For the first time in his immortal life, he had seen something that should not exist.
And he did not know what to do.
The Sins That Should Not Be
Camila closed her book again.
"Well," she murmured. "That was interesting."
Athena still clung to Satoshi's arm.
Amelia was grinning.
Liam simply exhaled. "Let's not do that again."
Satoshi laughed.
"I dunno," he said. "I thought it was kinda fun."
And just like that—
The Higher Realms would learn that something unnatural had arrived.
Something that should not be.
And soon, the envoys would come.
To see what had shaken the world
The False Gods Descend
The air was thick with tension.
For the first time in a century, the righteous and demonic sects stood side by side, neither willing to break the fragile truce that bound them.
It was the only time such a thing could happen.
Because today—the gates of the Higher Realms had opened.
And the envoys were coming.
A Gathering of Predators
The Supreme Sect's grand courtyard stretched endlessly, carved from sacred jade that pulsed with hidden formations.
Thousands of cultivators—masters of Qi, warriors who had spent lifetimes perfecting their techniques—waited in solemn silence.
The righteous sects stood in flowing robes of gold and white, their auras pure, their gazes sharp.
The demonic sects stood cloaked in black and crimson, their presence twisting the air, exuding the scent of blood and death.
Mortal enemies.
Yet today, they did not fight.
Because today, they were the same.
Begging for recognition.
The Arrival of the Upper Realms
Then—the sky split apart.
A tear in reality itself ripped open, and from within, they came.
Descending like celestial deities, clad in robes woven from pure Qi, their eyes filled with disdain.
Their power was unmistakable.
A presence vast and suffocating.
And yet—
Satoshi's grin faded slightly.
Because something was wrong.
His Eyes of Wrath burned, peeling back the illusions of their grandeur.
And beneath their shining auras—he saw the truth.
They were weak.
Not weak by mortal standards.
But weak compared to them.
Compared to Rael.
Compared to the monsters they had already fought.
Compared to Miguel.
Liam and the others saw it too.
Athena frowned, clutching Satoshi's sleeve. "They're… not as strong as I expected."
Amelia smirked, her Eyes of Lust gleaming. "They're weaker than the demons we've already killed."
Liam's golden Eyes of Pride flickered.
"They're nothing," he muttered.
Nothing compared to the true monsters of the Dark Clans.
Nothing compared to the real threats.
And yet—
They walked with the arrogance of gods.
A World That Crawls for Salvation
As the envoys stepped forward, their gazes swept across the crowd.
And in their cold, indifferent eyes, Satoshi saw no recognition.
Not of warriors.
Not of equals.
Not even of people.
Only vermin.
Liam exhaled sharply, his hands curling into fists.
He turned to Mark. "Why do they look at you like that?"
Mark, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"…Because to them," he said softly, "we are not human."
Liam's golden eyes snapped toward him.
Mark's gaze did not waver.
"To them, we are nothing but lower life forms."
Liam felt something cold settle in his chest.
"…Then why do people want to go with them?"
Mark's expression was unreadable.
"Because cultivators do not seek equality."
His voice was quiet, but it carried through the crowd.
"They seek eternity."
The Price of Immortality
A hush fell over them.
Mark's gaze was steady, ancient, filled with the wisdom of one who had seen generations rise and fall.
"Unlike mortals, cultivators care for only one thing," he continued. "To live forever."
He turned back toward the envoys, his voice bitter.
"They do not care if they are treated as insects. They do not care if they are enslaved, if they are reduced to nothing but tools for the stronger beings of the Upper Realms."
Mark's hands tightened.
"They would rather be a servant in the heavens than a king in the dirt."
Liam clenched his jaw.
Athena looked sick.
Amelia scoffed, leaning back. "Tch. So that's what this is? Selling themselves for a chance at eternity?"
Mark did not deny it.
Satoshi chuckled.
A low, dark sound.
It made Mark turn to him, frowning. "Something funny?"
Satoshi grinned.
But it was not his usual grin.
It was something sharper.
Something that should not belong in this world.
"This whole thing," Satoshi mused. "It's just a joke, huh?"
His Eyes of Wrath flickered.
"You lot spend centuries fighting, building your power, ascending through blood and pain, just for a seat at someone else's table."
Mark stiffened.
Satoshi tilted his head.
"Tell me something, old man."
His grin widened.
"What happens when someone sits at the table—who doesn't need their permission?"
The wind stilled.
Mark's breath caught.
And above them, the envoys—who had not yet noticed them—finally turned their gaze toward Satoshi.
For the first time since their arrival—
They looked at someone without disdain.
They looked at someone—with unease.
Because the world had already bowed to Satoshi once.
And the heavens had begged him not to kneel.
And now—
The false gods of the Upper Realms had to wonder.
Had something come to the Lower Realms—
That even they could not control?
