Facing the incoming assault, Kinich Ahau swung his radiant spear to parry.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
Energy sparks flooded the air each time his spear clashed with Ren's arrows. Unfortunately, he had severely underestimated his opponent. As the Sun God, one of the highest ranks in any pantheon, Kinich Ahau's ego was too great to acknowledge the real danger before him.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
"Ugh..."
Unlike Lancelot, who could effortlessly deflect Ren's attacks, Kinich Ahau paid the price for his arrogance. Every arrow Ren fired was no ordinary projectile—they were designed as the antithesis of the Sun God's attributes. Even when Kinich Ahau successfully blocked them, the residual energy from each arrow struck his body like poison tailored to his very existence.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Ren didn't stop. Moving at 400 km/h, he circled Kinich Ahau while continuously firing arrows every second. His speed and accuracy turned the battlefield into a lethal hailstorm of arrows.
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
*THUD!* *THUD!* *THUD!*
Kinich Ahau deflected most of the attacks, but a few slipped past his guard, piercing his body. The arrows struck his shoulder, thigh, and even his arm, leaving wounds that oozed dark energy, eroding his solar power.
"AARRGH!! What have you done, Campione?!" Kinich Ahau growled as pain seared through him.
Leaping back while keeping his bow trained on the Sun God, Ren smirked.
"What have I done? I'm showing you that pride will be your downfall, Sun God."
Pride was the original sin.
Throughout history, countless gifted individuals had been toppled by insignificant people because they overlooked the details.
Ren knew that a lion must go all out even against a rabbit. He was a lion, and Kinich Ahau was also a lion.
"This isn't over yet, so I haven't lost. Though my injuries are severe, they don't hinder my movements. I am the Sun God, capable of overcoming any obstacle!"
A brilliant golden aura erupted from his body. Kinich Ahau raised his left hand, and the sunlight blanketing the battlefield gathered around him. In an instant, his body was enveloped in a dazzling healing light.
However, his confident smile soon faded as he realized something was wrong.
"What is this?" He muttered in shock.
His normally instant regeneration now felt sluggish. The wounds inflicted by Ren's arrows still ached, even after invoking his divine Authority to heal.
"Surprised? I told you—I am your antithesis. Even your divine healing won't work perfectly against these arrows." Ren sneered.
Cornered, Kinich Ahau unleashed his full power. Raising his spear high, the sky above Canvey Island began to change. The artificial sun he had created blazed brighter, its golden light blinding. The battlefield's temperature skyrocketed, causing the ground to crack and burn.
"I am the force of life and destruction! I am the fire that burns, the light that guides, and the power that conquers all darkness!"
*BUZZ!*
With a single swing of his spear, Kinich Ahau summoned a raging firestorm. A golden wave of flames surged toward Ren at incredible speed, incinerating everything in its path. Trees around the battlefield instantly turned to ash, and the air reeked of sulfur and scorching heat.
*WHOOSH!*
Ren leaped back to evade. Despite the extreme heat, his expression remained exhilarated. His bow gleamed as he drew the string.
"A firestorm? You think this is enough to defeat me?"
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
He fired another volley with Meteoric Ascent, this time aiming directly at the firestorm.
*BOOM!*
The arrows pierced its core, triggering a massive explosion that shattered Kinich Ahau's attack and robbed it of momentum.
"Not yet!"
Kinich Ahau raised his hand to the sky, and nine rings of light appeared in the air. Each gradually formed a miniature sun radiating divine power. This was one of his strongest Authorities—Nine Suns of Destruction, meant to purge the world of darkness.
"You take pride in wounding a god. But now, I'll show you true power!" Kinich Ahau said with a cold smile.
"..."
Ren gazed upward at the nine miniature suns hanging in the sky. Each emitted such intense heat and light that it was hard to look at directly. Yet, instead of fear, a confident grin spread across his face.
"Wow, seriously? Nine suns? Are you asking me to reenact Hou Yi's most famous legend? Fine, I accept your challenge!"
"Hmph!"
Kinich Ahau hovered in the air, his spear radiating a golden aura. Magical energy swirled around him, turning the battlefield into a furnace ready to melt everything.
"Campione, you may boast now. But witness how this world bows to the might of a Sun God!"
Yet, Ren didn't retreat an inch. If anything, this grand challenge only made his blood boil hotter.
"Then I'll get serious too."
