The skies of the Golden Realm shimmered like molten gold, stretched endlessly across the horizon. Clouds moved in delicate spirals, each holding the weight of divine energies that shaped this plane. But that divine peace was shattered.
A wave of pressure swept across the sky, casting an ominous ripple through the heavenly air. Then, like a blade cutting through still water, Kael and Rika appeared.
Below, every eye turned skyward.
"He dares return..."
"That's Kael... But how... how is he walking the sky without resistance?"
A thunderous chorus of energy surged throughout the realm. From every temple, mountain, tower, and citadel, martial gods emerged. Hundreds. Each adorned in golden robes or obsidian armors, some crowned with flame, others shrouded in aura storms or wings of light. They flew with righteous fury.
Kael stood in the sky, calm. His coat flapped gently in the breeze. Rika stood behind, eyes quietly glowing, her power keeping her suspended in Kael's shadow.
"This is overkill, what a welcome party" Kael muttered.
" I'll sit this one out" Rika quickly stated.
Then they descended. And she immediately ran off to god knows where.
The Lesser Martial Gods
The first wave came fast.
Martial gods struck with divine fists, blades made of condensed truths, and elemental dominion. Yet Kael moved like a whisper. Each time a blow neared, he turned, dodged, parried, or redirected.
He never retaliated lethally.
A god of fire roared, launching a chain of solar lances. Kael weaved between them like smoke, caught the last one, and flicked it back into the sky.
Another martial god surged forward, dual daggers glowing like starlight. Kael raised a finger, tapped his wrist mid-dash, and the god spiraled to the ground, winded but alive.
One after another, gods dropped.
"He's toying with us!"
"Fight seriously!"
"Kill him!"
Provocations echoed. Kael didn't reply.
By the time the dust cleared, more than seven hundred martial gods were scattered across the horizon, all downed, none dead.
Then, the sky tensed.
A circle formed. Fifty figures stood shoulder-to-shoulder, each exuding pressure enough to rupture lesser planes. The Higher Martial Gods.
They descended with reverence and fury.
Kael stood motionless, only raising one hand as the storm of their approach surged.
"You all came, then," he said.
The battle exploded.
Their attacks were elegant and devastating curved blades of spatial distortion, fists that shattered light, voice chants that rewrote rules. Kael ducked, turned, side-stepped, or redirected each strike.
A parry here. A sidestep there. A light shove that sent an attacker sprawling.
Then a younger martial god roared, defiant.
"Enough of this mockery! I'll end it myself!"
He dashed forward.
Kael turned his palm. A shockwave. Silent. Swift.
The younger god halted mid-air. His body flickered. Then exploded into golden mist.
Everything stopped.
Fury erupted.
"You dare kill one of us?!"
"He crossed the line!"
The battle became blood-boiling.
This time, they didn't hold back. Kael's expression tightened, but he still danced between death, avoiding lethal strikes while never dishing out death. The skies turned crimson-gold. Mountains crumbled from shockwaves. Lakes boiled. Forests bent to the wrath of a thousand clashing wills.
Then, the Wind Shifted.
A new pressure arrived.
Everyone paused.
A man walked slowly from the northern edge. His hair was braided back, robes simple, yet his steps parted clouds. On his back was a staff wrapped in ancient cloth. His presence calmed even the roaring winds.
"Vaelin..." someone whispered.
The warrior-teacher. One of the most respected Higher Martial Gods. Mentor to many.
Kael watched him quietly.
"Enough," Vaelin said, his voice firm, calm.
Kael lowered his hand.
Vaelin looked around. "You all fight like beasts caught in instinct. Let him speak."
The other martial gods hesitated but yielded.
Kael stepped forward.
"It's nice to see you again old friend" he said to vaelin while smiling...
Vaelin looked at him and nodded " I see you're now whole, not the weakling I sensed, speak your intention"
"I'm not here to fight," he said. "Rika had a vision. One that concerns all of us. The Heavens are moving again. Three new chosen are descending. Their purpose is absolute destruction. One to kill the martial gods. One to kill me. One yet to be moved."
A wave of silence passed through the sky.
Vaelin frowned, then nodded. "You wouldn't come here unless it was dire."
Some gods scoffed. Others turned away.
"You think we can trust him? After what he did?"
"He killed hundreds of us in the past!"
"What proof does he have?"
"Would he stand alone in our realm if he was lying?" Vaelin countered.
That gave pause.
Vaelin looked to the east and spoke: "my lords I think this isn't a decision the younger ones should be left with."
With that everyone bowed deeply, the much younger ones went on their knees and kowtowed, the realm seemed to tremble as an ancient feeling over took everyone, it felt like they were looking it the primal age when the time wasn't as developed as now.
The sky dimmed.
Three lights blinked across the golden sky, descending slowly.
Each was shaped like a star, but as they neared, figures began to form. Wrinkled, battle-scarred, majestic. The Ancients. The oldest martial gods.
Their presence caused the land to quake. The rivers stopped. The trees bowed.
"Show offs " Kael said while clicking his tongue.
They said nothing. There was no need.
They immediately struck.
The ground below Kael shattered as one of them launched forward, blade made of crystallized and moulded stars slashing the heavens.
Kael raised both arms for the first time. The clash resounded like the collapse of a universe.
A second ancient moved behind him, weaving chains made of ancient runes to bind him. Kael vanished mid-move, appearing above him, striking down with a single blow that cracked the sky.
The third ancient opened her mouth and sang. Reality bent. Words became knives. Emotion became explosion.
Kael responded with silence, pulling in his wings of abyss and light, wrapping them around himself and absorbing the song.
The world went silent.
For a moment, there was stillness.
Then the sky suddenly brightened causing the attacking elders to cease their attacks, they could sense it. And now everyone knew that Kael was saying the truth . Kael himself had his eyes fixed on the tear that was opening above the realm.
The golden realm trembled as the rift tore open above the realm's peak, swirling with starfire and divine essence.
The air turned thick. Pressure choked. Even Vaelin stiffened.
From the rift, two figures slowly descended.
One cloaked in pale fire, his face veiled, each step leaving echoes of judgment.
The other adorned in dark armor, her eyes glowing with law, each breath rewriting the space around her.
Rika gasped.
"They're here..."
The Heavens had made their move.
"Seems like we were being waited upon"...