Titan King: Ascension of the Giant

Chapter 1666: Judgment of the Four

Kaidric locked eyes on the newly spawned monstrosity. Though merely an avatar and not the true body of Abyssal Demon·Decay, it was already a deadly threat.

"It’s forcing a head-on clash!" Commander Thresh’s voice held a note of genuine admiration. Few entities possessed the sheer nerve to charge the Four-Faced Beast while it wielded a Demigod Artifact.

Beyond the bounds of the world, the abyssal beast dive-bombed the Four-Faced Beast the moment the Commander stopped speaking. Its lethal momentum promised a fight to the bitter end.

Repulsed by the foul abyssal presence, the Four-Faced Beast instinctively raised its God-Slaying Ballista. Snap! It fired a bolt so blindingly fast it defied mortal sight.

Yet, inches from the avatar of Abyssal Demon·Decay, the devastating projectile froze. From iron tip to fletching, the bolt rotted away in seconds, melting like wax over a flame. Just like that, the lethal strike was nullified.

"Unbelievable. That was a direct hit from a Demigod Artifact." Watching from the safety of the tavern, Kaidric gained a newfound, chilling respect for Abyssal Demon·Decay’s sheer power.

"A vicious set of laws to unravel," Commander Thresh nodded, acknowledging the demon’s strength. "A true apex combatant of the sixth stage."

"Now I’m actually worried about the Four-Faced Beast." Kaidric kept his eyes glued to the carnage. Perhaps it was a kinship born of his own abyssal blood, but he subconsciously favored Abyssal Demon·Decay to win.

"You might want to rethink that bet," Commander Thresh said, flashing a knowing smile. He was already anticipating the embarrassed look on his friend’s face when the tables turned.

"Meaning?" Kaidric turned, locking eyes with him.

"One is an absolute powerhouse of the sixth stage," Thresh explained. "The other is the ultimate guardian left in the mortal realm by four gods to protect the very source of their faith. More importantly, that Abyssal Demon is only a projection. His true body never crossed the veil."

No Abyssal Demon ever survived by being a fool. Without guaranteed victory, his true body wouldn’t step a single foot out of the Abyssal World to face a monster like the Four-Faced Beast.

Decay was simply using his laws to test the waters. In truth, both The Progenitor Swarm and Decay were meticulously probing the strength of the four gods, measuring the true depths of divine power. It was a calculated validation of strength. For any supreme combatant at the sixth stage, the Four-Faced Beast was the ultimate whetstone to sharpen their own power against.

"Blasphemers shall face judgment!"

Out in the void, the mere presence of Abyssal Demon·Decay seemed to trigger a lethal failsafe within the Four-Faced Beast. Abandoning its Demigod Artifact, the creature’s four human faces opened their jaws in simultaneous prayer. The ethereal silhouettes of four massive structures materialized, instantly quarantining the battlefield.

Had Archbishop Kysar not been petrified into wood, he would have immediately recognized the sacred architecture of the Cult of Four: The Dais of Judgment, The Headsman’s Block, The Dais of Eternity, and The Dais of Ascension.

By the strict dogma and law of the Cult of Four, this grand display was reserved only for the trial of true heretics, or for executing pagans who threatened the faith. The four gods had manifested their divine tribunal to pass judgment on Abyssal Demon·Decay.

The Abyssal World and The Divine Dominion had been sworn, blood-feud enemies since the dawn of time.

"Those with blood on their hands carry the weight of sin and shall find no absolution. The Gods decree: Death to the pagan!"

"The Gods decree: The sins of the Abyss are immeasurable. Falsehood walks hand-in-hand with darkness, and the darkness must be purged!"

"The Gods decree: The very existence of Abyssal spawn is a blasphemy against the Four. Today, the Abyss stands trial!"

"The Gods decree: Your True Name shall be erased, your soul rendered to ash. You are denied the Abyss; you are beyond salvation!"

Four distinct voices resonated in unison. Speaking in tones of terrifying, divine majesty, they handed down their sentence upon Abyssal Demon·Decay.

Caught mid-charge, Decay was utterly suppressed by the spectral weight of the four monuments. He froze in the void, paralyzed.

In that instant, Abyssal Demon·Decay’s phantom will collided with its natural predator. The abyssal divine power coursing through his beast-like phantom will was forcibly scattered. His phantom will was judged, and a sliver of his very soul was set ablaze.

From Commander Thresh’s vantage point, a piercing shaft of light ripped through the void. It tracked Abyssal Demon·Decay’s aura straight back to the Abyssal World, hunting for the demon’s True Name in a bid to obliterate him from existence.

Thresh highly doubted it would succeed. The ray of light was simply too weak to finish the job.

"When I ascend to the Divine Mantle, I will repay this humiliation! The shame of this banishment, the insult of this trial, and the agony of my burning soul—you will suffer it all tenfold!"

Overpowered by the Four-Faced Beast, Abyssal Demon·Decay’s beast-like avatar disintegrated. Right before it vanished, his low, hateful vow echoed directly into the ears of Commander Thresh and Kaidric.

"Did it sound like he was directing that at us?" Kaidric asked, his tone laced with disappointment. The invincible image of Abyssal Demon·Decay he had built up in his mind had completely shattered after this one-sided defeat. His deep-seated fear of the apex predators lurking in the Abyssal World had largely vanished.

"He wasn’t pretending. That threat was absolutely meant for us," Commander Thresh chuckled, completely unbothered.

If the four gods descended in the future and Decay still hadn’t attained godhood, the demon would be too busy running for his life to seek revenge. To the Commander, Decay’s parting empty threat was pathetic.

"By the way, whose banner is that guy fighting under?" Kaidric was genuinely confused, still unsure of which faction Abyssal Demon·Decay represented in this war.

"He’s not with us, and he isn’t fighting for The Swarming Continent. That leaves only the Continent of the Pantheon or The Lifeless Expanse."

"As for which one, we’ll find out from our newest guest." Sensing a shift in the air, the Commander’s eyes lit up. He gestured for Kaidric to turn back to the battlefield.

In the exact moment Abyssal Demon·Decay fell to the Four-Faced Beast, an ancient, suffocating presence descended.

"This aura... one of the old ghosts from the Underworld?" Kaidric murmured. When it came to the denizens of hell, he was no greenhorn.

"Fascinating. The heavyweights of both the Abyss and the Underworld are playing their pieces in the Titanion Realm," Thresh noted, ignoring Kaidric’s shock. If anything, he looked pleased. The more factions placed their pawns on the board, the more Hope the Titanion Realm had. Even so, the Commander privately felt the board was still too empty. He needed more players.

"The Four-Faced Beast... the mortal vessel of the four gods. Their peak strength before true ascension. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better grindstone in all of heaven and earth!"

A gloomy, hollow voice echoed across the void, accompanied by a mass of eerie, pitch-black fog.