Chapter 73

"Hm?" Theodore thought he would appear where all his friends were at, but instead he found himself standing on top of a building. "Where the heck did Osiris—never mind…"

As he let out a tired sigh, Theodore leaned over the edge. The sights of mayhem below him churned an eerie feeling in his stomach. It was at that moment that he hated having such keen senses. He could smell the stench of death even from so high up, and the uncanny prickling sensation of Anubis' magic sent small, cold jolts down his spine.

"...Ra." Theodore gritted his teeth, his grip on the concrete edge tightened to the point that cracks appeared on its surface.

No time to waste. He quickly scanned the parameter in search for his friends' whereabouts. Eventually finding them not too far away from his current location.

They were standing in the middle of a broken road, surrounded by burning buildings and corpses of both the enemies and allies. Mammon in his dragon form was still fighting back against the army of undead and soldiers while the rest of them were attacking a large serpent.

"Jörmungandr?" His brows furrowed into a deep frown. The World Serpent's current appearance was odd, it only had half of its body. At least that was good news considering that the world could've ended right then and there if the snake was in its true form.

Something in the sky caught his attention. It was a man dressed elegantly in formal attire with his back turned towards him, his appearance had not changed since Theodore last saw him, and the aura of heat and strength surrounding his figure made it even easier to deduct his identity.

He positioned one foot on the edge of the building just as Ra had spun around. Was he trying to escape? Not a chance. Theodore put all his strength into his legs and launched himself at the sun god. "Where do you think you're going?"

'BOOM!'

His hand grabbed Ra's neck as they fell onto the ground, the impact sending ripples of power in all directions and halting the heated battle. Their attention shifted towards the source of the explosion as Theodore slowly got up from the large crater he'd made.

It would be nice if Ra had just died from his sheer strength alone, but alas, the sun god rose along with him. He instantly stepped back several meters while cautiously staring at him with a blank face. There was little to no scratch on his body. Odd. Even Zeus couldn't take a direct attack that easily. "So it was you." Ra's voice was lashed with venom, the glare he gave him only confirmed his rage.

Theodore didn't give a response in words, instead he unsheathed the Void Blade. Its obsidian body gleamed beneath the second sun. A mysterious and eerie power radiated outwards, engulfing the entire battlefield in a familiar cold.

Ra's golden orbs widened at the sight of the weapon. There was no need for a reply, the Void Blade's appearance was enough for the god to realize that there was no room for any sort of speech. Only a chuckle escaped his lips. "Why must you go this far, serpent god? It's truly a shame. We could've worked together and split our authorities."

"This world isn't anyone's to begin with." Theodore unleashed his power. Its sudden outbursts caused his friends to stumble from the sheer strength. His aura was strong enough to rival Ra, maybe it was even more powerful.

The ground suddenly froze up like a winter lake. The sky howled and the wind responded like it'd been waiting for the signal. A large magical circle manifested on the ground beneath its master, and a blast of wind and cold spread to every corner of the area.

[Serpent Bearer's Domain: Devouring Winter.]

"Get out." A side glance from him was enough for Mammon to move. Everyone swiftly mounted his back and the dragon flew high into the sky, unbothered by the fierce icy storm around him.

It was just Jörmungandr and Ra, with the serpent in its weakened state. Theodore ought to take care of that first. "I was looking forward to meeting you again, World Serpent."

[You have finally shown yourself, snake god.] Jörmungandr let out a booming laugh. [Leave this to me, Ra. I shall take my revenge right here.]

"Wait!" Ra couldn't stop Jörmungandr from lunging at Theodore, despite being riddled with wounds and cuts, it was somehow able to move at that incredible speed.

Theodore wondered how it'd managed to make an appearance on the human world. But he could only continue to ponder the reasons. Does he need to take this battle seriously? He was even stronger than he was back when they first fought, so with a single swing of the Void Blade, the World Serpent's head was severed from its body.

"!!!" Theodore's eyes widened as it moved towards his right while the hands followed purely on instincts. He could've sworn he felt the blade slashing into flesh. But Jörmungandr had avoided his attack, fooled his senses, and was quickly gaining the upper hand.

Upper hand? The Void Blade collided with something tough, sending the sound of clashing metals everywhere. He realized what it was immediately, after all, he also possessed the skill: Scales of the Serpent. One strong enough to block 'Spatial Rend'.

Jörmungandr was considerably more difficult to fight than last time. Perhaps it was because of its smaller size, it now possessed enough mobility to match Theodore. 'Fine then.' A smile crept up his lips. 'Let's dance.'

A sudden surge of power pushed back the World Serpent. It promptly retreated in frustration as it watched a mysterious cocoon wrapped around Theodore's body. The eerie hurricane of chaos rose high into the sky, despite not being nowhere near it, Mammon had to back away in fear. "That's…What is that?"

[The Skill 'A Demon's Majesty' has undergone evolution!]

