—–
Hephaestus sensed as Kireina immediately began to coat herself in Aglaia's Divinity, combining it with her oddly familiar Light Attribute Divinity and generating powerful Cannons of pure divinity, breaking through his blazing aura and barriers, and blowing him away a few meters.
Having lost his beloved ones one after another, Hephaestus could not help but feel possessed by sorrow, frustration, rage, and bloodthirst…
However, aside from such emotions, there was something else.
Fear.
Kireina had started struggling against him, but slowly found a way to use her powers and put pressure even on a God such as him, who had prepared so much before fighting her.
Several things made Kireina someone incredibly dangerous, but one of the facts that Hephaestus did not know about was her ability to evolve and grow in the middle of battle.
The more pressure was put on her, the more she would improve herself and use everything at her disposal to find a way out of her terrible situation!
However, her way of doing it was not the same as that of a brave hero, through his unbeatable and righteous will, breaking through his limits, and defeating the enemy.
No, Kireina was clearly not a heroine at all.
She was a monstrous and grotesque existence, and the only feeling she gave when she did such things was tremendous fear as if she were such a vicious creature that anything went for her, even doing such atrocities after atrocities.
For Hephaestus, her actions did not give any inspiration like those of a Hero, but only a strange, fearful feeling of fighting against something unknown, something that defied the laws and logic of the world, that defied his very mind and how he had shaped it for thousands of years.
Truly, she was just like the fictional ancient horrors of Earth's Lovecraft's books, beings that could simply not be comprehended, fearful and terrorizing entities that defied logic and challenged the perception of reality and truth to anyone they met.
However, such a feeling was what made beings as grotesque as her, like Jorgrakog, feel charmed and even inspired by her… Jorgrakog wanted to stay at Kireina's side now, and follow her wherever she went!
Such a being… it was like the epitome of what he strived for, or even more perfect!
Jorgrakog smiled deviously as he fought against that very being now, pretending to put a good act to Hephaestus, as Apollo released very weak but bright and big light attribute attacks, making it seem as if Apollo was going all out, despite his attacks dealing no damage at all against Jorgrakog.
Hephaestus moved his sight towards Kireina, who had just disappeared from the place she previously was!
"…Huh?!"
Flash!
Space itself cracked as Kireina's logic-defying enormous body emerged from the broken space, shaping its torso into a gigantic maw, trying to eat Hephaestus entirely!
CLASH!
Her jaw closed as the hundreds of crimson eyes across her body saw Hephaestus barely managing to evade, gnashing his teeth as he covered himself in the flames of Helios.
"RAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Releasing all of his anger and frustration, Hephaestus used this opportunity that Kireina herself had created for him, and releasing a powerful wave of all-consuming flames of the sun!
FLASH!
The flames hit Kireina entire body, setting her in complete flames!
Her torso and various other parts began to melt and then turn into ashes, as she felt her combined soul and bodies beginning to be consumed by the flames.
"Did he got even more intense…?!" thought Kireina, as she then smiled, realizing that the more Hephaestus gave in to rage, the easier it would be for Helios to take over his very being.
Kireina suddenly employed her Water Attribute Divinity, covering herself on her own soul and quickly turning off the flames that had already consumed more than half of her body and a quarter of her soul, and quickly activating Uroboros to recover everything!
"Honey, he's getting pretty angry now!" said Zehe's voice, resonating through their combined souls and physical bodies.
"Let's stall for more time!" said Kireina.
"I have a better idea, guu! Masta, lend me the Water Attribute Divinity!" said Rimuru.
"Oh? Very well!" said Kireina.
Flash!
Hephaestus continued to release flames of the sun as Kireina evaded and flew everywhere, but everywhere she went she would be consumed by the flames.
Trying to escape together, she opened space, only for the spatial layers to feel the intensity of the flames made of divinity and closing against her will!
She had tried several times to escape into a pocket space, but because of the intense powers of Hephaestus, even the spatial layers trembled and were way too unstable!
The power of Helios, the Great Titan God of Fire, and the Sun was enormous even if he was mere fragments, his flames were enough to break through space itself, making the spatial layers tremble in fear and close forcefully.
Although the Spatial Layers could be considered to not be alive, they were overly sensitive, and such damage inflicted from the divine flames of Helios made them tremble and close, making it difficult for Kireina to enter into a pocket space.
