Afterlife, Hell.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The chains rattled as the demons dragged another soul into the fiery pits, and the inhumane screams of agony echoed through the flaming caverns.

"…"

At that moment, footsteps sounded, and when the demons looked over, even their faces paled, and they bowed their heads in reverence.

With a cold look on his face, Death made his way across the caverns, and his presence alone threatened to crush the damned souls.

In the end, he arrived at the prison. There was only one prison cell. Etched into the wall of the cavern, and the cell was engulfed in flames.

The prisoner inside was burning. The flesh was melting off his bones. But he always regenerated, and the circle of misery continued.

"It has been a millennium. You know what that means?"

Death asked.

"…Another Feast of the Gods… You need me again?"

The prisoner inside asked and raised his burning face, and he didn't scream in pain like others would.

It was still insanely painful to him. The worst pain in existence. However, he had grown too tired to scream at this point.

"Last time around, you failed to win. My offer still stands. If you win, you'll be freed from the eternity of suffering."

Death said coldly.

"…And, I'll accept."

The prisoner said.

With a wave of his hand, the cell door opened, and the prisoner just walked out of the flames—barefooted and naked.

He had no name anymore. It had long been forgotten. Even he himself could not remember the name anymore.

Thus, his name had become "Prisoner," a title that he wore with both pride and shame.

Yet, he was the champion of Death, and that was an "honor" that only one damned soul could hold.

It meant that he was strong. Insanely strong. So strong that Death could not break him.

Death had many strong followers, who could become his champion, but he knew that he needed to choose the strongest if he wanted to win.

Therefore, he chose Prisoner.

"…Lord Death!"

In that moment, one of his followers came running in—panting and almost tripping—it looked like he had urgent news.

"What?"

Death asked without even turning his head around to look at the follower.

"We just received a word from the Heavens. Gods and goddesses have started to gather, but something happened that is already raising eyebrows!"

The follower said.

"What is it?"

Death spat.

His tone sounded impatient, as if he didn't like his follower running circles around what he was about to say.

"The Fair One, Goddess of the Elves of the Martial Arts World, has chosen her champion and it's none other than Kiernan Hunter!"

"…Kiernan Hunter?"

Prisoner's eyes looked intrigued.

He had heard that name before, as that person was the one that bested Death over a decade ago, which honestly felt like it only happened a week ago.

Since he'd been trapped in this flaming prison for several millennia, ten years felt like nothing to him at this point.

Thus, he could still vividly remember the day when Kiernan Hunter robbed the gift of reincarnation for himself.

Hell was in complete chaos for a while as the gods came to question Death because they believed he gave it to Kiernan willingly.

After a long and intense interrogation, they realized that Kiernan simply outsmarted Death, which was an even greater shock to them.

"Really?"

Death turned to his follower, who shrank down like a mouse, and saw the pale face of Death turning increasingly more rageful.

"That bastard somehow managed to escape death ten years ago, and now that bastard is walking the streets of Heavens?

"Outrageous!

"He should be here!"

Death screamed.

The entire Hell started shaking as the result of his fury, and in many spots, the ground cracked, and lava geysers erupted.

He then calmed himself down, turned to Prisoner with fiery-red eyes, and said coldly.

"The deal changed. If you kill Kiernan Hunter during the Feast of the Gods, you will be freed from your suffering."

"…That's a deal."

Prisoner's smirk grew, and he looked at the cuffs on his wrists, and he then flashed a wicked smile.

He grabbed the heavy-looking wrist cuffs with his hands, and with a quick jerk, broke them apart effortlessly.

"We wouldn't want to make those asshole gods wait, now would we? Follow me, Prisoner. We're heading to the fucking Heavens."

Death growled.

…

"…"

The Fair One was sitting alone in her room—the veil still covering her face—and at that moment, three lights appeared in the room.

A long-bearded man appeared from one of the lights. A wild-looking beast of a man from another. Long-haired man from the third.

