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Chapter 26 - chapter 26

Chapter 26 – The Blacksmith's Truth

Astrael looked at Varunesh with open mockery.

"You are a fool, as always," he said, his voice echoing across the divine arena. "You picked Nameless. Nameless? Yes, he is clever. Yes, he is dangerous. But he cannot fight. He can only advise."

He stepped closer, eyes gleaming.

"Suggestions. That is all he can offer you."

The surrounding gods murmured in agreement.

Astrael continued, "Yes, his strategies might turn the tide of battle… but you forgot something."

He turned his head slightly.

From the shadows emerged another figure.

A god draped in silver mist. His form shimmered, never fully solid, never fully visible. His presence felt unreal—like a dream half remembered.

"The God of Illusions," someone whispered.

He was not a participant in the tournament.

But he was a teacher.

His student—an Amritic God—was competing.

Through teaching his disciple… he could influence the battlefield indirectly.

Astrael smirked. "You chose a strategist. I chose one as well."

He gestured toward the Illusion God.

"He can counter every suggestion Nameless gives. Every tactic. Every manipulation."

Astrael's eyes sharpened. "You picked Nameless because he can shift destiny. But I have someone who bends perception itself."

He turned away dismissively. "You are such a fool."

And Astrael left.

The arena buzzed with whispers.

Many gods began to question Varunesh openly.

"Why abandon two armies?"

"Why choose a weaponless tactician?"

"Is this arrogance?"

Varunesh finally turned to them.

His gaze was calm—but heavy.

"You think I sit upon the Celestial Throne as a fool?"

Silence spread.

"You think I reached this level by luck?"

His voice grew colder.

"Yes. Astrael's prediction is correct. Nameless will give advice. His strategies will guide us."

He paused.

"But Astrael missed one thing."

Varunesh's eyes gleamed.

"Every single weapon Nameless distributed… was forged by Nameless."

The arena quieted completely.

"A master knows how to destroy his own student."

"A blacksmith knows the weakness of his own blade."

The meaning settled slowly.

Those legendary spears.

Those divine armors.

Those celestial swords.

All created by Nameless.

Varunesh turned away.

"Let Astrael strengthen his army with borrowed power."

"And let us see who truly understands that power."

The weight of his words lingered long after he left.

But Nameless…

Nameless was not listening.

After distributing everything, after manipulating two Celestial Gods into rivalry, after shifting the balance of the battlefield—

His mind was elsewhere.

Something was wrong.

Suddenly—

His vision split.

His right eye showed the divine arena.

Gods standing in tension.

Energy swirling in the sky.

But his left eye…

Showed somewhere else.

A ruined landscape.

A sky that was not celestial.

A horizon burning in faint crimson.

Nameless blinked.

The visions did not merge.

He raised his hand and covered one eye.

With his left eye closed, he saw only the tournament arena.

Normal.

Stable.

But when he closed the other eye—

The divine arena vanished.

And he stood in that unknown place.

The air there felt familiar.

Too familiar.

His heartbeat slowed.

His breathing steadied.

"This…," he whispered internally.

The ground in that second vision cracked slowly, as if responding to his presence.

Fragments of memory stirred.

A broken voice.

A shattered oath.

A divided existence.

Nameless slowly lowered his hand.

Both visions overlapped again.

Two worlds.

Two locations.

Seen at the same time.

Then realization struck him.

His other soul fragment.

It was awakening.

What he thought was sealed…

What he thought was dormant…

Was no longer silent.

Nameless understood now.

The tournament was not the only battlefield.

Something else had begun.

And this time—

It was inside him.

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Thank you for reading

I am sorry I am very bad with name

I hope you all can understand

Thank you and have a good day bye

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