The instant Chosun's command rang out, I unleashed two of my auric steel tendrils. They whipped across the arena with blinding speed, striking Kaldos's crimson-plated chest with enough force to shatter stone.

The God of War stumbled backward, his massive form shifting to absorb the impact. Where any other opponent would have been cleaved in half, Kaldos merely grunted. Not even a scratch marred his carapace.

I didn't hesitate. Two more tendrils lashed out in a scissoring motion aimed at his neck. This time, Kaldos moved. His hand shot up with impossible speed, catching one tendril mid-strike. His fingers closed around the auric steel like it was nothing more than rope.

A terrible smile split his face as he yanked.

The force nearly tore the tendril from my body. I found myself hurtling through the air toward him, unable to arrest my momentum. Kaldos pivoted, his fist already in motion as I approached. The blow connected with my chest plate, denting the auric steel that had withstood dragon fangs and magical attacks.

Air rushed past as I flew backward, crashing into the stone floor with enough force to spider-web cracks through the ancient masonry. I heard gasps from the observation benches as my friends witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of a god.

Kaldos stood tall, not even bothering to adopt a fighting stance. "Is this all that remains of the great Machalaziel?" His voice boomed across the rooftop. "The fearsome Primordial of Machinery reduced to a broken toy?"

I rose, clear hydraulic fluid leaking from a ruptured line in my side. Four tendrils shot out simultaneously, wrapping around his wrists and ankles. Four more followed, coiling around his torso like constricting serpents.

My systems strained as I lifted the God of War from the ground. Every joint and connection in my frame protested under the immense weight; not physical mass, but the concentrated power of a being who had slain the previous god of war and absorbed his essence.

Kaldos didn't struggle immediately. He looked almost amused as my tendrils tightened around him. Then, without warning, he twisted his body in a corkscrew motion, spinning with such violence that my tendrils became tangled around each other.

The rotation generated centrifugal force that sent me flying once more. I released my grip rather than be dragged along, but not before the whiplash effect flung me across the arena. My frame bounced twice before skidding to a halt against the stone barrier.

I pushed myself upright, recalling my tendrils. They writhed around me like agitated serpents, golden in the sunlight, ready to strike again. Checking my body with Assembly revealed three damaged joints and a misaligned spinal column. Nothing critical yet, but this fight had barely begun.

Across the arena, Kaldos stood with arms crossed over his massive chest. His posture radiated contempt, the stance of a warrior so confident in his superiority that defense seemed unnecessary.

"Pathetic," he sneered. "I limited my power for this? You're nothing but a shadow of what you once were." His black eyes narrowed. "Show me something worth my time, or I'll end this now."

I needed to change tactics. Direct confrontation with this god was suicide, even with his power supposedly limited. I needed to disrupt his rhythm, to use his arrogance against him.

One of my dragon-headed tendrils plunged toward the shattered stone floor, pulverizing it further. The mechanical jaws clamped around a massive chunk of rock, wrenching it free from the surrounding debris. With a fluid motion that belied its metallic nature, the tendril whirled like an ancient sling, building momentum before releasing the improvised projectile.

The stone hurtled toward Kaldos, spinning so rapidly it whistled through the air. His laughter boomed across the arena as he casually extended his fist. Rock met divine flesh with a thunderous crack, the stone exploding into dust and fragments.

"Is that-"

I didn't let him finish. The rock was merely distraction. While his attention fixed on the projectile, my tendrils had already propelled my frame forward in a devastating lunge. My body barely touched the ground as the serpentine appendages hurled me across the intervening space.

The sword-lance in my hand led the charge, its auric steel tip striking Kaldos's crimson carapace dead center. Against any other opponent, the force would have punched through armor, flesh, and spine. Against Kaldos, the point merely dimpled his chitinous shell.

But I hadn't expected penetration. Not yet.

My finger squeezed the trigger.

