Kara fought as hard as she could, deciding to use every inch of power she could draw out and it showed.

The twelve Gods were far more passive in comparison, with most using long-range attacks instead of getting close. It wasn’t that she showed enough might that she could match all twelve of them, but rather, no one was willing to pay a terrible price in exchange for killing her. Especially when it was much easier to strike when she was distracted as she couldn’t block everything.

Kyridian noticed the lack of decisive action by the other Gods but he would continue to pay it no mind so long as Kara was killed and Ira was captured. His form split into seven identical copies that spread out and waited for an opportunity.

Kara quickly noticed his scheme but there were eleven other Gods to still contend with. A rain of hail came flying toward her with spear-wielding God right behind it. Kara’s wings covered her body and blocked the projectiles before they swung open and she struck out at the spear-wielding God. She could only parry his first attack before several glowing blue lights flew toward her and exploded.

Kara let out a short groan before she began to slow down. The cause was a God who could alter motion, he clasped his hands together and she felt frozen in place.

“If you aren’t careful here you will die, Valkyrie.” Kyridian appeared at her side and tried to stab a dagger into her back but Kara exploded with fury.

Her body began to glow with a silver light and she cut toward the God of Motion, landing a small injury that interrupted him. Her short spear was thrust into in Kyridian’s chest but he disappeared instantly.

“An illusion!” Kara shouted angrily, not noticing the bright beam of plasma being sent at her.

The burning ray of light pierced through her wing and brought out a pained scream from Kara. Suddenly, a gigantic stone hand rose up from beneath the surface and closed itself around Kara before slamming her into the dirt.

Kara coughed as she tried to get up but a Goddess with golden skin fell down and stomped her body even deeper into the soil. Knowing she did enough, the Goddess quickly retreated as Kara swung her sword.

“You are all cowards!” Kara gritted her teeth and lifted herself to her feet. Just as she regained her ground, a bronze boar around thirty feet tall crashed into and sent her flying toward the entrance of the cave.

“Give up,” Kyridian spoke with a gentle smile while twirling a glowing blue dagger in his hand.

Kara propped herself up against a rock, her silver armor clearly in tatters which indicated her divine power was almost expended.

“Aren’t the mighty Gods who look down on mortals quite worthless themselves? I look forward to the moment Ira kills you especially, Kyridian,” Kara said with a laugh. “And the rest of you! I want to see the sight of your backs as you flee so I can confirm if you’re truly spineless or not.”

“At least die with grace, Valkyrie.” Kyridian rolled his eyes and approached but a strong gust of wind blew past him and he immediately became cautious. It was then he realized that air was being sucked into the opening of the cave not too far away from Kara.

“It seems like I managed to hold on long enough.” Kara grinned with relief.

“Shut up!” Kyridian shouted at her but didn’t attack. His divinity involved plots, acts, and misdirection, so he immediately approached things shrewdly. Keeping Kara alive meant she could be used as collateral.

“The Avarus? Isn’t he wounded?” The Goddess covered in gold asked.

She and a God who could summon massive animal spirits chose to approach the cavern entrance but Ira stepped out before then. His long black hair and yellow eyes gave away his origins and the Gods became far more defensive than they were against Kara.

“Avarus!” Kyridian yelled to get Ira’s attention.

Ira’s gaze swept over each one of the twelve Gods gathered before stopping at Kyridian.

“If you cooperate with us, I can guarantee that Kara will be spared from harm. Additionally, if you give us the secrets you’re hiding within your body, you will only have to suffer briefly.” Kyridian offered what he thought would be enticing terms while examining Ira closely. He seemed quite haggard as he only wore a tattered pair of black pants. But looking even closer, Ira’s chest seemed to swell more with each passing second.

‘Is he hiding an injury?’ Kyridian assumed he had it all figured out and smirked.

“So? What’s your answer, Avarus?” Kyridian inquired in a much more relaxed manner.

Ira’s face shifted from a solemn expression to an ear to ear grin. A black flame briefly leaked out from the sides of his mouth.

“...What?” Kyridian felt a sense of foreboding that came to a climax when Ira opened his mouth to speak.

A massive tidal wave of black flame spilled out and moved with a terrifying pace, devouring everything in its path. The two Gods caught unaware were swallowed by the body of dark flames, their fates unknown. Of course, the ten other Gods had no time to worry as they tried to avoid the flames themselves.

“Aaaah!” A God screamed as his the flames licked his body, slowly erasing every trace of him.

“What is this?!” The God who controlled ice tried to use it to shield himself but the flames seemed to eat through it. There was no heat being emitted by the flames but they burned through the Gods viciously.

