As one of the Ennead in ancient Egyptian mythology, the God of War Seth possessed the rank of a true Sky Father. Unlike pseudo–Sky Father beings such as Apocalypse, Seth wielded mastery over divine laws themselves.
Therefore, his primordial essence naturally offered Herman an immense surge of power, granting him a new law-based ability. This was the first time Herman had ever gained such an extraordinary enhancement from a source other than the [All-Seeing Eye].
"The most valuable prize so far."
Sensing the fluctuations radiating from Seth's divine core, Herman wasted no time. He immediately began absorbing the War God's primordial power.
Seth's divinity flowed into him, nourishing the divine fire burning within his body. Under the relentless refinement of that golden flame, the essence was swiftly transformed into Herman's own strength.
His divine fire flared higher than ever before. The godly traits of Seth's divinity were gradually brought under his control as they melted within the flames.
This was the might of Herman's golden divine fire—its power to devour the essence of gods and demons alike. It resembled Apocalypse using the Pyramid Reactor to consume the powers of other mutants.
By devouring divine and demonic power, Herman could claim the strength of other deities and infernal beings as his own. It was a terrifying form of growth, something no other transcendent lifeform could replicate.
Even among powerful demons, consuming another's essence usually required long periods of digestion and assimilation—and even then, much of the absorbed energy was lost in the process.
No matter how strong the devourer, the benefit they gained was rarely more than a fraction of what they consumed. But Herman's devouring flame of gods and demons suffered no such limitation.
While he couldn't absorb all of another being's energy, he could at least fully assimilate their laws—an eighty-to-twenty ratio at minimum. And unlike others, he didn't need ages of refinement; the divine fire born from his devouring ability could instantly consume another's essence and make it his own.
For Herman, sheer energy quantity meant little. With the [Realm of the Dead] serving as his inexhaustible reserve, energy was something he could draw upon endlessly. What truly mattered—what he longed for—was the power of divine law itself.
"Ssshh—"
The divine fire roared to life.
Brilliant golden light flared across Herman's body, illuminating the ruined pocket dimension. The glow was so intense that Evelyn, shielded behind her energy barrier, found herself unable to look away.
"My God…"
Her amber eyes shone with awe and fascination.
Before her, Herman stood with eyes closed, calmly refining the essence of the fallen War God.
Soon, under the relentless refinement of the divine flame, the primordial core of Seth was completely absorbed.
"To draw strength from war itself…" Herman murmured. That was the defining trait of Seth's divinity—the very core of his godhood.
And now, it had become Herman's own.
Yes.
Herman had seized the power of the War God. He now held the right to call himself one—able to draw strength from every form of conflict.
Any struggle could be considered war—even a corporate rivalry between companies could serve as a vessel of that power.
Of course, in scale, nothing compared to the current World War raging across the Earth.
Though absorbing Seth's essence hadn't yet elevated him to a true Universal-level being, Herman knew that by subtly steering the course of World War II from the shadows—
If he ensured that over ninety percent of humanity perished, and that his chosen side ultimately claimed victory—he could absorb enough power from that endless global conflict to ascend to Universal level.
Ordinarily, the manipulation of a single planet's war shouldn't yield such tremendous returns. But Earth was different—it was the core of the Marvel Universe.
Now, with the divinity of the God of War flowing through him, Herman could clearly sense why Earth held such a central place in the cosmic order.
To ignite war on Earth was to reap rewards thousands—no, tens of thousands—of times greater than on any other world.
Simply plunging Earth into chaos could bring him far greater divine returns than even aiding Thanos in exterminating entire galaxies.
"Ares, the god of war from the DC Universe, intended to stir the tides of World War II to gain power surpassing even that of his father.
Now I understand why. By plunging the war into chaos, one could obtain strength beyond even the Sky Father level.
Who could possibly resist such temptation?"
Herman allowed himself a quiet chuckle.
After all, the power systems of two universes could hardly be compared on equal terms.
No one could say for certain whether the gods of the DC Universe were truly equivalent to the Sky Fathers of Marvel, but the divinity of war itself should be similar in essence.
Both drew strength from conflict. That power—like deriving energy from death—was a divine method born of godhood, an extraordinary ability beyond mortal comprehension.
The power to harvest strength from war was, without question, the greatest gain Herman had achieved since arriving in the Marvel Universe.
Of course, this excluded the abilities granted by the [All-Seeing Eye].
Beyond the war divinity itself, the War God Seth also possessed numerous incomplete yet potent fragments of law-based divinity.
Not only did these include abilities like dominion over deserts, but even Herman's own power over death had been significantly strengthened.
Seth's divinity had always fascinated him. Contained within it was the Law of Death itself—the very reason Seth had been able to withstand Chthon's power for so long.
Though that death-aligned divinity had not granted Seth true immunity from death, it had provided him with considerable resistance to it.
Now, with all of Seth's divinity absorbed, Herman's understanding of death had deepened once again. From Seth's deathly essence, he had acquired a new ability.
"To call back the long-dead… and grant them immortal bodies of golden sand?" Herman pondered the new power stirring within him.
It wasn't particularly useful to him now, yet still worth keeping—a tool that might one day prove valuable.
"By absorbing Seth's divine attributes, even my physical body has strengthened."
He could feel the transformation clearly. His raw strength had grown immensely.
After all, Seth was also known as the Lord of Strength, naturally blessed with overwhelming might and a powerful physique. Herman's body had already been formidable, but now it had reached an even higher tier—comparable, perhaps, to that of Superman himself.
...
