“Human? I can smell your divinity. Why lie?”
“T-That’s because of Priam. During the last war, I was drugged and kidnapped. I was too powerful to be taken down, so Paris, the second prince of Troy, drugged me. Then I was turned into an Olympian against my will. You have to believe me!”
“So, then you’re human?”
‘Yes-”
“Or perhaps you’re a god… You smell like a god. Or do you smell like a human? Your hair is white. But it could just be divine blessing.” Akuma pondered aloud, his mind swirling with confusion. “Yes, that could be a possibility. That’s what happened to me in my previous life. Or maybe it wasn’t. Wait, did I even have a previous life? No, I did. I know I did… I think. Probably…… Hey, is the man in front of me a god?”
A thick cloud of miasma, laden with the weight of past troubles, materialized behind the boy. From within it emerged a divine figure, an angel of sorts, though not one of the twelve Royal Decks. Strangely, he was invisible to everyone except Akuma. “What this boy says is true.” he murmured, unheard by the others around them.
“I see. Then should I still kill him? Or since he’s human I should save him?”
“Human? Far from it. He was once human, but now, he bears the blame… Kill him.”
“Makes sense… Oh and while I’m at it. I had a past life, right? And in it, I had divine blessings?”
“You are correct. You’ve lived three lives and received divine blessings in two of them. Haven been God in the first, you had no need for blessings.”
“Thought so.”
Like a five-star butler, the apparition faded away, leaving Achilles and the three onlookers behind the boy unaware of the exchange that had just taken place. To them, it appeared as though he had engaged in a conversation solely with himself.
Each step he took echoed with foreboding, a clear indication that a natural disaster loomed on the horizon. Overwhelmed by fear, Achilles resorted to the oldest trick in the book. “That’s a waste of effort…” he scoffed. “…Even if you kill me now, Poseidon will seek revenge. Trust me, you don’t want to provoke that guy. And even if you managed to defeat Poseidon, Hermes would still be impossible to beat! Those beings were the original Olympians, not to mention Apollo. You stand no chance against him. He possesses all knowledge and will certainly know of my death. Not to mention he has the power to teleport anything, anywhere. And really, who do you think you are, descending here like some kind of hero?! Get over yourself! You can’t bring an end to this war! You’re up against an army of gods!! ...Our victory is as inevitable as sunrise.”
For a moment, a silence broke forth.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“Sunrise, you say… Tell me…” he said, his gaze piercing into Achilles’ very soul, signaling the impending doom. “Are you certain of that?”
“!”
In a surprising twist, Akuma didn’t strike with a punch or a kick. Instead, he summoned a lance forged from pure starlight. This unexpected display left Achilles momentarily stunned, as he recognized that this was not Akuma’s usual fighting style. Long-range attacks seemed out of character for a brawler like him, which made the sight of the radiant weapon in his hands all the more bewildering.
Planting his foot firmly into the ground, Akuma pivoted, and in that instant, not only Achilles but also Sanzang, Rin, and Tenshi grasped his true intentions. He hurled the lance, not at a person, but at something far more significant. Question. What is the most vital element for human existence, the very foundation of our coexistence on this planet? Bingo.
…The sun.
With a thunderous explosion, the lance struck true. Their eyes widened in disbelief and trust me it wasn’t just them. Every man, woman, and child who witnessed the event stood in shock. This was surely a sign of divine intervention, a moment of Divine Judgment.
"W-What have you done?!" Achilles exclaimed, desperation etched across his face. "Are you out of your mind?! The world needs that for survival! What could possibly be the purpose of this?!" He faltered for a moment, the memory of his earlier words to Akuma flashing in his mind. "You'd really annihilate all life over such a petty comment?! Are you truly that petty?!"
An eerie silence enveloped them, so profound it felt deafening as Akuma turned to face him. In that moment, he offered a single, chilling response. "...Yeah."
In a moment of sheer panic, he resolved to buy himself some time, no matter the means. “W-Wait. How did you even return? How are you standing here before me?! The plan was flawless. Apollo himself devised it. You were meant to be obliterated. Your very soul was supposed to have been destroyed. So how on earth are you here in front of me?!”
“…How am I here? Well, I suppose I did meet my end. That much is true. But the librarian brought me back.”
“The librarian?! Who the hell is that?!”
“Who is he? I think he’s meant to be the overseer of this world or something like that. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure on the details… But you’re focusing way too much on me.”
“?”
“Y’know, I’m not the only one he brought back.”
“What? You’re the only one we-”
The atmosphere grew thick with an oppressive weight, more accurately described as bloodlust. It was a ravenous craving, more insatiable than that of any demon. This sensation rippled through every fighter capable of sensing such a force. Yet for Sanzang, it was different. Alongside the overwhelming bloodlust, she detected something else intertwined with it -a familiar sweetness. Could it possibly be love? I do wonder.
But let me give you a bit of background knowledge.
The first Trojan War, a brutal conflict between the Greeks and the nation of Troy, took place approximately 24 years ago. While it may seem like a localized skirmish, the scale of the war drew in numerous other nations, making it feel more like a "World War I" than a “Trojan War”. But alas, if that is what history had chosen to dub it, then who am I to argue. Midway through this catastrophic struggle, Troy formed alliances with the nations of Crete and Tang, as well as the gods themselves. On the opposing side stood the Greeks, who were backed by Bushin, the entire Zakhar region, and the Akkadian Empire.
The war was undeniably devastating, with one particular battle leading to the destruction of Zakhar, which now exists as scattered islands between each continent. The architect of this destruction? Zeus. However, his wrath did not end there. For a thousand days, he unleashed lightning upon the Kingdom of Bushin, decimating 60% of its population. With the loss of both Bushin and Zakhar, the Greeks found themselves at a significant disadvantage against the divine forces. Yet, amidst despair, three extraordinary warriors emerged to turn the tide in favor of the Greeks.
The third hero was an enigmatic figure, known for his two striking golden locks, who managed to defeat six of the original Twelve Olympians -prompting the replacements we see today.
The second hero, Heracles, triumphed over twelve formidable challenges conjured by King Priam, proving himself a stalwart protector against the gods.
And then there was the first hero who, despite being absent for much of the war due to a personal journey, returned to find his homeland in ruins. His fury so mighty, it propelled him to confront the gods in their own realm. And so, by himself he declared war on every single god… And he won. It is that legendary figure, feared by warriors far and wide, that has returned to reclaim his place in history.
His name is Sun Wukong.