['A Demon's Majesty' —> 'A Demon God's Majesty'.]

[All enemies have been inflicted with 'Bottomless Hubris'!]

[As a bonus effect of the 'Demon God's Majesty', 'Bottomless Hubris' gains another attribute!]

[Enemies with 'Bottomless Hubris' will now obey the Master of Pride's commands!]

[Due to the Skill's similar ranking, 'King of Scorching Sun' and 'Midgard Serpent' had dispelled the bonus effect of 'Demon God's Majesty']

Beneath the tornado revealed a gigantic serpent. His fierce golden eyes landed on Jörmungandr and immediately the difference in size became apparent. He nearly doubled the World Serpent's length. "Fair fight, is it not?"

Jörmungandr clicked its tongue in annoyance. [Let's see how far that arrogance of yours takes you!]

Before the snake could get anywhere near Theodore, he casted 'Punish' and let the gale winds of power shred through Jörmungandr's body. It tried to escape the silhouette of the coiling serpent that'd swiftly wrapped around it, but its struggles only made the attacks more painful.

['Chaos' is enhancing the Unique Spell 'Punish'.]

[The Midgard Serpent is resisting 'Chaos'.]

"Hm…? You're actually quite tanky…"

[Fight me properly, you cowardly excuse for a god!] Jörmungandr screamed as it thrashed against its jail, the skill's short duration seemingly lasting for an eternity for the one trapped within.

Theodore didn't get to do it last time, but the opportunity had finally presented itself in front of him. He didn't want any more of those Status Orbs. 'Haha.' It took him a moment to realize he was chuckling quietly to himself. Change of plans, he wanted everything Jörmungandr has to offer him.

His body suddenly glowed bright green as he used his skill. Another snake resembling its master slithered into the air and lunged at Jörmungandr with its jaw opened wide.

[No—Ra!] The World Serpent couldn't move away in time, the difference between their size was simply too much to outran. It looked at Ra while the All Devouring Serpent sunk its fangs into its body. [Help me! What are you doing!?]

Ra had merely been watching from the sidelines, he couldn't escape because of the active domain, but he couldn't risk helping Jörmungandr and become a target either. The sun god turned away with a blank expression. Shameless. He called the Midgard Serpent for assistance just to let it die a merciless death yet again.

"HAHA!" Theodore returned to his human form as he watched Jörmungandr's body slowly disintegrating into light, like burning papers scattering in the wind. "Looks like you got betrayed. Don't worry, I'll be the one to get revenge for you."

[Damn you, serpent god!] Jörmungandr's echoing cries were the only thing that remained of it as the last of its body disappeared into nothingness.

The System's voice sounded inside his head. [Would you like to view consumable skills?]

"No, turn whatever you can into chaotic energy."

Theodore didn't need anymore skills, and while he was waiting for Osiris to finish the final preparations, he spent his last few minutes of free time contacting Apophis through a crystal ball he borrowed from Thoth.

'All Devour?'

'Yeah, I don't need anymore skills so I was wondering if you can tell me more about it. Does it have any other usage?'

'Hm…I guess since you're a god now I don't need to continue being mysterious…Okay, the skill is very useful when used with my Void Blade.'

'Hm? Void Blade?'

'Yeah, every being contains an equal amount of order and chaos. All Devour is a tool that can precisely separate them for other usage.'

'Ah. I see.'

'Don't worry about it, Theo. The contract between human and god still remains, I'll help you through the System.'

[Brother…?] Ian's voice resounded in his mind as Theodore turned his attention towards Ra. The grip on the Void Blade slightly tightened as if he was trying to reassure him to speak freely. [What should I use the chaotic energy for?]

"Just like I've told you, Ian." Theodore's mumblings couldn't be heard by anyone else, but Ra could clearly see the amused smirk that crept up his lips. "Bring 'them' here."

The sword's blade slashed the air and the space next to him opened up like a wound on the flesh. It grew larger until it became a sizable portal large enough for people to fit inside.

Two figures walked out of the cut, instantly catching Ra's attention. "...Osiris!"

The King of Duat looked at the sun god with contempt. He didn't say a word. However, he'd managed to express his anger through his silence. Even Thoth, who was beside him, ignored Ra and continued walking towards Anubis in the distance. "Your Majesty, we should hurry."

"...Indeed." Osiris merely gave Ra a side glance and disappeared into the frozen sea of Egyptian tropes.

Theodore's grip over the soldiers' mind was visibly weakening. Some of their limbs began twitching as time passed. Though he wasn't as worried, Mammon and his friends had already started clearing through the horde. He could fully dedicate his attention to Ra. "Now it's just us."

The sun god only gritted his teeth in silence and created a magic circle each within his palms. He was fuming with rage, eyes widened and cheeks as red as the flames of power that surrounded his figure. "Even if I were to fail…I will not perish alone!"