While Herman absorbed the divine essence of Seth and gained the War God's mantle, far away in Berlin, Germany—
Inside an opulent, gold-trimmed office, the leader of the world's most dominant faction sat in conference with his personal advisor, discussing decisions that would shape the future of the world.
"Mr. President, believe me—you will be the ultimate victor."
The hooded advisor, who had been speaking with the Führer and subtly manipulating his thoughts, suddenly paused mid-sentence.
His expression faltered for a brief instant. A strange light flickered in his golden eyes as his gaze turned toward the distant horizon beyond the window.
"My advisor, what are you looking at?" The mustached Führer frowned. He detested people losing focus while speaking to him.
Were this advisor anyone else, the Führer would already be shouting, spittle flying—perhaps even adding a few choice words like "pathetic" or "trash."
Anyone who had ever worked under him knew his temper was notoriously vile. Art students tended to be temperamental, and failed art students even more so.
As a mere mortal, the Führer had every reason to indulge that temper. Even the once-proud HYDRA and Red Skull operated beneath his authority. A man capable of commanding Red Skull could not be considered weak.
In truth, even Red Skull, one of his most trusted subordinates, often found himself the target of his superior's outbursts. Super-soldier or not, the Führer would scold him without hesitation.
And while Red Skull's heart seethed with anger, he dared not speak a word in protest, forced to swallow his resentment in silence.
For such an arrogant man to restrain his temper before this particular advisor spoke volumes—the advisor was no ordinary being.
In fact, only the Führer and this mysterious figure were present in the office.
"I'm watching… for variables," the advisor said at last.
His irises shimmered with a rare golden hue—so rare that one could search all of Europe and never find another pair like them.
"Hmm? The weather—will it change? Is today no longer fit for our surprise assault?" the Führer asked, misinterpreting his words.
"No. The attack can proceed as planned," the advisor replied in a low tone. "But as for the future, we must reexamine our plans. We should prepare for… unforeseen changes."
His voice grew quieter as he stared out over the cityscape of Berlin.
And yet, within his golden pupils, there was no reflection of the city—only the image of endless desert sands.
He was gazing toward Egypt.
But whatever he sought there… remained hidden.
"Concealed, are you?" he murmured, a trace of regret passing over his face.
He had sensed a presence—one he could not ignore. A kindred aura.
"A variable?" the Führer echoed, his expression shifting sharply as realization dawned.
"You mean… another ancient sorcerer like you has awakened?" he asked, his voice laced with unease.
He had seen firsthand the terrifying power his advisor commanded. The thought of another being of similar caliber aiding a rival power made him deeply uneasy.
"Rest assured… I am the greatest sorcerer." The advisor's tone carried absolute confidence, his slightly curved lips revealing a meaning too deep to voice.
He borrowed the title of sorcerer only to conceal his true identity—explaining it to mortals, fragile as ants, was a waste of breath.
"To me, this is a challenge… but more than that, it's an opportunity." His voice was calm, his gaze distant. Within his golden pupils, the reflection of a boundless desert shimmered. Even from thousands of miles away, he could clearly perceive the sands of Egypt.
Though the figure he sought remained unseen, he knew his instincts were right. A war god's presence was stirring in that desert—the ancient Egyptian god had been roused by the current turmoil.
"A dying god dares compare himself to me, Ares?"
Arrogance blazed in his golden eyes. He clearly knew more about the Egyptian pantheon than he let on.
...
Across the sea—
On an island inhabited only by women,
A teenage girl was preparing to sneak out to sea with equipment she had secretly gathered from home.
But her plan ended before it began.
Her mother, the queen of Themyscira, caught her in the act and immediately ordered the guards to bind her tightly.
The beautiful young girl, her long legs tense with defiance, struggled furiously against her captors.
"I'm going to find Ares and challenge him! I'll end his evil! It's because of him that the world suffers so much!"
Her voice rang out, filled with righteous conviction—yet the queen remained unmoved.
With a single wave of her hand, the fair-skinned girl was silenced, her lips sealed by magic. All she could do now was glare in protest with her wide, tear-bright eyes.
"Take her away. Confine her for half a month."
As the guards carried the struggling girl away, sorrow flickered in the queen's dignified gaze.
"This makes the eighth time this year, doesn't it?" she asked quietly.
The guard beside her nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. The eighth time."
Her tone carried nothing but respect.
"Ever since that soldier from the outside world was washed ashore and told Diana what's happening beyond our island, she's been determined to leave."
"Damn that outsider," the queen muttered bitterly. "If he hadn't bled to death so quickly after washing up here, I'd have made him suffer the harshest punishment imaginable."
She pressed her fingers to her temples, her expression weary, and sighed deeply.
"Diana means well," the guard said softly after a pause. "She believes the chaos of the world is all because of Ares, the god of war. Perhaps… if you explained it to her—"
"What good would it do?" The queen cut him off, her expression complex. "She's too stubborn."
She knew full well the turmoil outside was indeed caused by Ares.
But that was not something she could tell her people. Even if they weren't as headstrong as Diana, every Amazon harbored deep hatred for the god of war.
As queen, she could not allow her subjects to rush to their deaths. That man was too powerful—stronger now than Zeus himself had ever been.
Even though the old prophecy claimed her daughter would one day defeat the war god, she had no faith in such words.
After thousands of years of war, who could possibly know how powerful Ares had become?
On this planet, perhaps… there was no longer anyone capable of opposing him.
And as a mother, she would never send her daughter to die for the sake of a prophecy.
"Double the guards on her," the queen ordered firmly.
Her tone left no room for question. She would not let her daughter leave the island.
Whatever chaos raged beyond the seas—it had nothing to do with Themyscira.
...
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