NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: BLASPHEMY
Mai's mind raced as she tried to grasp the meaning of the woman's words...."unforgivable." What could possibly be so unforgivable in a world drenched in deception and ruin? Her thoughts felt disconnected, slipping through her grasp like smoke. Scarlett's expression shifted, her lips twisting into a look of realization that quickly turned dark, transforming into an angry, grotesque grimace. A wave of menacing energy radiated from her as she growled, her voice dripping with venom. "You idiot, are you mad?" she yelled, her fury undeniable.
Zehen's laughter grew louder, increasingly chaotic, rising to a horrifying crescendo that seemed to vibrate through the very air. The sound was maddening, relentless, and questioning in a way that unsettled everything in its path. It was a horrible noise, piercing the room and everything around them, as though he were mocking the very existence of reality itself. "Stop this!" A woman's voice cried out, hoarse with panic. She stood, her eyes wide, filled with fear and disbelief. Her cry echoed, reaching out to her companion, urging him to cease his reckless assault on Zehen. But despite her desperation, her words carried no weight against Zehen's madness.
Zehen, unfazed, released a violent bolt of lightning from his body, snapping the chains that bound him. The energy crackled and surged through the air, the shockwave sending shivers through the room as his body was freed. The power coursed through him, an eruption of raw force, and he collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, his head hitting the stone floor. The walking inferno, his body blazing like a living flame, seemed to swell with the fire, feeding on the surging heat. The temperature in the room spiked to unbearable levels, as if the very air itself was being consumed by the flames. His groans were low, each one carrying the weight of a deep, suppressed pain. The inferno stood over Zehen, towering like a monstrous figure forged from hellfire, his voice booming in menace. "Who do you think you are, to blaspheme the name of our Almighty God?" he spat, his tone dripping with contempt and fury.
As the man spoke, more Celestials appeared, standing at a distance like silent witnesses to the unfolding chaos. They murmured among themselves in hushed voices, some filled with awe, others with fear. Their words were fragmented, impossible to make sense of, but one thing was clear—they were uncertain, caught between their reverence for their god and the undeniable terror that Zehen exuded. "He... he can't be serious, right?" one of the Celestials whispered to another, their voice barely audible. "Is he challenging the Supreme One? How can one man hold so much power?" Another Celestial, their eyes flickering with unease, shook their head. "This isn't just madness. This is... something more."
Zehen, meanwhile, rose from the ground with a slow, deliberate movement. His wounds began to heal as the flames around him flickered out of existence, his body burning hot but unharmed. His neck cracked as he stretched it, the sound of it echoing in the tense silence that followed. Then, without warning, his gaze locked onto the inferno before him. The walking inferno's flames flickered uneasily as their eyes met, a silent standoff between them. Zehen's expression was unreadable, but his voice carried a mocking undertone. "At your limit, huh?" Zehen chuckled, the sound devoid of amusement but filled with disappointment. His voice dripped with derision, as if the very idea of the inferno's power was laughable.
Zehen muttered curses under his breath, his tone bitter as he stared up at the towering inferno. "You'd risk damaging your body... or even killing yourself... for the God of fools," he spat. The walking inferno's flames flickered wildly, his rage intensifying, his body burning brighter. But Zehen wasn't finished. He continued, his mocking tone growing louder with each word. "A god that can't even rid himself of the gods he created," Zehen sneered. "A god who hides behind his creations, watching as the gods you Celestials have fought for centuries send thier armies to massacre humanity." His eyes narrowed with contempt as he continued to mock the Supreme One. "Where is he, huh? Where's the so-called god you worship?"
***
With a fluid motion, Zehen strode toward the statue of the Supreme One, standing tall and proud at the back of the room. Its massive form loomed over the scene, its hands clasped together in a prayer gesture, and a long robe cascaded down from its frame. The face, obscured by shadow, remained hidden, adding to its aura of distant divinity. Zehen's eyes narrowed as he stared at the statue, his gaze hardening in disdain. He had seen it before, but seeing it again only fueled his anger. "Are you people really that naive?" He spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "Idiots." The room seemed to hold its breath as Zehen raised his hand. His fingers crackled with electricity, but this time, there was something different....something more. His body trembled slightly, not from the burn of the lightning coursing through him, but from the sheer force of his superhuman strength.
The air around Zehen crackled as he gathered his power, the lightning arcing across his body. In a single, fluid motion, he swung his arm forward, not just using his lightning but infusing it with his immense strength. His muscles bulged as he channeled everything into one explosive strike. The bolt of lightning shot toward the statue, but it wasn't just a blast of raw energy. It was a force of destruction, amplified by Zehen's superhuman strength. The energy twisted, crackled, and surged, hitting the statue with a deafening crash. The sheer power of the blow reverberated through the room, the sound of shattering solid gold filling the air.
The statue of the Supreme One groaned, its massive form buckling under the force of Zehen's strike. Then the golden began to crack, splintering apart as though the very foundation of the god's existence was being torn asunder. The flames surrounding the walking inferno faltered for a brief moment, their heat ebbing as the shockwave from Zehen's strike hit them. The inferno staggered back, his body trembling slightly from the force of the blow. Zehen's laughter rang out again, cruel and mocking. "How pathetic," he sneered, his words dripping with satisfaction as he watched the destruction unfold before him.
The Celestials, who had been watching in stunned silence, now murmured in growing horror. The statue of the Supreme One was crumbling, the god's image falling apart under Zehen's power. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible," one of the Celestials whispered, their voice trembling. "How could he...commit such a sin?" Zehen's eyes never left the collapsing statue. "You worship this? A god who can't even protect his glorious statue his own children made for him?"
"A god who is considered to be so great, that he created everything in this world and more." He stepped forward, his gaze cold and unfeeling. "This god is a failure. And so are all of you."
With another surge of his strength, Zehen's hand shot forward, sending a final bolt of lightning that shattered the last remnants of the statue. The gold exploded outward, a shower of debris raining down onto the floor as the statue of the Supreme One was reduced to rubble. The Celestials were silent. They could only watch in stunned disbelief as the remains of their god's image lay in ruins at their feet. Zehen turned, his expression unchanged, his eyes cold and pitiless. "This is your god?," he muttered, his voice echoing through the room.
"What a joke."