Chapter 315 - Full power

Struck heavy and hard, the shockwave of the jolt threw most onto their feet. Static electricity flashed from here to there, the skin felt as if it were to fry any moment. Roasted in black with steam coming off, the charred body of said lady in chains. Paired with a cough, her body regenerated with the rags burnt. N.a.k.e.d, she tried to cover what little dignity remained, though failed to do so as fatigue settled. 

"What a poor sight for the Goddess of Chaos," voiced one of the gods. "This charade has gone for more than is welcomed," the crowd gave a nod of dismissal to teleport away. Left, Lixbin remained to watch as the scene unfolded further.

"Gophy," sighed Zeus, "-you were so beautiful, readied to have taken my heir – we could have created the strongest being to ever live," he shook his head, the confidence showed was of utter assurance that he was right. "Sadly," he turned away in disgust, "-you'll be executed." For killing a god of rank High-tier, one needed to bear the title of God-slayer. If that wasn't possible, the sickle of Kronos would also serve the same purpose. Not only was the sickle the only weapon that could slay a god, but many others were also created during the war between gods and demons. Hidden and lost, not even gods knew where they hid. Lastly, the god of death, unbound, could kill any god he wished given that he was powerful enough. "I'll leave it in thine hands," turned to Staxius, "-I trust you'll do what is needed. Kill her, torture her, do whatever you want, I need not a shell of a high-tier goddess," followed by retainers, the Supreme god left the throne room. 

Ever so shyly up above, the sky cleared from whence the bolt struck the ground. Shyly, rays of light fluttered onto the throne room, Gophy rested with her head onto the floor. The charred body turned to its normal form. 

"Well then," stood with his arm around Staxius's shoulder, Lixbin spoke, "-Gophy remains as a high-tier goddess. Zeus might have cast her off from his protection, that doesn't mean that she necessarily needs to die. You're astute, I can see the intrigued gaze so sharply, the same as Lord Death. Heed this warning, gods are far from righteous. One day or the other, your world might turn into a warzone. Ancient dragons have been awakened, I felt it before. The prophecy of the Xenosious might come true once more, the awakening of all who had perished will bring about the eternal night. Before you ask, I say this as I've sensed the same evil inside me, inside you. Far from right, thou doth what it must survive," reached to a pat on his back, "-I'll watch as thee grow, Lord Haggard. Prove that Lord Death was right to entrust you with what can be the fate of not just humanity but the multiverse and whole of creation. There will be a lot of sacrifices, trust me on that," enveloped by a veil of dark smoke, the figure vanished leaving Staxius and Gophy alone. 

'Fate of the entire multiverse. All the dimensions and possibly creation itself. Quite a burden for someone who's purpose is to destroy. What I've seen today is that gods aren't as virtuous as people think them to be. No morals nor prior motivation,' staring downward, the breeze made the lady shiver.

"Here," knelt, he took off the suit jacket to cover her. *Come forth Void Flame.* Spark turned into a raging inferno; the flame rose all around in a pentagram with Gophy in the middle. Legs crossed, Staxius sat beside the goddess. 

"Warmth," mumbled, her hands twitched.

"You're awake," said Staxius in an uninterested voice for he played around with mana that hovered all around. 

"Yes," she rose to see a jacket wrapped around her as she faced a man who sat. "Who might you be?" still fatigued, her voice could barely sound as she was normally.

"Death," he turned with a cold glare, "-one could say I've come to kill thee," cutting his fingers opened, *Blood-Arts: Crimson Thread,* as small as a hair and as sharp as a blade, the thread stood inches away from her neck. 

"You were sent by Zeus?" she asked with her fingers gently touching the wire, the slight push cut her fingers. Sucked up, the blood she bled traveled along the wire and into a halo above his head. 

"Yes," he stood, "-Goddess of Chaos Gophy," reached out a hand, "-I offer you a second chance," a box with a screaming skull materialized, "-this is the Box of Soul. If I were to go all out in your current state given than thou art superior to me in every way, I'd still win. Even if we were to fight with you at full strength, I'd only come back stronger each time I was mortally wounded whilst you'd lose – any battle with a stronger foe I face is battle of attrition, one that I will never lose." 

"There is not the need to elaborate further on how strong thou art, the god of Death. Every being in existence, powerful or not, have one thing in common, and that is eventual death. As a destroyer, the Death Reaper is unrivaled – tales of their power have been passed down for millennials. Xenosious is but a mere fraction of the damage an angered ruler of death can wreak."

"I see you know far more than I do," from cold to a warm smile, "-Goddess Gophy," he reached out yet again, "-care to join me in a new life?" 

"What is it that you mean of a new life?"

"I offer you the chance to start over in another world. One away from the gods and demons, a place where I live, my home on a continent named Hidros." 

"I presume I'll be a puppet?" her gaze switched from worried to relieved. 

"No," he smiled, "-thy soul would be transferred over to a less powerful but immortal body." 

"I'm already immortal, what is it that you truly wish?" 

"I was told that one day all as we know it might come in danger. I wish to assemble an army of gods, demons, and any who will aid in an eventual fight against the unknown. Titans are coming to life and so have the ancient dragons buried in my realm." 

