"Hmm? It seems you've recognized your weakness." Rector who was high in the sky, looked down at Zavia, kneeling on the ground, sensing his weakened fighting spirit.
"Hmph hmph hmph, what else can I do? There's no point fighting anymore. While I initially thought you were only slightly stronger than me, these past few exchanges have shown me that I, like others, was misled." Zavia laughed as if he had accepted his fate. He shifted from kneeling to sitting, then sheathed the Yamato.
He had lost, and it was an inevitable defeat. Against such a powerful opponent, he had no hope of victory.
While he had managed to injure Rector, it was clear the dragon had been holding back. Not just holding back, but practically toying with him.
If Rector had fought seriously, Zavia wouldn't have landed a single blow. He would have been bombarded by hundreds, if not thousands, of lightning bolts the moment he set foot on the island.
He had initially perceived Rector as only slightly stronger than himself, but that had been a grave miscalculation.
Just like Roman during their first encounter, he had underestimated Zavia.
The weak often misjudge the strong. Unless a powerful individual deliberately conceals their true strength, the weak will often perceive them as either weaker or only slightly stronger than themselves.
This was the nature of the power disparity. The strong could instantly gauge the strength of the weak, but the weak were often misled.
This explained Zavia's misjudgment. He had been deceived by his own perception.
One might argue that Zavia's daily meditation and cautious approach to powerful opponents should have prevented such a miscalculation.
And that was true. His younger self, newly arrived in this world, would have been more discerning. However, a year of uninterrupted success had inflated his ego.
His spatial manipulation abilities, in particular, had fostered the belief that any problem could be solved with a swing of his blade. If one swing wasn't enough, he could simply add spatial power. And if that still wasn't enough, well, he could always flee.
He had been so confident in his abilities that he hadn't even considered the possibility of genuine defeat. Now, his confidence shattered, he felt a profound sense of unease.
"Roar… Recognizing your weakness is not a bad thing. It's not something to be ashamed of. On the contrary, it's the path to greater strength! It allows you to ascend to new heights! And then, you can look down upon those who once mocked you! They will finally realize who the truly weak one is!" Rector saw Zavia's dejection and abandoned his fighting stance and spoke with more guidance than conversation.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Zavia looked up at Rector, confused. Why would the dragon say such things? Shouldn't he be trying to kill him?
"Isn't it obvious? You've passed. You may claim the Demon God's Lightning Core."
"Huh?!?" Zavia was stunned.
He had passed? But he hadn't defeated Rector. Wasn't failure supposed to result in death or "re-training"? This wasn't what Valona had told him.
"You seem confused. Didn't Valona tell you?"
"Tell me what?" A strange feeling washed over Zavia, a feeling connected to Valona.
"Emmm… Tell me what you think the trial entails."
"Find the Demon God's Core, defeat the guardian, and claim the core. Isn't that right?" Zavia replied.
Rector's usually impassive face flickered with surprise.
"…Alas, little brat, it seems you're another victim of Valona's pranks. Honestly, why would he do this to even the Demon God's inheritors?
Listen carefully. Finding the Demon God's Core is indeed the first step. However, defeating the guardian isn't always necessary. While I won't deny that it sometimes happens, the key to obtaining the core lies in the trial set by the guardian.
For instance, I deemed you worthy because you recognized the detrimental effects of your arrogance. To become the next Demon God, such a flaw is unacceptable. My trial was designed to shatter your arrogance through overwhelming power. If you hadn't realized your weakness, I would have killed you.
So, yes, the trials for the Demon God's Cores are often life-or-death situations." Rector sighed, then explained the true nature of the trials and the role of the guardians.
"So, the Demon God's trials are essentially like the Hunter Exam in Hunter x Hunter?" Zavia felt overwhelmed by this new information.
"The Hunter Exam? Similar, but not quite. The examiners in the Hunter Exam won't kill you for arrogance or any other flaw. They'll simply deem you unworthy and tell you to try again next year.
The Demon God's trials are far less forgiving. If you fail our trials, or if we find something unsatisfactory during the process, there are only two outcomes: death or 're-training.' If it's the latter, the difficulty of the next trial increases tenfold! Of course, this varies depending on the guardian." Rector's acknowledgment of the similarity to the Hunter Exam suggested that the Demon God's trials had indeed been inspired by that world.
"Wait, wait, wait. Let me process this. That's a lot of information." Zavia held up a hand, needing time to think.
(Demon God's trials, guardians, Demon God's Cores, stages, death, re-training, tenfold increase in difficulty…) He sat down, resting his chin on his hands as he absorbed Rector's words.
The dragon patiently waited.
After half an hour, Zavia took a deep breath and looked up at Rector.
"I understand the general nature of the Demon God's trials. Now, can you explain what you meant by me being a victim of Valona's pranks?"
"Hmm? That? Well, it's a bit complicated, but to put it simply, while Valona appears to be a kind and gentle soul, and he is towards his own people, he has a peculiar fondness for pranks, including teasing, misleading, and deliberately withholding information." Rector turned his massive head, which rested atop a nearby mountain.