Fire rose from Ra's hands and grew into the shape of a giant bird. It let out a relentless cry as it charged towards Theodore. The divine flames would have scorched the earth if not for Devouring Winter.

He extended out his free hand and casted Dragon's Ambition, meeting the phoenix with a dragon imbued with his ice. When the two mythical beasts collided, an explosion engulfed the battlefield in thick smoke.

'SHINE!'

Within the mist spark the light of another magic circle, Ra sent a column of fire straight through his last attack. It didn't seem wise to blindly cast spells, but the magnitude of the magic was large enough that it left no room for Theodore to dodge.

The Void Blade swiftly cut through the air and sent a blast of chaotic energy towards the fiery pillar, successfully slicing it clean in half and counterattacking Ra in the process. The god reacted in time and he covered himself in a shield of heat.

"!!!" Ra's eyes went wide when he realized that his attempt to block the attack had failed. As the dark wave got closer to his neck, he threw himself to the side and narrowly avoided death by sacrificing his left arm.

'WOOSH!'

Theodore didn't allow Ra to regain his composure at all. He closed in the distance between them easily after using 'Godspeed'. Although he couldn't get in an attack since something suddenly struck down on him from above.

"F*ck." Scales of the Serpent managed to avoid a fatal hit, but it forced Theodore to retreat back and gain distance. With a frown, he glanced up to see what had just attacked him.

The solar barque hummed with energy as the barrier surrounding it rippled ominously. The icy domain had reduced the intense heat to a bearable degree, but it didn't mean it was weakened to the point of being useless. Theodore was struck with the ray of the sun, and he worried what could've happened if he were to take it with his bare skin.

He looked at his surroundings for a moment. There wasn't anyone near him. 'Good.' A smile formed on his lips. An idea had just come into his mind.

With a deep breath, Theodore adjusted his grip on the Void Blade and activated his skills. Ra couldn't do anything but watch as a burst of power emanated from his body.

[Unique Spell 'Reverse Scales' has been activated!]

[Unique Skill 'Unbreakable Pride' has been activated!]

[Warning! You have been inflicted with the status condition 'Insanity'!]

[The Pride's Necklace is helping you resist 'Insanity'.]

Ra seemed to have noticed that his opponent's strength had just increased exponentially. Resolve sparked within his eyes as he unleashed his own power as well. "I will not die alone."

[Warning! The Scales of Balance is tilting towards 'Order'!]

The sun god's missing left arm regrew as a large amount of divine power rushed through him. A violent outburst followed, shattering any ice constructs that were created from Devouring Winter.

There was no exchange of snarky remarks or curses. Ra waved his hand and several magic circles formed behind him. They shone brightly with unmatched prowess as spears of the sun's flames shot towards their target.

Theodore matched them easily with lances of his own. Some of them managed to get past his barrage of frozen projectiles but they were met with a single swing of the Void Blade.

'I need to kill him quickly.' His feet dug deep into the ground and he flung himself across the arena. With Godspeed still active, he reached Ra within less than a second.

The sun god was breaking every divine rule imaginable, and Theodore could feel that the human realm was barely holding itself together due to the Void Blade's powers. This unlocked potential allowed Ra to step back just in time, missing the sword's tip by a millimeter.

[Chains of Sin.]

From within the shadows, the sounds of clanging steel shot up and revealed themselves as pitch black chains. They weaved their way towards Ra but were struck down by precise lines of fire that disintegrated them in seconds.

A flaming wall manifested right after, blocking Theodore's vision just long enough for Ra to maintain his distance. By the time the defensive spell was cut down, Ra had already gained enough space to let the solar bargue strike him with another deadly ray.

[Shadow Warp.]

It would've been a stealthy maneuver if not for the bright second sun shining down on them. Ra quickly reacted to the moving darkness and sent several spears of flames towards it.

Theodore reappeared right as the lances were about to hit their mark, and a burst of cold air quickly froze even the hottest spears in place and were shattered a moment later by a single swing of his sword.

Without losing his momentum, Theodore dashed towards Ra while two Dragon Claws manifested beside him. The razors struck first but were blocked by a spherical shield of flames.

[Chaos Reigns.]

"!!!" Ra stepped back as the claws phased through the fire wall, they hit the ground where their target initially was. However, Theodore ran over them and leaped into the air, his sword radiated the ominous aura of chaos as it sliced through the air.

[Law Breaker.]

The Unique Spell that was once used to defeat Jörmungandr. It has the potential to kill anything it touches by reducing them to ashes. There was no possible way for Ra to defend against the combination of Law Breaker and the Void Blade's Spatial Rend.

'So why is he smirking like he'd won?'

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of metal jingling behind him. It was then he realized that he was too late to dodge since he was still in the air. Something forcefully wrapped itself around his neck and limbs and sent him crashing down onto the ground.

'BOOM!'