Chapter 320: Darkness
The Seven Seats represented the elder Gods, each of whom presided over a different phenomenon across a multitude of universes.
And the one who led them, the only being with enough authority to summon the other six at such short notice, was none other than the King of Gods, Odin the Allfather.
He occupied the seat at the head of the chamber. Across from him sat the second eldest God of the Realm, Poseidon, God of the Sea and Storms.
To Odin’s left sat Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and the divine embodiment of Maidenhood.
Beside Athena sat Freya, Mother of Fertility and Growth, revered across countless worlds as Mother Nature herself.
To Freya’s right sat a man wearing the widest grin among them. Unlike the others, he wore nothing to conceal his bare upper body. His presence alone carried an unmistakable sense of danger.
A force to be reckoned with.
Ares, God of Chaos and War.
Beside Ares sat the Divinity of the Dead, the ruler of the Underworld and, perhaps, the one who had taken the longest to arrive.
Hades.
Beside Poseidon sat a blond God with an unmistakably annoyed expression. He was Apollo, ruler of the Sun, God of Healing and Prophecy.
These were the Seven Elder Gods, gathered within the sacred chamber.
Not for the usual council of the Celestial Court.
But because they had been summoned by their King.
"Since I have summoned you all here, it is my duty to present the matter that concerns every one of us."
Odin rose from his seat, his trident resting firmly in his grasp. The golden crown upon his head gleamed faintly beneath the veil of divine fire surrounding the chamber.
"Is it about him?" Hades asked, his voice devoid of emotion. He did not even bother looking toward Odin. "The last Titan?"
The One-Eyed God nodded.
"It is."
Ares leaned back in his seat, a smirk spreading across his face.
"Why should we, the Immortals, concern ourselves with him?" he asked. "Last I inspected, that being was still shackled and utterly powerless."
"Should we not ask you the same?" Freya asked, her tone edged with a sharpness that everyone in the chamber could feel. "Why did you interfere in the affairs of a mortal?"
Ares merely grinned. "I was not the first to do so. I merely followed my fellow pantheons after witnessing how amusing it could be to toy with mortals."
Freya nearly clicked her tongue.
He was deliberately shielding his own actions by dragging her and Odin’s previous interference into the argument.
"I fail to understand why any of you decided to establish contact with him in the first place," Apollo said, his gaze settling upon the others. "You were all aware of what his existence could bring should fate itself be challenged. Yet you, Odin, proceeded to grant him a divine tool."
Odin’s expression remained unchanged.
Apollo’s voice grew colder.
"Why?"
A moment later, Hades spoke.
"He is not wrong to question you. And if you truly handed him a tool capable of destruction, should you not bear the greatest share of the blame? Freya is no less responsible."
Ares chuckled, his amusement elevating.
"You were all content to amuse yourselves while everything remained peaceful. Now that someone has emerged as a genuine challenge to the Titan, you have grown afraid."
Freya’s fist trembled against her thigh.
For a moment, she nearly forgot the promise she had made to Artemis and Tyr. Her anger threatened to break through the restraint she had maintained thus far.
Then Athena spoke.
"You should be concerned as well, Ares."
The God of War turned toward her.
Athena’s expression remained calm, her voice carrying none of the anger that filled the chamber.
"This concern extends beyond a single person or even a single world. What we are facing is a threat to the entire universe."
Ares merely shrugged.
"I am eager to see what happens," he then growled. "It is about time we discovered what the One Above All is truly capable of."
.....
Kyle was nervous as he rushed past everyone who crossed his path, heading toward the place Amanda had called him to.
She had been crying on the phone. There was no doubt about it.
She was scared. Terrified of Ethan.
She had repeated his name over and over, pleading with Kyle to save her.
His heart sank at the sound of Amanda’s wailing. He had never heard her like that before.
The system had warned him that this could be a trap, but how could he stop and think rationally after hearing that voice?
Kyle was no longer thinking clearly. Every thought had narrowed down to a single objective.
Reach Amanda.
He had a terrible feeling about the day from the very beginning. Somehow, it had turned out just as he feared. Wherever the people he cared about went, trouble seemed to follow.
Not fast enough... System, activate Overlord.
Strength surged through his legs, and his speed increased severalfold.
Kyle stumbled more than once, crashing into anything that happened to cross his path. His mind was overwhelmed by too many thoughts, leaving him barely capable of using God’s Eye properly.
