The entirety of Tokyo was engaged in battle, bleeding, as the colossal roars of Aresva and Ricardo fighting in the sky echoed.
From the sea, Ricardo's three monstrous divine envoys surged from the surface with enraged howls. Immediately after, two figures resembling Aresva, wielding golden spears, also broke through the waves, relentlessly attacking the three-headed beast.
Aresva’s plan, however, was far from complete due to interference from multiple factions.
Unfortunately, Zhao Tongzhi of the Hunter Group was exceptionally cunning. Ricardo had awakened prematurely, intending to drive away Pleiadena while also guarding against a sudden move from Heli.
Aresva found himself in a difficult position.
In a corner of Tokyo Port, Heli leaned against a wall, his expressionless gaze fixed on the three figures gradually being overwhelmed by demons.
"Susan cannot die; she represents a faction within the Hunter Group," Xiao Yue said softly, standing beside Heli.
Heli nodded. "These are only second and third-tier demons. While their numbers are vast, they are not enough to kill these individuals. I brought these demons here to alleviate the pressure on the four Hunters in the city center, allowing them to focus on dealing with those two gods.
Only when chaos erupts can I gain more."
Xiao Yue grunted. "Pleiadena hasn't gone far; she's still observing from the distant sea."
Heli chuckled. "I'm not particularly interested in Pleiadena's divinity. Weak gods ultimately meet their end, and I can claim their essence at any time. However, I am very interested in the key she holds to awaken Cesosjiang."
"I've considered it. We won't move against her for now. All gods fear Cesosjiang, which means Cesosjiang is no pushover. We shouldn't provoke him. Let's focus on accumulating our own strength first."
Heli cast another deep look at the battle in the port, then turned and vanished into the shadows.
The Tokyo sky was continuously erupting. Within the vortex of intertwined divine powers, Ricardo appeared somewhat disheveled. His strength was already inferior to Aresva's, and having just awakened, it was natural he couldn't match Aresva.
However, he did not retreat.
Gods were magnificent beings who were not allowed to look back on their path.
Ricardo hovered in the sky, his slender sword trembling slightly in his hand.
"Aresva, do you think you've got me cornered?"
Aresva shouldered his golden spear. Although he and Ricardo had temporarily ceased their direct confrontation, Aresva's divine power was constantly siphoning Ricardo's. Neither of them let their guard down.
Aresva chuckled. "Ricardo, as fellow lower-tier gods, we have our own predicaments. Rather than waiting for stronger beings to devour our divinity, it's better for us to accumulate divinity beforehand and then voluntarily enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Devouring the weak, avoiding the strong, and slowly accumulating strength is what we lower-tier gods should do.
Among the gods, only Shaxpe is capable of disregarding divine ranks and engaging in constant slaughter. We, however, cannot."
Ricardo listened to Aresva's words, agreeing with a wry smile. He then asked, "Then, who should I go and devour?"
Aresva replied, "For you, you could choose Annihilation and Pleiadena. However, you likely won't have the chance this epoch. Wait for the next one."
Ricardo paused, momentarily speechless, then sighed haltingly, "Aresva, you son of a bitch!"
Following this,
Ricardo's slender sword vanished. Then, his body began to convulse violently. Horns sprouted from his forehead, his skin was replaced by small golden scales, and his form grew immense. His hands transformed into sharp claws, and a thick, powerful tail whipped out from his lower back. His muscles and veins bulged beneath the scales.
Ricardo gazed at his long-lost body, exhaling slowly and grinning.
Aresva watched silently.
The two met each other's gaze.
Ricardo allowed his body to continue expanding and contorting.
"Aresva, all 'Transformation-type' abilities in this world originate from me, just as spiritual energy originates from Cesosjiang, the mental power of Gene Locks from Shaxpe, and psionic abilities from Xothu.
We possess the most primal power. All users of transformation abilities in the world stem from me.
You cannot kill me. My supreme regenerative ability allows me to fight continuously."
Ricardo laughed heartily, the wounds Aresva had inflicted earlier healing, the small scales closing over them with a sound like grinding metal.
Aresva scratched his head. "Cesosjiang is beyond mention. Shaxpe is already a high-tier god. Xothu was once a high-tier god. And you? Still a lower-tier god. You, who are the source of world power, why are you faring so poorly?"
Ricardo's laughter ceased. His expression turned sinister as he glared fiercely at Aresva. "Because you all learned from Shaxpe's example and never gave me another chance. In past epochs, every time I awakened, I was killed immediately."
RUMBLE!!!
White lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating Ricardo's ferocious face. A pair of massive wings unfurled from his back, and he charged at Aresva, extending his right claw, imbued with immense divine power, and slamming it into Aresva's golden spear.
This was the true battle of gods. Divine power filled the sky, and all living creatures prostrated themselves under the gods' might. There was no escape from their condescending gaze.
Ricardo had transformed into a monster, or rather, this was Ricardo's true form. As Ricardo himself had said,
All spiritual energy cultivators in the world drew their power from Cesosjiang.
All awakened Gene Lock ability users in the world drew their power from Shaxpe.
All psionic ability users in the world drew their power from Xothu.
And all users of transformation abilities in the world drew their power from Ricardo. However, Ricardo was terribly unlucky. Despite possessing the most primal power, he was killed the moment he awakened each time, preventing him from growing.
This was because all gods did not want another 'Shaxpe' to emerge.
Ricardo's claws fiercely raked towards Aresva's chest. His powerful physique and divine power granted him unparalleled strength.
Aresva remained still, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Ricardo.
The next moment,
Aresva's grayish-black divine power exploded outwards, sending Ricardo flying back with great force.
"You, who haven't accumulated strength in tens of thousands of years, are no match for me, even with your primal power."
Ricardo roared again and charged at Aresva.
Aresva also raised his golden spear and charged at Ricardo.
They clashed once more, soaring into the clouds. In an instant, countless collisions occurred. Aresva's objective was simple: kill the opponent and seize his divinity.
On top of a distant skyscraper, Heli sat on the edge, holding a bottle of ice-cold cola and gazing at the flashes within the black clouds. Beside him stood a large, black gravity halberd.
"Uncle Li, how do you think one should make an entrance to be truly spectacular?"
Li Qin shook his head. "For matters of showing off, you should ask Yan Ping."