“……”
Silence.
Their eyes met, confirming that they were destined to be “rivals”!
“Bang!”
“Ugh～”
Just then, Kusanagi Kotarou, who had been thrown back, landed on the ground. He groaned in pain before struggling to his feet.
Though he hadn't been injured by the impact, falling so suddenly was still painful.
After getting back on his feet, his first priority was to retrieve the stone tablet he had dropped.
However, as he rubbed his arm and looked towards where the stone tablet had fallen, he noticed the two figures in the alleyway and froze.
What was going on?
Why was that elegant young man following him?
And who was the one standing opposite him?
He looked closer and realized that the person standing there, while it might be disrespectful to say, was dressed in a way that seemed unkempt.
The coat he was wearing was originally white, but now it was a dirty brown and somewhat tattered. It looked more like something you’d find worn in the middle of a desert oasis than something you'd see in a seaside town.
Undeniably, he was around the same age as the two others, likely about fourteen or fifteen.
He had jet-black hair that reached his shoulders, ivory-colored skin, and most importantly, he was incredibly handsome.
No way, not again?
Kusanagi Kotarou couldn't help but be captivated by him. His features had a slightly androgynous quality, and even among performers, he had never seen a beautiful young man like this.
But thanks to the shock and amazement he had experienced with Luo Chen, Kusanagi Kotarou quickly regained his composure.
Looking at the two handsome young men facing off, then at himself, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was just a sidekick or a passerby!
“You… are very strange. You are not one of us, nor one of those others. And, you feel dangerous. But I imagine you have come to find me specifically?”
“Well, to be exact, it's not the current you I’m looking for.”
“Hahaha! That’s right. At this moment, I am just a fragment of myself. I’m not in my full state. So, if you wish to complete that ritual, you will have to wait until I am fully restored.”
“It’s alright. I look forward to battling you.”
“……”
Luo Chen watched the slender, delicate young man in front of him, his body wrapped in a white linen cloth, his age seeming to be only fourteen or fifteen. He was undeniably beautiful.
Luo Chen studied him, his voice calm and steady.
The young man with black hair, seemingly no older than the first, seemed to be in the same state.
He was dressed in a style reminiscent of Arab clothing, blending seamlessly into the background.
At first glance, he didn’t seem like a legendary deity at all, but more like a beautifully crafted boy.
The Unflinching God, the Persian War God Verethragna!
【Unflinching God: A deity that does not conform to established myths and legends. They wander the world, leaving a profound impact, creating their own form and disaster in accordance with their desires.】
The young man's appearance was just one of his many forms. While he seemed harmless, the powerful energy fluctuations emanating from him were like a dormant volcano that could erupt at any moment, threatening to unleash chaos.
He was one of Luo Chen's targets. Unfortunately, this Unflinching God was incomplete, so even if he were to be killed, Luo Chen wouldn’t become a Godslayer.
It was a disappointment, but one of Luo Chen's goals had already been achieved: he had acquired the stone tablet!
The Divine Artifact: Prometheus’s Secret Book.
As the name suggests, a Divine Artifact is a book containing the wisdom and sacred spells from the heavens.
Most of them are indestructible and related to gods or myths.
The stone tablet in Luo Chen’s hand was the Prometheus’s Secret Book, possessing the power of fire and wisdom bestowed upon the human hero Prometheus.
With this book and its blue flames, he could steal divine power and wield the abilities of the gods!
On the other side, Verethragna’s brow furrowed slightly at the sight of Luo Chen’s sudden appearance.
His eyes flickered with a newfound seriousness. While only a fragment or projection, the Unflinching God’s presence in the human world was undeniably real, complete with its own consciousness.
Some, ignoring the rules of the human world, acted according to their own will and desires, treating humans as intelligent life forms.
When Luo Chen revealed himself without trying to hide, his aura hinting at danger, Verethragna immediately classified him as a strong adversary who demanded caution.
The one standing here was simply an avatar.
He was at his weakest, but the excitement and battle spirit that couldn’t be concealed made him smile, as if he had found an opponent worth fighting.
As a god of war, his existence was defined by battle. He lived for battle, always on the verge of it.
“I was enjoying a rare moment of leisure, but to reclaim my scattered strength, could you wait a few days?”
Verethragna looked at Luo Chen, his words confusing Kusanagi Kotarou, who was standing nearby.
His eyes gleamed with excitement and anticipation. The manifestation of a divine legend driven by the desire for victory, Verethragna did not feel the sting of being provoked. Instead, sensing Luo Chen's power and battle spirit, he couldn't help but imagine the thrill of a clash, and the joy or disappointment it would bring.
He wanted to experience the joy of conquering a formidable opponent or the frustration of defeat!