He did not care.
He just wanted to see her.
His Amanda.
Shriich!
His feet skidded across the sandy path as he finally reached the railway yard on the outskirts of town.
The same place where the training warehouse was located.
"Amanda?" Kyle called, his voice echoing through the deserted railway yard.
He tried calling her again, but her phone was switched off.
"Amanda!"
His voice trembled slightly this time.
A deep sense of foreboding settled in his chest. His fingers curled into a tight fist as he called out once more.
"Aman..."
"Sshh. Relax, dude."
The voice came from behind him.
Kyle’s entire body froze.
An overwhelming sensation suddenly pressed against his skin, weighing heavily upon his shoulders.
His Genesis recoiled.
Whatever had appeared behind him was forcing his Genesis away, compelling his body to cease using his abilities in order to preserve what little Genesis remained.
Kyle slowly turned around.
His heartbeat seemed to grow slower with every passing second.
"Amanda..." he breathed.
There she was.
The familiar girl was trapped within the grasp of a thick tentacle wrapped tightly around her neck, lifting her several inches above the ground. She struggled desperately, her feet reaching for the ground in a futile attempt to relieve the pressure around her throat.
"I did not kill her," Ethan said casually. "I wanted to keep you sane. Besides, some people advised me not to."
Kyle’s gaze finally settled upon the creature holding Amanda captive.
"Ethan."
He drew a slow breath.
"So... it really is you."
"Disappointed?" The monster with a human face grinned. "To see someone you underestimated so greatly now holding your lifeline?"
Kyle forced himself to steady his breathing.
"You wanted me, and now I am here. If you want to fight me to the death, then I give you my word. Only one of us will leave this yard."
His eyes hardened.
"But let her go."
Ethan’s grin widened.
"Eager to save her, are you? So desperate to protect your girl that you forgot about the others you cared for."
As he spoke, one of his tentacles suddenly flung two objects toward Kyle.
They rolled across the sandy ground before coming to a stop at his feet.
Two severed heads.
"Ah..."
Kyle’s lips parted.
The color drained from his face, and for a moment, his mind simply went blank.
Thud.
His knee struck the ground.
He stared at them, unable to tear his eyes away.
The two people who had cared about him the most.
"Blake..."
His voice broke.
"Veronica..."
Tears blurred his vision, but through the haze, his Golden Eye revealed the truth.
They were real.
This was not an illusion.
Ethan was not playing another trick.
His brother.
His best friend.
Both of them...
Dead.
[Host, please calm down. Your Genesis count is rising too rapidly! Your body will not be able to withstand this much pressure. Host!]
Blood began to seep from the veins in Kyle’s eyes before bursting free.
His entire body grew scorching hot.
Genesis erupted from within him, flaring violently as it wrapped around his body like countless golden chains. The overwhelming force shattered the effects of Genesis Killer through sheer presence alone.
Ethan snickered.
"I thought you wanted to save her. Have you changed your mind?"
"Aagh!"
Amanda suddenly cried out.
Kyle’s attention snapped back to her.
He drew a single breath.
Then every tentacle erupted at once.
"Aaah!"
Ethan screamed in agony and staggered backward.
Amanda was no longer in his grasp.
Kyle stood where she had been, holding her securely in his arms.
Ethan could only gasp for breath as black ichor poured from his wounds. His face had gone pale, his eyes trembling with disbelief.
Kyle had shattered every single one of his tentacles in an instant.
He had even damaged Ethan’s core.
His soul trembled violently before the overwhelming presence before him, yet Ethan could no longer recognize the face standing before him.
The man he had known was gone.
"You..." Kyle said, slowly turning his head toward Ethan. His voice was chillingly calm. "...are dead."
Ethan snickered. Summoning the last remnants of his strength, he forced the words from his throat.
"Yes. But before I die, someone else will."
The moment those words faded...
BOOOM!
Kyle flinched.
His entire body froze.
Blood and gore splattered across his face.
Amanda’s body went limp in his arms.
For several seconds, Kyle remained completely motionless, staring down at her.
Then, slowly, laughter echoed through the railway yard.
A laughter filled with triumph.
Ethan had never intended to let Amanda go.
He had given Kyle hope only to tear it away in the very next instant.
"Now..." Ethan said, his voice carrying through the silence. "...what are you going to do, Kyle?"