Just as Vergo was toying with Roida, about to finish off the remaining guards, the God of Birka, having rushed to the scene, finally arrived.
Roida, seeing the God's arrival, was overjoyed. His vacant eyes filled with renewed hope. As long as the God was here, he was certain the enemy could be defeated and he could be saved. However, this was merely Roida's wishful thinking.
The God's perspective was entirely different. He saw only Roida's betrayal, believing him to be the enemy's butcher, slaughtering the remaining guards. How else could he explain the scene before him?
"Roida, well done. You dare betray me?"
The God emerged from the depths of the temple, his expression grim and cold. He glared at Roida, already marking him as a dead man. The guard who had led the way watched this unfold, utterly bewildered.
Roida's actions didn't cease with the God's arrival; if anything, he attacked even faster.
"Impossible! Roida-sama would never do such a thing!" The guard seemed terrified by Roida's murderous appearance, collapsing to the ground, his eyes glazed over, muttering to himself.
"Useless! You're all useless! The truth is right in front of you, and you still refuse to believe it? He must have thought the enemy was too strong, so he switched sides and betrayed us," the God said, suppressing his inner rage, gritting his teeth. Uncharacteristically, the God offered an explanation to the guard, though the guard remained unconvinced.
"God, stop me! It's not what you think! I'm being controlled by the enemy!" "Enough, Roida! Do you think I'm blind?"
Roida tried to explain, but the God refused to believe him. The God's current demeanor seemed utterly absurd to Roida. His expression was ice-cold, devoid of any compassion. Roida felt that all his years of loyal service, even if he hadn't achieved great feats, had at least been arduous. Yet, simply because he was now under the enemy's control, unable to act of his own volition, the God doubted him and refused to believe his explanation. This filled Roida with a despair greater than any physical pain.
Thwack!
Although Roida's expression became increasingly hopeless, his hands didn't stop. With a final slash, he dispatched the last guard, then turned his blade towards the God.
"Very well. You dare attack me, Roida? You've got some nerve. Let me deal with you, the traitor, first," the God said fiercely, his anger instantly ignited by Roida's advance.
Roida had nothing more to say. He was tired. Let it all end!
The two immediately clashed. The God's speed was exceptional, enhanced by the Jet Dials. The controlled Roida couldn't keep up.
"Too slow, Roida."
The God ruthlessly threw a punch, striking Roida's body and causing him to cough up blood. After all, Vergo was controlling him and cared nothing for Roida's well-being, opting for a life-for-life exchange. At the instant the God hit Roida, Roida also thrust his sword towards the God, but all of this had been foreseen.
"Pathetic, Roida. Did you think you could use the Mantra I taught you against me? How naive."
The God, wearing a mocking expression, deftly dodged the sword. Several slashes erupted from his hands, instantly striking Roida's body. Roida knew he wouldn't survive these attacks. His face became serene. In the end, he couldn't bear to see his beloved Birka suffer. Before the slashes could tear his body apart, he summoned his last ounce of strength and shouted to the God:
"Beware of the enemy! They are very strong!"
With those final words, Roida's body was severed by the slashes, and he fell silent.
His last words gave the God a moment of clarity. The rage-filled mind began to calm. Seeing Roida, whom he had killed, the God's expression was grim, but he didn't believe he had done anything wrong. In his eyes, whatever the God did was always right. The guard, however, felt a chill, feeling the injustice done to Roida.
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause broke the silence, drawing the God's attention back.
"What a wonderful show! A scene of self-destruction, truly a timeless classic," Vergo applauded, looking at the two of them.
"You bastard! God, it's him! This man is the culprit!" The guard, his eyes bloodshot, said to the God, filled with hatred.
"You controlled Roida, caused his death, and killed so many of our guards," the God said, surprisingly calm. But anyone could see that this was merely the calm before the storm.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't go accusing people. Didn't you kill him with your own hands? And he killed all those guards. Didn't you get your revenge?" Vergo explained helpfully.
"Then I should really thank you for letting me get my revenge," the God said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, nearly losing his composure. "Die, you bastard!"
The God attacked in a fury, swiftly approaching Vergo.
Vergo didn't hold back, quickly throwing a punch to meet the enemy. Their fists collided, and the sheer force sent Vergo flying.
"Is that all you've got? Die!"
The God pressed his advantage, using the speed granted by the Jet Dials to rapidly close the distance.
Vergo, knocked back and still airborne, was in no danger. He wasn't panicked, despite being at a disadvantage in a contest of strength. He formed his right hand into a claw and swiped it through the air towards the approaching God.
"Five-Color Strings!"
The God, sensing danger, quickly used the Slash Dials on his hands to unleash slashes to counter the attack.
The powerful collision generated a shockwave, sending both of them flying back. Vergo used the power of the String-String Fruit to land gracefully, while the God used the Jet Dials to stabilize himself.
"That's the power of a Devil Fruit... You vile, despicable creature, consorting with devils! God will not forgive you!" The God, though he didn't know the exact nature of his opponent's ability, recognized it as the power of a Devil Fruit. As the God's people, the Skypieans naturally possessed a sense of superiority. How could the high and mighty God associate with devils? He looked down upon such devilish powers, disdaining to acquire them.
"That's right, I have obtained the power of a devil. What god or devil? Nonsense! Power in hand is everything," Vergo retorted, dismissing the God's words with contempt.
"Damn you! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have the power of a devil? You're too naive!"
The God, gnashing his teeth, attacked Vergo again.
"You're the naive one."
Vergo didn't waste any more words and charged at the God.
"Super String Whip!"
The God, using Mantra and the Jet Dials, swiftly dodged Vergo's attack, weaving and ducking so that Vergo's Super String Whip couldn't touch him.
The God closed in. This time, he didn't unleash any slashes. He pulled a shell from his pocket and threw it at Vergo.
Vergo's eyes twitched wildly, sensing imminent danger. He quickly retreated.
It happened in a flash. The God quickly threw the Flash Dial at Vergo, closing his own eyes tightly, not daring to look directly at the intense light it would produce. Vergo even felt it wasn't safe enough and quickly created Multiple Spider Web Walls with his strings to block the impact. But to Vergo's surprise, what was thrown wasn't a bomb, but a flashbang.
"Argh, my eyes!"
An intense light burst forth, causing severe pain to many eyes. Vergo, being the closest, was the most affected. Although his sunglasses offered some protection, it was only superficial. He was still injured. Vergo quickly closed his eyes to alleviate the pain.
However, taking advantage of this perfect opportunity, the God's attack immediately followed.
Vergo, half-kneeling on the ground, was completely unaware of the impending danger.
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