"Damn it, you don't play fair!"
Zagreus trembled in the wind.
His purple-black eyes widened, staring intently at Ryuga, who was slowly approaching in the distance.
Behind Ryuga, the phantom of the Hound God rose from the ground.
Purple-black flames surged and coiled across his skin, and his eyes glowed with purple demonic fire, exuding immense pressure.
Zagreus' heart sank, and cold sweat trickled down his spine.
The reason he had made such a grand appearance was that he believed Sefir was merely a mortal.
How could he, the Trickery Titan, fear a young girl?
But he never expected this little thief to be so despicable!
She didn't play fair.
She called for backup.
And it was the Demon God!
Zagreus had known the moment Ryuga appeared in Omphalos.
Although his true body hadn't appeared, he had many clones.
He had instantly annihilated the Titan of Strife besieging Okhema; even if it was just one of Nikador's divine bodies, it was enough to prove Ryuga's power.
And that Trophy Mound of a hundred thousand heads.
This was a powerful and ruthless Demon God; how could he fare well in his hands?
"Damn it!"
Zagreus roared, black mist surging around him, his mountain-like figure suddenly collapsing into a distorted shadow, rapidly fleeing along an indeterminate, irregular trajectory.
He wove chaos with lies.
His existence began to blur.
But!
The Hound God's massive hand still reached for him, unhurriedly.
No matter how he twisted space, altered truth and falsehood, or fabricated illusions, the Hound God's giant hand remained firmly locked onto him.
As if it had already foreseen all his escape routes?
"Huh? It's not working?!"
"How is this possible?"
"My lies, have they failed?"
Zagreus' voice was almost cracking with terror.
He frantically activated his authority, weaving layers of false barriers behind him, transforming them into illusory phantoms.
But that giant hand still moved forward, reaching for him.
"Damn it! Am I retreating in '833'?! Time... is it the authority of Time?"
Zagreus finally understood, a chill running through his body.
The Hound God likely possessed the authority of Time.
It could trace back causality, capture 'yet-to-happen' escapes, and stifle lies in their infancy before they could even take shape.
A natural counter.
"Ugh..."
Zagreus let out a suppressed whimper, the illusions around him fluctuating violently, yet unable to break free from that flaming hand.
The Hound God's five fingers slowly closed, gripping him firmly in its palm.
The black mist and illusions instantly dissipated, his form gradually solidifying, the Trickery Titan's majesty completely gone.
"Alright, I admit defeat."
"You damned Golden Descendants, aren't you just trying to kill me and take this Titan's Coreflame? Come on! If I, your great lord, utter a single cry, I'm no hero."
Zagreus hung his head, his hoarse voice filled with self-mockery and unwillingness.
Then he craned his neck and shouted loudly.
"Haha, then let's go."
Ryuga looked at him, smiled, then pulled Sefir into his arms.
Then he raised a hand and sliced open a portal.
The two people and one Titan leaped into the light gate, disappearing.
In the distance, on a tall tower, a bard in a tattered cloak, holding an accordion, excitedly recorded this scene.
...
When everything fell silent.
The night wind swept across the city of Dolos, and the crescent moon hung like a hook.
Lygus appeared silently, standing like a ghost where Zagreus had been captured, stroking his chin, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"Heh~"
"As expected of an outsider, a fellow traveler of Destruction."
"It seems another Coreflame is about to return to its place, and the breaking of 'Irontomb' is just around the corner."
Lygus gazed at the 'starry sky,' his eyes piercing through layers of the firmament, glimpsing the approaching destruction beyond the void.
Soon, Lygus suddenly vanished.
...
"What is this place?"
Zagreus looked around in confusion.
Familiar street outlines faintly appeared in the twilight, mottled stone paths, leaning temple colonnades, and his statue in the distance?
It still seemed to be the city-state of Dolos.
But something felt wrong?
The wind was blowing backward.
Even his heartbeat felt like an echo from someone else's chest.
"This is my mirror world, the opposite of reality."
Ryuga said, then, before Zagreus, he took out a deep purple Death Titan Coreflame.
Zagreus' eyes instantly widened: "This, this, this... Senatos' Coreflame? This is impossible! Wasn't it already reclaimed?"
He looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Ryuga didn't waste any more words, his five fingers passing through Zagreus' chest like phantoms.
He began his usual heart-extraction.
There was no blood, only a cold sensation of his soul being stripped away; Zagreus stood frozen, his limbs completely unable to move.
"..."
It's over.
He couldn't escape this day after all.
He slowly closed his eyes, countless images flashing through his mind.
But before he could even feel a second of melancholy, two distinctly different bursts of heat erupted from within his body.
The power of the two Coreflames almost shattered his body.
"Ah-ya-ya-ya!"
"So hot! So scorching! My bones are going to explode."
Then, the shouting stopped abruptly.
Before he could react, he saw Ryuga withdraw his Trickery Titan Coreflame from his chest.
Zagreus staggered back a step, looking down at his chest.
He wasn't dead.
