The man in question sat in a location not to unsimilar from Primus’ own. A dense heat that could sear the eyes to blindness hung in the air, a nose burning scent of sulfur drifting about the wind. Molten rock gurgled and bubbles and the skies were painted a deep crimson, allowing clouds of black soot to glide through them.
The man didn’t share Primus’ crimson hair, but he did share his crimson eyes. His hair was, instead… non existent. Though, this didn’t seem to be by necessity, but was either the result of a purposeful action or maybe an accident.
Either way, this man’s hair was growing back at a slow pace but was deeply shaven. It looked more like a shadow than a head of hair, but it seemed to suit the man quite well.
What was a bit odd about this man’s appearance, though, was that he had blade scars running across both of his eyes, giving him a sinister look that hindered some of his handsomeness. And yet, he didn’t seem to be blind at all.
While everyone else was shocked or enraged by Ryu’s roar, this man blinked for a moment and looked up, his eyes opening from meditation.
“…”
He shook his head.
“This son of a bitch. Can’t you see I’m in the middle of meditating? You were always like this, the world doesn’t revolve around you, you arrogant prick. I swear if I get my hands on you, I’m gonna bend you over my knee and spank you real good. This time, your daddy isn’t here to protect you.”
The man tried to go back to meditating after saying these vulgar words but suddenly found his heart to be too agitated to focus.
“Fuck! I’m gonna kill that bastard. I was so close to a breakthrough!”
BANG!
The pool of magma shook and quaked. By the time it settled down, the man had long since vanished.
**
The first ones to react to the news were, without a doubt, the Martial Gods. The investments they had in the name Tatsuya didn’t need to be explained, but the weight they placed on the name Ryu Tatsuya was far more than anyone could possibly expect.
It was difficult for those in the light to react to this news because the invasion of the Ancestral Beasts was in full swing. A single roar for Ryu, as shocking as it was, wouldn’t be capable of stopping this invasion, and that was especially so considering he wanted to destroy the Martial Gods just as much as they did.
However, the deepest reaches of the Martial Gods, where their true power lay, was a completely different matter entirely
“… That child is alive.”
With how many slumbering Ancestors there were in these catacombs, it was impossible to tell who had spoken, but it hardly mattered one way or another.
“This timing couldn’t be worse. We don’t have the luxury of splitting our forces right now. This is only the first wave. It feels purposely done.”
“The Ancestral Beasts are nothing more than jumping clowns. We should just make a move and erase them now. If they’re still a lingering problem when They arrive, it will cause issues.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, the Ancestral Beasts are still a Favored Race, such existences shouldn’t be looked down upon. In addition, sticking with the initial plan is smarter. Why wipe them out if they’re more useful in other ways?”
“This isn’t what’s important, how is it possible that he is still alive? And why is it that he can cultivate? This isn’t a small variable.”
“From what it seems like he’s likely reincarnated. The probability is over 90%. In that case, it is likely related to the Phoenix Sky God’s Spiritual Foundation. This Inheritance is the only one we weren’t able to Seal properly.”
“The Phoenix Sky God was clever. How can we Seal something without properly understanding it? With all those muddied folk tales and lore, pinpointing the Fate of that Sky God was impossible.”
“Others seems to be learning their lesson as well. That Lady Demuire had hidden her True Name very well and others are following suit. This could lead to problems down the road.”
“There’s no need to worry about this. Even with such talent, it’s already too late, they’ve fallen too far behind. If the Child had had nine cycles of a hundred million years, there might be something to worry about. But now, time has run out.”
“He’s already entered the Half-Step Path Extinction Realm in such a short time, is it really proper to dismiss things like this? I’m also of the belief that he is related to the untangling of Faith that further complicated our matters. Much of the groundwork we laid over trillions of years was undone in that single instant. While the child doesn’t have much time left, we don’t either and we’ve already made too many mistakes.
“Don’t forget who it is our true enemy is. They won’t rest until Existence is all their own. Against an enemy like that, even one mistake is too much, let alone so many.”
“Then we should send Drugo after him to end these matters once and for all. There is no need to drag this out and Drugo has spent enough time in seclusion. This war is a good chance for him to gain battle experience as he has never managed to find someone near his combat prowess.”
“Release the Demi Gods as well. We’ve laid low for long enough. The Ancestral Beasts seem to think sending Eleventh Order Beasts is enough to crush us. Make them pay for their arrogance. We’ll see whose younger generation is truly stronger.”
“Agreed.”
“Agreed.”
“Agreed.”
**
On the Mortal Plane, Ryu looked up into the skies, the words of his great grandfather reverberating through his ears like a gong. His placid gaze seemed to pierce through the veil as he stood in the air, unmoving as though to make certain that he had heard properly. And then…
His lips spread into a fiendish grin.
“Funny words, old bastard. My heart happens to be invulnerable, though. Better aim for the Head.”