Evelyn's heart pounded so hard it felt like it was lodged in her throat.
Could the mighty wizard really have been defeated?
"It can't… be!"
A fragile thread of hope still clung to her heart. The energy barrier Herman had placed around her hadn't vanished—it still held firm, shielding her from the wild, raging energy outside. That at least meant one thing: he wasn't dead.
"Even in a situation this dangerous, the shield he made for me hasn't faltered. He's… he's too kind. Too reliable."
Tears welled up as she stared at the glowing barrier. In her mind, she could almost see him, injured and under siege, yet still diverting his strength to protect her.
Beyond the shimmering shield, chaos reigned. Space itself fractured and warped; without this barrier, she would be torn apart in seconds. The ancient Egyptian stonework outside—structures far sturdier than human flesh—had already been reduced to dust by the storm of unleashed power.
There was no way she would survive unprotected.
"Wizard! Hold on! You can't lose now!"
Whether it was gratitude for his protection or sheer terror for her own life, Evelyn poured all her strength into shouting encouragement. Inside the barrier, she felt like one of those movie extras who could do nothing but cheer from the sidelines—utterly powerless, a spectator in a battle between gods.
"At least… he hasn't fallen yet."
It was the only hope she had left—and thankfully, it wasn't in vain.
Because even though the divine armor covering Herman's body had been pierced and crimson energy had invaded his form, that didn't mean he'd been defeated by the Chaos Force.
"The power that could reshape the universe in Wanda's hands… it really is extraordinary," Herman murmured, sensing the chaotic energy tearing through his body, trying to destroy him from the inside out. His tone held quiet awe, but no fear.
"Good thing I'm not limited to one kind of power."
His pure golden divinity alone couldn't suppress the Chaos Force. But the death energy within him, responding instinctively to the intrusion, erupted in turn—meeting the chaos head-on within his body.
Two opposing laws collided, and Herman's form resonated violently. It was like a miniature Big Bang, a cosmic detonation of unimaginable magnitude raging within him.
Though his body was extraordinarily strong, even by Sky Father standards, the clash still pushed him to his limits. His form was torn apart again and again by the warring powers—but under the rule of life and death, his cells regenerated instantly. The destruction could not outpace the healing.
Having erased the concept of "death" from himself, Herman could no longer truly die. His body could be destroyed, but his essence would remain, and from even total annihilation, he could return.
That was the difference between one who commanded the laws and one who merely wielded strength. The power of laws was the ultimate foundation—the highest truth of the cosmos.
"Impressive… but still not enough."
The death energy within him erupted outward, blasting apart the invading Chaos power and forcing it from his body.
A surge of scarlet energy exploded outward, scattering into countless fragments before disintegrating completely. The broken pocket dimension shuddered under the force, as crimson magic collapsed and faded into nothing.
"Wizard! You're okay!"
From within her shield, Evelyn watched in stunned disbelief before breaking into a bright, teary smile.
"You're really okay!" she shouted, voice trembling with relief. Her cheeks flushed pink, her excitement bubbling over.
Herman turned, raised his hand, and gave her a distant OK gesture.
Evelyn's heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She squealed with unrestrained joy like a starstruck fan girl.
She probably didn't even understand why her emotions were swinging so wildly. But for her, hope had returned.
Meanwhile, for Seth—the God of War—those emotions had reversed entirely.
"This… this is impossible! How could you withstand the power of an Elder God!?"
The War God Seth had already been grinning in triumph when Herman was struck by the Chaos Force—but now, that grin froze on his face.
The power of the Elder God Chthon… couldn't harm this man at all?
That was a being of truly higher dimensions! An existence older and far more terrifying than even his father, Ra! How could any Earth-born god possibly resist Chthon's corrupt, evil power?
"No! You can't be a god of Earth! Where are you from? Who are you really!?" Seth shouted, his voice cracking in disbelief.
The crocodile-headed god's expression twisted into one of sheer horror. To him, everything before his eyes felt utterly absurd.
"I have many identities," Herman said calmly, golden light rippling once again across his body. "Which one would you like to hear?"
In the broken, energy-ravaged space, waves of death energy surged outward from him, roaring through the unseen layers of reality.
Combined with his radiant divine power, three different forces—divine, deathly, and chaotic—intertwined within the collapsing pocket dimension, devouring everything around them. The once-overwhelming crimson energy was now faltering, steadily forced into retreat.
"How are you still alive?! Chthon's power should have erased your divinity!" Seth's voice trembled with disbelief.
He staggered backward, but the black tendrils of death energy were already spreading through the air, surrounding him from every direction.
He couldn't see the unseen realm—but he could feel it. The killing intent pressing down on him from all sides was undeniable.
"Heh. The word 'death' doesn't exist in my dictionary," Herman said coldly, divine light surging in his eyes. A faint, mocking smile touched his lips as he looked upon the panicking war god.
"Using Chthon's power… must be taking quite a toll, isn't it?"
With that, Herman took a single step forward—and in an instant, he was standing right before Seth.
"You damned wretch!" Seth roared, reacting on instinct. He flared his divine essence, reestablishing his link to the Darkhold.
His already-drained life force and divinity were once again poured into the cursed tome. The pages of the Darkhold whirled violently, flipping faster and faster as scarlet runes lit up in the air.
A tide of crimson energy burst forth from the book like a flood unleashed. The searing scarlet light surged forward with unstoppable force, crashing toward Herman.
This time—
The attack was several times more ferocious than before.
...
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