Against The True Gods-Chapter 149: Fate—Uriel

The remains of Failure, Oldest, and Mirror’s dead bodies shot into the skies and toward Uriel, fusing into one grand entity.

Caine remained unfazed, even as a divine aura erupted across the heavens and slammed onto the earth below with tyrannical might.

WHOOOOSH!

The skies parted.

There, amidst the starry expanse beyond, a figure emerged, majestic and divine.

With long hair of radiant gold cascading over a tall, broad, and muscle-bound frame, the man in the skies bore nine pairs of angelic white wings that reflected worlds of silver runes.

His face was a masterpiece of perfection, each feature flawless, and his eyes burned with a cold yet welcoming golden light.

Upon his forehead, a vertical slit could be seen, faintly glowing.

Ethereal, misty white robes draped over Uriel’s newly formed body, radiating an aura of absolute and undeniable power.

Slowly, he descended upon the platform.

He smiled. "I am Uriel, Ninth and Last True Angel of Fate, or, as many would call me, the Mortal Avatar of Fate."

The rain continued to pour, and for a long moment, the only sound was the pitter-patter of raindrops upon the marble platform where the two men stood. Stay connected with novelbuddy

"…An Angel of Fate, you say…" Caine whispered to himself, his gaze letting go of Uriel and panning back toward the sky. "Your purpose is… my submission?"

Uriel nodded and chuckled lightly. "Yes, it is. The crown cannot be given; it must be taken. As much as the Great Mother loves and favors you… I cannot allow a weak man to sit upon her throne."

"So, either submit and join us, the True Angels of Fate, or simply die and be forgotten, like the eight princes who fell before you to my predecessor’s hands."

"What was the saying again…?" Caine spoke softly. "One is unity, two is duality, three is the trinity, four is chaos…"

"…Five is balance, six is imperfection…" Uriel added.

"…Seven is heresy, eight is true balance, and nine…" Caine’s gaze returned to Uriel. "…is the limit."

Uriel nodded solemnly. "Your path was fated to end here from the moment you were born. No one deserves to sit upon the throne, and it is unfortunate that someone with your talent has been chosen."

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"You could have gone on to achieve greatness—and you still can, but only if you subm—"

Caine raised a hand, signaling Uriel to stop.

Though taken aback at first, Uriel obliged.

Caine glanced at the cracked blade of his spear and smiled. "To bathe in the blood of Fate’s Avatar… that would be glorious, wouldn’t it?"

His spear hummed and trembled, as if alive, resonating with his words.

Caine nodded to himself, his grip tightening on the spear. He looked up, meeting Uriel’s gaze once more.

His decision was clear.

Uriel shook his head and sighed, a simple sword appearing in his hand as he spoke again. "It’s unfortunate. Truly."

"Before I kill you, I suppose I’ll allow you to witness what lies above it all."

Uriel took a single step forward, and as his foot touched the marble floor, dozens of gashes were torn across Caine’s body instantly, without rhyme or reason.

Caine stumbled backward, pain flooding his senses. By the time he remembered Uriel’s presence, the angel was already upon him, his blade piercing Caine’s throat.

"Potential… so much of it…" Uriel watched blood pool and seep from Caine’s wounds with a sorrowful gaze. "…And yet so… so stupid."

A flash of light blinded Caine, and when his vision returned, the world felt colder. The ground spun beneath him, and in the distance, he saw his own headless body.

His eyes widened in shock.

SHAH!

Uriel waved a hand, and Caine’s head shot back into his palm. Raising it to eye level, Uriel stared into Caine’s shocked expression.

Without care, he placed Caine’s head back onto his body. Seamlessly, it healed and fused back into place.

"Go on. Fight for your life." Uriel smiled.

"You’re a warrior, are you not? Show me—defy fate itself and win."

Another flash of light blinded Caine, and when his vision cleared, he found himself armless.

"Oh, my apologies. You’re armless. That’s quite ugly, isn’t it? Let’s even it out."

Uriel’s blade moved with incomprehensible speed. In a single motion, Caine was legless as well, his limbless torso collapsing to the ground like discarded trash.

"Dear Mother of Fate Almighty, what have I done?!" Uriel exclaimed, squatting down to stare into Caine’s eyes.

With a wave of his hand, Uriel restored Caine’s arms and legs, seamlessly attaching them back to his body.

Uriel smiled. "See, I can—"

SPAT!

Caine spat a dollop of blood onto Uriel’s face.

Then another, and another.

Uriel’s face froze, covered in spit and blood.

The angel stood motionless for a moment before shaking his head and summoning a cloth from thin air to wipe his face clean.

A dry, lifeless chuckle escaped his lips. "I expected more from you."

"But, since we are stooping so low, I must oblige, no?"

Caine stood to his feet. "You talk a lot."

ZHIM!

Uriel’s hand tore into Caine’s chest, ripping his ribs out with vicious momentum.

"I suppose I do. Aren’t I lovely?"

Uriel’s figure blurred as his blade multiplied a thousandfold, swimming toward Caine with incomprehensible fluidity and force.

Yet Caine was not cut down.

Uriel’s blades moved methodically, peeling off layers of Caine’s skin with precision, leaving him as nothing more than a mannequin of flesh.

Uriel tapped the air, sending a ripple of qi through Caine, frying his nerves. As Uriel reached out to grab Caine, the latter moved, dodging clumsily.

Caine stumbled backward, his control over his body reduced to a pathetic state. Uriel, however, stared at his own hand in disbelief.

He had… missed?

"Good."

Uriel’s wings extended and curved, lancing forward like spears to pierce Caine’s body.

Blood spilled freely, carried down by the rain that continued to fall.

Uriel smiled—a toothy, demonic smile.

"We’re going to have a lot of fun, you and I."