Aerith was no fool. With a cunning smile, he had already found a way.
He came before the torch that symbolized the only true god, stretching his neck like a theater actor preparing to sing out loud:
"Then let my Lord be the judge!"
"Lorja, I have come before the holy fire with this pathetic illusion! Let the holy fire fall!"
Aaron roared:
"Hold up—You're an idiot, don't think I'm any different."
But Lorja actually nodded:
"Aaron, you do indeed need to prove yourself. I don't harm you, which is already pushing the limit. If you are willing to convert and the holy fire falls upon you and you endure it completely, I will handle your flesh according to your method."
Aerith revealed a cunning smile.
There was no such thing as the only true god; it was merely a ruse crafted by the great dark gods.
As long as the other party refused to prove themselves according to his demands, he could tear apart Lorja's trust in Aaron.
Gain control over the growth of this half-god and bind it to his own path!
Aaron looked disappointed at Lorja after hearing this.
What should one do when a younger brother is acting senselessly?
If his father were here, he would definitely kick him and fight him on the ground.
Aaron looked up, gripped the handle of his chainsaw sword tightly, and glared at Aerith viciously.
He laughed out loud:
"If that's the case, then if I endure what you call the holy fire, you also need to prove something to me."
After all, it's just a dream, and the injuries I sustain won't affect reality.
Just imagine that he doesn't suffer any harm, and it will be fine!
And Aerith was ecstatic!
This person actually took the bait!
If Aaron refuses to verify, then he is a follower of darkness.
If he is willing to verify, I will guide the power of the dark gods to descend, as wild and fierce as it can be, portraying him as a son of demons coming down.
This way, Lorja would kill Aaron first thing.
Devil, do not defile the holy fire!
He never worried that Aaron wouldn't fall, after all, those were the dark gods themselves whispering in your ear, enticing the most extreme emotions of the poor human beings.
Aaron leaned the chainsaw sword against a metal platform and stepped towards the torches.
After all, for him, all harm was just in a dream. The only thing he had to do was endure and not wake up.
He examined the torch, the roaring flames burning, warm, but without any emotion.
It was just the heat released by the combustion of matter.
When Marum used his hands to scatter sparks to cook on their journey, he explained it like this.
In extreme cases, the guards of Tian Gong can produce sparks as intense as steel clashing with just skin friction.
So, Aaron began to imagine himself as a guard of the Heavenly Palace, steadfast and unyielding!
While Aaron stood beneath the torch, Lorja suddenly felt some extra emotions in his heart for some unknown reason.
As if, he didn't want this brother who claimed to be his to take a risk.
He lifted his fingers slightly, about to stop everything, going against the words he had just spoken.
However, the flame is not deadly, many ordinary people have endured it.
At most, some skin burns, and it won't hurt the bones.
They have special herbs to treat such injuries.
This is also why Lorja initially agreed with Aerith.
However, watching this immature and pretends to be an adult little guy, standing beneath the torch with his eyes closed and nervous, Lorja felt his heart moved for the first time.
Aaron took a deep breath, stretched his body, looked up at Lorja who was watching him, and started to laugh with a 'heh heh' sound. The smile on his face was as bright as sunlight.
"My brother, don't worry, I used to be a troublesome kid. My mother said I've done many things that caused trouble, maybe even climbed Apollo's sacred fire just to taste the first bite of well-cooked beef. Ahh – don't worry about me."
Lorja didn't want to listen to Aaron's story. He just wanted to stop this farce by looking at his smile.
But before he could speak, he saw Aerith excitedly laughing as he pushed over the torch.
Aerith's laughter was completely different from Aaron's smile.
Aerith was probably the most popular young man in Korhis, polite and brave. He had never seen that arrogant and gloating smile on his face before, was it just an illusion?
The flames had fallen and burning chunks struck Aaron's body, only to be repelled.
Then, the falling sparks ignited Aaron's clothes, covering him in flames.
Aerith silently prayed in his heart: Oh, gods, lead this poor soul back to the embrace of chaos!
Guide the plan of the cursed child, and it must not fail!
With Aerith's prayers, the flames suddenly turned into dark mist, and grotesque demons flew out of it one after another. They surrounded Aaron and shielded him.
Aerith feigned a look of shock and horror, falling backward to the ground:
"Holy! Lorja, you have seen it with your own eyes! He is a monster, the trick of the dark gods, and an image specially designed to lure you into damnation!"
"Burn him! Burn him!"
With Aerith's terror-filled roar, the flames on Aaron had already turned completely into infernal flames, burning only his clothing without damaging him or causing burns.
"Just... this?" Aaron opened his eyes, curiously looking at his current strange posture.
Not as painful as when the first few fuel blocks hit him.
He looked up, and amidst the flames at his ears, the forbidden whispers of the gods were heard:
"When did you arrive? Dark Goddess?"
Aaron pointed at himself:
"Oh? Dark Goddess, me? What the hell, I am a god after all!"
That voice wondered: "No, this is not your era. Although you have no place, you shouldn't be here. Darkness, fade away! Fade away!"
Aaron said urgently:
"Hey, who are you? Why do you know I'm a god!"
That voice was confused: "Do you not know that you are a god? No, how can you think you are a god?"
Aerith's script seems to be wrong. There is something wrong with this beast.
How could someone just admit that openly?
He should be panicking, afraid, arguing, and then I would induce his mind to fall, becoming a demon of his kind and possess him.
But this person—his belief in being a god seems even more desperate than Aerith's.
Aaron rubbed his head, feeling the completely harmless flames around him.
"I don't know. My dad didn't say. He just said I'm a normal person who can live a bit longer."
"However—"
He changed his tone and laughed loudly,
"Although the Dark Goddess sounds unpleasant, I finally have been recognized as a god!"
"I told you that old guy was unreliable. He's a god, my mother is a god, how could I possibly be a mortal!"
Aaron seems like a madman, laughing out loud and wildly.
He actually confirmed his identity as a god within the dream!
Of course, it could also be an illusion caused by the flames, by those demons.
But, it doesn't matter. Now that I'm happy for a few minutes, that's enough.
Aaron was very optimistic, ready to share his joy, but he saw that everyone in front of him was on high alert, many believers holding weapons aimed at himself.
Even Lorja, his younger brother, with an unwilling expression, also picked up the hammer.
Aerith quickly got up and hid behind Lorja, his tone dark:
"Saint! You have seen it with your own eyes. This person is even a deity of the dark gods descending!"
"Now, slay Him!"
Lorja remained silent, holding up his hammer.
