Ira and Kara traveled through a land covered in permanent fog. No matter how many times he tried to produce wind to blow it away, it remained. The only possible solution he could see was absorbing it but there was no telling if that would truly solve it. His senses worked well enough, so he didn’t think it would be necessary to do so.

“Do you know where you’re going, Ira?” Kara asked while eyeing the wall of fog warily.

“Just a general direction so, no, not really.” Ira seemed completely unperturbed, walking forward with a steady pace.

“A general direction to where?”

“A God.”

Kara nearly lost control and grabbed Ira by the neck until she remembered how strong he was. She sighed and gathered her patience before continuing her inquiry.

“What type of God, Ira?”

“A wise one, I think. I never thought I would have a need for a clairvoyant until I didn’t have one at my side.” Ira seemed a bit surprised that consuming knowledge and memories could only get him so far.

Sure, he could see and experience things he had no knowledge of but it would be better to know when your enemies were coming at all times.

“Is there a need? I can detect where large-scale battles will occur with ease.” Kara seemed full of pride as she said it.

“And just how many large-scale battles have we fought since the time we met?”

To his question, Kara had no answer. Well, she knew the answer but she didn’t want to say as it as it would be no different than saying she was useless. As she thought deeper, it appeared that Ira didn’t need her much anyway so why was it that he kept her around?

“Ira…”

“Yup?”

“You can handle most of the Gods without my help and-”

“You’re right about that.”

Kara breathed in deeply to remain calm before continuing. “And I don’t have much knowledge that would help in killing all of them...So why is that you make me accompany you?”

“Huh? Oh, so you don’t die. You’re my wife’s great-grandmother and all so I can’t just let you die.”

“You think I am that weak?” Kara asked, apparently insulted.

The way he described it made it seem like she was an elderly lady he was looking after and not a Valkyrie Goddess who reached the Zenith of Swordsmanship.

“No, I don’t,” Ira said, feeling that the atmosphere was becoming weird. “You can probably handle one or even two at once on your own with little to no problem. The thing is...”

“Continue.”

“I can kill way more Gods before you finish fighting just one or two,” Ira stated the truth.

“That doesn’t mean-”

“Hold on.”

“Don’t just order me around-”

“I said hold on.” Ira waved his hand at Kara who noticed his alertness and summoned her weapons.

A voice could be heard within the depths of the fog. The two approached simultaneously, sealing off two possible directions of escape.

“I’ve danced this damn dance a dozen times, acting frivolously, forgetting, this is my foul fate.” An old man’s voice filled the air.

“What did he just say?” Ira’s squinted his eyes in confusion.

“You creep cautiously like cowards seeking to silence me!” The voice shouted before an old man wearing a long white robe with even longer sleeves burst out of the fog in an instant. He swung both of his hands and pressed two palms against Ira’s chest.

“What the fuck are you-” Ira was sent flying backward while the old man sunk back into the fog.

“You shall not silence me!” The old man’s voice echoed through the fog.

“Ira!” Kara raised her sword and her short spear, keeping alert.

“A weapon is weak when placed against a malicious and marvelous man like me!” He popped out of the fog again and Kara thrust her spear toward him.

He waved his wide sleeves, crossing them and blocking his body. Kara’s spear pierced through but hit nothing but empty air. One of the old man’s arms slipped out of the robe and four fingers tapped Kara’s silver chest plate. He suddenly clenched his hand into a fist and she was sent flying backward like Ira.

Kara sailed through the air before Ira caught her, sliding back a few feet before coming to a complete stop.

“Damn it!” Kara shouted.

“A curious curse from a winged woman with no wisdom!” The old man shouted back.

Ira spat out some blood before rotating his arms. Whatever the old man did it had a strange effect, causing damage to Ira’s organs with ease.

“Ira, that isn’t a wise God,” Kara warned, her silver wings spreading out wide.

“Oh?” A layer black fire covered Ira’s arms as he prepared to attack.

“That has to be the Martial God who fell into madness. I’ve heard stories of him before but I never met him until now.” Kara flapped her wings and pushed back some of the fog.

“It seems Kyridian thought he would be useful as an ally...You think he’ll still have clairvoyant abilities?”

“To answer you, my aggressive adversary, yes! I can still feel my furious foes as they approach! But...Not you…I can sense your hostility like all others but not you...not really…” His tone of voice and way of speaking changed once he felt out Ira’s presence. “What are you?!”

“I’m hungry is what I am.” Ira rushed into the fog toward the source of the voice.

“Ira, wait!” Kara slowly advanced forward, following after him.

The old man popped out of the fog once more and waved his sleeves while avoiding Ira’s fiery black claw which hit the ground and caused the earth to shatter. He then moved forward like he was gliding on air, hurriedly jabbing three fingers toward the base of Ira’s rib before slipping behind him, pressing his index finger against the base of Ira’s neck.

