The battlefield had shifted far from the Hall of Judgment.
Fragments of shattered terrain floated in slow arcs through the pale-gold sky of the god realm, still vibrating from the last exchange. The watching gods had expected to see Drakon pressing the fight, forcing the intruder back through sheer endurance.
Instead—
Their eyes widened.
Zane hovered in the open air, one hand gripping the corpse of a chimera-like humanoid by the horned lion skull. The body still leaked faint divine aura, but it was weak… fading. The creature's jaw hung broken, its chest caved inward by a ragged hole where dark, corrupted energy continued to seep like smoke from a wound in reality.
Golden fur stained black.
Scales cracked.
White paw limp.
Bull-legs dangling lifelessly.
Drakon.
God of Beasts.
Dead.
Zane gave the body a brief glance, expression mildly unimpressed.
"For a god," he said casually, "he was quite ugly. But… unique power set. I'll give him that."
