"Ha..."
Lucian exhaled slowly, his breath misting with the rising power from within. Behind him, a massive phantom surged into being, an ethereal titan, towering high in the heavens. It shimmered purple, its eyes burning with celestial intensity, dressed in gleaming crimson armor that pulsed with energy. The giant's hand held a broad sword sharp, curved, and forged from Lucian's divine essence.
Compared to this colossal being, Lucian was barely the size of its toe.
"I'm ready, Master," he said, his voice calm but fierce. A matching sword, smaller yet equally radiant, took shape in his hand, forged from the same Origin energy that formed his phantom.
The Martial God raised a brow. "You're already invoking your true god form?" he asked, his voice amused but serious. "Don't forget, I have mine too."
And with that, the very void trembled.
His own god form burst forth an overwhelming presence, deep red and raw in its power. Unlike Lucian's armored manifestation, his wore only shorts, bare-chested, revealing taut muscles carved by centuries of war. A massive gauntlet shimmered on its right hand. It was not elegant; it was wild, primal like war incarnate.
"Come!" a thunderous voice echoed not from the god, but from the phantom itself. Unlike Lucian's detached god form, the Martial God had already fused with his, becoming one in mind and essence.
"Here I come, Master!" Lucian yelled, and then he moved.
At first, his stride was human. A blink later, he was a blur accelerating so rapidly that even time felt off-beat. His blade lifted above his head, gathering momentum as he spun, then hacked downward with precision. His phantom mirrored him, swinging its gargantuan blade toward the opposing god form.
"Haahh!" Lucian roared as his sword descended like a divine judgment.
But the Martial God was already moving.
With effortless grace, he twisted his torso and deflected the strike with his left hand. Sparks exploded. Then, like a hammer of fate, he jabbed forward with his right aiming directly for Lucian's jaw.
Had it landed, it would've dislocated his bones because in divine combat, damage dealt to the phantom translated to the god's physical body. Lucian's separation meant he'd only feel half the pain but pain was still pain.
Lucian's instincts kicked in.
He dropped his sword and flipped backward, narrowly evading the crushing blow. While flipping, he aimed a brutal stomp toward his master's chest.
But the Martial God was faster.
He caught Lucian mid-air by the leg.
With a grunt of raw strength, he slammed Lucian down like a comet, shattering the divine marble beneath a floor tougher than any material found in the Primordial Realm.
"Ughk!" Lucian coughed blood, the pain searing through his ribs.
Before he could recover, he was yanked into the air again and hurled like a meteor across the field.
"Sharing pain with your god form can be strategic," Zeus commented from beyond the dome. "But it delays reaction time. He's leaving openings."
The gods spectating the match murmured in agreement. Only those with god-king level power or higher could even track the duel the combatants moved faster than light, clashing in a blur of divine might.
"Mmh," added the Wine God, sipping from his golden gourd. "His control of speed and energy is impressive. He's nearly reached the level of a god king."
"My darling hubby will crush that arrogant blue-faced beast!" Aphrodite cheered like a boxer, punching the air with each cry.
"Doesn't look like it, sweetheart," Inanna smirked from the Mesopotamian corner, eager to ruffle Aphrodite's feathers.
"Wait until he merges with his god form," Aphrodite shot back. "Can you even see the fight? You're weaker than a god king."
Inanna's face burned crimson. She couldn't deny it, she had no idea what was going on in that dome of flashing light and exploding energy.
"Idiots," muttered a figure nearby. A red-armored woman, the famed Red Knight, stood silently. Her eyes narrowed. "Show-offs," she scoffed, though it wasn't clear if she meant Lucian or his master.
Back inside the dome, the Martial God's voice echoed like a decree.
"You know well that once your god form is out, you must merge with it. Otherwise, you'll never reach your full power."
"I know," Lucian replied, wincing as he stood. "I just wanted to see how far I could go without it."
And then, he merged.
The moment their energies combined, Lucian's god form changed. Its phantom eyes blazed with divine light, its body turning more corporeal, like a real god of war had descended. Energy crackled around him like a storm held barely in check.
"I'm going all out, Master," Lucian declared.
His god form placed the sword vertically before him, a symbol of discipline and readiness.