Ira’s muscles forcibly contracted for split second, causing him to freeze in place. The old man seized the opening, he poked different areas along Ira’s spine before pressing his palm against Ira’s back and twisting his hand. An invisible explosion blew away the fog completely, allowing the surroundings to be seen. Kara wasn’t too far off and spotted them, slowly approaching from the old man’s blind side.

“You...bastard…” Ira growled as blood poured out of every opening on his face. Bones jutted from underneath his skin, completely exposed.

“You haven’t died even though you aren’t a God? What a peculiar fellow?” The monk circled around Ira, his blind eyes examining every inch of Ira’s body. “You’re even healing?”

He suddenly stopped and looked at Ira face to face. A wrinkled old man with no hair on his head or face stood in front of Ira. His eyes were half-closed and he seemed to have a foot in the grave just based on his physical appearance.

“No matter, I shall finish you now.”

Ira suddenly laughed to himself.

“Something’s funny, yes?” The old monk asked.

Ira nodded and forced his finger to point downward. The old man’s head slowly panned down only see three small black orbs sitting right in front of Ira’s feet.

“Your ability isn’t that good, I take it?” Ira smiled, showing his previous anger was just an act.

The old man’s face changed into one of horror and he flew back but at the same time, the black orbs exploded into huge walls of black fire before it pulled everything forward with an immense vacuum force.

Kara felt the pull on her body and stabbed her spear into the ground, using her wings against the strong suction. She only had to withstand a few seconds but it felt like much longer to her. When everything calmed down, there was an old man standing with part of his robe ripped away, his torso bare. He was missing an entire arm and a portion of his chest but didn’t seem to notice, holding his chin in thought with his remaining hand.

“I won’t be able to win if that’s your true strength, no?”

A few traces of black flames were sucked back into Ira’s body. He smiled at the old man and shook his head.

“No, you won’t.” He raised his fiery palm and pointed it toward the old man. “So, could you die quickly?”

Kara, seeing he had everything under control put her weapons away.

“Yes! On one condition!” The old man extended his hand and pointed it toward Ira.

“What’s that?”

“You fight me fairly, the martial way! At least until this body wears down!”

“I really don’t have time,” Ira refused. “I have more Gods to kill, you see.”

“Only for a few moments! My form is even degrading!” The old monk continued.

“...Fine.” Ira thought it was the least he could do for the insane God before he consumed his divinity.

Ira teleported behind the old man and threw a punch but the latter twisted his body 180 degrees and used his one hand to catch Ira’s punch. He let it go, slapping Ira’s hand away before thrusting his palm at Ira’s chest, hitting him with a thunderous force.

Ira ignored it, grabbing the old man’s hand so he couldn’t slip away sent a low kick into the old monk’s stomach.

“Hahaha! Yes! More!” The old monk shouted wildly as they exchanged blows.

Even with only one arm the old monk was formidable, easily countering Ira’s strikes while performing several of his own in the same breath. His battle prowess and martial centered divinity made Ira want it even more.

Ira’s greedy smile grew wider on his face with each passing second.

Things went just as the old man predicted, he slowed down and was hit by Ira’s powerful fists and eventually collapsed. His divine power had all but dissipated and without time to recover he would be in a dangerous state.

“It’s over,” Ira spoke, his clothing and appearance was disheveled but his regeneration fixed all of his injuries.

“Indeed it is. I lack the vitality of my younger age.” The old monk said something that made Kara narrow her eyes as she approached.

If anything, being older made the Gods stronger rather than the opposite, but she held her tongue.

Ira didn’t mince words any longer and drove his black claw into the old man’s chest before pulling out a cloudy orb and gulping it down like a sweet.

The old man let out a short grunt before his eyes darkened. His body was swallowed completely by a growing black hole that disappeared soon after consuming him.

“Did you get what you wanted?” Kara asked.

Ira closed his eyes, digesting the newly acquired divinity, before opening them once more.

“All that and more,” Ira said with a satisfied grin before his expression slowly sharpened. “Hostile presences aren’t too far away from us.”

“You can feel them?” Kara asked as she scanned the clear sky.

“Yeah… Something like that.” Ira felt an immense amount of hostility as he looked toward the horizon. “They’re tracking you in order to find me. It was something Kyridian suggested to that...Xandes guy after they killed your friend.”

“It makes sense, there are many Gods with abilities that can track others. It was only a matter of time before Xandes made use of them. Do you know how long we have until their arrival?”

“The direction keeps changing so they’re either splitting off to set a trap or they don’t know exactly where we are.”

“I’m guessing its the latter. You should’ve just killed him immediately but I think we should still have some time left.”

“Good, that means we can be the ones to set a trap for them.” Ira placed his hand on Kara’s shoulder and the two of them vanished, leaving the sight of an obvious battle behind.