Hero of Darkness

After finishing more than 8 semi-saints, Kahn ganged up on the remaining 3 using his free doppelgangers and cosmic replicas…

The result… Kahn killed Nanaue Willock the hybrid with aquatic species lineage who resembled a shark.

Then he killed Targos Boltan, the golem-like individual whose entire body was made of stone and his skull was on fire. All he did was use Permafrost and Fenrir's Wrath to freeze him like an icicle.

As for Knull Symbitar, the warrior with a symbiote-like black tendrils running across his body…. Kahn simply used Lycan Tyrant's roar that acted like a high-frequency sonic attack and then he used the Hell's Inferno skill to burn him alive.

The last 3 semi-saints took an even shorter amount of time than the first 8.

And finally after gathering all the 11 cores of these semi-saints, Kahn spoke with a confident smile…

"Drakon El Tuscarvaya!" BOOM!!

Shatter!

Soon, the 20-kilometer-wide isolation barrier shattered that had trapped Kahn in a corner up until this point.

Crumble!

Like crumbling pieces of glass, the dome-like barrier disappeared into nothingness.

Right then, the system notified…

[The host is no longer under the suppression of the ancient rank magic formation. The host is now back to being a Semi-Saints along with all the previous debuffs on the body and stats removed.] reported the system.

[Good. It was worth the wait.] thought Kahn.

"Blergh!" suddenly, the Hero of Time appeared after he too suffered the backlash.

"You… how did you know?" he asked in a petrified tone.

"One would mistake it for an ancient Elven spell but in reality, this ancient rank magic formation that you cast on me was…

The Dragon Magic." spoke Kahn with a confident smile.

"Impossible! You shouldn't be that knowledgeable in ancient magic and spells, much alone in the Dragon Magic." spoke Anakin with an incredulous voice.

"The cores of your party members imbued and used as binding force for that spell using the ancient Dragon runic magic… I figured them out after experiencing the suppression on my body.

My mentor taught me the Dragon Magic some time ago. And the spell you used was one of the 2 Ancient Rank magic formation spells he made me learn.

That's how I knew it." replied Kahn casually.

"A mentor? Which one?

That fucking Fenrirborne or that Vampire?" asked Anakin with a befuddled voice.

"Or was it Rathnaar Whitlock?

No, magic was not his expertise." he said.

"Enough chitchat!" shouted Kahn.

"Let me ask you something… If you can see the future and you knew my identity…

Why didn't you tell it to the world or the empire that summoned you?

I also know of the group that is made for hunting me. You could have had me killed just by uttering my name to them since you obviously knew of their existence in the future because of your divine ability.

So why?" stated Kahn and enquired.

"You boor. You truly have no idea, do you?" scoffed Anakin and spoke in a disappointed tone.

"I guess the you at this point still have no idea about the deal between the Gods and Empires." he spoke and armed himself with the trident-like scepter.

"What deal do you mean?" asked Kahn curiously as he pointed Lucifer at Anakin.

"Have you not suspected it till this point?

There are 13 Gods and there are 13 Empires who serve them in the name of religion, culture, and whatnot.

But what reason do these Empires have to always worship a God?" he made a question.

Kahn himself was curious about this reason for years but never had the time to focus on it.

"There are many empires that have formed, got destroyed, and disappeared in the annals of time.

Yet the ones who emerge from the fall of those empires or even the new ones formed after their demise, made up of species and races who fundamentally have different mindsets, traditions, and ways of life always end up together to worship a single God or Goddess?

Did it never garner your curiosity?" asked the Hero of Time with a smirk.

"It's because the Gods offer something that none of the new rulers of these existing, newly appearing, and those empires formed via hostile takeover can refuse.

Something so alluring and incomprehensible that these Emperors and Empresses can't help but covet." stated Anakin in a scholarly tone.

"What is it, oh enlightened one?" asked Kahn sarcastically.

"A guaranteed way to become a Peak Saint.

And the direct source is placed inside the God's Domain." spoke the Hero of Time.

