Tengen's cocky smile widened as he laughed, looking straight at Maxi. Then, with a smirk, he jumped off the table, leaned in close, and licked his teeth slightly.
"So, you finally asked."
Maxi narrowed his eyes.
"You know, the whole reason I got you all riled up about your mother yesterday was because I knew you'd ask this question right after I finished teaching you. I even dangled magic in front of you because you're a smart kid—quick-thinking. I figured magic would be the best way to distract you from knowing which gods blessed you. But I knew I couldn't hide it forever. Damn your so fricken persistent. Give me a break, kid."
Maxi remained silent, waiting for the real reason.
Tengen sighed dramatically.
"Okay, okay. There's a particular reason why I didn't want you to know, alright? It's because... well, the gods who blessed you aren't exactly strong or give... useful blessings."
Tengen chuckled, "and to be brutally honest. Their trash, d1 ass type of trash if I am going to be honest if I am going to keep it 100% with you, and I don't even know maths."
Maxi held his head in disappointment, but then—
He felt them.
Three divine presences. Watching.
He recognized them from his birth. He remembered their weight, their presence. And now, they were staring daggers at Tengen.
Then, he felt it—a sharp, powerful killing intent from two of them. The third presence remained calm, but only barely.
Maxi's stomach twisted. Even he could feel their rage.
Tengen smirked, clearly aware of the divine fury directed at him.
Maxi, now fully panicked, stretched his arms toward Tengen, shouting, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell are you doing?!"
Tengen only smirked. "What? I'm telling the truth. Can your gods not even handle something so small as the truth? If they can't even handle this how did they earn their titles as gods in the first place?"
Tengen chuckled mockingly, "It must have been a flock, a freak accident that gave titles to 3 freaks"
Then—
A burning sensation erupted in Maxi's right arm.
His breath hitched. Looking down, he saw it—
The right eye on his three-eyed symbol was moving. It was shaking and shifted as its symbol itself seemed to vibrate violently disappearing into the lids of its symbol.
The pure violenceness of how hard the eye symbol was shaking made it seem as if it was fighting against something a force that was holding it back
But it seemed as if the force that was holding him back was either not meant to hold him back or was the byproduct of something else because it did not hold him back, good enough
from its original place of looking right, it had already thrashed and moved over halfway through, to looking straight ahead.
The moment it aligned directly at the middle looking straight ahead all the trashings stopped as it locked itself in the perfect angle to look straight ahead, a crushing weakness washed over Maxi's entire body.
He couldn't move.
Even trying felt like trying to move while being bound in a pool of sand.
His muscles locked. His limbs felt like lead.
Then—blood.
Thick crimson tears dripped from his eyes.
The bloody tears shone brightly in the room's light, as if made of gold. Maxi's eyes started to reflect their divinity, as they turned a golden yellow.
A presence.
Divine.
Demonic.
It grabbed his hand.
Maxi looked—but saw nothing. Yet, he felt it. A force is lifting his arm.
He felt and saw himself slowly rise with an air he had never had before an air Maxi would dare or even think about having
Maxi rose with an air of pride
He slowly stood up, like a king rising from his throne
His eyes were glazed over with an intense expressionless anger that seemed to leave no warmth in the room only a blood chilling cold that's.
Maxi's hand raised up.
But something intercepted it.
Another force.
Strings.
Thin, invisible threads yanked his hand away from the unseen entity.
Maxi's consciousness flickered.
Darkness.
Then—light.
Maxi slashed back into consciousness.
His maid shaved him back onto the seat as she layed her hands on his chest, her hands glowed faintly with her spirit magic as she checked his pulse, her face unusually tight with worry and fear that she tried desperately to push through.
He could hear Tengen pacing, muttering under his breath. His usual cocky demeanor was gone, replaced with sharp realization—
He had messed up.
Maxi tried to speak, but his throat felt raw.
His vision blurred. The edges of the room darkened again—
Flicker.
Back in the void.