"Surely you must know about the heir of Kronos?" 

"Scifer, I know of him full well. That boy, he who has inherited the will of Kronos has ailed me so long. Monsters were brought forth of his doing – I've learned of the truth. The God Slayer, an exception to the hierarchy of the gods. He has the potential of becoming the Supreme God."

"That much is true," she smiled, "-he has the ability to steal any god's skill and talent. Except for the Death Reaper. Fated rivals I'd say," she coughed. 

"What will it be, Lady Gophy, do you wish at another chance at life or must I follow what Zeus has asked. Sending thee to Elysium now would be cruel. Shamed and shunned for not wanting to produce an heir. The Goddess of Chaos isn't surely one who'd back down despite her adversary being the Supreme God?" 

"I've shivers," she took his hand and stood, "-a god of death that has more than slaughter in his mind. I wonder what you have in store."

"I'll make sure that thou art given a body as beautiful as I've witnessed today." Raged forth, the flame of the pentagram lit, stepped back, *Unbound by the laws of Heaven to Hell; unshackle mine power, from Nevermore, I call upon the power of the Annihilation-Gate.* A thumped echoed as golden veins burst forth his eyes and into his body – the gate of Nevermore opened. 

*Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, from when thou were born and till thine rest, I, the god of death, hold in mine hands strings that bind thee. Heed mine call, I order thy chains to be severed: Tactus Interitus.* 

A spell used very, very long ago. One that grew to have too much backlash each time he snapped someone's life thread. A grin remained as her body dropped the instant he snapped. 

*I command thee whomst I've defeated, I curse thee, soul, to be bound to mine; Box of Soul – Soulfeld.* A torrent of energy ruptured forth upwards onto the sky. Disfigured figures of which seemed to cry spiraled around the beam. Gust, lightning, the throne room began to shatter. Killing a goddess who had built up power over millenniums; a high-tier one at that; all her pent-up resentment and frustration were let loose as mana. The castle shook, the pillars shattered, gods rushed up the stairs and stood in awe.

"Lord Death," came forth Zeus with an angered face, "-I know that I had ordered for her to be killed, however," he stared the beam, "-thou must have known that she's a goddess of Chaos. On the day she dies all around would be turned to ashes." 

"There's no need for concern," smiled Staxius, "-thou had ordered for her to kill. If containment of her power falls under said order, then I shall do so immediately." 

"Please see to it," a smile that screamed of anger led Staxius to act. 'I spoke of a big game, containing her power is going to be impossible,' deep breaths in, '-time to use all my power.' 

Hands pressed, *Pinnacle of power and strength, the last stage of a men's life, the stage where all is turned to dust and forgotten. Elapsed over the ages, come forth o' power of mine who has remained bound, unleash thee at thine full potential: Nevermore – Death Gate.* 

*Death Element: Hand of God,* chanted in the ancient tongue, a heavy feeling of dread oozed. Two gigantic pair of hands with the symbol of death on the palm interlocked with the beam. Pushed back, Staxius tried hard to grasp the power. *Dong, Dong, Dong,* the bells of reckoning rung after which he died, with the body falling forward, "Awaken!"

Conscious with a firmer stance, he gritted, from red to bright golden, the eye color changed. Hair levitated, clothes tore from left to right, '-still strong,' Nike's Symbol toggled subconsciously. Her wings flew outwards and lashed onto the forehead – the output amplified ten-fold. The intense release of power for both Gophy's dead body and Staxius's forced the other gods onto their knee. Only Lixbin and Zeus seemed unbothered. 

*Heed mine call,* managed to get a breath of air, * I, Staxius Haggard, call upon thy strength. Stop all who dare oppose mine own will, Death Element: Magical Barrier, Pentagram Variant, Hell's Gate.* Around the pillar rose a pentagram that reeked of death; screeching souls ran up and down the beam. They seemed to grasp similar to how the God-hand held the tower of mana. Shook at her power, if they would have fought, the realization of how badly he'd have died came to mind. The more the beam tried to expand, the more power Staxius emanated. 

A sky that was meant to have been blue with the sun radiating turned into pitch darkness. From blue to red, the sun replaced by a bloodied moon – the wind felt murderous. Blue and golden to white then to dark, Gophy's energy expanded and fought against Staxius. Amplified to the point of his body glowing bright gold, the shadow of a hooded figure grasping a scythe hovered behind his back. "WRATH," it whispered and swung. Golden turned to black, Nike's wings shattered to form and merge with the Scythe. A loud resonant boom traveled across the floor; the eyelashes burnt with the void flame with the eyes white in color. 

*Return to whence thy came, weakling,* pressed together, the beam retracted and imploded, a white light shot upwards to clear the sky from Staxius's mana. Twirling around above his palm, the last of Gophy's mana. Turned to stare Zeus; the latter took a step back. What stood before wasn't anything he had seen. A hooded figure of twice Staxius's size hovered, the eyes burnt white, all the veins were pitch-black. Part of the arms broke; a minor injury that healed instantly. 

"Goddess of Chaos Gophy has been killed," voiced monotonously, the weather behind changed to match his aura.