HANAG-GAR OF ARSEGALL

CHAPTER 48:-

[THE MORTAL DEITY OF ARSEGALL]

[AT THE CLEARING...]

"The mortal deity of Arsegall," the Darr said once the Gladiator came to a complete halt. "One of the very few mortals who successfully ascended to godhood. Out of those rare cases in history, you and one other appear to have attained immeasurable power — power that rivals even the primordials that existed long before humanity."

Agent Lynx glanced upward at the enormous serpent behind him.

"You said there's another just like him?"

"Yes," the Darr answered. "There was another mortal who predates this one, and he was far more notorious. He was born of the first civilization, the ancient city of Annhul. Single-handedly responsible for the massacre of more than half the world's population at the time. That mortal's name was Pleiades."

"Pleiades…" Lynx repeated quietly.

"But our concern lies with the one standing before us," the Darr continued.

A deep, commanding voice answered from across the clearing.

"You must be the great Darr I heard so much about during my time. How fortunate that I, Hanag-gar of the Arsegallian race, would face a primordial force of nature in battle."

The Darr's golden eyes narrowed slightly as the broken chains on the Gladiator's body continued to jangle with every movement.

"I see the Heavens failed to restrain you, Hanag-gar of Arsegall. An abomination that refused to die on either the Heavens' or humanity's terms. A fault of the ignorant mortals who chose to worship you as their god and, in the process, deified what you truly are."

Hanag-gar's laugh rolled across the mountains.

"Your reverence for the Heavens means nothing to me. They are cowards. Before my ascension I uncovered a secret they believed they had long buried. I am certain you are aware of what they did. Why were their precious Arts of the Divine given to humanity in the first place? Did you think it was out of pity? Or that they actually cared?"

He laughed again, louder this time.

"No. It was the guilt of their own actions. Humanity has always been collateral damage."

Lynx stared up at the towering figure, confusion clear on his face.

"What is he talking about?"

Hanag-gar turned his attention toward the agent.

"What is this? You mean to tell me the great Darr has spoken none of this to the one who summoned him?" Another laugh escaped him. "How amusing."

"Tell me what?" Lynx demanded.

"Do not listen to a word he says, Lynx of Therion," the Darr said, shifting its stance. "He knows nothing of the past."

"Is that so?" Hanag-gar slowly raised the massive battle axe above his head, preparing to bring it down. "Perhaps I ought to improve that opinion of yours."

The Darr reacted instantly. Domain Authority expanded across the clearing. An invisible force seized the descending axe and locked it in place midway toward the ground. No matter how much strength the Gladiator applied, the weapon refused to move further.

"I see you have not changed, Hanag-gar of Arsegall," the Darr said. "Your barbaric nature is the very reason the Heavens demanded you be restrained in the netherworld. And what do you think you are trying to do? You are fully aware of what would happen if that axe were allowed to strike the earth. Countless lives would be lost, and there would be nothing left of this mortal city. It seems you have forgotten the status you hold as a god."

The Darr's presence grew heavier, its golden eyes fixed on the war god with clear hostility. Hanag-gar, however, appeared only amused.

"Lives, you say?" He scoffed. "Do you know how many still pray to me? How many were sacrificed in my name simply for the sake of winning a war? They are nothing but foul beasts blinded by hate and greed."

He withdrew the axe and swung it sideways in a single horizontal arc. The force of the swing tore open the ground along the path of the blade, carving a deep fissure that stretched for dozens of meters.

While the two primordial forces continued their exchange, Lynx remained focused on the task of undoing the summons. The process required time and absolute concentration. Lord Aerror of the Fallen noticed almost immediately.

"Pathetic," the Unknown-Class muttered.

Aerror's body flickered in and out of visible reality. In the next instant he reappeared directly in front of Lynx, blade already mid-swing in an attempt to decapitate the agent. The strike never landed. An invisible force — another application of the Darr's Domain Authority shared through the Therion contract — halted the blade inches from Lynx's neck. A sudden burst of pressure followed, launching the Unknown-Class back toward the direction from which he had come.

Lynx exhaled slowly, steadying his stance.

"It took the bait. So it does know about the Therion technique for undoing a summons. That leaves us with only one option."

Having successfully deployed an aspect of the Darr's power to repel the attack, Lynx understood the situation clearly. The Unknown-Class possessed knowledge of how Therion contracts could be severed. There would be no opportunity to quietly reverse the summoning. The only remaining path was to fight through the confrontation and survive.

The Gladiator of Arsegall stood ready. The Darr held its Domain Authority firmly in place. And the Unknown-Class, having been forced back once, was already preparing its next move.

The battle for the northern mountains was about to intensify.