บท 24: Gods Among Us (Part 11)

The immortal's body began to regenerate; nerves and skin moved in a beautiful biological dance, reconstructing his body, and the hole in his chest closed before the naked eye.

Seeing this, Zeus wasted no time and attacked again, using the powers of the maternal box to control the terrain around and bury Inmo. Giant hands made of earth and debris clung to Inmo, taking his body deep into the earth. Zeus wanted to seal him thousands of kilometers deep, but as soon as Zeus breathed a sigh of relief, pulses emerged from the ground – small but frequent, growing taller until they resembled earthquakes. It was then that Immortal emerged from the ground, soaring into the sky. His eyes were blood-red, and the pressure he exerted was like facing a mythical beast.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Immortal let out a war cry and charged at Zeus again, attempting to punch the god. He moved so fast that Zeus couldn't keep up with his movements, but the maternal box managed to protect Zeus once more. Zeus released his attack on Inmo at point-blank range, but Inmo didn't even take a step back; the attack simply dissipated over time without affecting him.

Enraged, Immortal began a series of attacks, but the maternal box kept stopping him. Inmo used his great speed to encircle Zeus, attacking from different angles and using different techniques, creating a tornado in the area. However, the maternal box could still keep up, preventing Zeus from taking any damage.

The fight continued in this stalemate. Zeus was getting worried as the maternal box might be saving him, but its energy was depleting rapidly. It wouldn't be able to protect him for much longer. That's when he made his decision; he would win this fight one way or another. He roared in fury, calling upon the other gods to join the battle. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT, HELP ME!" The gods surrounding the field reinforced their determination and entered the battlefield to face this mythical beast.

Ares and Poseidon made their moves, both entering the tornado. Their imposing figures, one wielding a war axe and the other a gleaming golden trident, caused the tornado to cease after a few seconds. A massive pressure wave spread through the area, making the wind violent and dangerous. Now, with a better view of the battlefield, Poseidon was seen in an attacking stance, as was Ares, both attacking Inmo from different sides, using their numbers to outmaneuver him. However, Inmo, standing between their attacks, stopped both with just his hands, easily disarming them. Inmo held both weapons and spun violently, throwing them in opposite directions, hurling the two gods out of the field. The other gods made their moves; the Queen of Olympus tried to mess with Inmo's mind, but she failed miserably. The other gods launched their attacks – Artemis used her arrows imbued with divine lunar power, but none of them pierced Inmo. Apollo then focused his firepower and launched it at Inmo, but like Zeus' attack, it dissipated quickly without causing any harm.

Then, Immortal used his strength and speed to fight all the gathered gods. Thanks to their superior numbers and the maternal box, none of the gods died, but they were all injured to some extent. Zeus was desperate; the maternal box only had a few minutes of energy left. It was at that moment the box failed, and Ares' scream was heard as his right arm was completely destroyed.

Seeing that the battle was lost, Poseidon chose that moment to play his trump card. "Inmo, stop this fight now. The Atlanteans have attacked my city; they must have just conquered your beloved humans. Don't continue fighting if you want to see them alive again." Inmo halted his movement and looked at Poseidon. Zeus thought Inmo was hesitating and said, "Think about it. It doesn't matter if you kill us here; humanity will always need the gods, and we will be reborn again. But your beloved humans only have one life."

Inmo looked at the gods and started laughing loudly. "Hahaha, you may all be a bunch of clowns, but you're right. If I kill you here, you'll just come back." At that moment, the gods showed a relatively relaxed expression in the place. However, Inmo wasn't done yet. "You know, I have always resisted my divine side even after all these years. I haven't fully mastered my powers because I rejected my divine nature, but I think it's time to finally accept it. As you said, humanity will always need a god." While Inmo walked through the field, giving a monologue, Zeus's face became darker, and an ancient prophecy echoed in his mind, scenes of Gaia's entrance into his palace, uttering the following words to him, "Zeus, you may sit on this throne, but you will never be the true ruler of humans. When the one who remains accepts their destiny, your reign will end." Zeus snapped back to reality just in time to hear Inmo say, "And that god will be me."

A massive white energy emerged from Immortal, the power of faith accumulated over thousands of years burst forth like an inexhaustible fountain of light, bathing his body in its radiance. When the light dissipated, Inmo remained in place, now adorned in the white garments of an emperor, with a long radiant cape billowing in the air. In his right hand, he held a white and golden spear adorned with ancient symbols, and above his head floated a beautiful crown befitting an emperor, made of pure radiant energy.

Time seemed to stand still as Inmo moved his spear, thrusting it into the ground, creating a massive wave of light that spread from the epicenter, covering the entire world and reaching all mortals on Earth, just like the first god wave. At that moment, only Inmo's whispers could be heard, spreading silently across the battlefield, "No more gods."

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