The advancement from one tier to another was referred to as an ascension for a reason. The world was created by the gods. Each pantheon, sect, or kingdom had its own myths and beliefs as to which god made their existence possible, but they all shared the same power system.

The Mythos Ascension System.

The system explained everything due to how they were named and represented. It began with Tier 1: Mortal, then Tier 2: Blessed. This was an ascension from a mortal, literally, to a favored being by the gods. One had the power to control elements, concepts that are deemed to be for the gods alone, but through their benevolence, they allowed mortals to use them, albeit on a lower level. But the requirement to use this power was to ascend to a favored being, blessed by the gods. That was why Tier 2 was named Blessed.

The rest of the tiers followed, each one bearing titles that spoke of ascension. Ascension to a higher being. The more you ascended, the less you became a mortal.

And that was what Bahamut was going through at the moment. An ascension from Tier 1: Mortal to Tier 2: Blessed, and it wasn’t a smooth sailing as one would expect of someone who had their affinities at 100%. In fact, his was proving to be much harder than normal.

There was only one reason for this... His elements.

Unlike most who ascend with just an element or at most two, with three being rare, Bahamut was ascending with six elements. Each element had its significance, and the ascension was to make your affinity to an element a reality. It gave you control and authority over that element. So what do you think would happen if you were to ascend with more than one element?

You would obviously have it harder than someone with one element, because whatever god, or the world, would have to give you control over each element you have an affinity with, and the process was very delicate, intense, and couldn’t be rushed.

The first thunderstrike signified the beginning of the ascension, and it came with a rain of lightning on the person involved in the ascension. It was both a refining process and a test for the person. The lightning could kill, but if you survived, you reaped the benefits of your hard work and refinement. This was also the reason why disciples of the outer sect were more than those of the inner sect and the core, and also a reason why there were few Tier 2 people as compared to Tier 1. Not everyone had the will and the heart to go through such a painful and torturous ascension, and obviously, not everyone survived it.

That was how the world was. Balance. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Bahamut’s body drifted upward, and in no time, everyone could see him hovering very high up in the sky, even those with bad eyesight. It was as if they were close to him. That was how the ascension. Anyone close by would be somehow compelled or forced to witness it. It was as if it was telling you that the ascension was the best thing in the world.

Bahamut’s body glowed brightly when the first lightning strike came. It hit him squarely in the chest, causing his body to tremble and convulse. The lightning was so hot that his body caught fire.

Exildra, Lily, and Alana, who stood beside Elder Silvia, shivered with pale faces. It was scary. Lily was even crying silently as she watched the second lightning hit Bahamut in the abdomen. Her heart tore as she watched it. She couldn’t tell how much pain he was experiencing, but those lightning strikes were anything but weak.

Exildra tried to show a calm exterior, but it was broken when the third strike hit him in the face. His hair spilled outward and caught flames. In less than a second, they had burnt to nothing. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp of pain. Elder Silvia, who stood by them, just glanced at them with an expressionless face and turned back to watch her disciple experience his ascension.

Despite the intensity of his ascension, she had this strange belief that he would succeed.

"Master will ascend... Believe him..." Alana muttered with resolve despite the tears streaming from her eyes. "Master will do it... Master will ascend..."

She recited it like a mantra, and it seemed to be working.

On the seventh lightning strike, Bahamut released a scream that sounded more like a roar. Elder Silvia, Lily, and Alana’s expressions changed because they recognized that roar.

A roar of defiance.

Bahamut was defying the will of the gods, and that always didn’t end well.

"What is he doing..." Elder Silvia muttered sharply, only for her eyes to widen in the next second.

The next lightning strike was as wide as three men put together. This was a strike to kill, and everyone could feel the intensity of it. It moved in slow motion for them, as they sensed the aura of death radiating from it. Exildra, Lily, and Alana couldn’t bear to watch, but something in them still told them to believe Bahamut.

And they were proven right.

Just as the strike got close to Bahamut’s body, he roared again, this time louder and deeper. The roar resonated in everyone’s mind and soul, and right in front of them, Bahamut’s body released a blinding glow.

Behind him, something formed. It was huge, even bigger than the lightning strike, encompassing a very large portion of the sky. It was the same projection of a beast that appeared on his First Awakening, but more visible this time. Its mouth opened as it roared at the sky with a defiance that made the sky crack.

Space ruptured as it coiled protectively around Bahamut like a serpent. In fact, it had transformed into a serpent with six horns that glowed with different colors.

Looking at what was going on, Elder Silvia couldn’t figure out how to react.

"Bahamut... don’t tell me..."

Her eyes widened as a sudden realization dawned on her. If what she thought was right, then the world was in for a good run. In all of history, only two beings had defied the gods: the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Sun Wukong, and the Catastrophe of the gods...

"It was so obvious, but we failed to realize it..."

The ascension had transformed into a battle of Bahamut against the lightning strikes, but what made it stranger was that Bahamut was absorbing the lightning using the beast as a conduit. In the thirtieth strike, the beast projection had become something like an elemental glowing with six different colors, but no one understood the phenomenon except Elder Silvia and a man with deep golden eyes standing on a balcony.

"It has officially begun. Once he appears to him..."