Gravis couldn't imagine something worse than having his dream being shattered. What else could he pay?
"The second and last price is your enmity with my ancestor," Heaven said.
Gravis didn't react.
"The enmity has been established when my ancestor used you as a pawn to hurt your father. This is the source of your enmity with my ancestor," Heaven said.
"Resurrecting your dead childhood friend won't be able to rectify this enmity. Yet, my ancestor has done his best to rectify it as much as possible."
Heaven continued looking at Gravis, who only looked at the ground.
"My ancestor has repaid this enmity manifold."
"My ancestor granted your friends from the lower world unending Karmic Luck, which has saved their lives many times. With their mindsets, talent, and lacking cultivation techniques, all your friends would have long died if it weren't for my ancestor."
"Even if some of your friends have died, the help that my ancestor has given them has allowed them to live far longer and become far more powerful than they should have. My ancestor has taken one friend from yours but has given you many."
"My ancestor has even allowed you to kill his child by disallowing any other of my siblings from interfering with your fight. The sins of the child are not the sins of the father, but the father still repaid the sins of the child."
"Two of your children would have already died if my ancestor hadn't given them Karmic Luck at the critical moment. My ancestor has saved your children."
"And now, my ancestor has saved your life and your path to power. Killing you is my greatest wish right now, even if I have to die in the process. I hate you, Gravis. I hate you so very much for what you have done to my child, this world," Heaven said emotionlessly.
"Yet, my ancestor won't allow me to kill you. I have enough power to reduce you into nothingness with one simple attack, but I'm not allowed to kill you. My ancestor has saved your life once again this time, Gravis."
"And now, my ancestor will rectify your lacking mindset and power by using me."
"In exchange for one childhood friend, you have been saved twice, and your friends and family have been saved many times. My ancestor has given you far more good than bad."
"In truth, you owe more to my ancestor than my ancestor owes you. Yet, my ancestor, in his grace, only wishes to let bygones be bygones. Accept my ancestor's actions as repayment for what he has done to you in the past."
Gravis' insides churned again when he heard Heaven's words.
Did the highest Heaven truly only wish to rectify its mistakes?
Gravis wanted to deny everything, but his lightning brought him back to rationality. Not repaying these actions would be more than unfair.
Gravis didn't want to accept it, but Heaven had more than repaid Gravis' debt. It had helped him so many times. It felt wrong to accept this, but it was the truth.
"What is the highest Heaven's goal for me?" Gravis asked.
"Freedom," Heaven answered. "You wish to be free, and that wish shall be granted to you. Of course, only on the basis that you manage to reach supreme power. You will be allowed to do everything you want."
"Your family, including your brothers and sisters, will receive their Karmic Luck back. You will be allowed to do anything, as long as you do not excessively target the weaker beings if you reach your father's power. Other than that, you and your family are allowed to live in this Cosmos with the same standing as everyone else."
"And my ancestor will never pit you against your father, no matter what happens. This is my ancestor's promise. You will achieve true freedom if you manage to become powerful."
"My ancestor protected you, your friends, your family, and will even help you to achieve your dream of freedom. My ancestor will also never order you to do anything. You are not under him. You do not need to follow his orders or requests. Everything is up to you."
Gravis had wished with all his being that the highest Heaven would show any kind of ulterior motive. As long as these good actions had been used as a means to achieve something malicious towards Gravis, he could have justified to himself that he wouldn't forgive the highest Heaven.
Yet, that had only been an empty dream.
Even if the highest Heaven had shown malicious intent, it would change nothing. If Gravis weren't willing to pay this price, the Heaven standing in front of him would kill him.
There was nothing Gravis could do.
The highest Heaven had played everything perfectly.
If Gravis refused, he would not only lose control over his lightning and his own being, but he would also die.
If Gravis accepted, he had to bury his hatred with the highest Heaven and forgive it.
In both cases, it would win.
As soon as Gravis had issued his challenge to Heaven, he had already lost.