The mana compressed within the weapon's chamber detonated with catastrophic force, driving the lead ball through the hollow barrel at point-blank range. The projectile slammed into the exact spot where my blade had struck, focusing all its kinetic energy on a single point.

Fragments of crimson chitin exploded outward. Kaldos stumbled backward, genuine surprise flashing across his face. A small crater marred his once-perfect armor, revealing a glimpse of pale flesh beneath.

I pressed my advantage ruthlessly. Three tendrils struck in rapid succession, their dragon heads slamming into the damaged area with precision. Each impact chipped away more of the weakened carapace, widening the vulnerable spot. Three more tendrils followed, then another three, hammering relentlessly at the breach in his divine armor.

Throughout this barrage, my hands worked the sword-lance's breech mechanism. The loading gate opened with a hiss of steam as I slammed a fresh round into the empty chamber. The bolt-action clicked into place, locking the ammunition securely as mana flooded the firing system.

Kaldos recovered his balance, his expression morphing from surprise to something far more dangerous: respect tinged with rage. Blood, actual divine blood, trickled from the wound in his chest. Not much, barely more than a few drops, but enough to prove he wasn't invulnerable.

"Good," he growled, his voice deepening to a register that made the stone beneath us vibrate. "You've drawn first blood. Now let me show you what that earns you."

The air around him began to shimmer with heat as his power swelled. The restriction he'd placed upon himself, limiting his level to 41, seemed to strain against his rising anger.

I braced myself, retracting my tendrils into defensive positions. The sword-lance hummed in my grip, fully loaded and ready. I had wounded a god, something few mortals could claim. If death followed, at least I would fall knowing I had made Kaldos work for his victory.

Kaldos launched himself forward with explosive force, his speed matching my own despite his massive frame. The god's movement created a slipstream that scattered debris across the arena floor. Before I could react, his hands found one of my nine auric steel tendrils, fingers closing around the golden coil with terrible precision.

I felt the connection through Integration: the pressure, the grip, the imminent danger. I lashed my other tendrils at him in frantic defense, golden serpents striking with enough force to shatter granite. Each impact landed true, but it was like attacking a mountain with string. The god's crimson carapace barely registered the blows.

His muscles strained beneath his red shell, biceps bulging as he gripped my tendril with both hands. I sensed what was coming and tried to retract, to break free, but his hold was absolute. With a vicious yank that echoed across the rooftop, he tore the tendril in half.

The sensation flooded my systems; not pain as humans understand it, but a cascade of tingling sensitivity, an awareness of loss, that ran up and down my frame. Sparks erupted from severed mana conduits, illuminating Kaldos's face in staccato flashes. Hydraulic fluid sprayed across his crimson features, clear droplets catching the sunlight as they arced through the air.

He smiled through the mist of my lifeblood, teeth gleaming white against his red shell. "First blood to you," he rumbled. "Second to me."

I dashed backward, hydraulics straining as I created distance. I ran some rapid diagnostics calculations; the loss of one tendril reduced my combat efficiency by 11.3%. Not catastrophic, but concerning. I still had eight more, and I'd need every one of them to survive this mess.

A snarl escaped my throat, sounding like a musical huff from a woodwind instrument. Two tendrils slammed into the floor with enough force to crater the ancient stone. Dragon-headed jaws clamped around massive chunks of masonry, wrenching them free with hydraulic whines. I hurled the improvised projectiles at Kaldos with calculated precision.

The God of War laughed, his massive fist shattering the first stone into powder. "You think rocks will harm me? I've withstood-"

My remaining tendrils joined the assault, each one tearing free more ammunition from the arena floor. The barrage intensified; not one or two stones but dozens, a relentless hail of projectiles attacking from multiple angles. Even a god could only focus in so many directions at once.

The first hit caught him in the shoulder, then another struck his knee. His laughter faltered as more impacts landed. I maintained the assault, my tendrils working in perfect coordination, creating a storm of stone that even Kaldos couldn't entirely avoid.