She was able to use Divine Warp though, which she employed as much as she could to escape from Hephaestus undying sun flames.
"Come here!" cried Hephaestus, flying towards her while devastating everything.
Jorgrakog and Apollo moved around Hephaestus, evading his raging charge, the only ones who had a chance against him were Kireina, and they made sure to not interfere.
"World Breaking Light-Chaos Cannon!"
Kireina roared, firing a powerful cannon from her chest, and impacting Hephaestus right into his face, blinding him momentarily as he expanded his flames and roared while waving his hammer around, he was close to losing all reason.
"UNNGGAAAAH!"
Hephaestus roared, releasing even more flames on his rage, lowering his guard the moment the flames dissipated out of his range, waiting for his body to produce even more.
And then, space broke down, as Kireina had disappeared once more where Hephaestus had seen her previously, appearing right behind him!
However, her appearance was vastly different, taking in the design of Rimuru's mech, she resembled a beautiful blue maiden, covered in countless waves of oceanic water and rainbow armor.
Although Kireina was able to employ Kabeiro's Water Attribute Divinity quite fine with her memories, Rimuru had also received Kabeiro's memories as she was fused with Kireina when she ate her.
However, Rimuru was vastly different than Kireina, her composition and natural affinity were always that of Water and its surrounding elements.
But even when she gained many other Elements after water, the fact that she was once summoned (born) as a Lower Water Being, remained.
And since she had developed so much since then, her natural and primordial affinity with Water had increased even more than those of other elements, giving her what might be referred to as 'Water Dao'.
However, because she has not absorbed any Water Attribute Divinity, it was underdeveloped.
Up to this point, when a fresh and entire Divinity of Water from Kabeiro came right into Rimuru's mouth.
The result?
A complete Primordial Divine Attainment in Water Attribute, rivaling and perhaps being even superior that Kireina's Illusion Attribute Attainment!
Attainments were a greater version of Affinities and Talents, it was the full comprehension and also the affinity and talent regarding with a type of Attribute.
Gods such as Apollo and Hephaestus possessed a Primordial Divine Attainment in Light and Fire respectively, and any being who had reached God Rank should have one of their own.
However for mortals to achieve this was incredibly unlikely.
Rimuru only needed a little push, however.
She was already incredibly talented, and only needed a complete divinity of water to acquire her own Primordial Divine Attainment.
She raised her arms, which had converted completely in pure Divinity of Water, firing them towards Hephaestus!
"UNGHH?!"
SPLASH!
The water began to boil due to the fiery flames, but even the flames of the sun began to… feel weaker!
"Unngghhh…! T-This… Kabeiro's Divinity?! No…! This is an even more evolved form of it?! Since when did Kireina have such an advanced comprehension of the Water Dao?!" wondered Hephaestus, however, Kireina did not have a complete comprehension of it, but Rimuru!
"GUUUUUUUUU! Divine Oceanic Spirit Arts: Atlantis Gate!"
Rimuru then, right at the moment, generated a completely new Divine Technique, shaping her entire water and metal body into a gigantic gate, conducting to a world filled with endless oceans!
Hephaestus's eyes opened wide, it felt as if he was fighting a Water God as strong as his uncle, Poseidon!
"Impossible…! That level of Water Attainment…! No!" cried Hephaestus, as a god of fire, it was obvious that his greatest weakness was someone with equal power to him but of the water attribute!
And although Rimuru was not equally strong, when fused with Kireina… this difference became meaningless!
SPLASH!
Hephaestus was engulfed in a world of oceans, as constant turbulent floods began to tear him down from all sides, breaking through his flames without any issue, and hitting him everywhere!
He had submerged into the power of Divine Technique, everything was attacking him!
Even his enormous form, of a titanic height, was becoming meaningless as he only became a bigger target for Rimuru, who merged completely into the water and became the ocean itself for a few seconds!
Even Kireina, Nesiphae, Zehe, and Brontes could not help but be left in disbelief!
Rimuru had grown so much!
"UNNNGGYAAAAAAAAAA…!"
Hephaestus cried in agony as his entire body was being broken, his bones cracked, and his body started to be torn into pieces bit by bit by the enormously powerful turbulent floods!
