The Fallen Gods and the Heroes’ Betrayal

“Who, then, could have driven away these beings who once created humanity and reigned over all existence, causing them to fall and become the ‘Black-blooded’?”

“Could it be…”

“Precisely.”

She laughed, a genuine, heartfelt sound escaping her lips:

“The ones who expelled the ‘gods’, rewrote history, twisted the world, and unleashed this unprecedented catastrophe that brought humanity to the brink of extinction—they are none other than those ‘heroes’ who reside in the Inner Realm, established The Association, and brazenly proclaimed themselves humanity’s saviors!!”

“…”

Stunned by the utterly incredible revelation, all three fell into a profound silence, unable to process the magnitude of the news.

If Bastet’s words held true, and the ‘heroes’ were indeed the orchestrators of this calamity, then what exactly was this so-called ‘Great Migration’?

Was it merely a self-orchestrated drama, designed to gather humanity into one place?

And as for their motives…

The usurped Divine Beings. Humanity’s faith. The peaceful Inner Realm. The Outer Realm, perpetually threatened by the Black-blooded.

Could it be… No, the mysteries were too numerous to jump to conclusions.

Moreover, Bastet’s words couldn’t be taken at face value; who knew how much she had embellished or twisted the truth?

Yao Jing turned his head, his gaze meeting The Doctor’s. A silent understanding passed between them, and they nodded in unison.

Fortunately, with The Association as their common adversary, The Doctor wouldn’t be an enemy; on the contrary, he would prove to be a remarkably reliable ally.

This was truly a blessing in disguise.

After all, most of his teammates were hot-headed brutes, possessing strength but lacking intelligence and communication skills. One particular gray-haired girl, he thought with a grimace, could send his blood pressure soaring with a single word.

“Allow me to interject for a moment,” The Doctor began. “While learning the origin of the ‘Black-blooded’ is certainly surprising, what connection does any of what you’ve said have to the current situation?”

The Doctor, it seemed, possessed an perpetually clear mind. While the others were still reeling from the woman’s astonishing revelations, he remained capable of pinpointing and articulating the core issue.

“Oh my, did I not mention it?”

Bastet seemed slightly surprised. Realizing she hadn’t, she proceeded to explain:

“Though the Divine Beings were defeated, losing their myths and even their true names, as great entities who ruled the world for countless eons, their essence is eternally indestructible.”

“The [Divine Blood] in your possession might just be a contingency left behind by one of them…”

Bastet turned, her gaze sweeping towards the horizon where a towering blue light barrier now rose from the earth.

“Now, through the will (and technology) of humanity (the demons), an ancient Divine Being has been resurrected in this world…”

“That one is fueled by hatred and driven by vengeance. If left unchecked, allowed to vent their fury, they would likely ‘destroy’ this city completely.”

****

[I’ve temporarily sealed this area, but the intensity of their battle is escalating. At this rate, I won’t be able to hold on much longer.]

From atop a tall building, the closest to Senkai Tower, Aier, the blue-haired girl who had noticeably grown, stood with a grave and solemn expression, her eyes fixed intently on the battlefield below.

There, a battle between black and red, between the minuscule and the colossal, between a girl and a monster, had reached a fever pitch. Every movement tore at the very earth, and waves of residual energy frequently surged from the clash, impacting the nearby blue light barrier.

[…Apologies, Aier. I was delayed on the way, but everything’s handled now. I should arrive in about five minutes.]

[Understood.]

Cutting off the communication, Aier looked down.

A camel stepped through the air, then gently landed on the rooftop, nudging the girl’s hand docilely with its head. On its back sat a man clinging desperately to its hump, his face etched with the relief of a narrow escape.

“M-Miss, h-hello,” he stammered, hopping to the ground, his eyes constantly darting towards the battle raging below.

This man was none other than Wu Liyun, who was originally meant to act alongside Liu Yu. At a crucial moment, he had been ambushed and knocked unconscious, his gem stolen. Upon waking, he was disoriented by the aftershocks of Abaddon’s rampage. Fortunately, as the two figures below unleashed their fury, this seemingly slow but surprisingly swift camel had rushed in, rescuing him from the collapsing earth and saving him from certain doom.

“Hello,” Aier replied casually, then fell silent, gently stroking the camel’s head.

The quiet atmosphere, however, made Wu Liyun uneasy, and he cautiously inquired:

“Thank you immensely for saving my life, Miss. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever need assistance in the future. However, I must now report what has happened inside. May I be excused?”

“No need to leave.”

The girl paused her movements, gazing into the distance. Just as Wu Liyun began to suspect he was about to be silenced, hurried footsteps echoed in the stairwell. Immediately after, two figures emerged from behind the door, one following the other.

“Brother Yao!?”

“Oh, seeing you’re alright puts my mind at ease.”

“Liu Yu, she…”

“I’ve already heard on the way.”

Yao Jing walked to the edge of the rooftop, observing the chaotic battlefield below, a frown involuntarily deepening on his brow.

This seemed to be the first time he had seen that little girl cause such a massive disturbance. What exactly had happened?

“Miss [Bastet], you’re late.”

“My apologies, my apologies. The Supervisory Bureau proved more troublesome than I anticipated, and I was inadvertently delayed for quite some time.”

“You failed?”

Aier cast a glance at Bastet. According to the original plan, she should have arrived with the last piece of [Divine Blood], not empty-handed.

“It was my oversight. I never expected The Supervisory Bureau to conspire with the Bloodkin, who should have been their enemies, to set a trap for me.”

Bastet tapped her head, her voice filled with vexation as she continuously blamed herself for her carelessness.

“That man is…”

“He is Yao Jing… his name is Yao Jing, and he’s the chief commander appointed by The Supervisory Bureau. Bringing him along might facilitate our next moves.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Yao Jing quickly greeted. “Could you explain the current situation? And… what exactly am I supposed to do?”

“Based on my observations over this period,” Aier began, assessing Yao Jing, “the ‘Unnamed God’ lurking within the ‘Divine Blood’ has likely beguiled our companion, using their will to… achieve resurrection. However, a ‘Divine Being’ stripped of its myth and true name is merely a slightly more unusual ‘monster,’ not an insurmountable foe.”

Aier continued, “Of course, we don’t need to confront it head-on.”

“We only need to seize the ‘Divine Blood’ that harbors the Divine Being’s consciousness while their fusion is still nascent, thereby severing their connection. This crisis will naturally resolve itself.”

“—The task of acquiring the [Divine Blood] can be left to me. I am intimately familiar with the properties of such artifacts.”

Bastet interjected, “However, the battle below is far too intense. Even with my abilities, I cannot guarantee a hundred percent success rate in a battlefield of this magnitude.”

“Therefore…”