"What?!" exclaimed Kahn in disbelief.

"The Hero with an awakened Divine Key will break their limits and become a powerful saint, at least an 8th-stage saint.

But the reigning rulers will get the right to enter and cultivate in the sacred grounds inside the God's Altar for an entire year after the Conclave of Heroes ends.

In those sacred grounds, once the empires gain access to it through their Hero who earned the right to enter the God's Altar… They will have a confirmed way to become a Peak Saint after they have become a Peak 9th-stage saint." revealed Anakin.

Shock!

Kahn was stupefied after learning this truth.

[So that's why there have always been empires worshipping gods, summoning the heroes and nurturing them.

All so that the reigning rulers could become a Peak Saint.] concluded Kahn. "But isn't that too risky?

Because I heard there are only 4 Sovereigns in this Era." he iterated in a stern voice.

"Yes. The land is just the cultivation site. Although extremely important to become a guaranteed Peak Saint, the said Emperors and Empresses need to become a peak 9th-stage saint first.

And for that, there is a task given to every summoned Hero and Heroine. A task besides entering the God's Altar for the Limit Break.

Something that will provide a real boost in power and rise in rank as a saint and it is given by…

The Apples of Eden." declared Anakin.

"There are only 2 Apples of Eden in the sacred grounds of each God or Goddess.

One is for the summoned Hero or Heroine since they can break past their limits immediately by 2 ranks after eating the apple.

And the other is for the Emperor or the Empress of the empires backing them. A way to become a Peak 9th stage saint and then having a perfect and assured way to become a Peak Saint. Aren't they worth sacrificing billions of lives for in this world where Strength and Authority mean everything?" asked Anakin in a patronizing tone.

"You asked me why I didn't tell anyone else about you, right?" stated Anakin and answered Kahn's main question.

"Because you possess 2 Divine Keys after killing that trash, Axel. Thus, you have access to both the sacred grounds of Vulcan and the now-destroyed Abyss Empire.

This means you have access to 4 Apples of Eden and 2 apples that rightfully belong to you, providing you a sure-shot opportunity to become a Peak Saint." revealed Anakin.

"For other empires, counting their own Heroes/Heroines, that's 6 Apples and 3 confirmed Ascensions.

That's why all the empires agreed to hunt you down using the excuse of what the 8th Hero of Darkness did 300 years ago." he iterated in a majestic tone.

"If anything… Your predecessor was a Martyr who tried to do the necessary thing to kill the Demon God while all these empires and heroes were fighting among themselves for power and authority.

There is no such thing as blind loyalty or devotion to Gods just because an Empire serves them.

And to the Gods themselves, this is just a small entertaining game from the past 3000 years." said Anakin and raised his aura.

"Is that so? Then why haven't there been any Peak Saints in the past 2 thousand years?" asked Kahn.

"Because the Conclave of Heroes happens only after all the summoned Heroes are from the new generation or the old generation of heroes have died completely.

There have been times when 90% of the Heroes were from the new generation but the Conclave of Heroes didn't happen because at least one from the previous generation was still alive.

In the past 3000 years, the conclave of heroes has happened only 4 times. This is the 4th one." explained Anakin Redfield.

"Wait… I was told that the conclave must happen within 10 years after everyone has been summoned.

And those who didn't attend it would die." queried Kahn again.

"True. But it doesn't mean the Gods and Empires didn't have the means to bypass that rule.

In such cases, they just shared the Divine Essence with the Heroes to keep them alive.

And thanks to your predecessor who killed all the others before his own death, an entire new generation was summoned for this Conclave of Heroes to happen." spoke Anakin as he entered his own battle mode.

"Good. Thanks for the long information.

But mind telling me how did you know to find me? And how did you know my identity?

It can't just because of the Clairvoyance Divine Ability, right?" asked Kahn with a smile as he summoned the Drakos Armor.

"Because you and I, Kahn Salvatore… We are destined to be enemies." spoke Anakin with an insidious expression.

