Grand Ancestral Bloodlines

Ryu stood over the beaten armor of the Heaven's Warrior as it crumbled to ash. The dark gold flames had already disappeared into his body without a sound but he didn't feel as though it had caused any changes at all. Let alone him, even Ailsa didn't feel any changes immediately.

However, that didn't change the fact that Ryu felt better now than he had his entire life. He took deep, filling breaths as the smell of rain shifted from toxic to intoxicating. His body felt as light as a feather and his mind was open and free.

At that moment, several auras of World Sea Realm experts descended from all sides, but Ryu didn't panic. He could tell immediately that they were using their strength to reinforce the fluttering formations that were keeping what remained of his castle intact.

From the moment Ryu had stepped into this place, he had noticed countless formations floating about. He had felt that they were too overly complicated and layered for even himself, personally, to see through them at a glance. But now, he could understand.

These formations were working as a sort of mask. It was likely that this punishment currently descending from the skies above was too much to handle all at once, even for the Martial God's best geniuses. As such, they had to slowly control it almost like a water faucet. Only after most of the danger had been dealt with would the faucet be turned on all the way.

This also seemed to be how they managed to choose a particular date for this event as well. It was likely that Elena had been here all the while from the moment she broke into the World Sea Realm and had spent this time consolidating her Realm in preparation for this event.

Beyond this, these formations were also the reason why these Heaven's Warriors were only attacking Ryu and the other eight but had yet to attack Galkos and his guards. Everything was clicking into place…

These Heaven's Warriors wanted to destroy Galkos but their rage was being funneled at Ryu and the other eight instead. In addition, because Ryu and the Viridi and Ignis Clan youth were all three natives of this world, the Heavens were the most enraged by their betrayal and as such sent the strongest Heaven's Warriors after them.

It was also likely that the reason Ryu's Heaven's Warrior was a step above theirs in strength was because he also happened to be representing Overseer Eudo. As such, his betrayal was even deeper.

Ryu felt like he was still missing a part of the puzzle. Namely, he still didn't know what the dark gold flame was exactly or what it did or what made it so valuable to the Martial Gods. He also felt that even for what he had done, the fury the Heavens had aimed toward him was too much larger than what everyone else was experiencing… It made Ryu feel as though there was another reason it was so infuriated, a reason that was beyond his understanding for now.

Ryu's head tilted up to the skies, its baleful rage growing like a tempest. He completely ignored the words Galkos had spoken even though he had heard them as clear as day. He simply didn't care. Right now, he felt invincible.

It was likely that the Heavens had no choice but to follow its own rules and had to wait until all nine Heaven's Warriors were killed before the next wave descended. If not for this, with how furious those clouds and the void above seemed, it was impossible that something wouldn't' have come by now.

At that moment, a sharp intent appeared to Ryu's back, seeking to skewer him entirely. But, Ryu didn't even move an inch. It was as though he hadn't sensed this person at all.

CLANG!

The sword suddenly rebounded off the seemingly soft skin of Ryu's back, a flicker of Heavenly Ice Phoenix Patterns dancing across his tone torso.

Ryu casually reached backward, grabbing the wrist the person who had attacked him before they were sent flying.

He rose this person up, forcing them to dangle from his palm until their gazes met.

This person was a boy barely 15 or 16 years old. Clearly, since the other eight had been occupied with their battles even right up until this moment, a member of Galkos' entourage had acted instead. But, the result was frightening to an extreme.

Ryu looked into the boy's fear filled eyes, his own gaze filled with a smile that gave away his current calmness. Even though his clothing was half destroyed and the skies felt like they were about to collapse, he seemed unbothered by it all.

"Do you see that?"

Ryu pointed behind him toward the fleeting ashes of the Heaven's Warrior.

The boy trembled when he heard Ryu's voice, unable to gather up the courage to say anything. He had thought that everyone would be on the same playing field during this trial so he hadn't hesitated to try and kill Ryu, and yet the result was seeing just how vast the gap between them was.

"It's a silly question, I know. Of course you can see it." Ryu said lightly. "Not only did you see it, but you should have felt its power too. So, you should be able to understand why it is I'm so surprised that you would be stupid enough to attack me, and alone at that. Did you believe that you could defeat it as easily as I did?"

Ryu spoke to the boy as though a teacher guiding his students. The boy was obviously a genius, having completed his tenth Rite. But… What was that in comparison to Ryu who had completed his thirteenth?

"For a so-called Divine Race, you all are very good at sneaking around and scheming, aren't you? You also seem to be very good at getting others to do your dirty work while you lie back and do nothing?"

Ryu stretched out his free hand to the side, causing chains of fire to shoot out. His immaculate control over the element was even enough for the Fire Sprites in attendance to rise to their feet in shock.

Right then, eight chains of fire shattered the skulls of the eight remaining Heaven's Warriors, causing every bit of dark gold fire to soar into Ryu's body.

"I don't need such things. I'm right here."

BANG!

The skies above shattered, whatever atmosphere that had been remaining opening up to an endless abyss.

"Come and get me."