?The shifting of Famine's balance suddenly increased in an attempt to keep up. Eventually, its movements looked no different than trembling.
Dyon's opaque white eyes, his unbridled sneer, his body crackling with lightning… It felt as though the true God of Judgement had descended from the skies, making even Famine feel inferior.
Dyon's sword passed through Famine's defenses, tearing across in steed's foreleg as sending a rain of gray blood onto the floors below.
He brandished his sword once more, sending forward another strike.
His body glided across the marbled floors, using the pouring blood no differently than a surfer would the tides of the ocean.
With another swift motion, he lopped off a hind leg.
The black knight toppled from his pedestal, flipping through the air with his hands still pressed together in prayer.
At that moment, maybe it was nothing more than one's imagination, but it no longer seemed to be as calm. It wanted Dyon to change his answer. Before he died, he wanted to forcibly change Dyon's mind.
His palms, pressed together in prayer, looked no different from a stance of begging and pleading.
Unfortunately, Dyon's lightning coated body only flashed once more. His gaze seemed both vacant and somehow savage all at the same time.
The very same unbridled fury Dyon had felt when he learned of the World Tree's actions bubbled up again. How dare these Heavens that took everything away from him ask for his help?
He didn't know where these thoughts came from, but it was his truth.
His sword swung down, cutting off Famine's arm. His opposite arm reached forward, tearing off his forearm. Finally, his sword pierced his head, exploding into countless pieces of flesh as Dyon roared.
'I'll only bear the load for my loved ones.'
Dyon grabbed the balance out of the air, the white fading from his eyes.
He found the burden of using Eternity's Balance was far more difficult when he forced it to activate rather than when he entered it similar to the way he entered a state of enlightenment.
This, however, could only be expected. After all, he hadn't spent much time comprehending the Concepts that built the foundation of the constitution very much. The only reason he was able to forcefully tap into it now was thanks to [One Above All].
He had an understanding of many more wills than he did in the past, so it logically followed that he had a deeper understanding of the balance of the world.
What he was more keenly aware of, though, was the fusion of his Hell's Right Eye with the Eternity Pupils. They seemed related in some way. Or, rather, maybe they held similar concepts…
Hell's Right Eye… Heaven's Left Eye… There was definitely an emphasis placed on balance if two such opposing concepts were to coexist in a single body.
Dyon's gaze flickered as he stared at the balance. It looked no different from the manifestation of Eternity's Balance that appeared, except instead of being gold… It was entirely black.
Dyon suddenly felt an inexplicable compulsion. Before he could truly think about it, his qi had already moved.
"[Devour]."
The moment the qi began to surge into his body, Dyon clenched his jaw tightly. He felt more uncomfortable than maybe he had in his entire life. He could tell that he hadn't had the impulse to do this due to famine qi, yet it was unquestionable that much of the balance was filled by this famine qi.
That was when Dyon remembered something. This 'famine qi' he kept referring to… On Famine's scale, hadn't it appeared as a white and black qi first…?
Dyon focused on this separation.
Something deep within stirred. It was hard to explain to any great extent, but it was most definitely good. For the first time, he felt his Eternity's Balance Constitution take a step forward. In fact, he vaguely felt that the laws that created it were simply unrefined understandings of Oneness.
'… In the end… Isn't everything an unrefined understanding of Oneness?'
Just as Dyon finished absorbing the last of what was hidden within the balance, causing it to fall to ashes, the sounds of gears turning filled his ears once more.
The doors Famine entered through slammed shut, sending a torrent of air flying through the room that almost sent Dyon flying. The most shocking part was that by the relative size of the doors, it had only been open a small sliver to allow Famine through, yet it actually produced such force in slowly closing… Dyon couldn't imagine just how heavy the doors truly were.
Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to think about it as the gears turned once more. Except this time, a completely different set of doors slowly opened…
Dyon's gaze flashed, suddenly remembering his rage. He had every intention of tearing every and anything that appeared before him apart.
However, when his gaze left the opening doors to look back toward Famine's corpse that should have been right beside him, he was astonished to find that it was completely gone. Not only that, but the grey blood that had just been beneath his feet was here anymore.
Dyon's brows furrowed, his head snapping in a particular direction.
As he expected. It wasn't just Famine's blood and body that disappeared, but his own blood as well.
'Maybe I'm just overthinking it. Who knows, maybe the shitty Heavens is actually a clean freak.'
Even as Dyon was thinking this, the distance sound of hooves sounded as a fiery red horse and its red armored knight appeared.
This time, there was no confusing these sounds for normal footsteps. Dyon could clearly distinguish the metallic horseshoes slamming against the ground, the grating of the plates of armor, the violent braying of the steed…
The temperature skyrocketed. Steam billowed from Dyon's body, its volume only growing as War approached closer and closer.
The red armored knight held a massive broadsword on its shoulder. Its size was abhorrent, stretching over five meters in length. But in comparison, its width was quite narrow, being at only about three quarters of a meter.
At the same time, the blade was incomparably sharp. Dyon could see the sharp cut it placed even in War's own red armor at the very spot he rested it on his shoulder. If it could cut into such pristine armor by simply resting on it… What could it do once it was swung…?
In an unknown space, even with the oppressive entrance of War, the trembling of the voices only became more pronounced.
"… No one… No one has ever passed the first trial… No one has ever faced War… No one… No one…"
A faint sobbing could be heard. The tears of three aged men fell for nothing other than Dyon's existence.
This very play, hadn't the Immortal Plane seen it countless times? He was always placed against impossible to win odds… He always had that indifferent smirk on his face even while facing them… And he never lost…
Time and time again…
This wasn't the first time they had been the victims… But what they feared was that this may very well be their last time…
Dyon looked toward War with a flickering rage in his eye.
"Do you want to ask me for something too? You can die along with Famine."