"…What have you done?"

Abrahamic God asked from her.

"What?"

The Fair One asked back.

"The entire Heavens are at buzz about what you've done. You could've chosen anybody else. Why him?"

The Beastfather asked.

"…I chose the strongest."

The Fair One said with a sneaky smile behind the veil, and at that moment, the Starfather just laughed.

"Hahaha."

"…This is of no laughing matter. We, the Four Gods of the Martial Arts World, are just minor gods, and you've put a big target on our backs."

Abrahamic God said with a serious look on his face.

"This big of a reaction just because of him? It does sound like I've chosen the right man for a job. The Heavens are afraid of him, aren't they?"

The Fair One said with a smile.

"…Heavens? Scared?"

The Beastfather scoffed.

"Well, truth be said, they are scared. Kiernan, after all, bested Death, and it is a scary thing to think about."

The Starfather said with a smile.

"Sounds like I've made a good choice then!"

The Fair One smiled brightly.

"This is no laughing matter. I won't say who, but some of the goddesses have whispered that this is your act of rebellion against the Heavens."

Abrahamic God said with a serious tone.

"…They always like to talk behind other people's backs and spread rumors. It's like they're in a high school. I don't care what they say.

"Rules of the Feast of the Gods say to bring your champion. It does not matter who. And I've chosen my champion."

The Fair One said.

"…You gave Kiernan his martial soul back. That's altering his destiny."

The Beastfather said.

"Nonsense. He was going to find another way to get his martial soul back in a month's time. Nothing changed when I did this.

"And destiny is ever-changing. Me choosing him to be my champion and giving him his martial soul back has become the new destiny.

"And also, unless he wins, I will be taking his martial soul back either way, and the destiny will be reverted back to the original path."

The Fair One said.

Abrahamic God and the Beastfather wanted to argue further, but then the Starfather waved his hand and shrouded the two of them in a star mist.

The star mist took the two gods away, leaving the two of them behind, and the Starfather looked at the Fair One.

"Cough…"

At that moment, the Starfather suddenly coughed and wiped the blood off his lips.

"…You're still sick?"

The Fair One asked.

"Haha, I think I am dying. That little brat Mercedes is eating away at my divinity and is making a push to become a proper gold-blooded Goddess herself, and there is nothing I can do to stop her."

The Starfather said with a pale face.

"She will be back at her full health very soon, and she will attack the Martial World. If nobody stops her, she will kill everyone and will officially become Absolute.

"When that happens, she can officially kill you, take your divinity, and take your place in the Heavens as the official Goddess."

The Fair One said with a serious look.

"…Yeah…"

The Starfather sighed.

He was the Worshipped God of the Paradise World when it was at the height of its glory, and after its destruction, the Starfather lost his purpose and his power.

It gave Mercedes an opportunity to start stealing his divinity, and she'd been doing that for close to two thousand years now.

"I still believe in the Destined One. Whatever happens in the Feast of the Gods, I don't think Kiernan will die.

"I believe that he will also stop her."

The Fair One said.

"All we can do is hope…"

The Starfather whispered.

…

Dead World, the Silver Queen.

"…Ahh…"

In the soft, curtained bed, a faint whisper was heard from Mercedes, and she slowly turned to lie on her side.

She was a silver-haired woman with pure, fair skin that seemed to be made out of porcelain. She wore an almost transparent silvery dress that fluttered in the gentle breeze coming through the open window.

Ridiculously beautiful.

"Soon… Soon… Soon…"

She whispered.

The time of her full recovery was nigh, and she could feel it—the strength was returning to her limbs, the color to her cheeks, and the sparkle to her eyes.

'Come to me, Metsudo.'

She spoke telepathically to her 1st Black Knight—the only one that was still alive—and slowly sat up on the bed.

"Haah… Haah…"

Her tired eyes slowly opened, revealing a fierce determination that had been absent for too long.

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