Yet, was it truly a loss if Gravis would receive the help he needed to become truly powerful and realize his dream?
"True good is more powerful than a scheme as long as you have the power, Gravis," Heaven said.
"Helping someone with true selflessness is more powerful than any scheme as long as you have the power to protect yourself against someone that seeks to use you."
Gravis was distraught, but he wasn't so distraught that he believed everything Heaven said. "Is this selflessness, though?" Gravis asked with furrowed brows.
"If this weren't selflessness, I would have already killed you, Gravis," Heaven said. "There is no true gain in helping you achieve true power. The only gain would be more Energy, but that is only something that happens automatically by helping you. Energy is not so important that my ancestor would accept the risk you would pose when you reach the power of your father."
"Can you give me any reason why my ancestor would give you these benefits that are not selflessness, Gravis?" Heaven asked.
Gravis couldn't find any. All options he found weren't worth the potential risk that he would pose.
Several minutes passed, but they felt like years to Gravis.
"I forgive the highest Heaven," Gravis said.
As soon as he said that, he felt like he had betrayed his father.
This was his father's most hated enemy, but Gravis had forgiven the only enemy his father had left. Shouldn't he help his father with killing the highest Heaven? Hadn't Gravis' entire reason to choose lightning been to fight the highest Heaven?
Heaven extended their hand to show an open palm.
"Give me your Life Ring, Gravis," Heaven said.
Gravis' insides shook when he heard that. His children and Orthar were in there! If he gave Heaven the Life Ring, it would have total control over their lives.
"I am more powerful than you, Gravis," Heaven said. "If my ancestor wanted to kill your children, I wouldn't even need to ask for the Life Ring. I can just kill you and your children directly."
"Give me your Life Ring," Heaven repeated. "Trust in my ancestor's goodness. Your Life Ring will be brought to your father."
"Why do you want my Life Ring?" Gravis asked.
"Because you will spend a very long time with me," Heaven said. "Your power and mindset need to become powerful enough to rival mine and your father's power back then. This can't be achieved in mere days. Inside your Life Ring, your children and your friend cannot comprehend any Laws except for the Life Laws. Are you willing to confine your family for thousands of years?"
"Look around you," Heaven said. "This world is dead. There is no one your children can meet, no one to fight but each other. This dead world is a prison of isolation to them. Do you wish for your children to remain in this prison?"
Gravis had never felt so helpless in his life.
There was absolutely nothing he could do but comply.
Gravis' hands shook as he summoned the Life Ring. He felt like the thing he was about to do would betray his entire life.
Yet, what was he supposed to do? There was nothing he could do!
Gravis extended his shaking hand and put the Life Ring into Heaven's hand.
With this action, Gravis felt like all freedom had left him.
He was relying on someone else's good nature right now, something he had always hated.
Heaven put the ring between two of their fingers. "This was a necessary step for your muddled path to power. Freedom comes with reliance and responsibility. Your handing over of your family shows that you have taken the first step in accepting your muddled path."
In an instant, the Life Ring vanished.
"Your Life Ring has been transported to your father. My ancestor doesn't lie, Gravis," Heaven said.
Yet, Gravis still felt helpless.
Meanwhile, in the highest world, a Life Ring appeared before the Opposer.
Yet, the Opposer didn't have his usual, emotionless look on his face right now.
He looked pained.
This Life Ring was Gravis' show of forgiveness and trust, and it was the highest Heaven's show of power.
The highest Heaven helped Gravis with everything, but the Opposer was still its most hated enemy.
Right now, this Life Ring demonstrated to the Opposer that Gravis was so thoroughly under the highest Heaven's control that he even handed over the lives of his own family.
The highest Heaven had taken the Opposer's son for itself. The highest Heaven showed that the most outstanding child of the Opposer was under its control.
Yet, the Opposer's pained expression changed into one of determination.
"You have won, for now, Old Bastard."
"But you know exactly that this result is not set in stone. We both know that there is still a chance," the Opposer said.
The highest Heaven only sneered in disdain.