"You're saying… Valona enjoys playing pranks on his own people?" This revelation shattered Zavia's image of the seemingly benevolent Valona. The warm and caring figure, the powerful and charismatic leader, was… a prankster? The thought was unsettling.
"Indeed."
"So, everything I've done so far, aside from finding the Demon God's Cores, has been based on false assumptions?"
"Indeed."
Zavia's eye twitched. He was incredibly annoyed with Valona. No, annoyed wasn't strong enough. He wanted to kill the man.
"Sigh… Forget it. So, where's the Lightning Core?" After a moment of contemplation, he let out a sigh, releasing his frustration. There was no point dwelling on it. Valona was far too powerful. He couldn't even touch the man, let alone kill him. He might even end up being "counter-killed." There was nothing to gain.
Resigned, he turned his attention to the matter at hand and asked Rector about the Lightning Core.
Rector looked up at the sky. Suddenly, countless purple lightning bolts crackled and converged.
After a brilliant flash of light, Zavia shielded his eyes.
When he opened them again, he saw a hexagonal crystal core, pulsing with purple light, slowly descending from the sky. Though just a core, it radiated an immense power, as if a god of thunder had descended upon the island.
The hexagonal crystal – the Lightning Core – floated before Zavia, as if waiting for him.
"This is the Lightning Core. The lightning power within rivals that of the Thunder God, Millos Oyalla. However, for certain reasons, its true power is sealed. Unleashing it is your task." Rector appeared beside Zavia and explained the core's basic properties.
"Hmm…" Zavia stared at the crystal core with interest, seemingly ignoring Rector's explanation. The dragon didn't mind. This information wasn't crucial. It was basic knowledge readily available to anyone who asked.
"Then, I'll accept this Lightning Divine Power." After observing it for a moment, Zavia reached out and grasped the core.
The apple-sized core, as if activated, burst with lightning that flowed into Zavia's body.
"Holy—shit—!"
The moment the lightning entered his body, he understood what it felt like to be struck by lightning.
The immense power coursed through him, invading his skin, his organs, his bones. The pain was excruciating.
"Painful, isn't it? The Lightning Core contains incredibly volatile energy. Absorbing it directly could cause your body to explode. But you're fortunate. You recognized your weakness in time, minimizing the damage. Furthermore, the demonic essence within you is converting the lightning power, making it less volatile, more manageable. Otherwise, you wouldn't be simply kneeling; you'd be unconscious, if not dead." Rector calmly explained while observing Zavia struggling to remain on his knees.
"Is… that… so… thank… you…" Zavia gasped, each word punctuated by a sharp intake of breath. Even with the conversion process, the power of the Lightning Core was overwhelming.
The volatile energy tempered his already superhuman body, pushing it to new heights, though the process was agonizing.
Two hours passed, and Zavia remained on his knees, his consciousness clinging to the edge, thanks to the Legacy of the Demon God. Without it, maintaining his willpower for so long would have been impossible.
Three hours… four hours… He continued absorbing the Lightning Core's power.
Finally, after sixteen hours and fifty minutes, the lightning around him subsided, the volatile energy calmed.
"Ha… ha… ha… ha… it's… finally… over…" Zavia's voice was weak, his body drenched in sweat and his clothes soaked.
For sixteen hours and fifty minutes, he had fought to maintain consciousness, resisting the raw power of the Lightning Core, fearing its potential consequences. While the guardian had deemed him worthy, the core itself might have had its own tests. This was the hidden trial of the Demon God's inheritance, and his vigilance had been justified.
Though he hadn't known about the hidden trial.
Exhausted, his strength depleted, he collapsed unconscious.
"Sigh, a pitiful sight." Rector watched Zavia's unconscious form. A blue magic circle appeared around him, its energy healing his wounds and soothing his mind.
"Ugh… where…?" Zavia awoke four days later, his mind disoriented. He looked around, his memory slowly returning.
He saw the distant crater, the lightning flashing in the sky, and it all came back to him.
"Yo, you're awake." A majestic voice came from a nearby mountaintop. It was Rector.
"I suppose so. I didn't expect that power to be so intense." Zavia sat up, flexing his hands. He made a fist, his knuckles cracking. A surge of power coursed through him. A smile spread across his face. He was stronger.
"Now that you're awake, make your choice. Will you leave, or remain here to train?" Rector's voice was indifferent.
"Choice?"
"Yes, choice. With your current strength, you're among the strongest in this world. But in the eyes of the world, you're less than an ant." Rector's cold words silenced Zavia.
(I don't know exactly how strong I am, but if Rector says I'm at the top tier of this world, he's probably right. But to be considered less than an ant by the world's will… that's a bit disheartening.)
"Sorry, Mihawk, I'll have to ask you to look after Arthur a bit longer. And Arthur, I apologize, but our promise will have to wait." After careful consideration, Zavia decided to stay on Raijin Island and train. This environment was ideal for honing his lightning-based abilities, even if it meant delaying his duel with Mihawk and his promise to Arthur.
He could make it up to them later. Promises, as long as they weren't broken, never expired.