A God Of War's Pride

Two gods stood in the middle of an arena. The floor was made out of white stone that looked as if it was carved from the clouds themselves. This was not any ordinary stone but stones taken from the cosmos themselves and only the best blacksmiths were allowed to work with them for fear of the stones losing their beauty.

Each of the gods wore armor that looked as if they were personally made for each of them and carried beautifully designed weapons in their hands.

These were indeed their weapons and armor. As gods of war, each of them possessed personal weapons and armor that suited them most. These weapons matched the fighting style that suited them most perfectly while their armor would protect them against most weapons.

Kotor stood tall in silver armor with purple runes on it. He carried a large rectangular blade with runes that looked similar to the ones on his armor. The only part of his body that could be seen was his crimson eyes through his visor.

Opposite of him was Illum. This god looked more like a traditional god of war. His armor was red and black with many different spikes on it. In his hands was a more traditional greatsword that followed the color scheme of his armor as well. Through his thick helmet, one could only see the glow of his crimson eyes.

Each of the gods stood across from each other, ready to take the other's life. Both wanted the position of the God of Combat, which represented the position of the top god of the Combat Domain and a seat of the Council of Chiefs. And neither was willing to back down.

Illum was the older of the two and a natural god. He had been waiting for a chance to get this position for over a hundred years. He was not only powerful but was also the son-in-law of the God of Combat. His skills were known by many and many had even believed he would be the next God of Combat. That was before Kotor rose.

Kotor was different than Illum. He was born a mortal. He struggled in the mortal realm for over 200 years before he finally gained divinity. And once he did, he fought in the war against demons. Through the few battles he partook in, his name had already spread throughout Heaven and Hell. Countless gods supported him to be the next God of Combat.

Even all 4 of the other gods on the Council of Chiefs had voted the previous God of Combat out to put him in the position. But Illum was not willing to give up the position he had craved for more than a century. So he exercised his right to challenge Kotor to a challenge for the position.

Those in the Nature, Art, Death, and Elemental domains all earned the position in different ways. Most were voted in but if there was contention for the position, they would compete amongst themselves peacefully. But gods of the Combat domain were different.

All the gods partook in the vote, not just the gods of their domain. This was because the God of Combat would be their main fighter against anyone that was the enemy of the gods and usually needed to be the strongest. Thus a battle must be had when there was a debate for the strongest. But only one god would walk out of the arena alive.

"Kotor! Illum! You both wish for the position of God of Combat. You are both excellent gods and important figures in the Heaven Realm! This will be a battle where one person must die. Before it comes to that, I must beg both of you! Please, stand down and let the other take my place. We cannot bear to lose one of our two rising stars," Impel, the previous God of Combat and Illum's father-in-law, said.

He truly meant each word said. Both Illum and Kotor were under 500 years old but both were cemented as the top 2 gods of the Combat domain outside of the Elder Gods. To lose either one of them would be a major loss for the Heavens.

The duo stared at each other but neither moved nor said a word. Each of them had their thoughts on the matter and neither would back down. This was not just a battle for the position but a battle of pride.

Illum had been aiming for this position for over a century. He had been working his hardest to earn the respect and fear of his fellow gods and the demons they opposed. He could not stand to see a new god that hadn't even been in the Heaven Realm for 50 years to take his place.

'This boy thinks he can be the God of Combat? He wants to challenge me? Ha! Even if he does have that Divine Ability, he is a few hundred years too early to challenge me,' Illum thought to himself.

Kotor was different. Ever since he was in the mortal realm, he had struggled. He put his all into everything and had to fight to reach where he was. He fought demons, orthodox and unorthodox cultivators, and even the heavenly tribulation. Everything he had, he had earned through blood, sweat, and tears. He would not hand over a position that he had earned just because the other person originally going to take it.

'He wants the position just because it was originally promised to him? What a joke! Whether in the Mortal Realm or the Heaven Realm, all nobles think alike. The silver spoons they are raised on must do something to their brains if they think they can have whatever they want just because of connections! I have killed for what I wanted before and I will continue to do so. I will earn my place among the Heavens!' Kotor gritted his teeth as these thoughts went through his mind.

Seeing that neither of them was willing to stand down, Impel felt as if he had suddenly aged thousands of years.

'They won't stop. This is why gods of war are the most difficult to deal with. They are far too stubborn,' Impel thought.

As a god of the hunt, Impel was under the Combat domain but he had risen and beaten many gods of other parts of the Combat Domain to get to his position. He knew what both wanted and why both would go so far but he could not accept seeing them kill each other. Especially Illum.

Impel looked at Illum who stood in the arena in his armor before turning to face the stands where his daughter, Rui, was. One could see how big her stomach was. It was clear that she was pregnant and soon to give birth.

"*sigh* you both have made your decision then. You may begin when you are ready," Impel said before he flew off to the side and joined the rest of the Elder Gods.

