing the blood threatening to spill from his mouth.
Deep within his gaze, his rings began to glow, their light intensifying as they prepared to activate.
But then—
"Oh, no, you don't," the Pope sneered. "[Interrupt.]"
The glow of Caine's rings dimmed instantly, receding into the depths of his eyes. The activation was halted—a feat no one in the Three Realms had ever achieved.
Without hesitation, the Pope unleashed a flurry of punches, each strike connecting with devastating precision. Caine's body was hurled into the wall of the hall, the impact barely stirring the indomitable structure of the church.
"There's much you lack," the Pope said, his voice cold yet matter-of-fact. "Far too much. And time…" He tapped the golden chains binding his body. "Time is not on your side. Nor is it on mine."
He sighed, almost wistfully. "I can't help you. I can't train you—not yet. But what I can do… is prime you."
Ignoring the man's words, Caine burst from the rubble, a spear of blood qi forming in his hand. With unmatched grace, he swung the blade down, aiming for the Pope's neck.
The Pope batted the spear aside as though it were a child's toy. His counterpunch tore into Caine's chest, shattering bones and bruising flesh. Caine's body flew through the air like a broken doll.
Raising a hand, the Pope gathered chaotic particles of qi in his palm, forming a concentrated beam of energy.
ZIM!
The beam shot out in an instant, colliding with Caine midair.
BOOOOM!
The impact reverberated through the hall as the Pope clapped his hands together. Runes of every shape and size materialized, interlinking to form dozens of spell circles.
With a low chant, he unleashed a barrage of elemental attacks, a storm of destruction converging on Caine.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze for Caine.
In mere seconds, everything he relied on had been sealed.
His blood qi had been reversed, leaving him unable to use it until his internal organs healed.
His rings, the cornerstone of his power, had been locked away, indirectly sealing his crown as well.
Even his bones and flesh, his most prized creations, had been battered to the brink of collapse under the Pope's relentless blows.
He was tossed about like a mere child.
Caine had always marched forward without fear, fully aware of the possibility of death at any turn. He had always acted without regret, placing one foot in front of the other, relentlessly pursuing his goals.
But now, beaten and broken, a tinge of fear crept into his heart.
Was this the end? Was he to die so early, at the hands of a Pope in a fractured reality?
Had it all been for nothing?
As doubt seeped into his thoughts, a strange warmth enveloped his mind, whispering acceptance.
'Perhaps it isn't so bad,' he thought. He had achieved much. He had given his all. Perhaps his death would be graceful.
BOOOOOOM!
Caine's roar shattered the silence, a sound so primal it seemed to tear the world apart. Rage and fury erupted within him, obliterating all doubt, fear, and resignation.
'When did I fall so low?'