Chapter 265: God’s Play

Chapter 265: God’s Play

Not too far away, Sekhmet stood quietly, watching Sylvana sacrifice herself. Yet, her heart—cold and hardened over centuries—felt nothing.

For thousands of years, Sekhmet’s hands had been stained with the blood of countless innocents, all in the name of returning home. If the person standing before her now hadn’t shared her origins, she wouldn’t have even spared a word.

But now, it didn’t matter. The time had come to fight on equal ground.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" Arix’s voice, thick with grief, cut through the silence. Her eyes burned with hatred, staring at Sekhmet as if her rage alone could tear her apart.

For a brief moment, Sekhmet remained silent under his gaze. But then, with a steady voice, she said, "Because I want to go home."

Arix’s bitter laugh filled the air, sharp and full of disbelief. "Home? I was an idiot. You let the insectoids wreak havoc, destroy lives, and still—still I pitied you. I must be a fool."

Her laughter faded into a cold sneer as she looked at her, her body tense with anger. "If you want to go home, I’ll send you there myself—just not in the way you think. How about reincarnation?"

As Arix spoke, he rose to his feet, her resolve clear.

Sekhmet didn’t flinch at her threat. Her voice was calm as she replied, "Fine. If you can beat me, reincarnation it is."

Without hesitation, Arix charged. Her fists flew through the air, striking Sekhmet hard across the face.

She grunted, spitting blood, but quickly wiped her mouth and retaliated. In an instant, golden and purple lights filled the space, clashing violently.



The space inside the mental barrier became a battlefield where even a stray breeze could be deadly.

But borrowed power is never as strong as true strength. It wasn’t long before Sekhmet found herself barely hanging on.

Arix stood over her, her body trembling with fury as she raised her fist for the final blow. But just as he was about to strike, she paused, her voice cutting through the tension. "Do you regret it?"

Sekhmet’s face was unrecognizable, swollen and bruised. But through cracked lips, she managed a faint smile. "No... never regretted it."

Arix said nothing more. She closed his eyes, then drove her fist into her chest.

Sekhmet’s body hit the snow, her brow furrowed as blood spilled from her mouth. Yet, there was no pain in her eyes—only a distant longing as she stared up at the sky, as if waiting for someone.

"Dad... Mom..." she whispered softly. "You’ve finally come for me."

With that, Sekhmet smiled, and the first snow of the season began to fall around her as she passed.

Arix, standing over her lifeless body, didn’t feel the satisfaction she expected from his revenge. Instead, she felt nothing.

Exhausted, she collapsed beside her, her eyes wandering to the snow-filled sky before they slowly closed.

By the time Cassian arrived, this was the scene that greeted him.

The girl he loved, lying in the snow, her body covered in a thin layer of white, looking as if all life had left her.

For a moment, Cassian—now in his grown man look—felt his composure slip. He rushed forward, pulling Arix into his arms with a sense of desperation.

When he realized she was still alive, he allowed himself to breathe again.

Cassian lifted his gaze, scanning the scene around him.

With just a moment of closed eyes, he saw everything that had unfolded.

The sight of the divine power Sekhmet had used made his eyes turn icy cold, cold enough to freeze anyone who dared meet his stare.

He spared Arix one final glance, then let his true essence slip from the body he had reincarnated into.

As his physical form reverted to its true age, Cassian’s expression was briefly clouded with confusion. But the instant he noticed Arix, injured and barely conscious in his arms, panic set in.

His confusion melted away. With quick but careful hands, he pulled out a healing potion, gently tending to her wounds, wiping away the blood.



...

In the Divine Realm

Cassian, now fully in his adult form, strode through the gates of the Divine Realm, his face set in grim determination. The guards stationed at the entrance immediately bowed in deep respect.

"Welcome, Your Devine Highness."

Cassian ignored them, his pace unbroken, eyes locked on a specific destination.

The guards exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what was happening. But it wasn’t long before they heard the familiar sounds of battle ringing out from a distant part of the realm.

The newer guards were taken aback by the noise, but the older immortals remained unfazed, their faces showing no surprise at all.

"Sir," one of the young guards ventured cautiously, "what’s going on? Why is there fighting in the Divine Realm?"

The elder stroked his chin, a knowing smile spreading across his face. He was clearly pleased to be the one sharing the story. "Ah, this goes back nearly ten thousand years. Back then, the Sylvana sacrificed half of her soul to save the world. Her other half was reborn—nothing too unusual there. But things got interesting when the Greater Will took pity on Sylvana and merged her sacrificed half-soul with its own essence. It chose her as the next Greater Will, overseer of the universe."

The young guard nodded, though confusion still lingered in his eyes. "So... why is there fighting?"

The elder chuckled. "Well, that’s where it gets complicated. You see, the future Greater Will—our dear Sylvana—is painfully strict and impartial. But she hasn’t reclaimed her full place yet, and the worlds she oversees? They’ve been left without a protector. With no one keeping the people’s faith alive, the very foundation of the Divine Realm is at risk. So, the Greater Will is desperate to get Sylvana back to her rightful role."

The young guard frowned, trying to piece it together, still not seeing the connection to the fight.

Sighing, the old guard gave up on the long explanation. "In short, the Greater Will wants Sylvana to return, but His Divine Highness, Cassian, refuses to let her be forced into it. They’ve been clashing ever since. Judging by the noise today, it seems the little Greater Will might be gaining the upper hand."

The elder’s eyes glinted with amusement as he glanced toward the source of the commotion, stroking his beard in satisfaction.

Finally understanding, the young guard shook his head in disbelief. "The gods really do know how to make things complicated..."

...

By the time the year wrapped up, things had taken a wild turn.

Right after the insectoid forces crashed the new mecha tournament, they began pushing into the borders of several countries.

Nations scrambled, readying themselves for an all-out battle against this alien threat. But then, something totally unexpected happened.

The insectoid crown prince, Quispe, called for a ceasefire. Not only that, but he went ahead and formed the Insectoid Empire, kicking off diplomatic talks with the countries they’d just been invading.



Everyone was on edge, suspecting some kind of trick.

Then Quispe dropped another bombshell: a marriage alliance with the Alliance. And not just any alliance. The bride? A soldier from the Alliance’s special forces—nothing fancy there. But the wedding gifts? A star system and 66 planets.

That jaw-dropping gift flipped the script. Other nations, green with envy, quickly dropped their guard, eager to buddy up with the insectoids in hopes of sharing in the wealth.

Overnight, the insectoids went from terrifying invaders to symbols of incredible fortune.

Meanwhile, at the heart of Hecaris Hospital, Arix lay in a coma, completely unaware of the massive shift in the world around her.

When she finally came to, a familiar voice was there, pulling her out of the fog.

"Arix, Arix..."

Her eyelids fluttered, and after a few moments, she opened her eyes, greeted by her mother’s relieved face.

"Arix, thank goodness! I was so scared," her mother, Fleur, sobbed, gripping her hand tightly.

"Mom..." Arix’s voice came out raspy, barely above a whisper.

"Shh, it’s okay, you’re awake now. That’s all that matters." Fleur smiled through her tears, her joy clear.

Arix blinked, disoriented. "What time is it? How did the tournament go?"