He then summoned a Lotus-like artifact that seemed to be filled with stars and galaxies.

Shing!

Soon, the lotus burst with an intangible force that spread in 40-kilometer radius in a single second.

"This is my Divine Weapon… the Finality of Time.

And with this… you and I are no longer bound to the laws of God's Domain.

Both of us can fight as Saints again." spoke Anakin confidently.

"Big mistake." said Kahn.

[The host has returned to his peak strength as a beginner 6th-stage saint.

The host can now use all of his skills, weapons, armor, bloodlines, and divine abilities at full capacity.] informed the system.

[Good. Now I need to destroy that Warhorn of Confinement and then I will get Rathnaar and his core back.] thought Kahn.

"Consider this as your character development. Your final one." declared Anakin.

"If I have to go through any more character development… My character will develop into a Villain." replied Kahn with a smirk.

Now, he too was prepared to take out Amaterasu and fight a Divine Weapon with a Divine Weapon.

Shing!

But right then…

Everything around Kahn froze as if every fabric of reality stopped functioning including the True Dimension. "Do you think I'll let you move now, Salvatore?" a grim voice echoed in Kahn's ear.

Stab!

Stab!

Kah's body now had a gaping hole in his chest and his heart was in Anakin's hand.

"How?..." spoke Kahn with a terrified expression as his body dropped on the ground.

Because the heart also had his core and now… Kahn was literally moments away from certain death.

"Not 'how?' but 'when?'" said Anakin with a sinister smile.

He did not even get to activate any of his skills, the space law and take out Amaterasu.

"This is my Domain of Chronokinesis.

It alters the flow of time and space and also messes up a target's perception of reality.

The truth is… I killed you the moment I exposed my divine weapon, Finality of Time." spoke the Hero of Time.

"You see, I came prepared after what happened last time." he spoke in a commanding tone.

"Last time… Hero of Light was the one who found you first. When we fought last time, you were too powerful for me to handle and I died. But now… I'm killing you before you attain that ridiculous strength again." spoke Anakin.

"The fuck are you talking about, you bastard?" spoke Kahn as the light in his eyes started dimming.

Every second now could be his last moment in this new life. BOOM!!!

RUMBLE!

CRACKLE!!

An insurmountable black and blue aura erupted from Kahn's body.

Something unexpected happened that shocked even the Hero of Time.

Suddenly…

This unknown aura spread in the nearby 5 kilometers radius and a red archaic rune shone on Kahn's entire back. Woosh!

Kahn's fallen figure suddenly disappeared and so did his heart that Anakin was holding.

"I'm taking this back." spoke a new figure who emerged in the sky and the heart was absorbed into his chest.

"Haha haha! This encounter turned out more interesting than I thought." a grim and stoic voice and mature yet maniacal laugh echoed in the surroundings as a domineering aura spread like wildfire in the 40-kilometer radius.

"Did you miss me… Gideon?" spoke a figure filled with black tattoos.

The Hero of Time was stupefied again.

"You… No one knows my real name. Not in this timeline." spoke Anakin, trembling with horror.

"This is impossible! You can't be here!!" bellowed the Hero of Time with utter disbelief.

A tall man with waist-length black hair, the right side of his upper body, including the entire right arm, exposed while he was donning the slim black robes of a monk-like warrior.

He wore a necklace made of small black beads and a belt made of dragon hide on his waist.

His arms were covered in ancient Draconic runes that no one had seen before.

Swirl!

Swirl!

Out of nowhere, a Black Dragon with no arms or wings appeared and started revolving around him like a specter.

The blue fire made up of cosmic aether ran around this dragon's long figure but the warrior was not affected by them in the slightest.

Apart from the clothes, this person had a striking resemblance in terms of body build and facial structure for some reason.

The Hero of Time stood petrified and couldn't muster the strength to move his body due to the sheer terror he felt.

"You're… the Martial Emperor." spoke Anakin as he trembled.

The person in front of him wasn't Kahn. Rather it was Kahn… From the Future.