The Great Sage that Conquers The Heavens (Mori Jin X Rias)

Ch.1 - Shattered Resolve

“We need to try something new!” Mori shouted, his voice edged with urgency.

“What’s your plan?” Daewi asked, frustration evident.

“I don’t know! You’re the one with the brains here!” Mori snapped back.

“So, you’ve finally realized that, huh?!” Daewi’s tone was sharp.

“Just shut up!” Mori yelled as he dodged another of Buddha’s relentless strikes. Buddha had managed to separate them from their allies, immediately after striking Ilpyo with his Soul Blade. Now, Mori and Daewi were trapped in a dimension that seemed to stretch endlessly with grassy plains and tranquil lakes. In any other situation, Mori might have appreciated the calm beauty of the place. But right now, he couldn’t afford the luxury of distraction. Buddha’s ceaseless attacks and Mori’s inability to open a portal back to the sand dimension kept him on high alert.

Mori utilized his Fiery Eyes to teleport around Buddha, desperately seeking an opening. Daewi, meanwhile, engaged Buddha head-on, his enhanced speed allowing him to strike rapidly, though his blows only narrowly missed their mark.

The battle had dragged on for what felt like an eternity, and Buddha was becoming increasingly cunning. He had nearly struck Mori with his Soul Blade several times, and only Mori’s quick reflexes and portal abilities had saved him from a fatal blow.

“From the left!” Buddha anticipated, just as Daewi materialized with his 100,000x Repulsion. Buddha soared into the air, his Soul Blade poised to strike downward.

Daewi saw the attack approaching in what felt like slow motion. He could see the blade rushing towards him, and he leaped backward, his eyes widening as he felt the blade graze his ankles. Almost instantly, he lost all feeling in his foot, and he watched in horror as his skin began to disintegrate.

‘Is this really how it ends? After all I’ve been through?’ Daewi fell backward, staring at the ruin of his foot. “No…” he whimpered, his voice barely a whisper.

Buddha descended slowly, a cruel smile on his face as he observed the new Jade Emperor writhing in agony below him. The sight of Daewi’s suffering was almost pleasurable, a precursor to reclaiming his Supreme God powers.

“GET BACK!” Buddha was thrown violently backward by the explosion of the Giant Flame Bomb, which sent him flying hundreds of meters away. The blast infused him with malicious ki, causing his form to grotesquely distort into deformed versions of the gods he had devoured. Struggling to control his own body, Buddha was consumed by chaos.

Mori, however, barely noticed Buddha’s plight as he focused on the horrific sight of his brother and best friend deteriorating before him. “What’s happening?!”

“It’s over, Mori… He’s not going to make it,” Daewi said weakly, his voice filled with resignation.

“I can heal you. I have the Supreme God powers!” Mori’s voice quivered with desperation.

“No… you can’t heal this… it’s over for me,” Daewi insisted, his tone final.

“It can’t be!”

“It is! You… you were always the stronger one… always ahead of me… and in the end, I never surpassed you…”

“What do you mean?” Mori asked, confusion and sorrow mingling in his voice.

“Ever since you saved us from the Heavenly War, I chose to walk in darkness to protect the light…” Daewi’s foot had turned to ash, and he collapsed to the ground beside Mori. “I wanted to follow in your footsteps… to protect the new world!”