KamiSama Game

Roy's eyes shot open, his chest heaving as he bolted upright in bed. His surroundings blurred for a moment before coming into focus—a modestly lit room lined with shelves of books, relics, and strange markings etched into the walls.

Across the room, he spotted Ace and Sheldon mid-conversation. Sheldon stood with his arms crossed, a serious expression etched onto his face, while Ace gestured animatedly, his usual laid-back demeanor intact.

Roy groaned softly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The sound caught Ace's attention, and he turned, a grin spreading across his face.

"Hey, look who's finally awake!" Ace said, nudging Sheldon with his elbow.

Sheldon turned, his serious expression softening slightly. "About time," he said, walking over to Roy. "You've been out for a while. How are you feeling?"

Troy rubbed his temples, his head still throbbing. "Like I got hit by a truck," he muttered. "What happened?"

Ace leaned casually against the wall, arms folded. "You don't remember? We got our asses handed to us by that guy with the black staff."

Sheldon sighed, his face clouded with worry. "We're in the HUB now. Lancelot dropped us here to save our lives, but I haven't seen Zang or Kelly since the attack."

Roy frowned, flashes of the fight surfacing in his mind. He clenched his fists as anger bubbled up. "That bastard," he growled.

Sheldon hesitated, his concern deepening. "Ace, you don't think they..."

"There's no way that's what happened, Sheldon," Ace interrupted firmly. "They're alive. If anything, Lancelot probably got them out too, maybe to a different safe zone. They might've been captured or something."

Sheldon opened his mouth to argue, but Ace cut him off again. "Listen," Ace said, his voice sharp but resolute. "The Founder of the Magus wants to see us in his office now that we're all awake. Let's go." Without waiting for a response, Ace strode out of the room, the sliding door closing behind him.

Roy exchanged a glance with Sheldon and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let him deal with it his way," he said quietly. "You know how he gets. We'll keep an eye on him."

Sheldon sighed but nodded, and the two followed Ace into the hallway.

In a grand celestial chamber steeped in ethereal light, Nyx and the Archangels convened in tense silence. The room pulsed with energy as Nyx, his slicked brown hair gleaming and his piercing purple eyes surveying the gathering, finally spoke.

"After the battle with the Star Child, Lancelot, many troubling matters have come to light," Nyx began, his voice cold and commanding. "Firstly, how is it that one mortal nearly annihilated one of our strongest Archangels?" His gaze landed on Buddha, who bowed his head in shame, his golden aura dimmed.

"Apologies, Lord Nyx," Buddha said. "I underestimated the threat, overconfident in my Qi abilities and the fact that he is not of divine origin."

Nyx's expression darkened. "Your arrogance blinded you. Why didn't you ascend to your divine form? Why hold back your power?"

Buddha's shoulders slumped. "Another failure of judgment, Lord Nyx."

Nyx's voice grew icy. "Fascinating. One mortal nearly eradicated our forces, crippled Heaven's defenses, and defeated nine of our strongest beings—alone. And he hasn't even achieved the state of a Miracle Being."

Amaterasu, her glow dimmed from the battle, spoke hesitantly. "Lord Nyx, if we had ascended to our true forms, we could have won with ease."

Nyx turned his piercing gaze toward her. "And yet, you did not. Have you considered what might have happened if pushing him to the brink had awakened his dormant divinity? The fragment he gained from slaying my brother, Parmiel, could have fully awakened."

The room fell into uneasy silence.

Zeus, lounging against a celestial pillar, straightened with a smirk. "What's done is done," he said, his tone flippant. "The Star Child is sealed. Now we gather forces from the other realms. They'll have no choice but to bow to us."

With a casual wave, Zeus floated out of the chamber. A brilliant blue dragon descended from the heavens, its sapphire-like scales shimmering. Zeus mounted it effortlessly, disappearing into the skies with a streak of light.

Zang panted heavily, dodging another attack from the grotesque, dog-like demon. The creature snarled, its maw brimming with serrated teeth. Two tiny wings flapped uselessly at its sides—far too small to lift its hulking frame into the air. Bruised and battered, Zang steadied himself, gripping the warhammer tightly in both hands.

"What the hell is wrong with this thing? Why is it so damn strong?" he muttered through gritted teeth.

From a distance, Ikari, the Sin of Wrath, scoffed. "Are you seriously struggling with a low-level demon? Maybe you don't have any potential after all."

