The Beginning after the Last

Chapter 1, Part 4: Obstacles.

By the time Lord Avictus realized it, the figure before him was merely a clone.

The real Lord Sanya attacked from behind, hammer already in motion. Lord Avictus barely reacted in time, drawing one of his blades and parrying the thunderous swing.

And so began their close-quarters clash—each strike tearing space and time apart, ripping entire galaxies into ribbons. Lord Sanya proved far more difficult than the god king. Unlike Lord RaAvi, he wasn't holding back. Not even a little. Every blow was lethal, every motion deliberate.

Lord Avictus had no choice but to defend perfectly. A single hit from that war hammer would demolish him—yet a single slash from his blade could spell disaster for Lord Sanya as well.

"You see, my blades... the Dual Void Blades... they have a special ability," Lord Avictus said between clashes. "If someone has traits or features, one slash can erase a part of that—removing something that defines them. It weakens them slowly, piece by piece."

"Oh? What an interesting pair of weapons," Lord Sanya replied. "But you haven't drawn both of them yet. Meaning you're underestimating me? Not using full power? We'll see about that."

The war god suddenly increased his tempo. His single hammer split into two, dual-wielded seamlessly. He became faster—far faster—overwhelming Lord Avictus with brutal, unending strikes. At last, he caught an opening. One hammer smashed into Lord Avictus's face with such force the resulting shockwave birthed an entirely new galaxy.

Growing overconfident, Lord Sanya charged forward to continue his assault—only to be met with a sudden slash. The blade didn't hit him—it sliced one of his hammers.

Instantly, the weapon felt weaker.

"Remember what I told you about my blades," Lord Avictus said, blood pouring from countless wounds yet still smirking. "They don't need to cut just a living being. Anything with meaning, symbol, or potential... can be erased. Good luck with a normal weapon."

The battle continued savagely. Lord Sanya switched weapons, adapting without hesitation. A new set of arms grew from his right side—three arms wielding spears—while his left held a shield. His thrusts became so fast and precise that even gods couldn't see them.

Lord Avictus tried to evade, but the spears cut off every possible escape. It was as if it knows where Lord Avictus could evade to, the spears extend so far that it's unreal. With no choice left, he drew his second blade. Now dual wielding his Void Blades, he met Lord Sanya's relentless spear work head-on.

Yet even this wasn't enough.

The god of weapons and war was too experienced, too strategic, too familiar with this form of combat. His understanding of weaponry eclipsed anything Lord Avictus had ever faced in mere weeks.

Deciding to escalate further, Lord Sanya conjured countless divine weapons out of thin air—each forged for a precise purpose, even ones specifically crafted to counter Lord Avictus. The young god was pushed back hard.

The battle raged for three months and twenty-one days. At last, Lord Avictus began to falter.

"Looks like this is it," Lord Sanya declared. "In this domain—combat—I surpass even Lord RaAvi. I am the strongest god in this field."

Exhausted, Lord Avictus dropped to his knees, gasping for breath. Before he could gather his thoughts, Lord Sanya struck him under the chin with a hammer blow so powerful it tore space apart as Lord Avictus flew.

As hope began to crumble, Lord Avictus suddenly opened his eyes—to find himself surrounded by the spirits of the fallen gods who fought for the greater good. They gazed down at him with expectation... with trust. This inexperienced, battered young god was their final hope.

One by one, their power flowed into him.

Moments later, Lord Avictus rose. His expression had changed—calmer, sharper, resolute.

"Oh? You—" Lord Sanya began.

But before he could finish, his weapon was bound in mid-air. Divine, shining golden chains burst from space gates (portals), wrapping tightly around the weapon and restraining it. Lord Sanya reacted quickly, leaping back and switching to a bow. He drew and fired a single flaming arrow skyward—

—and an instant later, thousands upon thousands of scorching arrows rained down.

Lord Avictus raised his hand, summoning a titanic hurricane of water the size of a solar system. It swallowed the barrage, detonating outward and scattering the attack harmlessly into the void.

Lord Sanya didn't speak this time. He threw a strange dagger—one Lord Avictus could clearly see—only for it to suddenly warp space, cutting the distance instantly and striking him.

He tore it out, but the damage was done.

"You want to know what that thing does?" Lord Sanya said. "It deals more damage to you than it does to me whenever you land a strike on me."

"So now it's a battle of attrition," Lord Avictus replied.

They fought again—this time for two and a half years—until neither god could lift even a finger. Both collapsed, broken, trembling.

"Looks like neither of us are—" Lord Sanya began.

But suddenly, he froze.

Because Lord Avictus was holding a blade to his own heart.

"Wh—WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ARE YOU CRAZY!? HEY!" Lord Sanya screamed.

"You said this curse deals more damage to me than to you whenever I hurt you," Lord Avictus said quietly, "but not when I hurt myself. It still harms you. And your condition... is far worse than mine. So—good riddance."

He plunged the blade into his own heart.

Lord Sanya's eyes widened—then turned white. His body disintegrated into drifting ash, fading into the void.

Breathing raggedly, battered beyond comprehension, Lord Avictus sat there. Grateful. Exhausted. But victorious.

"Alright... hopefully this is the last time I'll have to deal with such troublesome events this era. It's time for the birth of a new era." Lord Avictus murmured weakly.

He rose, turning his gaze toward the devastated Avisurath... his eyes narrowing as a new chapter began.

"The key to defeating you... Was to think outside the box all along... You dragged me into your world of combat, I followed, I still am quite oblivious huh? Luckily, with the help of my fallen allies, I was able to realize that I could take you on, fighting you a different way, different tactics... Different strategies. So long... God of weaponry and war, Lord Sanya." States Avictus one final time.

To be continued...

End of Chapter 1, Part 4.