Ryu's gaze shifted to Supreme Blacksmith Arcus. This was the first time he was meeting the Fragmented Sky God like this. However, it didn't seem to matter.
Supreme Blacksmith Arcus could have never thought that the brat he refused to forge a bow for would be standing here before him with his life in the palm of his hand.
Ryu didn't speak a word to him. Pressing two fingers together, he drew a curved arch from high above his head down toward his feet, a line of qi following his actions. Then, he drew a straight line from the center of this curved line backward.
In that moment, a bow and arrow of qi formed, pulsing and radiating with power.
Supreme Blacksmith Arcus didn't get to say anything as Ryu released, the blazing arrow of black striking his chest true.
The Supreme Blacksmith looked down at where his heart had been. The message seemed to ring loud and clear in his ears. His blacksmithing wasn't needed.
He crumbled to ash, his Godhood being all that remained.
Ryu took a step forward, vanishing.
He took a stroll through the Demigods, his hands clasped behind his back. Without even an effort, every one he passed by exploded into a rain of blood and gore. It was as though Ryu's glance alone was too much for them to handle, their bodies convulsing and speeding toward death in sacrifice for the blessing they had received.
Ryu's steps paused, standing before King Adonis. The latter was still heavily injured and hardly able to move from Ryu's previous Dragon Claw attack. But now, he shivered much like the coward he was, facing Ryu without any of his previous bloviating arrogance.
Ryu simply flicked a finger, tearing a hole with his skull and leaving his body to warp into ashes.
Ryu continued to walk, a relentless slaughter taking place. Those that tried to run in the distance thought they had done so successfully, until they ran into a wall of space none of them could pass through no matter how hard they tried.
It was then they realized that they were trapped. Ryu meant every word he had spoken, he had no intention of letting any one of them off. He would slaughter them down to their very last man.
Ryu's steps paused, his gaze locking onto a particular woman. He recognized this Queen of the Martial Gods, she was Isemeine's mother.
His palm stretched out, causing the voluptuous and usually sensual woman to shoot into his hand.
His fingers gripped her jaw with his fingers and thumb, looking into her eyes.
The first ounce of hesitation appeared in Ryu's actions. He really wasn't sure, should he kill her? Why wouldn't he? She had the same level of culpability as every other high level Martial God here. Why should he spare her?
Queen Athelina's gaze trembled with fear, but she kept her lips sealed tightly. Ryu had already killed both of her men and the father's of Isemeine and her half sister Zenavey. She had no reason to think that Ryu would spare her. His rage for the Martial Gods clearly surpassed any connection he had to Isemeine.
And yet, Ryu's fingers released, allowing her dangling feet to crash to the ground.
He walked by her without a single word, continuing his killing spree until he stood before the Valkyries.
The women who had thrust him into that illusion surrounded their fallen sister, their mournful cries piercing the skies as they each clutched a portion of her body. Tears streamed down their faces, their reactions as hard rending as anyone else's would have been.
They had lost a sister they had grown up with, how could they not react like this?
But, Ryu could only seem to look upon this sort of reaction with disgust. If they had stepped over her corpse and charged for him, as cold and callous as they were to everyone else, then he might still be enraged, but he would at least respect them.
Clearly, though, they didn't have such backbone.
Noticing Ryu's sudden appearance, the Valkyries all lunged for him, their spears being brandished with strength that made the Sky Gods Ryu had killed until this point feel like nothing more than canon fodder.
But, he only stretched out a single finger.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Ryu's finger seemed to move about slowly, and yet it always appeared in the path of every lethal spear strike.
They were relentless, pouring in all their rage, all their anger, everything they had into their power.
The earth shattered, the skies whipping with the winds of their weapons and space split with every pierce.
And yet, none of it seemed to matter at all. Even as their shrieks rose like tempests into the skies and they burned all the reserves of strength they had, it was completely useless.
"This looks a lot like the Sin of Wrath to me, don't you think?"
Ryu's voice pierced through it all, shaking their hearts as though their shrieks and the cacophony of their strikes wasn't enough to drown out his will.
His finger flicked forward.
A Valkyrie's spear spun to the side, her two hands trying to hold on tightly. But, Ryu's strike was too powerful for her. She had no ability to stop her momentum before her blade sliced through the throat of her fellow sister.
"NO!"
The shout was filled with horror and pain, and yet Ryu's finger only flicked forward again, and then again.
He slaughtered them one by one.
The last of them fell to the ground in a pool of her own tears. Even as blood gurgled from her throat, she cried out, reaching for her sisters, crawling toward them.
Ryu walked by, kicking the hand she was reaching for.
Why should she be allowed even the slightest comfort in death?
The Valkyrie collapsed, unable to reach what remained of the warmth of her sister's hand.
As for Ryu, he finally stepped onto the body of the Ice Phoenix, climbing up its body slowly but surely.
He didn't seem to be in a rush at all.
Up ahead, the Martial God Sky Gods still fought against the very same ball of Fate as Mistress Holy Wing remained standing on her feet.
Ryu walked up the phoenix's proud neck, his three meter tall frame and towering qilin horns still sparking with black lightning.
"You should have died a long time ago," Ryu said lightly, his gaze meeting Mistress Holy Wing's for the very first time since he had stepped foot onto this battlefield.