Fragments of his golden kilt shattered under repeated impacts, precious rubies scattering across the floor like drops of blood. Yet his crimson carapace remained largely intact, showing only minor fractures where the heaviest stones had connected.

Frustration twisted his features as another rock glanced off his temple. "Enough!" he roared, the sound reverberating through my frame.

Kaldos charged, his massive form becoming a crimson blur as he crossed the distance between us. I made my decision in microseconds. Retreat would only delay the inevitable. I lunged forward to meet his charge, sword-lance extended before me like the knights of old.

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Our collision course brought the weapon's tip toward his chest, but Kaldos's hand snapped up with impossible speed. His fingers closed around the auric steel blade, arresting its momentum completely. The sudden stop nearly tore the weapon from my grip.

He held us both motionless, the tip of my blade hovering just a foot from his face. His black eyes gleamed with triumph as his fingers began to squeeze. The auric steel, metal that had withstood dragon fangs and enchanted weapons, warped under his divine strength.

"Your toys break so easily," he taunted.

My finger squeezed the trigger.

The mana charge detonated, sending the lead ball rocketing down the compromised barrel. Though the distance reduced its effectiveness, the projectile still struck true, slamming into Kaldos's left eye. The black orb exploded in a spray of divine ichor, fragments of tissue spattering across his crimson face.

Kaldos howled, his head snapping backward. His grip on my sword-lance loosened just enough. I thrust forward with everything my frame could muster, seeking to drive the tip toward the ruined socket where his eye had been.

Just before the sword-lance could pierce him, Kaldos lashed out with a vicious kick. His foot connected with my side with the force of a battering ram, denting my auric steel frame and sending me tumbling across the arena floor. Pneumatic lines ruptured and internal components shifted from the impact.

I righted myself with unnatural speed, the eight remaining tendrils writhing around me like agitated serpents. Their dragon heads hissed and snarled, mechanical jaws snapping at the air as they positioned themselves defensively. I used Assembly to check my body and noted multiple fractures in my chassis and three compromised hydraulic systems. I rerouted mana through my conduits accordingly, compensating for the damage.

Kaldos stood twenty feet away, one massive hand pressed against his ruined eye socket. Divine blood, thick and golden like honey, leaked between his fingers and down his crimson face. Despite this injury, his posture remained imposing, radiating power that made the air around him shimmer with heat.

To my surprise, he threw his head back and laughed, a booming sound that shook dust from the dueling arena's stone floor. His remaining black eye fixed on me with predatory intensity, and his bloodied face split into a savage grin.

"Yes!" he shouted, voice thundering across the rooftop. "This is the fight I have been longing for! I haven't had a battle this good in centuries!" His excitement was palpable, radiating from him in waves that made my skin tense. "Show me more, Primordial! Show me why the old gods feared your kind!"

I pulled back the bolt of my sword-lance, forcing open the loading gate to the smoking chamber that lay empty within. My hands worked the breech mechanism with practiced efficiency, loading a fresh round while I quickly calculated survival probabilities. The numbers weren't encouraging.

The damaged section of his chest armor presented the most promising target. If I could continue widening that crack, I might reach something vital beneath. But first, I needed to create an opening.

Four tendrils plunged into the floor simultaneously, dragon heads biting deep into the ancient stone. With hydraulic whines, they wrenched massive chunks free, holding them aloft like offerings to some mechanical deity.

Kaldos sneered, his bloodied face twisting into a contemptuous expression. "Your tricks grow stale, Primordial. Find something new or die where you stand."

I hurled the first stone, then the second in rapid succession. Instead of meeting them head-on as before, Kaldos moved. His massive frame blurred as he sidestepped the projectiles with impossible grace. For something his size, the speed and maneuverability he displayed defied physics. He twisted between incoming stones, his movements fluid and precise despite his bulk.