When Impel was gone, killing intent and ki filled the arena. Black ki that had red at the core emerged from Illum's body while purple ki with silver lightning going through it came out of Kotor. With just their auras colliding, hundreds of weaker gods fainted on the spot as the sky began to split.

In a moment, both figures disappeared before reappearing right in front of each other. Both swung their large blades at each other before they clashed and created a large shockwave. The part of the arena they floated over was destroyed the moment their swords touched,

Illum was forced to take a step back after taking the blow directly while Kotor was not affected at all. From the very first clash, it was clear who was superior. But Illum would not give up just like that.

"Agh!" Illum yelled at his aura seemed to expand before he charged again.

Kotor put his blade in a defensive position and was ready to receive the attack. When they clashed again, another explosion of pure energy occurred. Small bits of ki went flying and tore apart parts of the arena. If not for several other gods reacting quickly, a few of the spectators would have died.

Even after taking the offensive and having momentum, Illum was unable to force Kotor to budge. He then followed up with several more attacks but none of those were able to land. Kotor kept up his defense as he waited for an opening.

And he soon saw his chance.

Illum lifted the blade above his head as he covered it with ki and was going to bring it down in a powerful swing to try and break Kotor's defenses. But instead of waiting or using his weapon, Kotor sent out a punch.

Unprepared for it, the punch sent Illum flying back dozens of meters. By the time he stabilized himself, he had already flown almost a hundred meters.

Illum was about to try and attack again but he felt a pain in his chest. He looked down and saw that his armor had been broken on the left side of his chest and he was sporting a nasty injury.

'Shit. One blow was able to do that? I need to finish this fast! Divine Ability: Avatars of War!' Illum activated his trump card immediately.

In a battle of pure ki and fighting prowess, he knew he would lose after the few clashes he had with Kotor. His best chance was to use his best move to pressure the young god and hope for the best.

Illum's shadow broke off from his body before it split into two parts and they became three-dimensional figures. The shadows then toke on Illum's shape. Everything about the new figures matched the original except that it was pure black due to being made of shadows.

The Divine Ability, Avatars of War, was a powerful ability that helped Illum sore to fame and slay many enemies. By breaking off his shadow, he was able to create two clones of himself that each had the same physical skills as him and 80 percent of his current level of ki. This allowed him to fight multiple slightly weaker opponents with ease or take on stronger opponents by jumping them.

Illum and the two avatars charged toward Kotor with their blades pointed directly at him. The black and red aura that surrounded them was especially terrifying.

Kotor saw them approaching but did not retreat or stand his ground. Instead, he charged ahead and met the opponents. What followed was a deadly and dangerous battle.

Kotor was forced on his back heel as he was surrounded. While he was superior to Illum, it was only by a slight amount. If Kotor was 100% then Illum was 97%. With two additional fighters that had skill equal to Illum, Kotor should have been overpowered instantly. But due to his superior skill with the blade, he was able to barely hold on.

Even with his skills, he could not escape injury. With every clash or exchange of blows, Kotor would lose some of his armor and gain an injury. But he did not back down. This would go against his pride.

For 5 minutes, Kotor would take blow after blow but did not forget to dish out his own. Even if he could not give as serious or as many injuries, he would still make sure to make Illum pay.

When Illum's Divine Ability ended and the avatars returned to being shadows, Kotor released as much force as he could and sent Illum flying.

Almos all of the armor on Kotor's chest, arms, and head had been destroyed while his body was covered in injuries, each one worse than the previous. But his figure stood proud and tall as he pointed his blade at Illum.

The former ignored his injuries and went after Illum once more. No longer letting his enemy get any chances, Kotor pressed forward. No longer caring about blocking as much, he attacked with savage grace.

'He has gone mad,' Illum thought.

Even when he had battled demons, few would fight so recklessly against him. But Illum was not one to be deterred. Released as much ki as he could, the Illum met Kotor's blows with moves of his own. But unwilling to play the same way and wanting to try and wait for Kotor to tire out, Illum failed to grasp an opportunity to slay his opponent.

To many of those watching, it seemed as if the pair were equal. But for those that could see through the storm of ki, they knew that Kotor had managed to deal with several serious injuries to Illum. Soon enough, the ki dispersed and Illum was barely able to stand as he had his blade planted in the ground and acted as a cane.

Many of the gods gasped. They had seen how the battle was just minutes before and could not fully grasp how this situation occurred. But all of the stronger and Elder gods could see clearly. In this battle, Illum had retreated. By not taking initiative and being willing to risk his body for victory, Illum lost his chance at victory.

Kotor looked at Illum with indifference. He walked in front of his opponent before lifting it into the air and covering it with ki. The purple ki with silver streaks of lightning looked beautiful and would have made many want to see more of it if not for the fact that it was about to kill someone.

Kotor began to bring down the blade when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He tilted the blade and sent it toward the incoming object. Kotor destroyed the large spear of water that was about to strike him.