The demon lunged again, baring its jagged teeth. Zang swung his hammer in response, but the creature abruptly halted mid-charge and leaped into the air. The hammer's momentum pulled Zang forward, making him stumble. Above him, the beast's chest swelled unnaturally, dark energy gathering in its maw.

Zang's eyes widened. He slammed the hammerhead into the ground and used the pole to vault himself out of the beam's path just in time. The demon, unable to sustain its levitation, descended with a frustrated snarl.

Seizing the opportunity, Zang extended his palm, conjuring a small energy blast. He fired, but his attack was intercepted by a larger, more precise blast from Ikari.

"What the hell was that for?" Zang snapped, glaring at him.

Ikari crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Focus on the fight, you idiot!"

The demon lunged again. Zang sidestepped, using the momentum to swing his hammer into the creature's side, sending it crashing into a nearby cliff face.

"I destroyed your pathetic attempt because that's exactly what it was—pathetic," Ikari growled. "Remember what I told you: if you die, who's going to protect your family? Your friends? Who's going to save your world?"

The words echoed in Zang's mind as his grip on the warhammer tightened. His expression hardened.

"I won't let that happen," he muttered, dragging the hammer behind him as he charged forward. Summoning his Endo manipulation, Zang surged with strength and speed, launching himself into the air.

The demon, snarling defiantly, leaped toward him. But Zang vanished in a blur, reappearing behind the beast. Focusing all his Endo into his arm, he shouted, "Gear Shift: Implosion Attack!"

His strike connected with the creature's back, sending it hurtling downward—straight into the path of his descending warhammer. The impact crushed the demon into the earth, shattering the ground beneath it.

Landing moments later, Zang clutched his arm in pain. His muscles throbbed from the overwhelming surge of Endo, some even torn from the strain.

"Dammit... I'm still too weak," he muttered.

Ikari's grin stretched wide as he approached, crimson eyes gleaming with approval. "Amazing! Sometimes you just need to stop being so cautious and let loose! Go crazy! Destroy everything!"

Zang side-eyed him with disdain. "Sounds immature."

Ikari chuckled, brushing off the remark. "I wasn't joking. But I will say—you're human, so it makes sense you're not strong yet. You've only had your Endo awakened for, what, a few days?"

"Yeah, so? What are you getting at?"

"Endo can do more than you think. It can permanently enhance your body—endurance, durability, speed, all of it. It's grueling, but there's one thing I did that made me the strongest mage."

Zang raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Ikari smirked. "I lifted weights, did push-ups, ran. You know—basic exercise."

Zang frowned. "That's just training. Humans do that all the time. Tell me the real secret."

Ikari laughed. "I'm serious. The twist? I did it while forcing my Endo to flow through my body at full speed. Continuously."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Ikari leaned closer, his tone conspiratorial. "You know when you're rushing to pee and build pressure to speed it along?"

Zang recoiled, his face a mix of disgust and confusion. "What? Yeah, I guess... What's your point?"

"That's exactly what you need to do with Endo. Build pressure, force it through every node in your body, and keep it circulating—eating, sleeping, working out, fighting—always."

"That sounds insane," Zang replied, skeptical.

Ikari shrugged. "At first, yeah. But eventually, it's like breathing. Even if you stop thinking about it, your body will keep it going."

"And this will make me stronger?"

"Guaranteed."

The two walked away from the cliff. Zang eyed the massive weapon on his shoulder. "So giving me this hammer was part of my training, too?"

Ikari grinned wickedly. "Nah, I thought it'd be funny watching you get thrown around by it."

Zang glared at him.

"Okay, fine," Ikari chuckled. "It's also a way to measure your progress. Over time, it'll feel lighter."

Zang smirked. "I'm curious to see your power in action. Show me what I'm aiming for."

Ikari hesitated. "That might be dangerous. I don't hold back."

"Come on. Look—there's a group of demons down there. Show me something."

"Fine. Consider this lesson two: chanting."

Ikari lifted his hands, speaking, "Devour and Release." With a snap of his fingers, the ground erupted in a violent storm of red, purple, and black Endo. The blast obliterated the demons, and even from a distance, the wind was powerful enough to push Zang backward.

Zang steadied himself, awestruck. "That was amazing."

Ikari grinned. "Now, let's start your real training."