All three of us stood on the roof of the castle as we awaited the three gods' arrival. It was the same place that I had arrived in this world, and hopefully, I would not lose my life there.
I had told Diogen and Lasandra about my new blessing, Omnidirectional Vision, as well as the strange ability I had been able to use with the Golden Eye, which created an outline around my enemy.
"To get two eye-related blessings in a row is interesting. It seems that the Omnidirectional Vision will be great when fighting multiple opponents, or someone incredibly fast or who can teleport," Diogen said.
"Someone that can teleport? I thought you were the only one?" I responded, not wishing to ever have to fight someone with such an ability.
The two gods laughed.
"Remember that you are not the only god earning new blessings. All of us are on a constant path to progression. You never know when or what someone might eventually be blessed with."
Such things made me wonder about all the other gods and how strong they might be.
I need to make sure that I do not fall behind. We kept our senses on during our time on the roof as we engaged in conversation while staying alert.
After a while of waiting, the gods were finally inbound. In the distance, we saw what looked like three birds flying towards us, but when they got closer, their forms were obvious.
I noticed Zir at the head, and two others flanking him, both men.
Zir was still the largest, with his lion-like hair and muscular form. One of the other men was dressed in a dark, hooded robe like an assassin, and the other was shrouded in a radiant blue suit of power armor that covered his entire body.
What is that armor? Is it made from magic?
"Prepare yourself, Fate Moren. Our predictions were right. The one in the blessed armor is Martilanos, and the robed man is Omiotres. We don't know if they will strike straight away, so stay alert," Diogen warned me.
We kept our eyes on them as they approached, then suddenly, Zir and Omiotres stopped mid-air, while Martilanos, in his power armor, charged towards us.
Fast.
He did not slow down and showed no signs of stopping, and he aimed straight for the roof of the castle. His descent continued at a pace that constantly increased until he was shrouded in blue energy. He looked like a shooting star.
"Move!" Diogen shouted, and all three of us dashed out of the way,
making space for the armored man to crash headfirst into the castle roof. His body tore through the castle roof, leaving rubble in its wake and sending him flying down to the lower floors.
What was his goal? Is this Martilanos truly just a brute?
Without wasting time, Lasandra hopped into the hole that led to the castle floors, chasing after the Fifteenth God. That left Diogen and me on the damaged roof, with Zir and Omiotres hovering in the sky above us.
Then, I watched something incredible happen. Diogen disappeared from beside me in an instant.
I looked to see where he would appear, then suddenly, he was floating in the sky beside Omiotres, the ninth god, with his hand on the man's robed shoulder.
Before Omiotres could react, the two gods vanished.
Zir let out a bellowing laugh at what he had seen, showing no sign of surprise or worry. He hovered roughly ten meters above the castle roof, looking down at me as though I were some sort of insect.
"So the two stronger gods left a weakling like you to battle me. Are they fools? Are you a fool?" he shouted from above between laughs.
The man's arrogance infuriated me. He felt offended that he had been left to battle me.
I will make sure that you regret this.
"You clearly do not understand what is going on, Zir, the fourth god. Diogen is a smart man. He would not leave me to face you without good reason."
Zir stopped laughing, but a smile remained on his face.
"That's where you're mistaken, Fate, the Twenty-First god. I do not believe Diogen to be a smart god. Ever since the battle on the bridge against Telios, he has been a fool in my eyes. And he is a fool again for matching you up with me."
The battle on the bridge? I haven't been told anything about this, but I have heard of Telios. The god who Diogen apparently helped, who ended up becoming incredibly strong...
My thoughts were interrupted as Zir landed on the roof and faced off with me. I slowly backed away, ensuring that there was a good distance between us.
I heard incredible sounds coming from below, most likely from Lasandra and Martilanos's battle. However, I heard no signs of Diogen and Omiotres.
"Even if my allies are slain by yours, it does not matter. I will handle them both after I'm done with you," Zir said, and now it was my turn to let out a laugh.
"You faced off against Diogen only yesterday, and yet he lives to see today. You are clearly not as strong as you believe yourself to be."
I watched as rage built in Zir's face, his body becoming overtaken by anger. Instantly, I began to regret taunting him.
Suddenly, the fourth god clenched his fist, and powerful red and black energy began to radiate from his body.
The sheer force of his rage began to vibrate the roof of the castle, and it seemed as though the air around us became unsettled.
Zir began to let out a fearsome roar, as the energy enshrouding him became darker and darker.
Finally, our surroundings settled, and what was left behind was a demon.
Zir, whose hair was once white, was now blood red. And his skin, which was brown, was now ashen black. His robes, which had barely covered his upper body, were now torn, leaving only baggy trousers behind. His eyes were whited out, adding to his already fearsome look.
He stared me down in a ready position, the dark energy slowly bubbling from his body as though he were steaming.
This man isn't a demon. He is the devil, and I have awakened him.
"Now you can see where taunting words may get you, Twenty-First god," Zir said, his voice fierce, like an animal's roar. "Let me show you the Body of Seven Blessings."