"Hoo~"
After eliminating the Four Heavenly Kings, Ashura did not feel the anticipated exhilaration. Instead, an inexplicable emptiness and confusion filled his heart.
For hundreds of thousands of years, he had thought of nothing but revenge—dreaming of grinding the Four Heavenly Kings, drenched in the blood of his people, into dust. This singular purpose was what had kept him alive for so long.
But now that he had achieved it, his path forward suddenly seemed unclear.
Why had he agreed to join Sanctuary under Mairin? Why had he accepted the role of Shaka's teacher? It was because he hoped that, in the future, he could use Sanctuary and Mairin's strength to wage war against the Buddhist sect and avenge his people.
But now, that purpose was fulfilled. His future had become a blur.
As he thought about this, Ashura turned to glance at Shaka and grinned.
"Forget it. Since I made a promise, I'll see it through to the end."
Just as Ashura relaxed and withdrew his Creation Golden Lotus and Shura Blood Fiend, Mairin suddenly appeared beside him, grabbing him and retreating at high speed.
In the next instant, an overwhelming wave of death energy erupted. Black mist spread across the battlefield as the voices of the Four Heavenly Kings echoed from where they had fallen.
Their faces were deathly pale, their eyes devoid of emotion. The once radiant golden Buddhist armor had turned into a dark shade of purple and black. The Four Sacred Treasures of Buddhism—the Jasper Pipa, Azure Cloud Sword, Primordial Pearl Umbrella, and Golden Flower Ferret—abandoned them, fleeing behind Mairin. What remained in their hands were identical weapons, but now brimming with an aura of death.
"This… How dare they?!" Ashura's face twisted in rage at the horrifying scene.
Mairin furrowed his brows, his expression filled with cold fury.
He was all too familiar with this deathly energy—it belonged to the Underworld. The small cosmos within the Four Heavenly Kings was now identical to the cosmos of Hades' army back then.
"Did they betray Buddhism? Or has Buddhism allied itself with Hades?" Mairin pondered.
"Heh heh heh heh…"
The Four Heavenly Kings let out eerie, ghost-like laughter, sharp and piercing.
"Surprised? We have been reborn!" the King of Holding Laughed darkly.
"This is the power of death? Ha! It feels incredible!"
"Only in death can life find its true eternity! Ha ha ha ha!"
"The Buddha did not deceive us—death is the true peace of existence."
The Four Heavenly Kings reveled in their newfound power, their voices laced with joy and arrogance.
Meanwhile, Mairin and Ashura wore grim expressions.
Initially, they had held onto hope that only the Four Heavenly Kings had defected. But now, it seemed that the entire Buddhist sect had allied itself with the forces of the Underworld.
"Heh, Mairin, it looks like the road ahead is rough. Can I still back out?" Ashura quipped.
"You? Backing out? That would be a surprise," Mairin countered.
"Ha! If it were the full-powered you, I might hesitate. But these four trash, along with those hypocrites, don't deserve my fear!" Ashura roared, preparing to unleash Shura Blood Fiend once more. But Mairin stopped him.
"Let me handle this."
Although Mairin's voice remained gentle, Ashura could sense a chilling coldness beneath it.
"Alright. I'll just watch and see if you're truly worth following." Ashura dispersed his aura and took a few steps back.
"You will see."
Mairin smiled as he walked toward the resurrected Heavenly Kings. The warmth in his expression melted away, leaving only an endless frost.
"Hmph! The weakened you dares to face our transcendent selves?"
"Seeking death! You must have gone senile after sleeping for hundreds of thousands of years!"
"I've long wanted to kill him!"
*"Heh heh… And Athena? Without Mairin's protection, what right does she have to be arrogant? Such a delicate goddess, heh heh—"
"Gah—!"
The perverse laughter of the King of Hearing was abruptly cut off.
A force that shook heaven and earth erupted. Mairin's cosmos gripped his throat like an invisible hand.
"Looks like I really have been asleep for too long," Mairin's voice, as cold as ancient ice, sent shivers down the spines of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"My old friend, let's fight side by side once more."
With a soft murmur, the miniature statue of his Divine Cloth shot out from within him, rapidly expanding and breaking apart. It enveloped Mairin's body, its vibrant wings unfurling behind him. Each beat of those rainbow-hued wings sent out gales—warmth for allies, bone-chilling terror for foes.
Staring at this majestic, divine figure, Ashura's blood burned with excitement.
"Ha ha ha! Mairin! You're back! You've truly returned! Ha ha ha!"
This was the man—the warrior clad in resplendent armor, wielding a divine blade—who had stood against the gods themselves during the mythological age. He had upheld the last bastion for humanity, making the gods dare not look down upon mortals ever again!
"D-Divine Cloth…?"
"Run… Run!"
"We are no match for him!"
Just seeing Mairin's familiar form awakened the deepest fear buried in their souls. Even back then, a single glance from him had crushed all thoughts of resistance. And now, nothing had changed.
"[God-Slaying Slash]."
With a seemingly casual swing of his sword, three streaks of rainbow-hued energy instantly reached the Kings of Holding, Growth, and Broad Sight. Before they could react, the slashes tore through their bodies.
"Impossible…"
"I… I haven't…"
"Regrets… So many regrets…"
Splurt—splurt—splurt!
The sickening sound of flesh and bone being severed rang through the battlefield. Three of the Four Heavenly Kings were split in half. Their fresh blood did not spill immediately; it took a few seconds before it rained down, dyeing the ground red once more.
Meanwhile, the King of Hearing, still gripped by Mairin's cosmos, was trembling in despair. His eyes were filled with utter darkness—there was no light left in them.
"Why… why… we were reborn… as Hades' blessed ones… why can't our souls…?"
"Heh. Even divine souls cannot escape my God-Slaying Slash. Your fake, half-baked spirits stood no chance."
Mairin stepped closer, his eyes indifferent as he raised his blade to the King of Hearing's body.
"Hold on… don't let me die too fast."
With the most indifferent tone, Mairin spoke the most merciless words.
"Spare me—AAAAHHH!!!"
Half an hour later, Mairin caught up to Ashura and Shaka by the riverside.
"That was fast," Ashura remarked.
"He didn't last," Mairin replied.
"Are you alright?" Ashura noticed Mairin's slightly pale face.
"Just a bit drained, nothing serious."
Even though he had made it look effortless, Mairin had used his full strength—both to erase his enemies and to ensure none could escape.
"You haven't changed at all, Mairin," Ashura sighed.
"Even gods have things they refuse to forgive. You're the same, aren't you?"
"Hah. To be honest, you sound more like a human than a god."
"I am human."
"Wait… WHAT?!"