"Heh…" Gorr sneered at Itzamna's attempt at reasoning. "So what? You gods are all the same—worthless. I already know from him that you abandoned your followers thousands of years ago. Since you have no worshippers left, you don't deserve to be called gods anymore. You don't even deserve to exist in this universe."
He raised his sword, his eyes burning with fanatic hatred. "Or maybe I should say—every god must die! I, Gorr the God Butcher, will end all gods, no matter who you are or what you've done!"
"You've lost your mind... Or perhaps that weapon in your hand has consumed you," Itzamna replied, his gaze fixed on the ominous Black Necrosword. His eyes betrayed fear—rare for a being of his power.
As a Heavenly Father-class god and a knowledgeable being with millennia of experience, Itzamna knew exactly what that sword was. It wasn't just a powerful artifact. It was a divine executioner, crafted with the sole purpose of slaying gods. Even a god of Itzamna's caliber had reason to fear it.
"So, you recognize the power of my blade?" Gorr mocked. "Good. Fear it. But don't worry—you won't have to fear for long. You'll be dead soon enough."
"Whoosh!"
Before anyone could react, a black flash shot through the air, aimed directly at Itzamna. Gorr wasted no time. He wanted to strike down one of the most powerful gods in Indigel as a show of dominance.
"Hmm?!" Itzamna's expression darkened. He hadn't expected Gorr to attack so quickly and recklessly. Did this mortal truly think he could defeat a creator god with a single strike?
"Buzz!"
With a flash of divine light, Itzamna unleashed a counterattack. His power clashed with the black energy from the Necrosword, sending shockwaves through the sky. Yet, to his dismay, his godly power began to wither and dissolve upon contact with the sword's corrupt energy.
"Damn it!"
Even as a Heavenly Father, Itzamna could not overpower the weapon. The sword's very essence seemed to unravel divine power itself. After a brief but intense struggle, he spat blood and staggered backward, his once-mighty presence visibly diminished. He was in worse condition than the Samurai God who had fallen to Robert earlier.
Unlike Robert, who had shown restraint in his earlier fight, Gorr had no such intention. He was determined to kill Itzamna and every other god present. Yet, despite his terrifying weapon, Gorr himself was not an unbeatable force. His power was almost entirely dependent on the sword, and his tactical options were limited. If the gods scattered and hid in their realms, he wouldn't be able to hunt them all down.
This limitation frustrated Gorr to no end. He needed a decisive victory—one that would shatter the gods' will to resist. Killing Itzamna was his first step toward that goal.
"Terrifying..."
Many of the lesser gods looked on in horror. In mere moments, Gorr had injured a Heavenly Father with a single strike. Fear spread like wildfire among them. Could anyone stand against this monster?
The Avengers were equally shocked. "Is he really that powerful? He just one-shot a god on Itzamna's level... Could he be a cosmic-tier threat?" Pietro muttered. Even beings as powerful as the Sentry would struggle to inflict such damage with so little effort.
"It's not that simple," Robert interjected. "Gorr's power isn't his own. The Necrosword is designed to counter gods. That's why he can fight and injure beings much stronger than himself. He's essentially a puppet for the sword. Every strike he makes carries its full destructive potential, without any effort on his part."
Hearing this explanation, the Avengers nodded in understanding, though none of them were eager to test Gorr's weapon firsthand. They had already seen how it nullified divine defenses. Even with their powers, engaging him recklessly would be suicidal.
"Thor! Ra! Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?!" Itzamna's desperate voice echoed through the hall. The creator god clutched his chest, blood trickling from his lips as he glared at the other two deities.
Ra, however, remained calm, his mind racing with calculations. So this was the threat Zeus foresaw...
The Sun God's suspicions had been confirmed. Gorr was relentless and utterly uncompromising. There would be no reasoning with him, and fighting him head-on with that sword was a death sentence.
For Ra, there was only one logical course of action: escape. If the gods scattered and retreated to their private realms beyond Indigel, Gorr would be unable to reach them. Zeus had already abandoned his position—why should Ra stay behind?
He cast a glance toward Robert and the other Avengers. They won't help us. They have no stake in this... And after the earlier conflict with Thor, they might even enjoy watching us suffer.
Ra had briefly considered trying to manipulate Robert into fighting Gorr, but quickly dismissed the idea. Robert's strength was terrifyingly evident, and provoking him could result in disaster.
"Time to leave..."
Ra's gaze hardened. He turned to his followers from the Helipolis pantheon, including Khonshu. "We're retreating. Now."
Without waiting for a response, he summoned a blinding beam of solar energy, enveloping his allies in light. In an instant, they vanished, leaving the hall empty of their presence. His speed was unmatched—neither Gorr nor even Pietro could have caught up.
Gorr's expression twisted with fury as he watched Ra and the others flee. "Cowards!" he spat. His plan was falling apart. He had come to Indigel intending to wipe out all the gods in one fell swoop, but they were scattering like rats.
"Damn it! Get back here!"
His black sword crackled with dark energy, but no amount of power could stop the exodus. In every direction, gods were fleeing Indigel, vanishing into hidden sanctuaries beyond Gorr's reach.
For a moment, Gorr stood frozen, his rage boiling over. His grand plan to exterminate the gods had failed.
"You thought you could kill them all in one day?" Robert muttered quietly, his arms crossed as he observed the scene.
To him, it was obvious: Gorr was powerful, but deeply flawed. His hatred and arrogance had blinded him to the reality of the situation. The gods of Indigel wouldn't be so easy to wipe out.
And now, Gorr stood alone in a rapidly emptying hall, his vengeance thwarted—at least for today.
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