The realization struck me with cold certainty: attempting to wear him down through attrition was futile. Even wounded, he possessed reserves of strength and speed I couldn't match indefinitely. I needed to inflict catastrophic damage quickly; I needed to deal a single devastating blow rather than attempting to kill him with a thousand cuts.

As my tendrils continued their barrage, keeping Kaldos occupied with the aerial assault, I activated Assembly. My internal systems hummed as I began subtly reconfiguring components within my war frame. Mana conduits rerouted, power couplings disconnected and reconnected in new configurations. I redirected energy from non-essential systems, concentrating it into a single purpose.

Fighting and using Assembly at the same time would have been impossible just a few weeks ago. But with my increased level as well as Assembly reaching rank A, my capabilities had improved significantly.

The modifications were dangerous, potentially destabilizing my entire frame, but survival demanded risk. My eight remaining tendrils continued their assault, each movement calculated to appear random while actually following precise patterns designed to predict and influence Kaldos's evasive maneuvers.

All the while, deep within my chassis, components shifted and transformed as I prepared my final gambit against a god.

Kaldos's patience finally shattered. With a roar that made the stone beneath us tremble, he abandoned his defensive posture and charged. His massive crimson form became a blur of motion, closing the distance between us in heartbeats.

I braced for impact, but nothing could have prepared me for the collision. His body slammed into mine with enough force to dent my auric steel frame despite its reinforced structure. My mechanical tendrils scraped against stone as the impact pushed me backward several feet.

Before I could recover, his hand shot out, fingers closing around my neck with crushing force. My throat clenched under the pressure as he lifted me off the ground. My body dangled uselessly in the air, tendrils wriggling in futile attempts to escape.

"Is this all?" Kaldos growled, his one remaining eye narrowed in contempt. "You started so strong, Primordial. Now you've run completely out of steam." His grip tightened, white flesh dimpling beneath his fingers. "I expected more from the great Machalaziel."

The pressure on my neck would have killed any living being instantly. But I didn't need to breathe. The damage to my structure was concerning but not catastrophic. I remained silent, focusing my attention inward, where Assembly continued its intricate work of reconfiguring my internal systems.

My tendrils lashed out desperately, golden serpents striking at his crimson carapace. Dragon heads bit and gnawed at his hardened shell, mechanical jaws seeking purchase on the smooth surface. The attacks barely registered to the God of War, as if they were mosquitoes attacking an elephant.

Kaldos lifted his free hand, forming a massive fist that eclipsed the sun above us. "Perhaps I was wrong about you," he said, disappointment evident in his voice. "Perhaps you are just a broken fragment after all."

From the observation area, I heard frantic voices. Annes shouting my name. Genta's high-pitched scream. Copelan's voice cracking as he urged me to fight back.

"Widow! Don't give up!"

"Fight him! You can do it!"

"Please! You have to try!"

Their terror and worry carried across the arena, but I couldn't afford to acknowledge them. Every ounce of my concentration remained focused on the internal reconfiguration. Assembly worked feverishly, components shifting, connections reforming, power conduits rerouting to create something unprecedented within my frame.

Kaldos's fist descended with terrible force, connecting with my face. The impact reverberated through my entire structure, the sheer power behind the blow rattling components loose. Even through my invulnerable flesh, I felt pain; a strange, tingling sensation that shouldn't have been possible. His strength transcended physical limitations, allowing him to hurt what should have been unhurtable.

He struck again, the second blow even more devastating than the first. My auric steel helmet began to dent inward, the golden metal warping under forces it was never designed to withstand. A third punch followed, then a fourth, each impact more punishing than the last.

"Fight back!" Kaldos bellowed between blows. "Do something! Anything!" His fist connected again, sending fragments of my helmet flying across the arena. "You will die if you do not attack!"

His punches continued to rain down on my face, relentless and methodical. The auric steel helmet, metal I had crafted with such care, bent and warped under the divine assault. Pieces broke away, revealing to his gaze the ragged red flesh where my three eyes used to be.

