Hitman with a Badass System
chapter-1287

Andohr quickly dashed at Zorian, his movements a blur. "Enjoy your fucking trip, Zorian!" he snarled as he ripped open a portal to the Celestial Valley, where ancient beasts roamed. Zorian, caught in shock, could only watch as the portal snapped shut before he could react, whisking him away to an unknown fate.

Weakened by the loss of Noah, Zorian's power as the god of the sun had diminished, making him vulnerable to Andohr's assault. With Zorian dispatched, Andohr turned his attention to Valorius. "Now, deal with him!" he commanded, directing Vedora's monstrous, reanimated body towards Valorius.

The battle that ensued was titanic. Vedora, driven by Andohr's will, clashed with Valorius with such force that the very walls of the pantheon hall crumbled under their might. They broke through, continuing their fierce battle on a nearby mountain, the ground shaking with each impact as they traded blows amidst the thunderous echoes of war.

Turning to the remaining gods, Andohr's gaze fixed on Seshat and Rudra. "What's it gonna be?" he demanded, his voice booming through the hall.

Seshat responded with her characteristic calm, undisturbed by the chaos around her.

"No one can stop the flow of the fate river. I will remain neutral in this war," she stated serenely. Rudra chuckled heartily as his laughter echoing amidst the sounds of battle. "I'm the god of war; I don't stop wars, I watch them," he declared with a broad grin. "So, I'll be enjoying the show from the sidelines, seeing which side tips the scales."

Hearing the sudden commotion, the angels burst into the scene, their eyes wide with alarm as they surveyed the gaping hole in the wall and the sounds of titanic battle echoing from outside. They looked to Seshat for guidance, their faces etched with confusion and fear.

"Leave," Seshat commanded calmly, effectively halting the angels in their tracks and sparing them from the deadly conflict. However, Valorius, consumed by rage, bellowed his orders without hesitation. "Capture that traitor Andohr and Seraphine!" His voice boomed across the chaos, spurring his angels into action.

Despite Seshat's warning, the angels of Valorius charged into the hall, driven by their god's command. They rushed at Andohr and Seraphine, their celestial armor gleaming under the dim light of the disrupted pantheon.

"Mere angels daring to go against gods? We definitely need a new pantheon," Seraphine snickered at their boldness as she scoffed. With a casual flick of her wrist, she summoned blades of ethereal energy that sliced through the angels in a mere blink of an eye, their bodies falling before they could even react.

Seshat shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips as she witnessed the unnecessary loss of lives. "So many lives lost... You should stop this, sister," she implored quietly. But Seraphine only snickered again, her eyes cold. "It's because of you, you cryptic idiot. If you weren't so obsessed with your mysteries, we might have seen a clearer path," she spat, dismissing Seshat's plea.

"We can't afford to stay here, Andohr. Like it or not, this pantheon isn't going to cross Zorian, and we need to leave and build alliances with other gods," Seraphine urged, her voice tense with the urgency of their situation.

"Already one step ahead of you, love," Andohr quipped with a cunning grin. Without hesitation, he waved his hand, conjuring a swirling portal around them. "Time to make some new friends," he added mockingly. In an instant, he, Salesi, and Seraphine stepped through the portal, vanishing from the pantheon as it began to close behind them.

Left in the echoing silence of the grand hall, Seshat turned her gaze outside, where the battle between Valorius and the reanimated Vedora still raged with ferocity. She cast a questioning look at Rudra, who was watching the conflict with a gleeful amusement that only a god of war could possess.

"Aren't you going to help?" Seshat asked, her voice calm yet imbued with a subtle challenge.

"Valorius will handle it," Rudra just snickered, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. "Besides, I don't stop wars; I watch them play out," he added with a nonchalant shrug. Then, with a flash of golden light, he disappeared, leaving Seshat alone to ponder the unfolding chaos that had gripped the realm of gods.

