How long ago was it? Twenty? Thirty years? He’d long since lost track of when his shadow disappeared, even if he could remember his face clear as day in the back of his mind. That smile that would always warm a crowd. The power to shake the God Realm itself. And he’d fallen to the hands of some nobody human from some backwater planet. His hero. His father. And what had he accomplished in the end? He tasted bile at the thought.

“You were always too weak, weren’t you?”

The mural before him gave no answers. Only the same scattered depiction his followers left several centuries ago. There in cave form, he could see the man his father always claimed to be. That he’d always hoped he would be. But he was wrong, wasn’t he? He’d never been worthy of that title. Never been worthy to hold that power.

A man who’d lose to a lowly human was never meant to ascend to godhood.

“You were too weak, Father,” he said. “But rest easy. I’ll finish what you started.”

He reached out to touch the mural, smiling up at the flaming arc his father had ridden upon. A beautiful spectacle that had both marveled the masses and shown off the power beholden to him. Something he’d always admired about the man.

Perhaps he’d make one of his own in time…

The Light Binder smiled, his sickles flowing with power as he channeled all the signals he could muster at that very moment. A supernova that he’d been dying to finally show off to someone worthy enough to call his equal. His rival. And with one devastating attack, he’d found two of them.

How long had it been since he’d taken a hit so powerful? It was almost like time had stopped moving. One moment they were cowering and the next it felt like getting hit with a thousand punches at once. He’d never seen anyone move that fast before. And they’d both done so in the blink of an eye. They’d been holding back the entire time!

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He laughed to himself. After all this time, he’d finally found someone else worthy. Someone who could withstand him at his absolute strongest. Someone else who better deserved the title of godhood.

“Come!” he shouted. “Show me your true power, worthy ones!”

The cry was met with, to his surprise, panic rather than excitement. In fact, watching the two worthy ones, he didn’t see them moving to face him. But then, of course they weren’t. These were the same warriors who acted weak to get the jump on him. A cheap strategy, perhaps, but one he could look past. He’d seen a glimpse at their strength. Now he wanted to see more.

He let the fires of his arc burn bright, watching carefully for the first signs of movement. How would they tackle him at his strongest? Would they rise to meet him? Would there be two arcs doing battle today? He grinned at the thought. This was what he’d wanted. This was what he’d longed for all those years.

His father was unworthy to be a god, but so too were so many others. So many weak and perishable spirits sat by claiming to be all powerful. But through his actions, he’d exposed their frailty. And the frailty of those in charge. In this new world, only the strong would be able to thrive. And only the strongest of the strong deserved to become the new gods. He’d make sure of it. They’d all make sure of it.

“Comet Man!”

His smile spread. There was that name again. Such a strange mundane name that he’d dismissed at first, but now saw it for what it truly was.

Their rallying cry. The Light Binder looked down to see the warriors standing against him. Or rather, rushing towards him. On the ground below, he saw the fox he’d had so much fun battling, a trail of rocks propelling her forward. And much to his surprise, the wolf was there too, being carried on her shoulders like a sack of flour. A strange combination, to be sure, but one he could dismiss quite easily. No, his attention instead came to the one who’d flown directly in front of him.

Like the true warrior he’d guessed she was, the panther finally threw aside such notions as holding back or being tactful.

She’d seen him at his most powerful. She’d seen the arc. And in response, she decided to meet him head on, her body flung his way like it was destiny. Like she alone carried enough might to tackle him. No. Surpass the power he held in his burning arc. She didn’t even need theatrics to catch him unaware.

It was the most embolden display he’d ever seen in another mortal. Such confidence. Yes. This is what I’ve been waiting for. He spread his arms out wide, welcoming the challenge from a truly worthy foe. The next new god to stand at his side.

The panther girl closed in on him, and he finally felt her body making contact.