The SSS Ranked Villain's Return

The two stared at each other for a few moments as a deathly silence hung in the air.

They were now out in the beautiful rose garden, and even if by minute visions, Neraxis was able to remember all the good times he had here.

He took his first steps in the garden, and he also used mana for the first time here.

It was a treasure trove of memories, and yet, all those memories were about to come to an end.

After all, their power was beyond this world, and if his tests inside the Void Realm were anything to go by, he could practically destroy a world with the flick of his finger.

So with that in mind, he narrowed his eyes on the nonchalant Lagus, and without wasting another second, Neraxis raised a single finger.

A black energy bolt shot out, not making a sound as it arrived in front of Lagus.

But just as it was about to make contact, Lagus sidestepped it, causing the black energy bolt to fly past him and into the distance.

And the moment it hit the distant mountain, Neraxis's vision turned black.

Yet he was still able to see Lagus in front of him, and the two didn't even bat an eye at what had just happened.

Simply, Neraxis used his God of Destruction powers.

They had one innate feature, and that was to destroy everything in their path. Since he wasn't holding back, they destroyed this entire world, and even a bit beyond.

<A bit?> Raguel mused. <A galaxy destroyed at the flick of a finger seems a bit much, don't you think?>

Neraxis shrugged. Maybe... how far away am I from Evangeline and the others?

<You're not even in the same universe, so you don't have to worry,> Raguel assured. <But I am getting the feeling like you're going to die today.>

A moment of silence ensued, broken by Neraxis's sigh.

You really lack faith. Is it that unbelievable that I'll kill an immortal, unbeatable being?

<Well, I had millions of years to process information. I was able to gather enough from all your lifetimes to determine one thing...> Raguel trailed off. <Getting rid of a being at such a high level always comes with a price. The price may be steep, or the price might be shallow. But there is always a price to pay.>

Neraxis nodded.

He already knew this, but even so, he continued with the fight.

He collapsed the Void onto Lagus multiple times; he even manipulated the Space, Time, and Death laws however he pleased.

But each and every single outcome was the same.

Lagus would always counter and be left unscathed.

So after what felt like ages, Lagus finally went on the offense.

He specialized mostly in Time, so every now and again, Neraxis faced an attack he could just barely dodge.

Even if he had the highest mastery of Time, its usage was still a whole different realm entirely.

But even so, their fight lingered on, destroying planet after planet until eventually, the only thing that greeted their sights was a never-ending darkness.

The space itself was so distorted that even channeling their powers seemed a bit troublesome, so almost as if they had a mutual understanding, they teleported to a universe.

It was like a mirror universe of the one they had just been on, and the only reason Neraxis and Lagus chose this one was because it was the closest.

Spells, skills, and even magic of all calibers flew throughout the space, dyeing it in red as the two were trying to kill each other.

Or rather, Neraxis was the one trying... Lagus was still readily defending and counterattacking.

It wasn't because Neraxis was actually putting a strain on him. Instead, it was simply because he wanted to gauge the extent of Neraxis's newfound powers.

And after a bit more time, the two halted, staring at one another as Lagus let out a sigh.

"I'm a bit disappointed. You came in here flaunting power that you cannot even fully control. Are you sure you're taking this seriously?" Lagus asked. "I've waited and waited... did all that torment you went through not mean anything in the end? Did I go at it the wrong way?"

He tilted his head.

"Yeah... that must've been the case. Otherwise, you wouldn't have turned out so weak."

The moment he finished his words, Neraxis felt a dangerous force head toward him, then halt.

He couldn't see it, but his gut told him to back away, so he did.

At the same time, the pitch-black space where he had just stood shattered, revealing a pure white area.

It was similar to Neraxis's Void, but just much more powerful.

And before he could ponder on what it was, he was sucked inside.

The suction was much more powerful than he expected, and when he finally arrived inside, he was met with a peculiar sight.

There was a whole world ahead of him, people scattered around, yet it was more advanced than the people inside his Void Realm.

All of a sudden, Lagus appeared beside him and let out a chuckle.

"You have something similar, yes? It's a special trait of ours. I don't think many can directly access the area in between space," Lagus remarked. "Yours is a bit on the weaker side, as you chose one of the beginner planes. Had you gone further, you could've assimilated with an untapped realm of power that would rival even my own."

He floated down, landing on top of a floating car, causing it to suddenly stop.

Yet that wasn't the only thing that had stopped, as the world itself seemed to freeze.

"Destine... It stems from Destiny," Lagus muttered. "I'm sure you've come to realize you're able to manipulate probability to a certain extent, yes?"

Neraxis's brows furrowed as he had no idea what Lagus was talking about.

Sure, he had the Lesser God of Fate skill, but it was only Origin ranked.

At the same time, he wasn't sure how he got it or how it worked.

It had no description and no way to activate it either. It was just a blank slate.

But when their eyes locked again, Lagus tilted his head with a smile.

"Why don't I show you the difference in realms, dear Neraxis."