Against The True Gods

Caine took a deep breath and then checked his surroundings as he exhaled.

On the floor of the platform he stood on, countless micro pathways were visible, channeling the dripping blood of the five entities to empower the living spell that the platform itself had become.

"WAIT! Wait! Listen! Whatever it is you want, we can give it to you, but now is not the time for this! The abominations are attacking our lands and we need to—"

Caine tuned out the Jade Emperor's voice and sat down, crossing his legs and closing his eyes to focus.

The four Lords of The Realms began barking threats and pleas for mercy at Caine, unaware of what he might do to them. The only person who remained silent was Nova.

His gaze was almost empty and void of emotion as he stared at Caine, memories of the past filling his ancient mind.

He remembered the child he had met on that river, crying rivers of blood as he held the cold, lifeless body of a little girl, just as young as him.

He remembered the endless defiance and bubbling hate in Caine's eyes. Though Caine had been nothing but a little boy back then, nothing like the entity he was now, the hate that burned deep within him had been so intense it shocked Nova.

At the time, Nova's plans had only been in their embryonic stage, and he had been traveling the myriad worlds, finding youths like Caine to transform into useful pawns for when the war with the abominations would inevitably come.

For years, Caine amazed him with his feats despite his status as a cripple, having somehow found an alternative path of cultivation he created himself, but even then, Caine was fully under his control and grasp, like the pawn he'd raised him to be.

It wasn't until that fateful day, when Caine suddenly disappeared for a century…

'I should've known this would happen. I thought he was still nothing but a little toy…'

Even when Caine returned, wielding power so terrifying that Nova was forced to outwardly treat him as an equal, he hadn't been worried, for he himself wasn't just anyone.

Nova was a Demigod, born from the union of a Godly abomination and an outer entity who couldn't be spoken of.

Being a Demigod meant he was a single step away from true Godhood and Eternity. Yet despite having lived for billions of years, he was still stuck as a mere Demigod with his power dwindling over time due to the curse inflicted by his strange origins.

But despite this, Nova had never truly cared. The entirety of existence and its three realms had always been nothing but steps within his plan, the same for the abominations and everything in between.

They were all steps of a plan he'd devised to free himself and truly become a God.

And yet now, all of that had been thrown away and wasted due to a single mistake he had committed.

Nova couldn't help but laugh.

***

A while later, Caine slowly opened his eyes, unbothered by the mix of shouts and laughter that echoed around him.

He stood up, then looked at the Three Lords.

"Before I begin, I will give you a way out. You simply have to answer my question."

They immediately fell silent, their gazes stilling, and their minds focusing.

"Who created the Three Realms?"

Silence.

Even Nova was taken aback by the question. Was Caine truly asking them who had created everything that existed? What kind of nonsensical question was that?

And yet, hearing this question, the facade of the Three Lords broke. Their previous display of cowardice faded away, revealing the refined temperament of entities who'd lived since the dawn of time and led all who had ever been born.

A violent pressure erupted from their bodies, causing the ground they stood on to crack.

"…I do not know who told you, but be aware that if you go through with—"

"Alright, be quiet."

Caine waved his hand, and the pressure dissipated as their mouths were sealed shut by a mighty spectral force.

Though he had asked this question, he wasn't expecting an answer. He just wanted to confirm one of the many theories he'd developed over the years about the truths of the Three Realms.

"Well…"

Caine stretched out a palm, then closed it into a fist. Suddenly, the spike that had impaled the five entities began to glow as all their blood and energy were rapidly sucked into the platform below.

BANG!

The world itself began to rumble as the fabric of space tore and shattered, the flow of time was disturbed, and millions of timelines collided and shattered, exploding into a cosmic mist that flooded the white space and painted it with a beautiful yet terrifying scenery.

Nova and The Four Lords all began to scream in pain and horror as they felt their very souls and bodies be ground to dust and used as fuel for Caine's mad plan.

As this happened, Caine slowly put the crown he'd taken from Nova on his head and felt its terrifying power course through him.

To Nova, this crown was called the [Crown of Ascension], an object that would allow him to finally cultivate and gain power through the conventional and superior path. But if Caine had gone through all this trouble and years of scheming just for this, then he wouldn't be worthy of his own name.

No, this crown was called the [Divine Crown of Samsara], and it had a near-endless number of effects, but only one mattered to Caine.

BOOOM!

One after another, the jewels on the crown lit up. Each time this happened, a loud explosion echoed, and Caine violently threw up a mouthful of blood.

But he didn't care. Rapidly, the platform below him began to morph into a swirling portal of amethyst and rose colors.

Seeing this, Caine laughed madly and brought his hands together for the final time, manifesting a blade within them. Without mercy or hesitation, he plunged the blade into his heart and killed himself as he roared out:

"[SAMSARA IGNITION: REINCARNATION.]"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!