And as Rimuru put all of her power (and the borrowed power) into it, Kireina sensed an opportunity!
From within Hephaestus's body, his soul began to leak out, revealing the countless pieces of Helios attached to them!
"There he is!" said Kireina, employing her powers and that of her wives, quickly moving through the water of Rimuru's technique and reaching Hephaestus soul, grabbing it with enormous claws made of water!
However, Hephaestus roared in anger, grabbing her!
"NOOOO! DON'T… TAKE THEM AWAY!" he cried, grabbing his hammer and hitting Kireina.
BOOM!
Only for him to realize that she had dissipated into the water and appeared again on his left side, finally grasping his burning soul and slicing all the area where Helios was!
Slash!
"NNGHH…. NNGGYAAAAAAA!"
Hephaestus cried in agony over the intense pain of having a piece of his soul completely sliced off.
His pain was so enormous that a powerful explosion of Divinity occurred, finally managing to break through Rimuru's Divine Technique and throwing Kireina and Hephaestus in their opposite directions!
BOOM!
BOOM!
The enormous bodies fell into the volcanic surface, as Apollo and Jorgrakog separated from each other, Apollo running towards Hephaestus and Jorgrakog towards Kireina!
"Brother! Are you okay?!" asked Apollo.
Hephaestus's body slowly went back to his original size as he struggled to get up, his eyes seemed completely devoid of his original fiery light, as he only felt a terrible fear!
"No… We are retreating…! I cannot possibly fight someone as strong as Uncle Poseidon, Apollo!" cried Hephaestus, trembling in fear as his entire disfigured body crawled out of this place!
Hephaestus opened a portal to his Divine Realm, as he then broke down his Divine Formation and escaped!
"Brother! Wait, let me heal you!" cried Apollo, following Hephaestus right behind, and entering his Divine Realm too!
Hephaestus then quickly escaped the area of the Dark Steppes, he was completely terrified!
If he had stayed a second more, he would have been devoured!
"Impossible…! When I fought against her right now… It was as if she had become a completely different being altogether, it was like an even scarier version of Uncle Poseidon… No… No! I must run! I have to… retrieve my children! This entire thing is pointless!" cried Hephaestus, as Apollo at his side slowly walked towards him.
"Sigh, you're such a handful, aren't you? To think that you would become such a coward right before I could eat you…" said Apollo.
Hephaestus ignored Apollo's words at first due to his fear and his trembling body, but then, he realized that the words coming out of Apollo did not make any sense at all!
"…W-What did you… said?" he asked, slowly moving his head towards Apollo, who was behind him.
But the only thing he saw was an enormous and grotesque aberration made of red flesh, covered in countless crimson eyes, tentacles, jaws, claws, scales, and more, pulsating with enormous tumors all over its body, and salivating while glancing at Hephaestus like a delicious meal.
Hephaestus could not even muster another word, as the aura of bloodthirst showed him, leaving him completely paralyzed!
He was already incredibly weakened by having his soul sliced and his body broke apart constantly, he was even running out of Divine Energy and was barely gasping for air.
And the moment he set his eyes on the creature, he felt his entire body and soul being sealed…
"No… It can't be…"
"Thanks for the meal~"
His eyes were filled with despair, as the creature extended its endless jaws, entangling his entire body with them and eating him in one single bite!
Crunch!
"Unnnggggyyaaaaaaahhhhh…!"
Crunch!
"W-Wait…! Waaaaaait…!"
Crunch!
"Uunnghh… Unngaaaahh…!"
CRUNCH!
Hephaestus's skull was broken into delicious debris by the countless teeth, as he was completely consumed.
The entire Divine Realm of Hephaestus began to tremble, disintegrating as it began to be absorbed by Apollo's grotesque form.
Kireina's main body smiled, as space broke down near her, and Apollo appeared right before her, touching her, and infusing all the power of Hephaestus into her.
Flash!
The flames of Hephaestus were now hers, alongside all of his memories, knowledge, and Divinity!
Kireina laughed devilishly, she had triumphed!
For a little moment, she wanted to celebrate…
However, everything was not done yet…
An enormous war was being unfolded in her Empire, and in the Dark Steppes, something within its underground was beginning to make the entire place tremble!
—–