Behind me, my friends' voices grew more desperate, screaming and crying my name. Their anguish cut through even my focused state, but I couldn't respond. Not yet.

Within my chassis, Assembly continued its work, undeterred by the external damage. I was building something… something that might give me one chance against a god.

The punches suddenly ceased. I hung suspended in Kaldos's grip, my damaged frame leaking hydraulic fluid onto the ancient stone below.

"Is this all that remains of the feared Primordial of Machinery?" Kaldos's voice dripped with contempt, his single remaining eye narrowing. "This broken, pathetic thing? The gods trembled at your name once!" He shook me violently, my components rattling inside my damaged chassis. "Now look at you. You can't even put up a proper fight!"

His disappointment seemed almost more painful than his physical assault. The God of War had expected a worthy opponent and found only a shadow.

But while his fists had been battering my external frame, Assembly had completed its work within. My internal systems had been completely reconfigured, mana conduits rerouted, power couplings connected in ways they were never designed for. I had transformed my war frame into something else entirely: a weapon of desperate last resort.

A thin seam appeared along my chest plate, running from collarbone to abdomen. The golden metal began to separate, plates sliding apart with mechanical precision. My torso unfolded outward like some grotesque mechanical flower, revealing what lay hidden within.

Kaldos's ranting faltered as he stared at the hollow tube now pointing directly at his face. The barrel, lined with auric steel and inscribed with hastily etched runes, glowed with an intense blue light. Mana, compressed to dangerous levels, swirled within the chamber.

Nestled inside was a single projectile: a perfect sphere of auric steel the size of my head. I had cannibalized three of my damaged tendrils to create it, using Assembly to compress and reshape the metal into this final, desperate measure. A thin layer of Mana Shell surrounded the sphere, its azure glow pulsing in rhythm with the gathered power.

"What-" Kaldos began, his single eye widening as comprehension dawned too late.

I triggered the firing mechanism.

The mana detonated with catastrophic force. The barrel channeled the explosion upward, directly into Kaldos's face. The auric steel sphere, propelled by the concentrated blast and wrapped in protective Mana Shell, rocketed outward at point-blank range.

A blinding flash of light erupted between us. The concussive force of the explosion shattered what remained of my helmet and sent shockwaves across the arena. Stone cracked beneath us as the air itself seemed to compress and expand in an instant.

The god's grip on my throat vanished as the blast separated us. I crashed to the ground, systems failing, components breaking free from their moorings. My vision flickered, my consciousness almost faltering.

Through the smoke and debris, I caught glimpses of crimson fragments raining down across the arena floor. The explosion had torn through Kaldos's unprotected face and neck, continuing into his chest where my earlier attacks had weakened his carapace. His divine body, seemingly invincible moments before, had been shredded by the concentrated force of my desperate gambit.

When the smoke finally cleared, I lay motionless on the shattered stone. My war frame was beyond repair, most systems offline, hydraulic fluid pooling beneath me. Five of my remaining tendrils had been severed by the blast, leaving only three intact but unresponsive.

Ten feet away lay the lower half of the God of War. His crimson-plated legs and torso up to mid-chest remained intact, but everything above had been obliterated. Divine ichor, golden and thick, spread across the arena floor, glittering in the sunlight.

The silence that followed was absolute. No one in the observation area spoke or moved. Even the wind seemed to have stopped, as if the world itself held its breath in shock at what had transpired.

I had killed a god.

Administrator privileges for user Kaldos have been revoked.

Mantle of Enmity passing to user Vardiel.

Error… user Vardiel level too low for requirements.

Mantle of Enmity transformed to Godseed of Enmity.

Congratulations! You have defeated and have gained experience. You are now level 42.

Error…

You are now level 43.

Error…

You are now level 44.

Error…

Error…

Error…

You are now level 54.

Congratulations! You have gained the title Godslayer.

Congratulations! You have gained the title Demigod.

Congratulations! You have gained the title Apostate.

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