A Challenge to the Heavens
The courtyard was silent.
The envoys of the Higher Realms stood above them, their expressions unreadable, their presence vast and suffocating.
And then, with voices like thunder, they spoke.
"The rules are simple."
Ariella, a woman cloaked in celestial silver, stepped forward. Her voice rang through the vast sect grounds, commanding the attention of every cultivator present.
"Each sect will send three of their strongest fighters," she declared. "They will battle. Only three will survive."
She let the words hang in the air.
"The ones who live… will join us in the Upper Realms."
A wave of reactions rippled through the crowd.
The sects expected bloodshed.
They expected betrayal, alliances, and slaughter.
And they did not care.
Because this was the only way.
The only path to eternity.
But Satoshi stood still.
Not in awe.
Not in hesitation.
But in pure, undiluted rage.
His fingers curled into fists.
He slowly turned to Liam, Amelia, Athena, and Camila—his friends, his people.
There were five of them.
And these so-called gods wanted him to choose who would be left behind.
His Eyes of Wrath burned.
Unacceptable.
A Fool's Defiance
Satoshi stepped forward.
And the moment he did—the air itself grew tense.
The surrounding sect leaders and disciples—who had once been excited about the battle—froze.
Because even they could feel it.
Something deep was shifting.
Something wrong.
Satoshi's voice was light. Too light.
"Oi."
The envoys turned their gaze to him.
He lifted a single finger.
"There's five of us," he said, tilting his head. "You said we could only send three."
Ariella's golden eyes narrowed. "That is the rule."
Satoshi smiled.
It wasn't a kind smile.
"Well," he said, "I don't like that rule."
The crowd stiffened.
Ariella blinked. "Excuse me?"
Satoshi sighed dramatically. "It's just dumb, right? Why should I have to leave someone behind?"
He cracked his neck lazily.
"So let's make it easier."
His Eyes of Wrath glowed.
"How about this—if we beat you, all five of us go."
The entire courtyard froze.
Silence.
And then—laughter.
The envoys of the Upper Realms laughed.
It was not the laughter of amusement.
It was the laughter of disgust.
Ariella's expression twisted. "You dare?"
The cultivators stared at Satoshi as if he had lost his mind.
These were the envoys of heaven.
They had descended from the higher realms, beings so far beyond them that their very presence was a gift.
And yet—this fool had the audacity to challenge them?
Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Here we go again."
Amelia smirked, resting her chin on her palm. "It's about time."
Athena clutched Satoshi's sleeve. "Are you sure?"
Satoshi just grinned.
But Ariella was not amused.
"You dare use your lowly mouth to speak against us?" she hissed. "You, a creature from the dirt, think yourself worthy to challenge us?"
She took a step forward, divine energy pulsing from her being.
"We are the chosen of heaven. You are nothing."
Satoshi's grin widened.
His fingers twitched.
"Oh?"
Ariella's eyes burned.
"How dare you stand before us and—"
Satoshi cut her off.
"What's wrong?"
His voice was mocking, playful—but something in the air cracked.
He tilted his head.
"You aren't scared, are you?"
Heaven's Gamble
Ariella stilled.
And in that moment—something changed.
The other envoys, who had been watching with amusement, suddenly grew tense.
Because Satoshi's words were not just words.
They carried weight.
His voice was not a mortal voice.
His presence was not something of this world.
And for the first time, they felt it.
The same thing the world itself had felt before.
The reason the sky had cracked.
The reason the land had trembled.
Satoshi was not meant to kneel.
And he never would.
Ariella's golden aura surged, her eyes flickering with divine power.
"Very well," she said.
Her voice was sharp, filled with divine judgment.
"If you and your companions wish to defy heaven—then you shall pay the price."
She raised her hand.
"If you win, you may ascend. But if you lose—"
The clouds above churned.
The sky turned white, a divine force pressing down upon the world itself.
"Then you will be judged. And heaven shall erase you from existence."
Satoshi blinked.
Then—he grinned.
His Eyes of Wrath burned brighter than ever.
"Now we're talking."
The Moment Before the Storm
The courtyard was no longer the same.
The cultivators who had once dreamed of reaching heaven now felt fear creeping into their bones.
Because this was not how things were supposed to go.
No one was supposed to challenge the envoys.
No one was supposed to talk back to heaven.
No one was supposed to make the divine flinch.
But Satoshi—
Satoshi was laughing.
And the battle for ascension had just begun.
The Gods Who Would Not Fight
The battlefield was silent.
The five strongest envoys of the Higher Realms stood at the ready, their divine power twisting the air itself, their auras suffocating.
The cultivators of the Lower Realm watched in awe and terror.
They had spent their entire lives aspiring to be chosen.
To witness the might of heaven itself.
To see the ones who ruled above all.
And yet—
As the battle began, something was wrong.
