Since no god was allowed to kill another god in this trial, Tien wasn't killed even after he lost the war. However, the winner was decided when Tien lost his entire army.
Ezekiel sat on his knees after the war ended. His left arm was cut off in the battle. Most of his body was covered in blood. Even though he had won the war, his eyes were still empty. This was the end of this long war, yet he didn't feel happy. He felt... Nothing. It was as if his heart had turned to stone along the way.
Even if he won the war, he knew that he already lost everything in the process.
On the other side, Aizen walked closer to Tien, reaching out his hand to help Tien up.
"Looks like you won the test..." Tien let out a sigh, as he stood up. "Congratulations."
"Hahaha, this was nothing. I was destined to win right from the start," Aizen laughed happily. He had won the trial. And finally he had the right to become even stronger and join the Council of High Gods.
Ezekiel sat on his knees, glancing toward Aizen, seeing the man laughed. He could also hear the words of Aizen.
Tien asked Aizen how he did it. How did he find an army who was so strong and brutal in the fight for his cause. While Tien had to work so hard and offer rewards to everyone who fought for him, or force them, but that was ineffective.
Even if he forced someone while scaring them that he was going to kill them if they didn't, but they still couldn't fight with as much zeal as Aizen's army, which was one of the main reasons according to him behind his loss.
In response, Aizen smirked. He didn't shy away. Now that the war was over, he proudly told Tien how he used the emotions of these people to manipulate them.
"You thought of them as people. But I thought of them as pawns. That's why you lost, and I won," Aizen stated.
Each of his words stabbed deep in Ezekiel's heart who was listening from a distance.
As Aizen described everything, from how he secretly killed people and everything else... It was all chilling. One incident Aizen described was almost identical to how Ezekiel had lost his family.
He had never found out who was behind that. Thanks to Aizen, he had always calmed other kingdoms for that. However, to find out that Aizen was behind that... He felt his heart had shattered into a thousand pieces.
Not only did he not take revenge for his family, but he also helped the person instead. He killed his own people, to achieve the tasks given my Aizen, like a good dog.
Ezekiel couldn't believe how naive he had been. Aizen had manipulated him for all these years, and he had been blind to it. He had lost everything, including his left arm. He didn't even know if he could live to see the next day, with how much blood he had lost.
However, his heart was so broken that he couldn't think about that at the moment. He held his Sword firmly in his right hand, pushing his frail body up.
He dragged his weak body, walking toward Aizen.
Aizen noticed Ezekiel coming toward him. However, he didn't realize that he had heard everything that he said.
"If it isn't the man of the war! My most precious gem!" He happily laughed. "I shall give you a reward! What do you want!"
He was quite happy and in the best of moods. He didn't mind giving a few rewards to the so-called pawns, before leaving this ruined world.
Ezekiel's face was always emotionless, so Aizen didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Moreover, Ezekiel didn't reveal any killing intent. He was too tired to even think.
"You will reward me?" Ezekiel asked.
"I will!" Aizen laughed. "You worked hard, after all. Do you want me to heal your left arm as a reward? Do you want me to grant you even more strength? Or do you want precious treasures and herbs! I am in a good mood today. So before I leave, I shall grant it!"
Ezekiel nodded in response. "Then give me..."
He raised his weak right arm, which was still holding his bloody Sword.
"... Your life." He stated, as he thrust his sword.
His sword passed through the chest of Aizen, stunning him.
He blankly looked at his chest, from where the Sword passed through. However, instead of revealing any anger, he revealed an amusing smirk.
"To think that you would aim for my life..." He grabbed the Sword, pulling it out of his chest.
His wound healed right before Ezekiel's eyes, surprising him. Even a sword straight through the chest couldn't kill him.
"You don't even know who you're trying to kill. Other than a God from my home world, no one can kill me, let alone an ant like you!" The man stated, before he kicked Ezekiel's chest, sending him flying back.
Ezekiel felt most of his bones break, making him go pale. Even with his strong physical defense, he couldn't resist even an ordinary kick from Aizen.
"And here I thought, I should reward you...who would've thought that you wouldn't appreciate my kindness at all." Aizen approached him with a devilish grin.
"Now, let's see what we can do with you," he said before grabbing Ezekiel by the hair and lifting him up. "Shall I kill you? But I know how well enough to know that you don't fear death. So what shall we do so that you shall remember me forever until your death?"
"I have a suggestion..." Tien stepped forward. Even though he had lost, this was a good way to let out his frustration. Moreover, by attacking a god, this pawn had insulated the dignity of gods.
Hearing the conversation between the two gods, and even the suggestion of Tien, Karyk was also taken aback. Even though he knew it was just a memory, but that suggestion felt too... unreal…
