Chapter 396 Judgment for the Black Sun Causer
Below the Black Sun, hovering like an open wound in reality, the air of Omega hardened into an undefined field—where sound became an echo, and light transformed into needles. Joanna stood tall, time swirling around her, ready to confront the nameless creatures birthed from the hatred of the past. With each heartbeat, she felt the vibrations of ancient magic, a power flowing from the sky as if the world awaited her command.
Yet just as her first step was about to begin, the world itself decided that she was no longer worthy of a chance. In the suffocating silence, she could hear the rasping breaths of dark creatures lurking in the shadows, instilling a creeping fear along her bones.
The sky split.
The crimson lightning split the sky. Iron-clad clouds swirled in a colossal spiral formation. Then, one by one, the gods who transcended history descended to the world of Omega, radiating an aura of power that shook the soul and created an inescapable presence. With each step they took, they left traces of emptiness, as if burdened by an unforgiving history.
Odin, with one eye remaining, donned a dark gray cloak, and his Gungnir spear shimmered with starlight, signaling a power capable of altering fate. In his gaze, Joanna felt the sorrow and wisdom of thousands of years of struggle, yet also the deep-rooted disappointment of a once-mighty king.
Thor, with hair like flames and his hammer Mjölnir, wore a face filled with wrath, as if each bolt of lightning he summoned signified the wrath of nature longing to be quelled. His voice thundered like a storm, resonating within Joanna's soul, threatening to shake her convictions.
Zeus, king of the sky gods, wielded an unquenchable golden lightning bolt. The glint of his lightning cast terrifying shadows across the faces of the spectators, revealing that there was no refuge from such divine power. Joanna realized that the courage flowing within her might not suffice against the fury of these deities.
Poseidon, wielding his trident and shrouded in swirling currents, stepped forward, causing the tide to surge and destabilizing the very fabric of the realm around him. The sound of rushing water seemed to beckon Joanna to surrender, urging her to let herself drown in the endless sea.
Hades, cloaked in the mist of death, had eyes aflame with a violet glow adorned with glyphs of the underworld. His presence tore through the atmosphere, igniting a longing to retreat to safety—yet Joanna understood that it was merely an illusion. Within that void, she sensed the haunting call of souls envious of her promises to the world.
Rui stood frozen. "Why are they... here?" Her fear echoed in the emptiness between them, a trembling voice reflecting the anxiety in her heart as it ventured into the darkness.
Joanna grasped the weight of time in her hands. She already knew the answer even before the gods spoke. Yet, before their voices broke the silence, she fought against the onslaught of thoughts clinging to her mind, realizing that she was a flame chased by a storm—a battle between hope and despair. Each passing second felt like torment, as though the world placed its hopes upon her, which instead bore a curse.