One God had his arm touched by the flames and immediately sliced it off only to still feel a burning sensation. The flames had already found their way inside of him and burst out of his eyes causing him to wail terribly before being absorbed into the wave of flame.

With another death, the flames grew stronger and more active. Seeking out the Gods and consuming them like a starving beast.

Strangely enough, the flames seemed didn’t behave like normal fire as it avoided Kara but chased after the other Gods.

When everything finally finished and the screams came to an end, there was only one God. Kyridian, who hadn’t approached Kara with his real body, was too shocked to be relieved. The area of the mountain was turned into an ash-colored waste with no sign of the terrible fire that razed it in sight.

Ira walked through the layer of ash gathered around him and began to speak. “No...My answer is no.”

Kyridian finally realized he had to flee but Ira took a step and with a loud boom, he arrived in front of the scheming God, gripping his throat.

“Ahk!” A strange sound came out of Kyridian’s mouth, never expecting his real form to ever be touched.

“Wait!” He struggled fiercely as his mind raced in an attempt to bargain with Ira. “Don’t you want to know what Xandes is planning?”

“At least die with dignity.” Kara was more than pleased to see him hang so pitifully, she managed to stand up and approach Ira’s side.

Black flames wrapped around Ira’s hand but they didn’t burn Kyridian, showing Ira had some purpose for leaving him alive.

“I don't need you to tell me.” Ira shrugged. “I could just eat your divinity and I’ll figure it out that way.”

It was safe to say that the physical forms of most Gods were just shells. Their divinity held their memories, experiences, and abilities together, much to Ira’s delight.

“You must have some purpose for leaving me alive, right?! I can help!” Kyridian looked for any chance to flee.

“You have nothing I want, really, the only reason I left you alive was to let her finish you off after I'm done.” Ira raised his free hand and stabbed it into Kyridian’s chest. He turned to Kara and she nodded, summoning her sword and preparing to swing it.

“Ah...You can't! I wish you death, Avarus! Stop! Nooo!” Kyridian spasmed wildly as Ira ripped out his divinity.

After obtaining the tiny translucent orb, Ira let Kyridian's body fall onto the ground. Not even a second after he landed, a silver blade appeared, beheading him before he could react.

Ira tossed the divinity into his mouth and devoured it without extracting Kyridian’s abilities. None of them meshed with Ira’s own strengths so he saw no reason to forcefully try and extract anything except for memories.

Pieces of memories flooded his mind and he tried to filter through them all. Until Xandes appeared, with the Origin Storm behind him he spoke to nearly a hundred Gods, telling them of his plan. He wanted to wield the Origin Storm as a weapon to kill and non-surprisingly, they agreed.

Ira’s eyes flickered after receiving the revelation.

“What...was that, Ira?” Kara inquired while surveying the destruction left in Ira's wake.

“What was what?”

“Those black flames you spat out. Don't pretend to be a fool.”

“It was just fire.”

“What? I've seen Gods control fire before but what you just did...That wasn't 'just' fire.”

“Well, it wasn’t just fire, clearly, but...Well, if I wanted to explain it, it'd be difficult. Only you really know how your own abilities work, right?”

Ira had absorbed the essence of the First Flame. It one of the rare things in existence on that may have been on the same level as the pure bloodline of an Avarus. But once it was altered by the Void's influence, it became something much greater.

“...I suppose you're right. But you killed those Gods like they were Mortals.”

“I just caught them off guard is all.”

“So you’re saying it was luck?” Kara’s replayed the incineration of the Gods in her head and it had nothing to do with chance. The black flames Ira used moved fast and were unrelenting when they made contact with a God.

“...I guess not. Though, the truth is, I couldn't maintain that attack for long. It's was only sustained by burning those Gods.” Ira stretched out his arm, letting a black ball of flame dance on the surface of his palm. He closed his hand and when he opened it again, the fire was gone.

If the destructive nature of the fire he possessed would make even peaceful Gods turn against him. The only drawback was that he could only use it once at the moment.

Ira closed his eyes, seeing a small black flame stirring inside himself. If he wanted to grow his abilities, he needed to feed the fire. Even a small flame could become a wildfire if it spread far enough.

“Do you need to rest?” Ira’s eyes widened as he suddenly turned to Kara.

“...I’ve suffered a little but I’ll be fine, why?”

“We need to go to the Tainted Lands.” Ira placed a hand on her shoulder before she could question him further and they both vanished from sight, leaving the trail of ash behind them.