Moreover, another familiar warmth still flowed within his chest.
The Coreflame of the Death Titan.
"You... this is..."
Before he could finish his question, he was utterly bewildered again.
He saw Ryuga take out a strange, palm-sized mirror and aim it at the Trickery Coreflame.
Then, a physical reflection emerged from the mirror, and an identical 'Trickery Coreflame' detached from the mirror surface, falling into Ryuga's hand.
"Huh?"
Soon, the burning sensation in his body returned, the Death Coreflame was retrieved, and his original Trickery Coreflame returned to his body.
Watching Ryuga put away the copied Trickery Coreflame, Zagreus stared with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded.
"This, you..."
"I understand now, so, the Death Titan isn't dead, right?"
Zagreus suddenly had an epiphany, cold sweat pouring down.
"Mm."
Ryuga nodded, acknowledging the matter of the Death Titan.
"Zagreus, begin the Demigod Trial of Trickery. Once Sefir obtains the authority of the Trickery Demigod, she will weave a veil of lies to conceal your existence."
"And you, you will be a rogue spirit, 'Bartrus.'"
"The name is false, the identity is false, people's memories are also false, but the existence is real."
"But you must recognize Sefir as your 'Big Sister' and obey her commands."
Sefir's eyes immediately lit up, and the corners of her mouth curved into an uncontrollable smile.
To have a Titan as a subordinate, among the Twelve Demigods, who could be as impressive as Sefir?
"This... why? I don't understand."
Zagreus scratched his head, his face filled with bewilderment.
Being someone's subordinate was fine; it was better than being killed, wasn't it?
He just didn't understand why the Demon God would protect him?
"Because this world is a simulation."
"The history, prophecies, and destinies you know are all pre-set."
"To ascend to a true world, you must defeat Lygus, and further in, the Lord Ravager."
Ryuga said, then paused, his words shocking.
"And after that, an even greater external threat is slowly approaching."
"The previous battles don't count, but for the ones to come... we will need you."
Having a 'Trickery Titan' who can lie, deceive, and distort the truth, while unable to affect the Lord Ravager, can still influence the Antimatter Legion.
They will be indispensable in the war against the Lord Ravager.
"Moreover, as the former Trickery Titan, don't you want to weave the greatest lie for this world?"
Ryuga's words were full of temptation.
"!!"
Zagreus' body trembled, and he stood stunned, as if struck by lightning.
He took a deep, sharp breath, but soon, his large purple eyes lit up.
Innumerable buried fragments surged in his mind.
Moments later, he suddenly laughed.
First a low chuckle, then a hearty laugh, a wild laugh, his laughter echoing in the mirror world, stirring ripples of nothingness.
"Hehehehe~ I knew it all along, those so-called prophecies were all bullshit!"
"The great Zagreus had seen through it long ago!"
"I just never thought the truth would be so explosive."
"Good!"
"I, Zagreus—no, 'Bartrus'—will follow Big Sister Sefir from now on."
"If you lie, I will weave a net."
"If you deceive the heavens, I will alter fate."
"Even if the whole world is fake, the great Zagreus will make it faker than real!"
"Hehehehe~"
...
No one knew how Sefir passed the Demigod Trial.
In short, a month later.
The newly promoted 'Trickery Demigod' Sephalia rescued the 300 chivalrous thieves of the "Deception of the Gods" one by one, gathering them in the Holy City of Okhema.
Deep within the Genesis Vortex, the long-dormant Coreflame Pool suddenly rippled.
The Coreflame of the Trickery Titan lit up.
And at this moment, the 300 'chivalrous thieves' were holding a banquet, unknown to outsiders.
They had deceived the Trickery Titan with their astonishing schemes, standing at the pinnacle of cunning, touching a glory unattainable by mortals.
And because of this, they completely lost interest in mundane deceptions.
It was time to retire from the world.
They would live a different life, under a new identity.
Some wished to remain in Okhema, becoming shadow advisors behind the court, safeguarding peace with their wisdom.
Some wanted to return to their hometowns, listening to the whispers of the stream, no longer entangled in the treachery of human hearts.
In short, to start a new life.
But no matter where they went, they would no longer practice deception in this life.
After all, they had already touched a god.
The secret banquet was personally hosted by Empress Cerydra.
Bards were also present in the hall, recording their 300 earth-shattering deceptions from the "Deception of the Gods" to be passed down through generations.
This was: "The Chronicles of the 300 Chivalrous Thieves of Dolos."
Future generations would read it, some surprised, some laughing, some sighing, some doubting, yet no one could discern how much was true and how much was false in the book?
And this was the best ending.
It could be considered leaving a mark in history.
"Your Majesty, where is the Demon God?"
"He... he is making his final breakthrough. I believe you will meet him very soon."
Saying this, Cerydra looked up at the 'Demon God's Courtyard,' a hint of anticipation and a moment of worry flashing in her eyes.
...
Inside the courtyard.
"It's time to absorb the power of the Coreflames."