Since his opponent had chosen to end the battle with a decisive strike rather than a drawn-out fight, Ren decided to respond in kind.
Coincidentally, he had been eager to test the strongest attack within his divine Authority: Sun Conqueror.
Drawing his bow to its fullest, Ren chanted an incantation.
"Blazing heavens with nine suns, heed my will! With each shot, I shatter your pride. Fall, and let your ruin be an eternal warning to absolute power!"
*BUZZ!*
Three emerald-green arrows materialized on his bowstring, each brimming with immense destructive energy.
"Die, Campione!"
In the air, Kinich Ahau hurled his nine miniature suns at Ren. The blazing orbs descended at terrifying speed, generating enough heat to boil and evaporate seawater for dozens of kilometers.
"..."
Yet, Ren stood firm amidst the scorching battlefield. As the nine suns closed in, he released his three arrows skyward.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Mid-flight, the arrows vibrated as if alive, then multiplied into nine. In an instant, nine gleaming green arrows shot upward, each targeting one of Kinich Ahau's suns.
But the true threat had only just begun. The nine arrows Ren fired transformed into nine colossal suns hanging in the sky. These suns radiated even more extreme heat than Kinich Ahau's, turning the battlefield into absolute hell.
The already boiling seawater completely evaporated, creating thick steam clouds. The ground burned to ash, and scorching winds roared, sweeping everything away.
This phenomenon wasn't confined to the battlefield. The nine suns Ren created loomed in the sky like an apocalyptic omen, creating a sight both breathtaking and terrifying. Combined with Kinich Ahau's nine, a total of eighteen suns now blazed in the heavens.
Their light was so intense that even regions on the opposite side of the planet were affected. Eurasia, which should have been in nighttime, abruptly turned to day. The blinding glare forced people to shut their eyes, and the heat felt like an oven even from afar.
In major cities like Tokyo, Beijing, and Moscow, people rushed outside in panic. They stared at the sky in terror, believing the world was ending. Global media reported the phenomenon as a sign of doom, while prayers for salvation echoed everywhere.
Yet, Ren cared nothing for the worldwide chaos his attack had caused. He focused on one thing alone: bringing down the arrogant Sun God before him.
'So it's true… His claim of being my antithesis wasn't just metaphorical.'
"Campione… I admit you are the Sun God's worst enemy." Kinich Ahau's voice was heavy but resolute.
Yet, behind his words, he couldn't ignore the genuine threat of Nine Sun Strikes. Even after deploying his strongest defenses, the sense of impending doom lingered.
As Kinich Ahau's nine suns clashed with Ren's nine, the world seemed to pause. The tension was palpable, the air itself burning around them.
*BOOM!* *CRAAACK!*
An unimaginable collision of energies erupted. The shockwave from the two divine forces created an energy storm that annihilated everything nearby. Canvey Island nearly sank from the sheer pressure. Yet, the stalemate lasted less than five seconds.
*BOOOOOM!*
With a deafening explosion, Ren's nine suns triumphed! The antithetical attribute within Nine Sun Strikes overwhelmed Kinich Ahau's suns, crushing them mercilessly. This wasn't just victory—it was an undeniable certainty, as absolute as 1+1=2.
*SWISH*
Kinich Ahau staggered back, his once-dominant aura fading. The eyes of the Sun God, once filled with pride, now held reluctant but sincere acknowledgment.
"You win! Take my divine Authority, and showcase the glory of the Sun God Kinich Ahau! Wield it, and keep winning, no matter the foe."
Surrounded by Ren's nine lingering suns, Kinich Ahau knew he was defeated.
The next moment, Nine Sun Strikes descended upon the fallen deity.
*BOOOOM!*
*DHUAR!*
Each sun exploded upon contact with Kinich Ahau's body, creating eruptions so violent that the night sky turned to day. His form was obliterated by nine consecutive blasts without pause.
The explosions were so loud they shook half the planet, resembling endless thunder. The shockwaves shattered glass, toppled buildings, and quaked the earth like a high-magnitude earthquake.
*BOOOOOOM!*
The final explosion was the most devastating. The light from the nine suns enveloped the world, banishing darkness as if declaring Ren's absolute victory. To those witnessing this defiance of nature, night turned to day in an instant.
The nine suns hanging in the sky slowly faded, leaving behind a world now in ruins from the battle that had just transpired.