Satoshi, Liam, Camila, Amelia, and Athena did not attack.
They simply stood there.
And then—they dodged.
A Battle Already Lost
A streak of divine lightning shot toward Satoshi—he yawned and sidestepped.
A blade made of celestial law swung at Amelia—she took a lazy step back, not even blinking.
A spear of heavenly light aimed at Liam—he tilted his head, golden eyes unreadable.
The envoys attacked again.
And again.
And again.
But the five did not even try to counter.
They simply moved.
Dancing between the attacks, not even exerting themselves.
It was effortless.
It was insulting.
And the envoys knew it.
They were too weak.
Satoshi exhaled. "This is getting boring."
Amelia sighed, stretching. "I thought the Upper Realms were supposed to be impressive."
Athena clung to Satoshi's arm. "I could dodge these attacks in my sleep."
Camila didn't even look up from the book she was reading.
Liam closed his eyes. "This was a waste of time."
The envoys, once radiant and invincible, trembled.
They had come expecting a fight.
But they had not come expecting this.
They had not come expecting to be treated like insects.
And as the final attacks were dodged—
As the last sparks of divine power faded into nothing—
Satoshi, Liam, Amelia, Athena, and Camila stood unscathed.
And bored.
Ariella's hands tightened into fists.
She had not expected this.
And yet—she could do nothing.
Because heaven itself was watching.
The moment the deal was struck, the heavens had become a witness.
If she went back on her word now, she would be punished.
She gritted her teeth.
"Get ready."
Her voice was cold.
"You will leave for the Higher Realms tomorrow."
The Price of Kindness
The next morning, as the sky cracked open to take them, Satoshi stood before Mark and the people of the Supreme Sect.
He sighed, scratching the back of his head.
"Well. Guess this is it."
Mark, despite his years of wisdom, felt something unfamiliar.
Loss.
These beings—**these creatures who should not exist—**had turned the world upside down.
And now they were leaving.
Mark bowed.
"Thank you."
Satoshi smirked. "Oh, we're not done yet."
Liam stepped forward.
And with a single wave of his hand—war ended.
Mark's eyes widened as the sky split open.
Thousands of bodies rained down from above.
But they were not the dead.
They were the Supreme Sect's enemies.
Their bodies were motionless.
Their cultivation was gone.
Satoshi grinned.
"We killed them all."
Mark stared.
The other cultivators fell to their knees in disbelief.
"You… what?"
Liam shrugged. "Figured we should leave you a gift."
Mark felt his breath catch.
For the first time in centuries, the Supreme Sect had no enemies left.
No rivals.
No threats.
No war.
Just peace.
And yet—
Satoshi was not done.
Camila stepped forward.
Mark felt it before it happened.
Something unraveled inside him.
His body, once weathered by time, straightened.
His skin, once marked by age, healed.
His Qi, once dimmed by the weight of centuries, burned brighter than ever.
Camila had returned him to his prime.
Mark staggered.
"I… this is…"
And then—Athena touched his forehead.
The world stilled.
The sky shifted.
The laws of fate bent around him.
And suddenly—Mark was untouchable.
If the world ended—he would survive.
If the heavens collapsed—he would be saved.
Because he had been marked by something greater.
Mark fell to his knees.
The sect disciples wept.
Satoshi stretched lazily. "Alright, that should do it."
Mark looked up, his voice shaking.
"Why?"
Satoshi smirked.
"Because you gave us food and a place to sleep."
Mark stared.
And then—
they were gone.
The sky swallowed them.
The Supreme Sect was left forever changed.
And now—the Higher Realms awaited
The Arrival in the Upper Realms
The moment they stepped into the Higher Realms, they felt it.
Not just a shift in space—but in existence itself.
The air was heavy with power.
The sky was not blue.
It was white.
Not white like clouds or light—but white like something had drained all meaning from it.
The land stretched in infinite directions, layered in vast floating palaces, endless celestial mountains, and cities woven from Qi itself.
And above it all—
A single, massive golden sun hung in the sky, but there was no warmth.
It simply watched.
Satoshi, Amelia, Liam, Athena, and Camila stood at the edge of eternity, staring at the world of gods.
And Satoshi?
Satoshi laughed.
"So this is it, huh? The so-called heavens?"
His Eyes of Wrath burned.
Liam's golden aura flickered.
Camila's Eyes of Time rotated, scanning the flow of history embedded in the land.
Athena gripped Satoshi's sleeve tightly.
And Amelia?
She just smirked.
This place—this so-called divine realm—
Felt like a cage.
The Gaze of the Heavens
Ariella and the other envoys landed on a massive jade platform overlooking the infinite cityscape.
Hundreds of figures were waiting for them—dressed in divine robes, exuding celestial authority.
The Lords of the Higher Realms.
Figures whose mere presence suppressed the weaker beings around them.