Looking at the three Coreflames suspended around him—'Earth,' 'Death,' 'Trickery'—Ryuga nodded.
The Coreflames each emitted distinctly different auras.
One was as heavy as a sleeping mountain.
One was as deep as the whispers of the underworld.
One was like the sly chuckle of a fox.
Currently, Ryuga had already fused with the 'Law,' 'Gateway,' and 'Romance' Coreflames.
The 'Earth' resonated with the Hound God skin 'Northern Star's Might.'
The 'Death' aligned with the authority of the Hound God skin 'Creator Demon God,' where new life is born from destruction.
Cycle after cycle, life never ceases.
And the 'Trickery' Coreflame was the Path of Elation.
"Hoo~"
Ryuga closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then with a thought, the three Coreflames were all absorbed into his chest.
In an instant, his Path surged like a breached dam, boiling and overflowing.
A sharp pain exploded from the depths of his bone marrow.
Every inch of his flesh was being torn, incinerated, and reshaped.
Runes faintly appeared beneath his skin, glowing brightly.
"Ahhhhh!"
Ryuga roared to the sky.
The two extreme forces of 'Destruction' and 'Creation' violently collided within his body, like the chaotic storm at the birth of the universe.
The power of the Death Coreflame was especially overbearing, pushing the authority of the 'Creator Demon God' to an unprecedented height.
Every destruction was accompanied by a more brilliant rebirth.
Every collapse nurtured a more magnificent order.
The steps of his Path ascended continuously!
His authority soared wildly.
The surging power of his Path was like a raging sea, one wave after another, layering upon each other, crashing against the shore.
His consciousness floated and sank in the storm, but Ryuga always maintained a clear point of clarity in his mind.
After an unknown period, everything finally returned to calm.
"Hoo..."
Ryuga slowly opened his eyes, a galaxy seemingly swirling in their depths.
His aura had stabilized, yet it contained a pressure that could change the heavens and earth.
"I feel like I've grown stronger again."
"Hmm, now I should be able to fight two Shuhus."
Ryuga's lips curved into a smile.
Then he shook his head.
"But this is still not enough."
After a thought, Ryuga's mind stirred, and the 'Wind' and 'Ice' Herrscher Cores reappeared beside him.
"Let's absorb these two as well."
With a thought, the two cores once again merged into his chest.
In an instant, extreme cold and invisible wind surged through his meridians and limbs.
The Herrscher power and his Path intertwined, triggering a new round of transformation.
The 'Wind' could control ideal fluids, breaking through its shackles with the blessing of his Path.
And the Desert Emperor controls sand, which is a viscous fluid, meaning he can now control all fluids in the world.
Whether it's air, water, sand, or lava, all can be manipulated at will, as if they were his own limbs.
The 'Ice' could halt the molecules of all things.
He now possessed the authority unleashed by five Herrscher Cores: 'Reason,' 'Void,' 'Thunder,' 'Wind,' and 'Ice.'
It was simply terrifyingly strong.
His Path ascended.
After the Herrscher Cores and Coreflames merged, Ryuga felt his Path was filled to its limit, and he was about to be crowned and ascend.
One more step, and he could break through to a certain level?
He felt like he was standing at the threshold, just one step away from breaking through!
Boom!
The multicolored flames, soaring into the sky, could no longer be contained, erupting from the courtyard and piercing straight through the firmament.
Runes and Herrscher sounds were mixed within the flames.
The entire courtyard trembled in the brilliant light.
Meanwhile, deep within the server room, Lygus was staring at a screen, his brow suddenly twitching.
He quickly entered Omphalos, looking at the pillar of light piercing the night sky from the Demon God's Courtyard, his pupils contracting and his brows furrowing tightly.
"This!?"
At this moment, a surging pressure descended.
He suddenly looked up, his crimson eye beneath the eyepatch trembling violently.
"The Aeon of Destruction, 'Nanook'!"
Above the firmament, He cast His gaze once more.
Lygus quickly flipped through the "δ-me13.exe" management files.
"This!"
He was even more dumbfounded.
[Intrusion Variable]
[Ryuga]
'An outsider traveler who calls himself 'Demon God,' a follower of 'Destruction,' an external variable caught in a death loop.'
[Instruction: Locate his coordinates. Coordinate location failed.]
[Conclusion: Target is still in Omphalos.]
[Note: His behavior pattern conforms to 'Destruction,' the law of destruction and rebirth. Correction: Already... self-entered 'Order,' 'Beauty,' 'Equilibrium,' 'Elation'... signal source error, signal source error, target is undergoing 'Self-Coronation'... 'Coronation' failed.]
[Remark: His erupted authority of Destruction has attracted Nanook's gaze.]
"!!"
Lygus felt his head buzzing.
This time, it wasn't about Irontomb?
Bai E hadn't even been born.
He was actually looking at Ryuga?
Or rather, 'gazing' at him?
糟糕 (Zāogāo - Oh no).
Could it be that Ryuga's 'Destruction' priority was far higher than Irontomb's?
To be continued…
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