Meanwhile, Valorius faced the monstrous Vedora outside the Pantheon. The ground around them was already torn asunder, a testament to the beast's devastating power. But Valorius was no ordinary opponent. He was the God of Valor, equipped with godly might and a mastery of combat that few could match.

"Beast of oblivion, you face Valorius today!" he declared, his voice booming across the chaotic battlefield. Light shimmered around him, forming a radiant armor that sparkled even under the shadowed sky.

Undead Vedora responded with a guttural roar, its massive heads snarling as Ayag's head fired a volley of golden lightning. Valorius raised his hand, and from the sky above descended a series of brilliant, comet-like projectiles, slamming into Vedora with explosive force. Each impact caused the hydra to reel back, though it seemed only momentarily stunned.

"Not enough to tame the beast, eh?" Valorius muttered under his breath. He then summoned his weapon, a colossal spear, gleaming with celestial energy. With a powerful thrust, he launched it towards Vedora. The spear pierced through one of the hydra's necks, pinning it against a shattered mountain face. The creature howled in pain, thrashing violently.

"You shall not advance further, monster!" Valorius shouted, his voice filled with a righteous fury. He then performed a series of intricate hand signs, chanting in an ancient tongue. The sky above them darkened further, and from it descended an array of spears, each imbued with divine light, targeting the other heads of Vedora.

As the spears rained down, Vedora managed to free itself from the impaled position, only to meet a barrage of light-infused chains that Valorius conjured. The chains wrapped around the hydra, binding its movements as Valorius approached, his figure radiating an intense, golden light.

"This ends now, creature of darkness!" Valorius proclaimed. Gathering all his celestial energy, he unleashed a final, devastating blow. His fist glowed like a sun, and as he struck, a shockwave of pure valorous energy surged forth, tearing through the bindings and striking Vedora with such force that the ground itself shattered under the impact.

Vedora's roars turned into whimpers as its form dissipated, the dark energy that animated it fading away under the overwhelming light. Finally, with a loud, echoing crack, the beast exploded into a cloud of dark mist, slowly fading into nothingness.

After leaving the pantheon, Seraphine, Andohr, and Salesi appeared in a dark, neglected hall. As they materialized, the hall slowly lit up, revealing portraits of Andohr covered in layers of dust, each frame a silent testament to his once-grand legacy.

"What is this place?" Salesi asked, her voice echoing slightly in the expansive room.

"This used to be my home, " Andohr said with a touch of nostalgia.

Seraphine walked around the room, her steps measured, and her eyes scanned every detail. "What's next, Andohr?" she asked, her tone serious. "I took a risk by leaving the Pantheon to stand with you, so you better have a solid plan."

"Your decision to join me, Seraphine, will be remembered as the best decision you've ever made," Andohr laughed heartily.

As he spoke, the hall fully lit up, revealing its true grandeur—a grand throne hall that had seen better days but now stood ready to reclaim its glory. With a grand wave of his hand, Andohr summoned several thrones from the ground, each one ornately designed and fit for the gods who would occupy them.

He gestured towards Seraphine and Salesi to take their seats. With a cautious glance, Seraphine chose a throne that resonated with her essence of knowledge and intrigue, while Salesi, filled with pride and awe, sat on a throne that seemed to embrace her newfound status.

Andohr then turned and climbed the stairs at the end of the hall and reached the highest throne—a majestic seat that towered over the others. He sat down, his gaze sweeping over his companions.

"Let's begin forging a new destiny," Andohr declared, his voice booming. "One where gods remember why they feared the name Andohr. We start here, with alliances, strategies, and reclaiming the power that rightfully belongs to us."

"And what now?" Seraphine sighed as she settled into her new throne.

"Zorian won't just let us walk away. He'll use the entire Pantheon's forces to hunt us down."

"Let him try," he sneered. "Zorian is weaker now, and he knows it. With your network of spies and my power, we're already ten steps ahead. We'll bring more gods to our side. They're not all blind followers of Zorian's outdated ideals." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "But first, we need to decode the grimoire. Morbus has an idea on how to do that, and it's fucking brilliant."