The Veiled Man he saw before sat before him again, unseen strings wrapped around his fingers, controlling something unseen.
Maxi then looked at the figure holding his hand and he saw the other figure.
Tall.
Very tall
As tall as the Veiled Man.
But broader, more muscular.
Two horns sprouted from his head, and his short, messy hair—
Maxi blinked. He couldn't tell the color of anything.
Everything was black, white, and gray.
The horned figure scowled and growled in a deep primal voice that only seemed to only command that seemed to only give orders never taking or listen that weren't his own. In every single word of the sense it was kingly royal and divine
Yet with one small head shake from the vailed man's head
He glowed again in anger and outrag but then threw Maxi's hand away.
Clearly pissed, he couldn't do, whatever he was going to do, to Tengen.
His eyes flashed a dangerous gold and red light before he turned away.
Flicker.
Back in the room.
Maxi gasped for air.
Everyone was frozen in mostion his maid was frozen while in the motions of casting her healing while Tengen was sitting on his table, leaning forward with his chin resting on his fist, elbows propped on his knees, conveying his deep contemplation, of the deep philosophical answer, he would give to solve this problem.
It seemed the anger of that horned figure had even seeped into reality and stunned them in place.
Maxi thought.
After a few seconds maid and Tengen came back from their stun as they resumed the actions they were doing.
His maid was gripping his shoulders now, shaking him slightly. "Young Master! Stay with me!"
Tengen, staring at Maxi with something close to guilt, but it was more akin to the kind of guilt you only feel because, you're about to lose his job. His usual arrogance was gone, replaced with a tight almost forced apologetic, and awkward smile.
Maxi felt heat around him.
A presence—warm, protective—wrapped around his body.
Not his maid.
Or Tengen's.
Thankfully.
It was someone else.
It was.
Something... else.
Flicker.
Back into darkness.
This time, he felt arms around him.
Long hair draped over his chest.
A head rested on top of his.
It was warm. Comforting.
But—
There was killing intent.
Not directed at him—but radiating from the being holding him.
Divine.
Demonic.
Just as demonic as the horned figure but different as well
the airs were different with the horned figure it was just pure dominance, rule, order, pride and power
With this the air it was different it was, felt soft, gentle, alluring, tempting teasing and almost loving. Well almost it seemed like one bad move, and that love might turn into an, obsessive addiction, instead of a, loving attraction.
Maxi tried to move, but the warmth overwhelmed him, pulling him into a deep unconsciousness.
And as he feels deeper and deeper into unconsciousness a warm and dreamless sleep eventually grabbed hold of him.
Flicker.
Maxi's eyes snapped open.
He was in his bed.
His mother's arms were wrapped around him, holding him close and tight he looked up and saw that his mother was asleep.
But he knew.
He knew.
That wasn't her back in the void.
That warmth—that presence—
It had been something else entirely.
Before he could dwell on it further—
A voice.
Familiar.
"Hey, you good, Maxi?"
Maxi turned his head and saw him.
Techxin.
Sitting in a chair next to the bed, watching him with an easygoing smirk.
Maxi smiled.
"As good as I can be, big brother. Where the hell is that bastard of a teacher of mine?"
Techxin smirked.
"Busy explaining what happened to Father."
Maxi's mind flooded with all the ways he wanted to punish Tengen.
But then—he had a better idea.
He grinned. "Hey, can you do something for me?"
Techxin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure."
Maxi smirked wider. "Can you punch him for me?"
Techxin laughed. "I'll do you one better. Just wait."
Maxi grinned, satisfied.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
Maxi asked the same question he had asked Tengen.
But this time—he asked Techxin.
"Can you tell me which gods gave me their blessing?"
Techxin smiled. "Yeah, why not? The gods who blessed you are—"
"A Demon King."
"A Demon Queen."
"And finally—a Dreamer who ascended to godhood."
Maxi's breath hitched.
He finally had the answer.
The question that had haunted him.
The uncertainty that had followed him since his birth.
Maxi smiled.
And under his breath, he muttered—
"Finally."