As he looked to see who had attacked him, he saw a woman with blue hair and several spears of water around her body. Rei, a goddess of water had just jumped into the arena and interfered with the battle.

Many gods gasped at the unexpected development. They all knew why she had interfered. Her husband was about to be killed. But to interfere in such a sacred duel, she had just signed her death certificate.

Kotor, now with a glowing purple slash over his right eye, covered his blade with ki and swung it at Rei. This unleashed a slash of pure ki that Rei had to use all of her water spears to just barely parry the attack.

As Kotor was about to launch another attack, Illum made another move from the side and attacked once more. As much as he wanted to rest, he knew his wife was in danger and this was his best chance to kill Kotor. Not willing to abandon her husband, Rei also neared the battle and tried to help.

But neither was a match for Kotor. Not anymore. The pair were swiftly pushed back. Kotor launched another ki slash toward Rei which Illum had to block himself. But due to being out of ki and weakened, the attack broke his sword and cut deep into his body, leaving him on the brink of death.

Kotor launched another attack with the intent to kill the pair in a single blow but this attack was blocked by a spear crashing into it. Looking at where the spear came from, Kotor and many other gods saw that it was Impel that threw it.

The former God of Combat flew over and stood in front of his daughter and son-in-law while pointing his weapon at Kotor.

"You have won, Kotor. Let them live, please," Impel pleaded.

"No! This was a duel that he agreed to. He knew the risk. He was willing to take my life so he was at risk as well. And by interfering in this battle, she also forfeited her life! Walk away before I have to kill you too" Kotor did not care about his pleas.

He knew that if the situation was reversed, Illum would have taken his head and the head of anyone that had tried to assist him. And Impel knew that as well but he could not just let these two and his unborn grandchild die. So he made a decision.

"I understand. I beg you to spare them and my grandchild. I will give you anything that you demand. But please spare them," the old god beg.

Seeing the old man like this, Kotor's heart did waver but he also knew he could not simply forgive them. If he did, he would not have the respect of the other gods. So he also made a decision.

"Fine! I will spare them and their child. But in return, I will take both their divine cores and yours. I will also claim your life. This is the only offer I give to you!" Kotor declared

Illum and Rei both looked infuriated as they heard the demands. Before they could curse Kotor, Impel spoke.

"Understood. My life and our Divine Cores are yours."

""Father!"" the pair cried out but he ignored them.

While both were injured and unprepared, Impel moved with speed and grace that the two could not match before stabbing his hands into their bodies and ripping out their Divine Cores.

"Agh!"

"Ugh!"

Each of them looked on as their father walked toward Kotor with their Divine Cores in his hands. Without them, they could no longer be considered gods. Their bodies began to turn into motes of light as they were being taken away from the Heaven Realm and sent down into the Mortal Realm.

The last thing the pair saw was Impel ripping out his Divine Core as Kotor began to swing his blade from the side. Their bodies had left the plane before they could see it but they knew for certain: Impel had died.

When the pair reappeared in the Mortal Realm, Rei collapsed into her husband's embrace with tears staining her face as she wailed. Because of their actions, her father had died.

"Come, my love. We need to move quickly. Our divine powers will leave us soon. We need to make sure that our child is able to be raised properly. As for your father, we will avenge him later," Illum said in an effort to both comfort and distract his wife.

And it worked. She also knew what needed to be done. So after taking some time to compose herself, the pair left their location before finding the nearest major city to establish a foothold for their child

---

Back in the Heaven Realm, Kotor stood over the body of Impel with a look of indifference on his face. The pair of facial markings were still there. In one hand was his sword, in another were the 3 Divine Cores he had acquired. This made for a terrifying but amazing sight to all the gods watching.

"Kotor!"

"Kotor!"

"Kotor!"

"Kotor!"

"Kotor!"

The crowd cheered his name. This was their new God of Combat. This was their ultimate fighter. Even though it came at the loss of 3 other gods, they were not disappointed. Because this proved just how powerful Kotor was.

Soon after the battle ended, Kotor was crowned as the God of Combat and took his place on the Council of Chiefs. With this, the Heaven Relam entered a new age. The Age of Kotor.

---

Over the next 20 years, Kotor's fame and reputation only grew. He went from being the 'Strongest God' to being the 'Strongest God of Combat', surpassing all those that had previously taken on the position. He was also able to end the war with the Demon Realm.

After single-handedly battling an army of thousands of demons and coming out victorious, they knew that they were unable to enter, let alone defeat, the Heaven Realm as long as he was alive. With these achievement under his belt, Kotor was pretty much guaranteed the position as God of Combat until several new generations of gods came around that would forget his feats.

During this period, the God of Combat not only had many military accomplishments but also political. Whenever a matter needed judgement on or new laws were being created, Kotor would think about what was fair and best for everyone. He would not even favor other gods in the Combat Domain.